It has been such a very long time that I watched a horror film that I actually enjoyed. Not once during this film did I sigh or roll my eyes, which is extremely rare! It did not keep me enthralled and riveted completely; I did find the gumption to text others my excitement (you know who you are) throughout the film. Even more exciting, it is based off of a true story.
Ok, so there is a family that has a older son that has cancer and rather than travel miles and hours frequently for his treatment, they purchase a house close by. Due to the seriousness of the situation it was a spur of the moment purchase without many questions. While preparing the house for occupation, they find that the house used to be a funeral parlor complete with an embalming room in the basement next to which the son decides to make his bedroom. Random events happen and the son thinks it is due to the treatments that he is seeing things as that is a known side effect. During a game of hide and seek, the kids find photos that show that the house wasn't just a funeral home, it was also a place reknowned for seances with a powerful child medium. The owner of the home dabbled in necroism to make the child's powers strongers. The child became so strong that he blew up everyone during a particular seance and cremated himself. Now the house is possessed and needs to be cleaned. I am not going to say more about the plot as the unknowns are what makes the movie fascinating.
The haunting scenes were wonderfully vivid and thought provoking. It kept me on the edge of my seat while things were going on and there were so many parts where I gave many different phrases of exclamations. I am positive that the real events were not as dramatic but bravo. I would actively watch this again at my own expense instead of haphazerdly keep it on in the background just because it was on as I do with some shows;I would even almost put this on my desert island movie list!
Loved it! Here is the IMDB info!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Unborn
For the record, I love me some haunted horror movies (please see my bio!) The trailer for this had some great effects. We throw in the DVD, there is no introduction or character development, the movie opens while the story is all ready in progress. Within the first fifteen minutes of this film, the actress sleeps in the buff, takes a shower, has a sex scene and goes into the bathroom in her boycut underwear twice. Let's get those pesky nude/risque scenes out of the way first before we even develop a plot. Speaking of which, this plot had more holes in it than a homeless guy's whitey tighties. It all starts with her eyes starting to go from brown to blue because some kid she is babysitting hits her with a compact mirror he was making his infant sibling look at. The little boy she halucinates about is her dead great uncle who, along with his twin, her grandmother, was part of some testing done on Jews during the Holocaust. He died during it and some undead spirit takes his body so grandma has to kill him. The main girl in the story is haunted by dreams of the boy, dogs, fetuses and her mother. Her mother committed suicide while in an insane asylum. She finds her grandmother at the same asylum (?) who tells her to get some Hebrew book that she needs to get translated and an exorcism by Rabbi Gary Oldman. At first he doesn't believe her until he sees the upside down headed dog. So, he says he will help her but he has to get a Christian preacher to help out. Here's the best part and this is where you can see they TRIED to put a story into it. The preacher asks for ID and to fill out forms for the exorcisim. I swear it. Both Gary Oldman and I chuckled at that one. Now, grandma says that the spirit wants her because it likes twins after having her brother. So.. why is it going after the girl instead of grandma? She's still one of a twin and just as much so as the girl is. The spirit does kill grandma with the upside down head guy crawling up the stairs. Oh, the girl's best friend is killed by the babysitting kid with a knife but only after she hits him with her car while he was riding his big wheel. They go the exorcism (which I think is in the same asylum place which is completely empty now?) for which everyone dies except for Gary and the girl and they are free, right? No, the totally forseeable ending is she is pregnant with twins. What a twist. (Note the sarcasm)
This is what I like to call a jump film. It goes out of it's way to get you to jump. It got me twice (and I don't normally jump at films), one included a wahh! and it got an OMG in a spot too. The haunted parts in the film were GOOD! At the end... DAMMIT! It's a Michael Bay! Curses! No wonder it had no story and good effects! Fie fie fie. That was a bigger twist then the actual ending of the film.
Here's the info if you really want to see it. Just don't expect too much. My advice, fast forward to the haunted spots and then walk away. Oh, also rent this if you want to see Charles Miner (the temporary Regional Manager of Scranton Branch of The Office) get beamed with a pipe!
This is what I like to call a jump film. It goes out of it's way to get you to jump. It got me twice (and I don't normally jump at films), one included a wahh! and it got an OMG in a spot too. The haunted parts in the film were GOOD! At the end... DAMMIT! It's a Michael Bay! Curses! No wonder it had no story and good effects! Fie fie fie. That was a bigger twist then the actual ending of the film.
Here's the info if you really want to see it. Just don't expect too much. My advice, fast forward to the haunted spots and then walk away. Oh, also rent this if you want to see Charles Miner (the temporary Regional Manager of Scranton Branch of The Office) get beamed with a pipe!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Holla!
Hey everyone, this is a call out to the Book Butterfly, Kim! Through her site, which is posted under my blog list, I won a free copy of Evernight by Claudia Gray! Wooooot!
Blue Moon-Second book of the Immortals-Alyson Noel
All right, this blog is actually over due. Even though the book came out on July 7th I got it last week. I forgot that I pre-ordered it! So, what a lovely surprise when it came (and I just love surprises!)
The first book in this series is called Evermore. I adored that one. This series is actually up there in my top ten of all time so far along with Harry Potter and the Ugly series.
Since I am bringing up Harry, the way that Blue Moon went reminded me of the way that the Potter books played out. There was always something that he had to get over by himself because everyone abandoned him. Poor Ever, you would think she could find some happiness now that she has come to some kind of terms with losing her family (and dog, never forget Buttercup), Drina shall bother her no more, she won't have to keep going through the incarnation cycle anymore and she can now spend eternity with dreamy and adoring Damen! That boy makes my heart patter he's so cute. Now if she can just seal the deal and do the dirty deed with him after waiting hundreds of years. Suddenly, there is a new kid that is sitting with the gang at lunch and she just gets the hebbie jebbies from him. Something just does not sit right with her even though he is going out of his way to gain her acceptance. After a couple of days of spending lunch with him he claims that he is going to do away with the high school chaste system and everyone is going to live in harmony. Though it sounds fantastic there are still some sceptisims with the idea for Ever. Imagine her surprise when it actually happens! Even her bosom buddies are over there and wait... is that Damen making out with Stacia? And is that an aura that Ever sees around him? Damen has forgotten all of his past lives and calls Ever a stalker, a freak and a spaz. Oh boy, Damen couldn't have broken my heart more. Roman is the only one that actually talks to her but she doesn't buy what he's selling. Like every heroine when their hero that has vowed undying love to her but has now turned his back on her, she has to get to the bottom of this. With the help of Ava, the helpful psychic, she figures out how to get into Summerland, where she meets two catholic school girl twins. They guide her to a hall of information where she learns that Damen is being poisoned, is slowly dying, the formula to the antidote and.. wait.. a chance to turn back time and return to her family?
Will Ever go back to before her family died, forgoe being an Immortal and forget about Damen or will she choose true love? And what is up with Roman?
This was a can not put down, must read voraciously, heart wrenching and wonderfully intriguing story. I love the duality of the charactors and how the story simply flows. It has all the ingredients for a winning story: romance, mystery, villiany, adverse events and difficult choices. When I become emotionally involved with a story, good show!
I can't wait for the next one, Shadowlands, which is projected towards the beginning of next year.
Here's the site and I so encourage everyone to pick it up.
The first book in this series is called Evermore. I adored that one. This series is actually up there in my top ten of all time so far along with Harry Potter and the Ugly series.
Since I am bringing up Harry, the way that Blue Moon went reminded me of the way that the Potter books played out. There was always something that he had to get over by himself because everyone abandoned him. Poor Ever, you would think she could find some happiness now that she has come to some kind of terms with losing her family (and dog, never forget Buttercup), Drina shall bother her no more, she won't have to keep going through the incarnation cycle anymore and she can now spend eternity with dreamy and adoring Damen! That boy makes my heart patter he's so cute. Now if she can just seal the deal and do the dirty deed with him after waiting hundreds of years. Suddenly, there is a new kid that is sitting with the gang at lunch and she just gets the hebbie jebbies from him. Something just does not sit right with her even though he is going out of his way to gain her acceptance. After a couple of days of spending lunch with him he claims that he is going to do away with the high school chaste system and everyone is going to live in harmony. Though it sounds fantastic there are still some sceptisims with the idea for Ever. Imagine her surprise when it actually happens! Even her bosom buddies are over there and wait... is that Damen making out with Stacia? And is that an aura that Ever sees around him? Damen has forgotten all of his past lives and calls Ever a stalker, a freak and a spaz. Oh boy, Damen couldn't have broken my heart more. Roman is the only one that actually talks to her but she doesn't buy what he's selling. Like every heroine when their hero that has vowed undying love to her but has now turned his back on her, she has to get to the bottom of this. With the help of Ava, the helpful psychic, she figures out how to get into Summerland, where she meets two catholic school girl twins. They guide her to a hall of information where she learns that Damen is being poisoned, is slowly dying, the formula to the antidote and.. wait.. a chance to turn back time and return to her family?
Will Ever go back to before her family died, forgoe being an Immortal and forget about Damen or will she choose true love? And what is up with Roman?
This was a can not put down, must read voraciously, heart wrenching and wonderfully intriguing story. I love the duality of the charactors and how the story simply flows. It has all the ingredients for a winning story: romance, mystery, villiany, adverse events and difficult choices. When I become emotionally involved with a story, good show!
I can't wait for the next one, Shadowlands, which is projected towards the beginning of next year.
Here's the site and I so encourage everyone to pick it up.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Oh boy did I love this book! Vampires and teenagers! Why doesn't that theme grow old? This was such a cute book! (Thanks for the recommendation, Kim) When the characters are deep and colorful and I am all for the book. Jessica was all right as a heroine and I loved watching her grow and blossom but I really loved Lucius. He walks in and owns the story! He is dark, handsome, conceited, confident and well educated. Num! Now, you will have to read this book to get this next part. I fell for Luc like Mindy did. At first he was the story but.. then he got very moody and started second guessing himself and he got so very dark. Never fear, it ended soo adorabley and I want more!
This is a must read!
Link here.
This is a must read!
Link here.
Raven by Allison Van Diepen
At first this book cracked me up. Three chapters into the book I thought it was going to be about breakdancing. I swear it. I didn't know there were still books about breakdancing. It turned out that was a back plot and this book was surprisingly very cute. It threw me a loop and introduced immortals along with drug addicted brother. It did turn out to be an involving love story for teens. I must have gotten the wrong version though as I didn't get the ending. Do you know what is frusterating? Getting to a good part that is tension filled and then it ends with 'and all went silent'. That was the ending I got and became so mad I didn't want to read anymore. I heard it ended perfectly, of course.
Don't download, get the book.
Here's the site!
Don't download, get the book.
Here's the site!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
City of Bones-Cassandra Clare
Folks, I am going to be completely honest on this one. I just couldn't finish it. I normally try to muck through a book if it doesn't hold my attention if I have an inkling of an interest in the story; I normally want to see where it goes and achieve a sense of finality with the book. I feel guilty when I can't finish a book. Not with this one. This book put me to sleep more times that NyQuil could. Let me tell you about the story and then I shall share my thoughts with you.
So, the book is about a girl named Clarissa, or Clary. It's a normal night at the underage club, some boy with blue spiked hair grabs her attention and then she sees him go into a closet with a girl.. followed by two shadowed guys. Naturally, she follows them, especially when she sees they have knives. She watches as they kill him and then finds the murderers astonished that she can see them. See, the boy with blue spikes was a demon and the girl and two guys are called Shadowhunters and mundies (that is mundane humans) are not supposed to see them. She is simply entranced by one of the guys, Jace, and finds him stalking her the next day and interrupts a love confession from Simon, her best friend. During their discussion she receives a frantic call from her mother (whom she had just had a fight with) and rushes home. Upon entering the house she finds it a mess and is attacked by some centipede/scorpion demon thing. Jace seems to pop up outta no where through out this story. Of course he saves her, she goes unconcious, yadda yadda. I got up to where they find that her mother was a Shadowhunter on the run with an item called the Mortal Cup, which makes more Shadowhunters, and an ex-Shadowhunter wants the cup so he can become the Hitler of humans and wipe out all demons so the blood is purified.
The story has promise, it just seemed contrived. The characters and their actions seemed unrealistic (as unrealistic as can be in a Sci Fi/Fantasy book), the whole story felt forced and the story line was very, very thin, especially when it came to how the events came together. The only way I would have held on is if there was a believable romance between Clary and Jace, but that seemed strained as well. I tried my hardest as this is a trilogy but just could not do it.
Here's my little secret: I am not a synopsis reader. I will scan through it and if it catches my interest, I dig in. I do not like spoilers and love to be surprised. Just a little insight.
Anyways, here is a link to the trilogy if you want to give it a shot. What's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander.
So, the book is about a girl named Clarissa, or Clary. It's a normal night at the underage club, some boy with blue spiked hair grabs her attention and then she sees him go into a closet with a girl.. followed by two shadowed guys. Naturally, she follows them, especially when she sees they have knives. She watches as they kill him and then finds the murderers astonished that she can see them. See, the boy with blue spikes was a demon and the girl and two guys are called Shadowhunters and mundies (that is mundane humans) are not supposed to see them. She is simply entranced by one of the guys, Jace, and finds him stalking her the next day and interrupts a love confession from Simon, her best friend. During their discussion she receives a frantic call from her mother (whom she had just had a fight with) and rushes home. Upon entering the house she finds it a mess and is attacked by some centipede/scorpion demon thing. Jace seems to pop up outta no where through out this story. Of course he saves her, she goes unconcious, yadda yadda. I got up to where they find that her mother was a Shadowhunter on the run with an item called the Mortal Cup, which makes more Shadowhunters, and an ex-Shadowhunter wants the cup so he can become the Hitler of humans and wipe out all demons so the blood is purified.
The story has promise, it just seemed contrived. The characters and their actions seemed unrealistic (as unrealistic as can be in a Sci Fi/Fantasy book), the whole story felt forced and the story line was very, very thin, especially when it came to how the events came together. The only way I would have held on is if there was a believable romance between Clary and Jace, but that seemed strained as well. I tried my hardest as this is a trilogy but just could not do it.
Here's my little secret: I am not a synopsis reader. I will scan through it and if it catches my interest, I dig in. I do not like spoilers and love to be surprised. Just a little insight.
Anyways, here is a link to the trilogy if you want to give it a shot. What's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander.
Monday, June 22, 2009
TrueBlood-'Keep This Party Going'
Man oh man am I adoring this series! This is a very rare thing for me. If I have read the books and if the television/movie differs, it normally infuriates me and I have nothing to do with it. Maybe it is because I started watching the series first and panted for more when the first season was over so I read the books. I do enjoy the books much better but I still love the series. This series, whether in the TV or in text, is one series that overcomes my prudish mindset and has me begging for more! Hats off for Charlaine Harris for giving us Sookie and all the scamps in Bon Temps. This is another heroine that I just fell in love with from the get go. She is spunky and tough as nails and needs no one to define her!
So, here it is, the second episode in the second series. It starts off with Eric finishing his meal and then worried if there is blood in his hair for Pam shall not be too pleased. Tee hee hee, very cute, but I still can't really see him becoming the fun loving man in the book yet. Ah, Lafayette, you who were supposed to be in Andy's car, the vamps have found you instead. No tribute to the Maenad for him! I so enjoy this character and I am very glad he got so much more in the series than in the book. Too bad those at Fangtasia can't use his information to any good, for the time being. Here we are introduced to the storyline from book 2, there is a vamp in Dallas by the name of Godfrey that has gone missing. I won't reveal who he is to those who have not read the book.
Cut to the Compton bedroom. Yes.. those of us with children would have all ready thought what our Sookie just came up with; 'How could we have banished our facade while there is a teenager in the house?' and they left the bedroom door wide open! Guess learning to be a vamp is not the only thing Jessica is learning.
Guh, here is the snooooze part of the show: Jason and the Fellowship of the Light. This is so out of Jason's character that I growl while having to sit through this part of the plot. Sure, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed but he would never give up the drinking or the women, he doesn't have the will power! I was pleasantly surprised to see how they were going to introduce the Newlins after announcing the death of the family in episode 1 in the first season. So, blah blah blah, Jason is at the camp in Dallas. They play some flag football and then we have some play acting with Sarah Newlin about vampire sympathizers, which blows our poor little simple Jason's mind. Could this have something to do with Godfrey? Oh, let's not forget that we have now put two attractive women in Jason's path. Sarah and some Miley Cyrus church girl.
Sookie stops by Merlotte's to talk to Tara. Now, Sookie's best friend doesn't show up in the books until this one and she has a bit role. She is also engaged to our boy Eggs, they went to High School together, and she owns a little clothing shop called Tara's Togs in a little strip mall Bill owns. That's really where he would have gone for Jessica's clothes.... Oh... Jessica wasn't in the book. I digress. Maryanne the Maenad is at Sam's bar and starting trouble. She has a little introduction to Sookie (Sookie this is Maryanne, Maryanne Sookie) and Sookie invites Tara to live with her.
As Tara's Togs does not exist, Bill has to go to the mall to get Jessica some moderate clothing. Here he is confronted by Eric (after some amusing flirtations by a clothing wench) and is 'asked' to bring sookie to Dallas to find Godfrey. Bill refuses.
Layfayette escapes the dungeon to be shot in the leg by Ginger, our Fang Banger that works at Fangtasia. Remember her? She was interviewed by Sook in Season 1. Now he is dinner for the Fangtasia vamps but not before asking to be made a vamp himself. Dun dun dun!
While Compton is away, the girls will play! Sook and Jessica start some bonding and Jessica talks Sookie into taking her to see her family, promising to just stay in the car and watch. When they get there though Jessica can't control her urges and goes into the house. We get a nice insight into Jessica's human life and find that Daddy is a bully, Mom has no backbone and little sis has image issues. Right before Jess gets retribution on Daddy, Bill shows up to save the day.. or did he? More cliffhanger!
Can't wait till next week!
So, here it is, the second episode in the second series. It starts off with Eric finishing his meal and then worried if there is blood in his hair for Pam shall not be too pleased. Tee hee hee, very cute, but I still can't really see him becoming the fun loving man in the book yet. Ah, Lafayette, you who were supposed to be in Andy's car, the vamps have found you instead. No tribute to the Maenad for him! I so enjoy this character and I am very glad he got so much more in the series than in the book. Too bad those at Fangtasia can't use his information to any good, for the time being. Here we are introduced to the storyline from book 2, there is a vamp in Dallas by the name of Godfrey that has gone missing. I won't reveal who he is to those who have not read the book.
Cut to the Compton bedroom. Yes.. those of us with children would have all ready thought what our Sookie just came up with; 'How could we have banished our facade while there is a teenager in the house?' and they left the bedroom door wide open! Guess learning to be a vamp is not the only thing Jessica is learning.
Guh, here is the snooooze part of the show: Jason and the Fellowship of the Light. This is so out of Jason's character that I growl while having to sit through this part of the plot. Sure, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed but he would never give up the drinking or the women, he doesn't have the will power! I was pleasantly surprised to see how they were going to introduce the Newlins after announcing the death of the family in episode 1 in the first season. So, blah blah blah, Jason is at the camp in Dallas. They play some flag football and then we have some play acting with Sarah Newlin about vampire sympathizers, which blows our poor little simple Jason's mind. Could this have something to do with Godfrey? Oh, let's not forget that we have now put two attractive women in Jason's path. Sarah and some Miley Cyrus church girl.
Sookie stops by Merlotte's to talk to Tara. Now, Sookie's best friend doesn't show up in the books until this one and she has a bit role. She is also engaged to our boy Eggs, they went to High School together, and she owns a little clothing shop called Tara's Togs in a little strip mall Bill owns. That's really where he would have gone for Jessica's clothes.... Oh... Jessica wasn't in the book. I digress. Maryanne the Maenad is at Sam's bar and starting trouble. She has a little introduction to Sookie (Sookie this is Maryanne, Maryanne Sookie) and Sookie invites Tara to live with her.
As Tara's Togs does not exist, Bill has to go to the mall to get Jessica some moderate clothing. Here he is confronted by Eric (after some amusing flirtations by a clothing wench) and is 'asked' to bring sookie to Dallas to find Godfrey. Bill refuses.
Layfayette escapes the dungeon to be shot in the leg by Ginger, our Fang Banger that works at Fangtasia. Remember her? She was interviewed by Sook in Season 1. Now he is dinner for the Fangtasia vamps but not before asking to be made a vamp himself. Dun dun dun!
While Compton is away, the girls will play! Sook and Jessica start some bonding and Jessica talks Sookie into taking her to see her family, promising to just stay in the car and watch. When they get there though Jessica can't control her urges and goes into the house. We get a nice insight into Jessica's human life and find that Daddy is a bully, Mom has no backbone and little sis has image issues. Right before Jess gets retribution on Daddy, Bill shows up to save the day.. or did he? More cliffhanger!
Can't wait till next week!
Red Rose by Stephen King
Thanks to NetFlix, I got this 2 disc movie today. It is all about a haunted house. It was a great movie but I have to say waaaay too long. After about the first disc, I kept the movie on but walked away from it and kept it on the background. It kept my attention but not my ultimate attention. I got kinda fidgety. Basically the movie has the same plot as House on Haunted Hill. A college professor pays a group of people, all gifted, to stay in a haunted house called Rose Red. The group includes a young autistic girl who makes things happen. The young girl wakes the house up and things start happening. Walls move, ghosts appear, people die. Though it did not make me jump nor did it scare me (which I really didn't expect as I am hard to scare with movies), I liked the story. I like it even more as it is based off of a real house and it is filmed there, according to http://www.prairieghosts.com/rosered.html
Everyone knows my scare point is EVP. Mmmm, delicious!
Everyone knows my scare point is EVP. Mmmm, delicious!
The Darkest Powers Books by Kelley Armstrong
I have just finished the first two books of this trilogy and absolutely adored them. This is a wonderfully different Young Adult Supernatural series. The first book, The Summoning, starts with a girl named Chloe Saunders. She is 15 and goes to school to be a film director. Her introduction into puberty with a sighting of a ghost at school. The ghost knows that she can see him and chases her down the hall screaming at the top of her lungs. After being restrained and analyzed, she is sent to Lyle House, a place for troubled teens. There she meets other teens that are so called 'troubled' only to find that they are all part of a supernatural experiment. Chloe finds that she is a Necromancer and is joined by a Warlock, a Witch, a half demon, a Telekinetic and a Werewolf. They must escape or become terminated as a failed experiment. The second book, The Awakening, follows their exploits and escape as they find out more about the group and their past. Who can they truly trust?
I particularly love Young Adult series as they get more into the innocent then those that are geared for adults. I am most often repulsed by books that insist on having foul language and lust through out. I am also not a fan of thrillers or mysteries. I found this series to be something new and different among YA titles. Sure, it has your normal supernaturals in it but the story does not involve them going into going to a supernatural school and dealing with cliches and classes. It is teenagers on their own trying to find out what they are and others that are missing. The story kept me up way past my bedtime when I knew I had to be up in the morning, which is a great thing to say about the writing and the plot. The characters were unique and believable. I fell in love with Chloe as a heroine and could empathize with her strife. It is difficult to walk beside the protagonist in many books but I was comfortable to be right there with her. The way everyone interacted flowed nicely.
I absolutely recommend it!
To learn more about this series, visit http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/aDarkest.htm
I particularly love Young Adult series as they get more into the innocent then those that are geared for adults. I am most often repulsed by books that insist on having foul language and lust through out. I am also not a fan of thrillers or mysteries. I found this series to be something new and different among YA titles. Sure, it has your normal supernaturals in it but the story does not involve them going into going to a supernatural school and dealing with cliches and classes. It is teenagers on their own trying to find out what they are and others that are missing. The story kept me up way past my bedtime when I knew I had to be up in the morning, which is a great thing to say about the writing and the plot. The characters were unique and believable. I fell in love with Chloe as a heroine and could empathize with her strife. It is difficult to walk beside the protagonist in many books but I was comfortable to be right there with her. The way everyone interacted flowed nicely.
I absolutely recommend it!
To learn more about this series, visit http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/aDarkest.htm
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