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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Re-Animator (1985) in Movies
Aug 29, 2020
Straight up, Re-Animator is one of my favourite horror movies of all time - there is just so much to love about this bonafide classic.
Based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, the plot revolves around trainee doctor Dan Cain, who's world is turned upside down when he crosses paths with Herbert West, a fellow trainee who has developed a serum that has the ability to reverse brain death. With some serious trial and error, it's not long before all hell breaks loose, and Dan is roped into Herbert's crazy schemes.
This film is a shining example of schlocky 80s horror done right and ticks all the right boxes. The dialogue may come across a bit B-Movie-ish at times, but that's hardly a problem with the strong cast involved.
Jeffrey Combs dominates every second he's on screen as Herbert West, giving us a truly iconic Mad Scientist of cinema. Same goes for David Gale as primary antagonist Dr. Carl Hill. God, I hate that character - a trait that makes him an excellent horror villain.
Bruce Abbot plays Dan, and his performance has you on his side for the whole runtime, even when he's reluctantly helping West in his unethical experiments. This was also a break out film for horror icon Barbara Crampton. I can't help but love her in anything she's in.
Another fantastic aspect about Re-Animator is the practical effects, which are truly incredible. It's such a visceral experience, so over the top, and just plain gross, everything you want from a gory horror flick. This all culminates in one of the most absurd final sequences in 80s horror, and that's saying something!
Re-Animator is both charming and disgusting, and manages to be funny as well. A true horror gem that should be seen by any fan of the genre.
Based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, the plot revolves around trainee doctor Dan Cain, who's world is turned upside down when he crosses paths with Herbert West, a fellow trainee who has developed a serum that has the ability to reverse brain death. With some serious trial and error, it's not long before all hell breaks loose, and Dan is roped into Herbert's crazy schemes.
This film is a shining example of schlocky 80s horror done right and ticks all the right boxes. The dialogue may come across a bit B-Movie-ish at times, but that's hardly a problem with the strong cast involved.
Jeffrey Combs dominates every second he's on screen as Herbert West, giving us a truly iconic Mad Scientist of cinema. Same goes for David Gale as primary antagonist Dr. Carl Hill. God, I hate that character - a trait that makes him an excellent horror villain.
Bruce Abbot plays Dan, and his performance has you on his side for the whole runtime, even when he's reluctantly helping West in his unethical experiments. This was also a break out film for horror icon Barbara Crampton. I can't help but love her in anything she's in.
Another fantastic aspect about Re-Animator is the practical effects, which are truly incredible. It's such a visceral experience, so over the top, and just plain gross, everything you want from a gory horror flick. This all culminates in one of the most absurd final sequences in 80s horror, and that's saying something!
Re-Animator is both charming and disgusting, and manages to be funny as well. A true horror gem that should be seen by any fan of the genre.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) in Movies
May 21, 2020
The Last Classic Monster
Creature From The Black Lagoon- is the last monster of the classic universal monsters. And its sad. Its sad, to see the classic universal monster, last movie. This creature is scary, terrorfying and horrorfying.
The plot: Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives.
Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed in 3D and originally projected by the polarized light method. The audience wore viewers with gray polarizing filters, similar to the viewers most commonly used today. Because the brief 1950s 3D film fad had peaked in mid-1953 and was fading fast in early 1954, many audiences actually saw the film "flat", in 2D. Typically, the film was shown in 3D in large downtown theaters and flat in smaller neighborhood theaters.
For marketing reasons, a comedic appearance with Abbott and Costello on an episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour aired prior to the film's release. The appearance is commonly known as Abbott and Costello Meet the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Ben Chapman reprised his role as the Gill-Man for the program.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated
2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
Gill-man – Nominated Villain
Iike i said a classic universal monster.
The plot: Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives.
Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed in 3D and originally projected by the polarized light method. The audience wore viewers with gray polarizing filters, similar to the viewers most commonly used today. Because the brief 1950s 3D film fad had peaked in mid-1953 and was fading fast in early 1954, many audiences actually saw the film "flat", in 2D. Typically, the film was shown in 3D in large downtown theaters and flat in smaller neighborhood theaters.
For marketing reasons, a comedic appearance with Abbott and Costello on an episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour aired prior to the film's release. The appearance is commonly known as Abbott and Costello Meet the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Ben Chapman reprised his role as the Gill-Man for the program.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated
2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
Gill-man – Nominated Villain
Iike i said a classic universal monster.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Thor: The Dark World (2013) in Movies
Oct 1, 2020
The second Thor movie is a visual representation of the word "meh". It has all the right ingredients, but somehow manages to fall flat.
The general plot is an issue. It's not a terrible narrative, but it's the kind of bloated fantasy stuff you would find in an early 2000s superhero movie, not a franchise that is eight films in and includes The Avengers.
The only purpose it serves in the grand scheme of things is the introduction of another Infinity Stone. Other than that it's just stuffed with exposition and kind of bland.
Another issue is, you guess it, the villain. Malekith isn't necessarily a bad choice for the movies antagonist, but his execution feels inconsequential and boring. Christopher Eccleston does the best with what he has but the stakes never feel high with this guy, although I do enjoy his comic- accurate appearance from the halfway mark.
Visually, The Dark World looks great. The CGI is pretty decent, the locations such as Asgard are just as well realised as the first film. Returning cast members include Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and Natalie Portman, as well as the always awesome Chris Hemsworth. Nothing wrong here, although I do feel that Lady Sif and The Warriors Three are wasted this time around.
The final set piece is pretty damn entertaining to be fair, and borders on suitable comic-book absurdity at points. The attack on Asgard by the Dark Elves is also pretty thrilling, but everything else is a little so so.
I still like Thor: The Dark World for what it's worth, it's just a little by the numbers and uninspired, and is probably my least favourite of the MCU movies to date.
The general plot is an issue. It's not a terrible narrative, but it's the kind of bloated fantasy stuff you would find in an early 2000s superhero movie, not a franchise that is eight films in and includes The Avengers.
The only purpose it serves in the grand scheme of things is the introduction of another Infinity Stone. Other than that it's just stuffed with exposition and kind of bland.
Another issue is, you guess it, the villain. Malekith isn't necessarily a bad choice for the movies antagonist, but his execution feels inconsequential and boring. Christopher Eccleston does the best with what he has but the stakes never feel high with this guy, although I do enjoy his comic- accurate appearance from the halfway mark.
Visually, The Dark World looks great. The CGI is pretty decent, the locations such as Asgard are just as well realised as the first film. Returning cast members include Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and Natalie Portman, as well as the always awesome Chris Hemsworth. Nothing wrong here, although I do feel that Lady Sif and The Warriors Three are wasted this time around.
The final set piece is pretty damn entertaining to be fair, and borders on suitable comic-book absurdity at points. The attack on Asgard by the Dark Elves is also pretty thrilling, but everything else is a little so so.
I still like Thor: The Dark World for what it's worth, it's just a little by the numbers and uninspired, and is probably my least favourite of the MCU movies to date.
Chosen (The Warrior Chronicles #1)
7.0
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This series is what K.F. Breene does best - strong heroine, incredible hero, and a community of...
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Mystery of Marie Roget HD - A Hidden Object Mystery (Full)
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Unlock the complete adventure with a single purchase! No in-app purchases! Your friend, Detective...
The Craving (The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #3)
7.5
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The third book in the New York Times bestselling series by L.J. Smith. The Craving is the third...
Becoming Superman
10.0
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In this dazzling memoir, the acclaimed writer behind Babylon 5, Sense8, Clint Eastwood’s...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
This one seems to have received a very mixed reception among Trek fans, but I absolutely loved it when it first came out, giving it 4.5/5 in one of my early One Mann’s Movies reviews.
I find the pre-titles sequence on this one a real blast, both thrilling in content and enormously funny with the primitive stone age race trashing their previous relic in favour of their new Enterprise-shaped deity! And then the dramatic pseudo-blackmailing of Harewood, (an impressive Noel Clarke, when he was being given better roles that he is at the moment), to Michael Giacchino’s awesome “London Calling” music, is a truly memorable bit of movie-making.
The cast have all settled into their roles nicely. Chris Pine’s Kirk is still the arrogant ladies man (e.g. bedding twin aliens and chatting up the starfleet totty…. “Hi Ladies… Jim Kirk”), but learning the hard way that with great power comes at least a modicum of responsibility. He actually needs to act in this movie. And I find Scotty (Simon Pegg) slightly less grating in this outing (though his sidekick Keenser (Deep Roy) is still the annoying Jar Jar Binks of these films).
Benedict Cumberbatch adds great gravitas as the arch villain, and his announcement of his name was one of those “I am your father” movie-moments for me on first viewing.
It’s also the last screen appearance of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime – indeed, his last movie appearance period. A nice and fitting way to bow out.
My rating here is a little lower than my previous OMM rating. It’s attempts to shoehorn-in scenes and dialogue from an earlier Trek movie are a misstep by the writers, and grate on repeat viewing. But it’s still a cracking episode in the Trek saga, and another of my personal favourites.
I find the pre-titles sequence on this one a real blast, both thrilling in content and enormously funny with the primitive stone age race trashing their previous relic in favour of their new Enterprise-shaped deity! And then the dramatic pseudo-blackmailing of Harewood, (an impressive Noel Clarke, when he was being given better roles that he is at the moment), to Michael Giacchino’s awesome “London Calling” music, is a truly memorable bit of movie-making.
The cast have all settled into their roles nicely. Chris Pine’s Kirk is still the arrogant ladies man (e.g. bedding twin aliens and chatting up the starfleet totty…. “Hi Ladies… Jim Kirk”), but learning the hard way that with great power comes at least a modicum of responsibility. He actually needs to act in this movie. And I find Scotty (Simon Pegg) slightly less grating in this outing (though his sidekick Keenser (Deep Roy) is still the annoying Jar Jar Binks of these films).
Benedict Cumberbatch adds great gravitas as the arch villain, and his announcement of his name was one of those “I am your father” movie-moments for me on first viewing.
It’s also the last screen appearance of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime – indeed, his last movie appearance period. A nice and fitting way to bow out.
My rating here is a little lower than my previous OMM rating. It’s attempts to shoehorn-in scenes and dialogue from an earlier Trek movie are a misstep by the writers, and grate on repeat viewing. But it’s still a cracking episode in the Trek saga, and another of my personal favourites.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone, #20) in Books
Sep 29, 2021
Can Kinsey Save Her Neighbor?
It starts innocently enough when Kinsey and her landlord, William Pitts, discover their elderly neighbor, Gus Vronsky, lying on the floor in his house one morning after falling and injuring himself. Gus only has one relative left, a great-niece who lives on the other side of the country, so she is intent on hiring someone to help Gus recover. The great-niece asks Kinsey to do a background check on Solana Rojas, the woman that she has hired, and nothing jumps out at Kinsey. Still, something seems off about Solana. Will Kinsey figure out what it is in time?
Because we get some chapters from Solana’s point of view, we know early on that she is bad news. It gets a little frustrating waiting for Kinsey to catch up, but the end result is worth it. As we got into the final quarter, I had a very hard time putting the book down thanks to several thrilling scenes. We get to see plenty of William, which is fantastic since he is my second favorite character in the series, second only to Kinsey, who continues to entertain. Solana is evil, and she makes a great villain for Kinsey to track down. There are a couple of sub-plots that I enjoyed, although they could have been a little stronger. There’s also a plot hole late in the book – something we know but Kinsey couldn’t possibly know about. This isn’t one of my typical cozies, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. Still, overall, this is another great entry in a beloved series. Even at twenty books in, it is easy to see why it is has so many fans.
Because we get some chapters from Solana’s point of view, we know early on that she is bad news. It gets a little frustrating waiting for Kinsey to catch up, but the end result is worth it. As we got into the final quarter, I had a very hard time putting the book down thanks to several thrilling scenes. We get to see plenty of William, which is fantastic since he is my second favorite character in the series, second only to Kinsey, who continues to entertain. Solana is evil, and she makes a great villain for Kinsey to track down. There are a couple of sub-plots that I enjoyed, although they could have been a little stronger. There’s also a plot hole late in the book – something we know but Kinsey couldn’t possibly know about. This isn’t one of my typical cozies, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. Still, overall, this is another great entry in a beloved series. Even at twenty books in, it is easy to see why it is has so many fans.