Posts Tagged horror
book review: Blood Highway
Posted by Amy Steele in Books on August 6, 2018
Blood Highway by Gina Wohlsdorf. Algonquin| August 7, 2018| 320 pages | $16.95| ISBN: 978-1-61620-563-8
RATING: 3.5/5*
–review by Amy Steele
Scrappy teenager Rainy Cain knows how to fend for herself even though she’s still in high school. She manages to be independent and to present herself a certain way so that no one will ask too many questions. She’s been through an awful lot in her life and she’s yet to graduate from high school. She’s developed protective coping mechanisms that enable her survival. Her severely mentally ill mother neglected her long ago. They still live in the same house but don’t communicate with each other (sounds like me and my stepfather). After her mother commits suicide, Rainy’s felon father, recently released from prison, kidnaps her in hopes that she’ll lead him to money that he believes her mother hid when he was sent off to prison for a series of armed robberies. He’s a violent, ruthless man. Rainy wasn’t even aware he existed. Blaine, a seemingly good guy and police officer, with more in common with Rainy than one might suspect, pursues them. I love this sentence about Blaine: “His interior was this packed, cluttered museum of guilt and regret.” Author Gina Wohlsdorf spent a decade writing the novel. When she started she wasn’t that much older than her central character, strong-willed and determined feminist Rainy. As I dove into this thriller, which really skirts into horror, I didn’t know what was going on for quite a bit but the compelling writing kept me reading. There’s a cinematic edginess to the characters and this riveting and scary cross-country chase.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Algonquin.
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IN THE REALM: 13 Film Suggestions for Halloween
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD on October 31, 2014
I’m not into horror. Not into lots of blood and gore. I do enjoy a well-written thriller. In the 80s there were lots of scary films out there and I think that many GenXers can’t those out of our heads: Amityville Horror; Poltergeist; Friday the 13th; Children of the Corn. Here’s a mix of films that are excellent, flip-you-out thrillers or are about vampires or ghosts.
1. Drag Me to Hell (2009)— yes this is horror and I loved it. Directed by Sam Raimi, Alison Lohman plays a loan officer who kicks an old woman out of her house and gets cursed. it’s brilliant
rating: A
2. Byzantium (2012)— another gorgeous film directed by Neil Jordan. Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton are sisters and vampires in a quiet seaside town.
rating: B+
3. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)— as you’d expect vampires to be. all sex and drugs and rock and roll. Directed by the arty Jim Jarmusch and starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston.
rating: A-
4. Dead Again (1991)— Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh in a jumpy, classic make-you-scream thriller.
rating: A
5. Let the Right One In (2008)— girl vampire and it’s GOOD. completely unique.
rating: A
6. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)— Mia Farrow in this classic about a mysterious pregnancy and its aftermath. Directed by Roman Polanski.
rating: B+
7. The Blair Witch Project (1999)— the original found footage horror/scary film. I saw it in the theater and was freaked out for days.
rating: A
8. The Skin I Live In (2011)— Antonio Banderas stars in this Pedro Almodovar (love him) film about a plastic surgeon who creates an indestructible synthetic skin.
rating: A-
9. The Secret in their Eyes (2009)– retired attorney writing a novel about one of his unsolved homicide cases.
rating: A
10. The Ghostwriter (2010)— Ewan McGregor plays a writer hired to write the memoir of the former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan). As he completes research and writes he uncovers some secrets the PM would like kept hidden.
rating: A
11. Swimming Pool (2003)— a British mystery writer (the venerable Charlotte Rampling) visits her publisher’s South of France vacation home. Her interaction with his unusual daughter sets off a series of unsettling events.
rating: B+
12. Contagion (2011)— appropriate. all-star cast portraying healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people who find themselves in the midst of a worldwide epidemic.
rating: B+
13. The Others (2011)— Nicole Kidman plays a woman convinced her old, darkened house is haunted.
rating: B+
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DVD review: Jennifer’s Body
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD on December 20, 2009
Title: Jennifer’s Body
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
Running time: 102 min.
Release date: December 29, 2009 (DVD)
MPAA: Rated R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use
Studio: 20th Century Fox
ASIN: B002USF1WC
Review source: Click Communications
Rating: B-
Why this didn’t do much better at the box office I have no idea. Jennifer’s Body, written by Diablo Cody [Juno], spoofs horror films in a blatantly feminist manner. Jennifer [Megan Fox] has a life-changing experience after hooking up with the lead singer in a rock band. That same night that entire club burns to the ground, reminiscent of The Station Nightclub fire five years ago in Providence, RI. Many local high school teens and members of the small town die in the blaze. Jennifer arrives at the house of her straight-edged best friend Needy [Amanda Seyfried] all bloodied and acting strange. She even projectile vomits a black spiky substance. After that night, Jennifer is happier than ever before while everyone else remains in mourning over the tragedy. She starts a killing spree where she lures boys—first the popular guy on the football team—to isolated spots and then kills them, ripping them apart. Jennifer’s Body isn’t scary because the audience knows Jennifer’s m.o from the beginning. It’s gory and a bit creepy and bizarre. What is motivating Jennifer? What is making her act in this manner? My guess was not what it ended up being at all. [“She’s eating boys. They, like, make her really pretty and glowy and her hair looks amazing. And then when she’s hungry, she’s weak and cranky and ugly. I mean ugly for her.”] Jennifer’s Body is symbolic of feminist revenge on all the men who treat women like crap: the popular guys, the guys who just want sex, the guys who say mean things about women etc. Jennifer is wiping them out one by one. Cody refrains from the precocious dialogue here, suiting it more to this film. She has a few weird phrases [“It’s freak-tarded.” and “You make me all wetty.”]. She’s done a commendable job in tackling this male-dominated genre with a thoughtful, clever script that may not have been perfectly executed and for that she deserves a ton of credit.
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DVD review: Grace
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD on October 30, 2009
Grace is not a film where there’s tons of blood and gore for no reason. It’s not that type of horror film. This one is much more cerebral. Grace is creepy. It’s also feminist to its core. Although written and directed by a man, Paul Solet, Grace manages to tap into women’s issues. It hones in on a woman’s bond with a child. How far is a woman willing to challenge morality to provide her baby with the most basic of needs: food, shelter and safety?
For a long time, new-agey vegan and women’s studies graduate Madeline [Jordan Ladd] and her husband Michael [Stephen Park] have been trying to have a child and finally Madeline gets pregnant. Everything seems to be going quite well although Michael’s mother does not approve of the choice of a midwife for the birth and giving birth in a birthing pool instead of at a hospital. The midwife is actually Madeline’s former professor and lover. After a terrible accident, both her husband and the fetus she’s carrying die. She, however, decides to carry the baby to term. After the stillborn birth, the baby suddenly comes back to life. She names her Grace. Nothing terribly bizarre happens to Grace. She just has an insatiable appetite . . . for blood. Thus the creepiness ensues. Bugs are drawn to her. The cat is overly protective of the baby. And when Madeline breastfeeds Grace it is the ultimate horror show. A complete nightmare. In the end, though, Madeline will go to any means necessary to give her baby what she needs and to hide this fact from her mother-in-law and any one else who would take her child away from her. Ladd is excellent in her transformation from the easy-going, hippie chick to the anemic, obsessed, and unwaveringly devoted mother.
Grace is truly disturbing and will make you think for days after you watch it.
GRADE: B+
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DVD review: Grace
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD, Film on September 16, 2009
Grace is not a film where there’s tons of blood and gore for no reason. It’s not that type of horror film. This one is much more cerebral. Grace is creepy. It’s also feminist to its core. People are talking about Jennifer’s Body before it has even been released [that is written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama and stars Megan Fox]. Although written and directed by a man, Paul Solet, Grace manages to tap into feminist ideals. It hones in on a woman’s bond with a child. How far is a woman willing to challenge morality to provide her baby with the most basic of needs: food, shelter and safety?
For a long time, new-agey vegan and women’s studies graduate Madeline [Jordan Ladd] and her husband Michael [Stephen Park] have been trying to have a child and finally Madeline gets pregnant. Everything seems to be going quite well although Michael’s mother does not approve of the choice of a midwife for the birth and giving birth in a birthing pool instead of at a hospital. The midwife is actually Madeline’s former professor and lover. After a terrible accident, both her husband and the fetus she’s carrying die. She, however, decides to carry the baby to term. After the stillborn birth, the baby suddenly comes back to life. She names her Grace. Nothing terribly bizarre happens to Grace. She just has an insatiable appetite . . . for blood. Thus the creepiness ensues. Bugs are drawn to her. The cat is overly protective of the baby. And when Madeline breastfeeds Grace it is the ultimate horror show. A complete nightmare. In the end, though, Madeline will go to any means necessary to give her baby what she needs and to hide this fact from her mother-in-law and any one else who would take her child away from her. Ladd is excellent in her transformation from the easy-going, hippie chick to the anemic, obsessed, and unwaveringly devoted mother.
Grace is truly disturbing and will make you think for days after you watch it.
GRADE: B+
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About Me
covering mostly music and books. focus on alternative/indie and women in music, literature and the arts. feminist. vegan. mostly alternative, a bit bohemian. Masters in journalism from Boston University. BA from Simmons College.
Entertainment Realm by Amy Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at entertainmentrealm.comCopyright © 2009. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Amy Steele.
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