Ink of Blood

(This review may contain spoilers).

I saw this film with a couple of friends at the cinema and I did really enjoy watching this… more than I thought I would.

I liked the fact that this movie was as much about the friendships that existed and were formed between the characters as the romantic aspects of this movie.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Margo’s character. Although I did think she was an intriguing character, the depth to her wasn’t shown as much as it could have been. I did think that the actress who played her was pretty good, even though I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how accurate the characters were in comparison to their book incarnations.

I liked Quentin’s character and I especially liked his friendship with Ben and Radar. I noticed a scene that was particularly similar to the series of the Inbetweeners.

I liked the fact that there were some elements of mystery in this movie. It was good to see the kinds of clues that Margo had left for Quentin to find, even though I would have liked to see more of her past clues and how they all fit together.

There were some really good amusing moments in this movie, but also others that were especially sweet. I liked Lacey… and I liked Lacey’s and Ben’s interactions.

This film was entertaining to watch, but I did think Margo was a bit too unkind to the people around her. Then again, she didn’t seem to have the nicest of parents… and her sister showed signs of turning out the same way. While it was good to see some of Margo and Quentin in the past, I think there should have been more shown of her to make her a more sympathetic character.

This film was entertaining to watch and although I did have some mixed feelings about the ending, I thought it did work with the film. While I don’t expect I’ll watch this again, I did enjoy this… and my friends did, too.

(This review may contain spoilers).

Since I like horror movies so much, I thought I’d see what Sinister 2 is like… and I actually found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would.

It was interesting to see that there were different murders detailed in this movie and evidence of them happening long before the few that were shown in the first movie. Many of the murders were much more gory and disturbing in this movie, though.

I found it interesting to see that the movie focused primarily on what was happening to Dylan, one of the children, rather than just on what one of the adults was seeing. It was also good to see that his family situation had quite a lot of depth to it. I felt a lot of sympathy for him and his mother… but I had a really strong dislike for Zach. He didn’t seem to have much going on beneath the surface, while his brother (twin?) came across as much more sensitive. Not to mention kind.

It was really cool to see Detective So-and-So in this movie. I felt he came across as a really strong character and that he seemed to be really brave… a hero I can really get behind. Plus, there were some very amusing things that he came out with. It would have been good to find out what his actual name was, though. And I did think he and Courtney had some real chemistry between them.

While there were a lot of disturbing scenes in this movie, I didn’t find myself as scared by it as I was the first one. The jumpy scares, which the film relied heavily on, wore out their effect after a while.

There were some good elements of foreshadowing towards the beginning of the film. There wasn’t much of an air of mystery, but there were quite a few elements of tension. Plus, it was good to be able to get to know the characters during parts of the movie as well.

I have some mixed feelings about the ending. There’s the whole final scare thing used… but it would be nice for a horror film to have a proper ending every once in a while.

(This review may contain spoilers).

When we were younger, my sister and I had a selection of videos we used to watch frequently. This was one of those.

Watching the movie now, there are a lot of parts that are over-the-top. While some of the songs are quite nice, the voices and harmonising could be better.

Beauty is a character it’s easy for viewers to feel sorry for. Her brothers and sisters don’t seem able to take care of themselves, coming across as shallow and self-centred. They don’t seem to really fit in with the kind of families at that time… most of them should have been married at the ages they are in the film.

The Beast isn’t as unattractive as he could probably have been made to be, but Beauty does come across as shallow as her siblings in many ways. She’s naive and quite innocent in many ways, which does make her a likable character.

While there were a couple of scenes that were really creepy to me as a child (in the rose garden especially), it is quite obviously more over the top watching as an adult. And many of the darker scenes come across as that because of the music used to create the atmosphere.

There was a lot of this film that felt almost dreamlike. There were some elements of conflict, but I didn’t feel the romance was developed in the way it could have been. While there was conflict generated from Beauty, the resolution to the film (and her emotions) didn’t really come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion.

The most compelling character was probably the Beast. The others seemed more cardboard cutouts and Beauty’s father didn’t seem to care enough about his children to teach them how to live their lives.

The film was entertaining to watch, but could have done with being extended and the characters having more depth to them. While I enjoyed it as a child… I found it a bit disappointing as an adult.

(This review may contain spoilers).

I’m not really sure how long ago I originally saw this movie, but by now, it’s become kind of a guilty pleasure for me.

While some of the acting is over the top and a few things are exaggerated, I thought this film was really entertaining. I liked Reecce’s character. Despite being a Goth, I thought it was obvious he didn’t fit into the normal stereotypes. And there’s a lot of depth to his character that viewers are allowed to discover as the movie progresses.

I also really liked Zach’s character. There were a few times when he made me smile… and I thought he had an almost childlike enthusiasm about him that was really endearing.

I also really liked Phoebe. Her innocence and sweet nature made her a really likable character and I felt a lot of sympathy for her during the movie.

I didn’t really like Ashley. She was very over-the-top and not a character I felt a lot of sympathy for.

I thought the origin of their different powers was particularly intriguing and the abilities seemed to fit really well with their personalities and strengths. The fact that they experimented with such childlike abandon was really sweet, too. But I thought it was good that darker sides of their abilities were revealed during the movie.

I thought Reece and Phoebe were the characters who evolved the most through this movie. I liked being able to see Reece talking to his father… and his sketches, which were really good.

Although there was some violence in this movie, it wasn’t anything really graphic… though there were a few disturbing flashes. The other students in the school didn’t really seem to have much in the way of redeeming qualities.

There were things I would have liked to see more of, such as the other characters’ families. And it would have been good to see more of some of the minor characters.

Parts of the atmosphere of this movie were really creepy and I thought that the lighting was used to good effect. This movie was entertaining and easy to watch, with likable main characters… even if the secondary characters were less so. I actually think this movie would work better as a serial, where the characters can be further explored and expanded upon.

(This review may contain spoilers).

I can’t really remember the first time I watched this movie… but I know I enjoyed it before; and I did again this time.

The concept was a particularly intriguing one. I liked the idea of having the actors mistaken for the characters they played. It was good to see the actors jaded and trying to make ends meet by attending conventions and making appearances… but to see them so disillusioned with the show and with the fans.

I liked the Thermians. There was a lot about them that seemed really innocent and naive. While they clearly had the technology to build things, the fact that they kept looking to the actors for help and guidance was really sweet. Mathesar in particular was a character I felt able to empathise with and I could understand his need to have someone save them… even though he is capable of acting under his own steam by the end.

Sarris was a thoroughly awful villain with no redeeming qualities… though that did make it clear who the bad guy was. I would have been interested to know where the Thermians took their inspiration for the human guises they wear.

I especially liked Quellek’s character. His eagerness to be accepted by Alexander is very endearing and it’s good to see that the friendship is eventually reciprocated. I also liked the fact that Fred Kwan and Laliari developed feelings for each other… even though I did think their interactions could have been developed to make it more realistic.

There were some nice elements of foreshadowing and it was particularly cool to see some of the fans play a big part in this movie. While there weren’t loads of special effects, there was a lot about this film that was entertaining. It was amusing in parts… but it was good to see that there was a more serious element to the film as well.

I recognised quite a few of the actors in this movie and have seen and enjoyed their work in other roles as well. I’m sure I would enjoy watching this movie again in the future.

(This review may contain spoilers).

Since I’m planning to see Sinister 2 on Sunday, I thought I’d better rewatch this. And it was only £3, so…

I thought this film was one of the scariest horror movies I’ve seen. There’s something always especially creepy when children are involved… and the very first scene of this movie set the atmosphere for the rest.

The family were easy to empathise with. It was good that the film spent a bit of time establishing the characters and their personalities. It was good to see some interactions between Ellison and Tracy, as well as Ashley’s love of painting.

I liked the fact that there were issues with Trevor, although it would have been good to see a bit more of the background to his night terrors. They did allow for quite a few scary scenes, though.

There were a lot of tense scenes in this movie that kept me watching. There was a good air of mystery… even though there were more supernatural elements than ‘normal’ horror.

There were quite a few jumpy scenes in this movie and a couple where the viewer saw what the characters couldn’t… which was quite effective.

The tapes that Ellison views are especially creepy. The fact that they start off showing a happy family scene and then switch over to violence and murder is especially disturbing… more so because whoever’s filming doesn’t show up, so there’s an invisible extra in all of the films.

There was a lot that was disturbing about this movie, but it was an intriguing watch and did a good job of making me especially creeped out. I wouldn’t recommend watching this movie in the dark on your own.

I recognised the actor playing Ellison and I thought it was good how the character had evolved from his previous views and morals… and how he had to reconcile caring for his family with his need to research and write his book. It was also good to see how he interacted with the police officers.

Although I was disappointed in the ending of this movie, I am looking forward to seeing the sequel on Sunday.

(This review may contain spoilers).

When this movie came out at the cinema, I watched it twice; once on my own and once with a friend. While zombies aren’t unique, by any stretch of the imagination, I found this movie to be particularly entertaining. It was well-cast and well-made… at least in my opinion.

One of the particularly good parts of this film was the difference in the zombies in comparison to a lot of zombie films. The infection spreads fast, with most people turning withing a matter of seconds. And the zombies move fast. No creeping along with arms stretched out going, ‘Braaaaaaaains’.

The other particularly good thing about this film was the fact that I was able to see how different countries were dealing with the zombie outbreak. And there was also the opportunity to see how the different people reacted to it… how the characters viewed the outbreak and how they dealt with the very real danger they were in.

I liked Gerry’s character. I think Brad Pitt is a really good actor and he did a fantastic job making Gerry a believable character. I enjoyed being able to see Gerry’s relationship with his wife and daughters… and how he was trying to keep them protected, while at the same time trying to figure out what was going on from the start. I felt his intelligence and piecing together of information really added a lot to the character.

There was a lot of tension in this movie right from the start. Even knowing what was going to happen, I found myself drawn really easily into the events of the film and focused on the journey of the characters.

I found Segen a particularly interesting character and I would have liked the opportunity to see more of her and learn more of her past. I liked how quickly she was able to adapt to her situation and the camaraderie that sprang up between her and Gerry.

I also liked that this movie didn’t really ‘end’ as such, even though a resolution of some kind was reached. Events fit together neatly and there were a lot of really effective scenes. Plus, I thought the cast was really good.

I have this movie on DVD and I’m sure I will be watching it again in the future.