Tuesday, April 25, 2023

MOVIE REVIEW: Look Away

 


A teenage girl named Maria, who is the victim of bullying in school and whose parents are too distracted by their own problems to pay any attention to their daughter, finds that her reflection in mirrors has come alive and allows it to take her place, resulting in a series of murders. This 2018 film stars India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Maria, Mira Sorvino (Human Trafficking) as her mother, and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series) as her father. This is a well-acted and well-scripted movie, but is also rather slow moving and takes a while for the real action to start. There is nudity, erotic scenes, and some strong language, so, for these reasons, and the fact that it may evolve too slowly for young minds, this is not recommended for children. However, for adults that like Alfred Hitchcock style psychological thrillers, this is a good one to keep the interest on a date night.


Tuesday, April 18, 2023

BOOK REVIEW: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

 


This is chronologically the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, though it was actually the first one published. It follows four English children who are evacuated to the country during World War II and find a magical wardrobe that transports them into another world. In this world they find themselves among talking animals and mythical creatures, and caught up in a battle to save the land from an evil witch. It is an enchanting romp through a world of imagination that, along with centaurs, mermaids, and the spirits of trees, has underlying Christian connotations. Written by a man many hail has one of the greatest Christian apologists of the 20th century, it successfully blends religious symbolism and esoteric paganism to create a story that can be enjoyed by both young and old. A great addition to any library.


Tuesday, April 11, 2023

MOVIE REVIEW: The Lazarus Effect

 


A 2015 film with a cast including Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Olivia Wilde (House), this concerns a group of scientists that find a chemical that reanimates the dead. During a late-night visit to their lab after they find out a pharmaceutical company is trying to steal their discovery, one of their number is killed in an accident, and the head of the group decides to try to bring her back to life. The result is an incarnation of evil as the body and mind of a person who has died is slowly taken over by an insane creature bent on destruction, and is able to manipulate and control the minds of those around her. While the cast is good, this a typical man-into-monster horror flick that has very little originality to it. There is plenty of violence and some strong language, but there is little or no erotica. Though this does make it palatable for older kids, the scenes of Hell and torment (which include people burning to death in a fire) that are unleashed in the visions that are planted into the brains of the victims may be triggering for younger children or emotionally traumatized individuals. Caution should be advised.


Tuesday, April 4, 2023

BOOK REVIEW: The Blackstone Chronicles by John Saul

 


This is a serialized book that takes place in a small New England town that is overshadowed by an abandoned hospital called the Asylum that once treated the mentally disturbed. The stories follow the distribution of artifacts from a hidden room in the old hospital to various citizens of the town by a shadowy figure, somehow bringing with them the mental miasmas of their original owners. The result is murder, suicide, and insanity.

John Saul has been a favorite author of mine for some time, mainly for his ability to write stories around old legends. This is no exception. The Asylum is a conglomerate of abandoned hospitals around the country. Its history is a composite of old mental institutions around the world, including the often torturous treatments that were used in the early 20th century to try to help the mentally afflicted. Saul takes this setting, adds a doctor who has sadistic tendencies, and injects a mystery surrounding the death of a young girl. All of this combines under the author’s capable hand to make each and every installment of the chronicles of this cursed town into a separate shocking story of people fallen victim to an evil looking for vengeance. A great one for all Saul fans.