Tag: horror

Book Review: Rocky Mountain Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Dead of Winter is a pretty decent thriller written by the prolific Darcy Coates. Coates often writes supernatural story, but this story doesn’t fall into that territory. It does get pretty gruesome and far-fetched, but I ended up enjoying the ride that was meant to terrify me. I don’t really get terrified that easily by a book, but I can still appreciate the attempt.

The story is told from the point of view from a young woman named Christa, who has joined her boyfriend on a winter vacation to the Rocky Mountains where they plan to stay in a luxurious lodge with other guests. The bus breaks down, and a wicked storm is on the way. The passengers make their way to small, abandoned cabin where they plan to wait out the storm. The situation gets more dire when the tour guide is killed and then beheaded. As the days and nights start to pass, the group is rapidly shrinking as the heads are left on display outside the cabin being punished by an unrelenting, violent snowstorm. Christa has reason to start believing that the group was not gathered at random, and there is a more precise motive than just some random bloodthirsty psycho satisfying a dark compulsion.

This is the second novel in a row I have read with the too familiar plot of a small group of people trapped in a tight, claustrophobic locale with a seemingly crazed killer stalking them. Coates does a pretty good job with a very common plotline. The motivation behind these killings is a bit far-fetched, but Christa is a compelling enough heroine for me to forgive that.

The revelations are pretty well placed. Coates has a pretty engaging prose style as well. The characters are pretty interesting for the most part. Coates apparently doesn’t mind leaving a couple of loose threads when she ends a story.

This is my first time reading a novel from this author, and she already has a pretty significant catalogue. I am sure it will not be too long before I try another one.

It has been a while since I have indulged in a Star Trek novel, so I think I will make a return trip to the twenty-fourth century and visit with Captain Picard’s crew aboard the Starship Enterprise. Next up, Shadows Have Offender by Cassandra Rose Clarke.

Film Review: Ghosts On The Water

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Haunting of the Queen Mary has many elements I enjoy in a supernatural thriller, but this thing just turned into a confusing, gory mess of wasted potential. Gary Shore directed this piece which he also co-wrote the screen play with Stephen Oliver. Tom Vaughan shares the story credit as well. Alice Eve is in the lead as a young mother who wants to write a book and direct some virtual tours of the well-known, haunted luxury ship. The cast includes Joel Fry, Nell Hudson, Will Coban, and Lenny Rush.

The film starts off as a family aboard the Queen Mary in 1938 sneak into a rather posh party that has Fred Astaire in attendance along with many other celebrities of the time. There are some strange costumes and a disturbing confrontation between the disfigured father and a director. It actually looks to be an interesting party. The focus shifts to the present day to a couple with a young, disabled son who are also aboard the ship to make a film to be used as a virtual tour. The woman, played by Alice eve, wants to write a book. The two stories are unfolding at the same time. The 1938 timeline culminates in a brutal mass murder with an axe.

The cinematography is actually quite well done, but that’s the only element that is consistently worthwhile. The plot was confusing in both time settings. There is a pretty good dance sequence between this little girl and the actor portraying Astaire. That was kind of fun. The film looks gorgeous in many ways.

The story falls apart, and the gore that was displayed was just too distracting and unnecessary. I don’t normally mind occasional bloody scenes, but some of the violence just felt too gratuitous and distracting. The film would have been more impactful if the gore was merely implied.

There was what should have been interesting twist at the end, but I was too annoyed to understand or appreciate the cleverness the writers were attempting.

Haunted ships and past eras are kind of my bag these days, so I normally would enjoy a spooky ghost story on the high seas. Also, I am not terribly squeamish when it comes to movies of this sort, but there was still too much blood and dismembering even for my ghoulish tastes.

Film Review: No Running Or Dying Around The Pool

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Night Swim is a horror film written and directed by Bryce McGuire. He shares story credit with Rod Blackhurst. It is based on a short film they did recently. Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amelie Hoeferle, and Gavin Warren star as the Waller family who are facing the troubles of a haunted swimming pool.

Ray Waller, a retired baseball player, and his family move into a new house and refurbish the swimming pool. Ray had to retire early due to being inflicted with degenerative musculature illness. After he and his family settle into their new home, he finds that the pool has properties that are more therapeutic than expected. Since this is a story of horror, his newfound physical improvement comes at a ghastly cost. There is an entity within the waters as well as a long history of previous residents disappearing into the shadows. The Waller family will be facing a potential heart-wrenching sacrifice to feed a dark presence.

I have noticed that this film has been pretty thoroughly panned by the professional critics. It’s no brilliant masterpiece of the genre, but it’s not that bad. There are some moments that did creep me out occasionally or came close enough to it for me to find some appreciation for the attempt. The performances were as believable as one could expect for a somewhat outlandish plot. My surface effort of research shows that Wyatt Russell is the progeny of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, and he is not without the ability to give an at least competent performance. His co-star, Kerry Conlon, was likeable enough as the mother who starts to piece the strangeness together.

The background of the unworldly menace is ridiculous, of course, but not worse than a lot of other unnatural evils depicted in this sort of film.

Overall, Night Swim functions as a reasonable cinematic diversion for those of us with a taste for the macabre. It’s not going to be remembered as a masterful display of creative genius, but I doubt that it will be considered to be the bottom of the scrap heap of horror films. One could see it with some expectation of receiving a chill or two to accompany the occasional sardonic smile of amusement that may twitch across mt face whenever I see a film of this sort.