Movie Review: Tusk (2014) October Horror Fest (9/31)

 This one was a mix of comedy and horror. First I thought it was going to be the typical comedy & horror kind of stuff but after a while he turned full horror with a mix of drama.

You've got this podcasters who are always joking on people, sometimes always going to far. There's this video of a guy playing with his sword and accidently cutting his own leg. They try to have an exclusive of the "moron" to get more views. So, one of the guys go to the great white north (Canada if you don't know) and when he arrives to his house - it seems he killed himself for shame and such.

Upset he tries to find a story (Always being a jerk to everyone) and trying to get a story from a guy who has done interesting things - This guy is very fond of walruses - obsessed is probably the correct term.

Meanwhile his girlfriend is trying to better understand him and saying that he goes to far with his jokes. 

Well spoilers ahead - well basically the old man drugs the guy and slowly transforms him into a Walrus.
His girlfriend with the help of the other podcaster (who she is cheating with) go to Canada and finally uncover the mystery. In the last shot we see her feeding fish to a former podcaster- now-turned-walrus. 

Is this a good tale? It's worth the time to watch but nothing really to praise about. It's like IMDB 5.3. It doesn't deserves more or less. II would say I enjoy the change but that's it.

Movie Review: Risen (2021) October Horror Fest (8/31)

What a hell have I just watched? What a boring movie... pointless to be honest.

So, you've got a person that is investigating a meteorite in a place everyone died. USA official start investigating the deaths but then those people come back to life (life is a bit far fetch since there is no life within them). Then they start noticing something different like they were facing some particular way or such. They take one of the bodies north where they are facing and they discover a big tree (of some sort) and finally there is some action wtih those beings... Ah, not everything is at seems.

Then you've got a twist that everyone could figure it out. She was at Area51 when she was young and some being possessed her or such and then she built a radio and contact his home planet - and they came. 

There are pointless minutes of nothing happening (like walking and such)- I am not kidding when saying this is boring boring...

There are some other weird situations like she was on probation (Drinking) and she right the moment before she is talking with the president of USA and the probation officer call her saying - all is good you speaking on tv and working but I am going to report you to the police because you are not attending your meetings - wtf? 

"Mr President. This is happening and we are going to do some testing that may prove vital to humanity."
" Okay, let start right away"
"Today is not a good day. Tomorrow Mr President. I have a AA meeting today."
"But it's the fucking humanity at risk"
"Yes, but I may be contacted by the police if I missed..."

There's a reason this movie has a 3,2 on IMDB.

Oh and I am excusing the awful CGI. Oh my god. Did you have windows 95 while doing it? Damn..

Movie Review: Share or Die (2021) October Horror Fest (7/31)

 I don't know if I should give a 1 or a 10. I am in doubt...

So basically you've got here a spam message that's being sent to people. Either they confess something OR they share the message to anyone else or die. So far, so interesting, then it comes the teen drama, you've got a girl who dump a guy for something ; you've got that double holier girl of Instagram that makes posts all the time and such - you get the picture..

The acting is bad, the filming is like it's the first movie they make, the story is cliché - so as I said- society nowadays is as fake as you can get. People only care about what they seem to be and not what they are - so when dealing with death situations - you really can't expect people behave differently. 

There is even a situation where a girl dies and two of his "friends" make some comments to draw likes to her. Life is cheap and the personage you are on the internet - you turn yourself into reality. Basically that's it.

The ending was cliche… I didn't enjoy it at all. There is really no redeeming qualities to be honest. Sorry.

Movie Review: Two Evil Eyes (1990) October Horror Fest (6/31)

 Well, this was a collaboration of two horror directors - George A Romero & Dario Argento.

The first take was "The Facts int he Case of Mr Valdemar" and the second was "The Black Cat"

In the first take you've got this woman who has a dying husband but before he dies she wants to cash out some money so with the help of a medical officer they hypnotize him and start stealing his stuff. Unfortunately to them he dies in-between stealing and so they must prolong the lie so they can finish the procedure from assets to liquid money.

Alas, not everything goes how they want and the hypnotized - now dead guy keeps being alive, lost forever in another realm. People died and the story ends.

I know, nothing to do with the movie but... my blog!

The second take Black Cat is about a man, a decorated photographer of the macabre who goes a bit further even killing and hurting a black cat taking photos out of him. Meanwhile her wife discovers the book he publishes with those photos (who dumb must he be to photograph his own cat and publishing it) and after some struggle she dies killed by him. To hide all evidence, after all the cat had returned he walled them up and start doing stuff to cover his tracks. The police having some doubts on the disappearance they go his house but uncover nothing but in a turn of events due to a autograph something starts moving within the walls and the police return. He kills both policemen and try to escape the house but the Black Cat had a revenge for him and he dies.

Both stories are cool but really nothing to be proud of. The first one has an interesting concept and the second something more to even worsen the reputation of black cats.

In the second tale there is some nudity but unless you enjoy your dose of necrophilia don't bother - although the first tale there is moment where Adrienne Barbeau his kissing her lover and he puts her hand on her breasts (a bit strange how he did it) but nothing is shown - unfortunately.

She was a sex symbol from the 80's at 40 (for those who don't know)

Movie Review - Pentagram (2019) October Horror Fest (5/31)

 Well, after watching Soul I immediately started with this one since it was recommend. What a crappy movie my god.

Everything in it was bad - from the plot to the characters without any really bright light in acting.

You've got four people that commit a crime, robbing a diner and escaping to an abandoned house. there they find a guy doing some weird demonic crap where he needs a victim to get something from Beelzebub. A sacrificial lamb. Unfortunately, for him, the supposedly victim left the pentagram and she was killed by this demon and the guy within the lamb had to wait for the next victim (probably die of hunger).

There comes this four idiots who enter the pentagram and now they must either sacrifice one of their own OR die. Of course they do stupid stuff killing the only guy who could do the sacrifice..

Then one of the guys start turning against the others killing one of them and wounding another - the last one was basically in coma due to drugs ending with only two people alive (Brother and Sister). Then one sacrificed for the other leaving the last one free to escape the pentagram. 

The last scene two people (the ones that were robed) enter the pentagram to retrieve the money and had to go through as the previous ocuppants.

You have to watch it if you want to understand the level of bad acting, plot and quite frankly everything. There's a reason to have 2,6 rating in IMDB.

Not even a bit of nudity that goes a long way to save some movies to be total disaster... there is a woman in some undercloth that probably would shame my grandmother. That's it.

Movie Review - The Soul (2021) - October Horror Fest (4/31)

Is this a truly horror story? No. But it's premise its quite frightening.

The story starts in the future 2030 where there have been some advances in technology - nothing major. I only discover because of all indication 2031 or so.

Basically a hideous crime has been committed and a person is killed. Then the mystery starts... which is the main focus of this tale. A whodunit I believe it's called. We learn of the persecutor (a cancer man who is slowly dying) and his wife which is a investigator (she is pregnant) and we start learning about this tale. You've got several people saying what happen and all points out for the son of the killed man since he blames the death of his mother on his father. But, alas, not everything is what it seems. We are reminded again that we are in the future when they start talking about cure for cancer and soul transition to another body. 

In this novel there is a lot of Chinese/Taiwan folklore magic and a lot more of science. That's why I think this is a bit of horror take - its kind of horrific people transition from one body to another. 

Is this movie good? Yes

Is this boring? I struggled a lot in the beginning and thought it was very slow.

Is this a mystery novel with a lot of twists? Undoubtly. 

Advisable to anyone who wants to read some Asian mystery novel mix with sci-fi and psychological horror.

By the way - there are two version of the movie. One made for Chinese audience and other for the rest of the world. The Netflix version is the ROW not the Chinese. Since Chinese people really love order and such the ending is a bit different and therefore I am going into spoilers

Spoilers Ahead

Basically the wife of the persecutor hides some evidence to make his husband go through the trails against cancer but the persecutor finds out and after confronting the wife of the deceased (which is now the deceased - he made a soul swap) she is condemned to be in prison (after being swap with the persecutor). The wife of the persecutor, in the Chinese version tells everyone that she has hidden some evidence and she is incarcerated as well. In the Taiwan version (or ROW) this last part doesn't happen and she goes to see her husband (now in the body of the imprisoned female and he (she) say and do stuff the persecutor did. 

Oh the Chinese version doesn't have the same violence stuff the ROW has (although I don't know about the nudity).

Either way - advisable.

Movie Review: Night Wolf (2010) - October Horror Fest (3/31)

 Well this was a disappointing movie. First of all, what happen to the sound? I don't if this was only the Netflix version but the sound was very bad. 

Then the plot itself was a bit odd. So a girl is coming home after some absence and meet with his family and such. Young boys it all they are having fun and they are attacked by a beast. 

Inbetween this chase and such we learn a bit more about the reason she has returned and their mother's supposedly affair and the father distrust.

We've got some scenes of jump-scare (unfortunately we seldom see the beast that hunting and killing them.

By the end she was bitten and herself transform into one of the monster and killing the attacking monster - which turns out to be duh duh duh her mother.

The ending leaves with the feeling that everyone that was bitten by the werewolves are turning into one.

Well, so far the bad parts is the sound, the characters behaving like horny boys and girls - two instances after some dies they try to fuck someone. 

I at least thought that we would see Gemma Atkinson books but alas that was not so - side note, did her boobs increase size - damn.

Movie Review - Old (2021) - October Horror Fest (2/31)

 I am going to say on a whim that this is not horror but more thriller. There is some horror elements but it's not pure horror.  You've got several group of people who get some cheap vacations to a paradise. After arriving they go to a reclusive beach - one of those postcards beach

But then stuff starts happening- at first it's a dead body, then it's a old woman who dies and afterwards the children start becoming adults. It seems every 30m it's 6 month sin real life or so.

There is some mystery, thriller elements then happening and all hell break lose. The childre are old enough and start fucking having a child who dies at childbirth. By that time they already know that time is gonig so fast (not knowing why).

Then most people start dying, either by mental problems or old age. Our main protagonits who were 6 and 12 when they entered are now in their 40/50's when they live the beach (due to a message written by a child)

Then comes the realization of what's happening - being a M Night Shyamalan we know that something is going to happen (if you watch the village per example) and now we learn that the hotel is a front for a pharmacentical company who wants to test their products - therefore they give the medication, send people to island and see the evolution of people - very fast to be honest.

sincerely I enjoyed the movie but it's not his best. It's quite anti-climatic and I believe it's the bad part of Mr Shyamalan (the endings)

So, the characters - well I hated Guy. I hated Prisca (she didn't speak english that well, they should explain that but okay), Rufus was just strange, Chrystal - to be quite honest all fot hem were bad characters - boring and cliches of characters you see in all movies.

Thomasin McKenzie is probably one exception...

Stuff was never really developed. Why the children grow up and their mentality equalled the speed of their physical development? Very strange. So what happened to the beach? They are going to close it and that's it? I don't know... Some bad explanations.. But entertaining.

Movie Review - The Candyman (2021) - October Horror Fest (1/31)

Well I can't say I am that surprised that this book was crap. First of all, remakes seldom work (although this one is more a continuation) of some sorts. When the franchise is done I never saw a remake being made and being good. The only one I think it work was Halloween which the new movies are okish. Well, abou this one - well it's woke crap as almost everything being performed nowadays. But this one is stupid woke crap. So you got this artist who is dire need of ideas for creating new art and inspires on Candyman stories. So far so good. But afterwards everything went down the hill. So he killed people, some innocent some were not but the last monologue feels like "You are not innocent". Damn...

So what it's woke? Well there are gay characters who have no importance to the stories are were created just to be there and be inclusive - gay black characters with white characters. So you already tick two boxes.

Then the gay black character and his family complain about white people having to capitalize on black communities while building very good communities on which the white guy say - like this one you are living? Damn - Awkward silence...

Then there are some other woke elements, like police = bad; black people = good and marginalized even in 2021 and so on...

The story is so crap because it try to capitalize on woke elements and never really going onward on the plot and horror. There are some killing but almost all of them are off-screen just watching glimpses of blood and such. CRAPPY movie. Unless you are a woke person don't watch it. Go watch the original (that it's crap but compare with this is golden) with Virginia Madsen. What a gal!

PS: This is nothing to do of being black characters. Our female main character was a good one. The rest are just crap.

1 out of 10 stars 

October Horror Fest is coming - Again

 Every year I dedicate the month of October to focus more on horror - well to write more about horror because of the 400 movies I watch in December 80% were horror. But I haven't the time to review everything.

So this month I will try to watch and review at least one movie, book or tv series related with horror. Probably gonna watch more but who knows...

In regards of novels I collected 8 novels to read (a real challenge with 2250 pages).

I will probably not going to read them all BUT I am going to try. 

Not in any order

- Bentley Little - Summoning (542) (3.71  rating))
- Frank Peretti - This Present Darkness (508) (4.22 rating)
- David Moody - Autumn (271) (3.66 rating)
- 40K & Sigmar Anthology - Anathemas (345) (3.61 rating)
- Christine Morgan - The Night Silver River Run Red (212) (4.09 rating)
- Caitlin R. Kiernan - Black Helicopters (202) (3.45 rating)
- Edward Lee - Trolley No 1852 (102) (3.88 rating)
- Daniel Barnett - Nightfall - Nightmareland Volume 1 (141) (4.31 rating)

Reading Challenge

With four months now finish (so a third) and I've read 29 novels. That's 3/4 above my goal of 75 for the time being. I really hope to continue with this rate but I don't know. I've read less in April but I just started a new job so I had less mental disponibility... Is this a word?

So far 7955 pages read.

1 Star) - Imago Sequence, Doctor Who: An Ordinary Life; Doctor Who: The Yes Man; Books of Blood 2

2 Star) - Roadwork, Doctor Who The Bounty of Ceres, The Lost Starship (1), The Last Ritual, Lord of Spiders (2), Master of the Pit (3), Jewel of Jarhen (5), Book of Blood (3)

3) Liquidate Paris, Dead Sea Chronicles, Under the Green Star (1),The Magpie Coffin (1)

4) Terms of Enlistment, Dead Sea, Relentless (5), Labour of Hercules, Karnov Phantom -Clad Rider of the Comic Ice, Jogo Macabro, The Wrack, High Planes Drifter (1)

5) Sorcerer's Stone (1), Uzumaki, Deacon of Wounds, Skarsnik, Ender's Game, Blood and Steel

 I have some deep problem in finishing Series...

So Let us put here some series to finish, maybe that will help me concentrate on finish it:

One/Two Book to Finish Trilogies/Series

• Ursun's Teeth Graham McNeill 256 mar/04 Ambassador
• Kharn: The Red Path Chris Dows 336 mar/18 Black Crusade
• Blood of the Dragon C L Werner 256 ago/04 Blood
• The Greater Good Sandy Mitchell 416 mai/14 Commissar Ciaphas Cain
• Choose Your Enemies Sandy Mitchell 400 jun/19 Commissar Ciaphas Cain
• HonourKeeper Nick Kyme 384 abr/09 Dwarf Realms
• Savage City Robert Earl 256 jul/05 Florin d'Artaud
• Beasts In Velvet Jack Yeovil 286 mai/93 Geneviere
• Silver Nails Jack Yeovil 282 set/93 Geneviere
• Gilead's Curse Dan Abnett & Nik Vincent 416 abr/13 Gilead
• Temple of the Serpent C L Werner 416 set/10 Thanquol and Boneripper
• Thanquol's Doom C L Werner 416 out/11 Thanquol and Boneripper

More Books

• Ghostmaker Dan Abnett 315 mar/00 Gaunt Ghosts
• Necropolis Dan Abnett 316 out/00 Gaunt Ghosts
• Honour Guard Dan Abnett 318 ago/01 Gaunt Ghosts
• The guns of Tanith Dan Abnett 315 mar/02 Gaunt Ghosts
• Straight Silver Dan Abnett 315 out/02 Gaunt Ghosts
• Sabbat Martyr Dan Abnett 319 ago/03 Gaunt Ghosts
• Traitor General Dan Abnett 416 out/05 Gaunt Ghosts
• His Last Command Dan Abnett 416 nov/06 Gaunt Ghosts
• The Armour of Contempt Dan Abnett 416 nov/07 Gaunt Ghosts
• Only in Death Dan Abnett 416 out/08 Gaunt Ghosts
• Gaunt's Ghosts : Blood Pact Dan Abnett 416 out/10 Gaunt Ghosts
• Sabbat Worlds Anthology Anthology 320 out/10 Gaunt Ghosts
• Salvations Reach Dan Abnett 416 nov/12 Gaunt Ghosts
• Warmaster Dan Abnett 438 nov/18 Gaunt Ghosts
• Anarch Dan Abnett 538 jan/20 Gaunt Ghost
• Kill Team Gav Thorpe 288 out/01 Last Chancers
• Annihilation Squad Gav Thorpe 288 mar/06 Last Chancers
• Armageddon Saint Gav Thorpe 350 out/20 Last Chancers
  
  
• Blood Elves Paperback 315 1994 The Witcher
• Time of Contempt Paperback 327 1995 The Witcher
• Baptism of Fire Paperback 343 1996 The Witcher
• Sword of Destiny Paperback 374 1993 The Witcher
• The Tower of the Swallow Paperback 436 2016 The Witcher
• The Lady of the Lake Paperback 530 1999 The Witcher
• Season of Storms Paperback 358 2013 The Witcher
  
  
• Life, the Universe and Everything Else Paperback 199 1982
• So Long and Thanks for all the Fish Paperback 167 1984
• Mostly Harmless Paperback 230 1992
  
  
• The Mensch With no Name Paperback 290 2010 Merkabah Rider
• Have Glyphs Will Travel Paperback 448 2011 Merkabah Rider
• Once Upon a Time in the Weird West Paperback 467 2013 Merkabah Rider
  
  
• Children of Dune MassPaperback 407 1981 Dune
• God Emperor of Dune MassPaperback 421 1981 Dune
• Heretics of Dune MassPaperback 471 1984 Dune
• Chapterhouse: Dune MassPaperback 435 1985 Dune
  
  
• Steele Alert MassPaperback 125 1974 Cap Kennedy
• The Gholan Gate MassPaperback 124 1974 Cap Kennedy
• Eater of Worlds MassPaperback 125 1974 Cap Kennedy
• Earth Enslaved MassPaperback 127 1974 Cap Kennedy
• Planet of Dread MassPaperback 123 1974 Cap Kennedy
• Spawn of Laban MassPaperback 127 1974 Cap Kennedy
• The Genetic Buccaneer MassPaperback 130 1974 Cap Kennedy
• A World Aflame MassPaperback 124 1974 Cap Kennedy
• Beyond the Galatic Lens MassPaperback 156 1975 Cap Kennedy
• The Galactiad MassPaperback 128 1983 Cap Kennedy

That's a lot of books, not counting with RA Salvatore Drizzt which I am halfway and Vampire Hunter D.

Book Review: Skarsnik - Guy Haley

 I don't know if this happens to anyone else besides me, but at times I just don't want to finish a book. I want to revel in it. I feel so enraptured that I don't want to finish it. Maybe it's a fear of ending something that I am enjoying or fear that the ending will not be as good. I don't know. That's another reason I have some issues finish trilogies, series and so on.

Crazy...

Well this story is probably the first told in the perspective of a goblin. We've seen cultists perspectives, elves, dwarves but always this "smart" bunch (evil or good). This time we've got a goblin perspective (There is also some skaven books Thanquol's and Headtaker). This goblin is smart, it's not a dumb like all his peers. It's evil, cruel but a goblin. True be told, at times it look like some evil looking person but at times some of his actions were goblinesque.

This story is being told by a playwright who, although quite crazy, want to tell the world the tale of the Goblin Warlord Skarsnik. Two other people are investigating goblins and they know there exists some warlord in Eight Peaks but not much is known.

So, this playwright (although in the cover say poet) is telling his tale as warning and we follow the adventures of Skarsnik since birth (they are like mushrooms) until his rise. No, not downfall.

He was smart but small for a goblin, and so the first 200 pages it's basically his first take on life and how he use his wits to learn languages, actions and so on. He also deals with skaven, humans and dwarves fighting each one in turn. Then after the initial intake on the world and being betrayed he goes outside the mountain. As you might know, night goblins are not "night" oriented goblins but goblins that usually spend their entirely life under the mountains. It was also interesting to see his first take and dealings with other hill goblins which although goblins are quite different (bigger in one instance). Then after some take being in confination he rises within goblins/orc society (interesting a dialogue between him and another one where they talk that from time to time some goblins appears that are smarter than the rest - as you know in 40K some orks have a keen to me medicae (well, their kind of medicae)

The remaining part of the tale deals as I said rise and stabbing and backstabbing as he rises. There are some interesting battles by the end that made me wonder what's the reason for it all.

Unfortunately we will never know what will happen because warhammer fantasy it's dead and gone. And all these stories are now crap. Totally bulshit Black Library and Warhammer.

Book Review: Deacon of Wounds - David Annandale

 Some spoilers ahead.... nothing major but... be warned:

When I received this novel I thought that this would go on top of my to be read list because I wanted to know what 40K had in store due to covid and Alas I was not dissapointed. This is a 200 page novel (almost a novella) and it deals with the rise and fall of Arch Deacon.

So basically this is set in Theotokos where this world is getting destroyed by famine and lack of rain. It's never really told to us about rivers and so so on but lets think it's doesn't have any. They tell us there is a ocean so, why not use it by means of reduce of salinizing (?). But we are getting out of topic. So this guy is someone who really cares about the people whereas the ecclesiarch in power does not.

After the death of the Cardinal - Ambrose (the arch deacon) takes over and start making changes to help the city but of course things don't go as expected and famine free - comes a plague - Covid Grey Tears.

The second half of this quick novel it deals with Ambrose dealings and how his views change when adversity strikes. There aren't that many characters - to be true the story focus on Ambrose and other appears from time to time but they are really never flesh out. I didn't understood the purpose of the love interest Bethia. Okay so although as a priest he must not commit flesh sin but mental sins it's another story. Would love to see this story more developed but with 200 pages that couldn't happen.

The ending, it was as we all expected unless you know nothing of 40K. When Covid arrived I knew Nurgle had something to do it - and I knew Games Workshop would love to see these stories turn into papers. If the previous novel Sepulturum (Nick Kyme) had some issues with Black Lives Matter and rebel against the police which I hated; this one had to do it covid - or I am mistaking but alas this is the world I am so I associate things in fiction with reality. If this novel had been released 2 years ago, I would think ok - lets sell Plague Marines fiction (although there aren't any here).

Read 100 pages in one day and 102 in the second and that's it. 15€ for a novella lenght novel it's a bit too much. because the chapters started only on the right page and some pages were blank. I hate this kind of thing. Why hardback when others are not? To a collectionist it's boring to have some novels from Warhammer Horror be hardback and others paperback.

Oh well... overall I enjoy it. 5 stars. So far my favorite horror novel, although it's not horror at all. It's not scary - compared with other black library novels. There are more horrific novels from 40K genre out there