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.

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 20^th 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.

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.

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 20^th 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.

MOVIE REVIEW: Skinwalker

 

This is a 2021 film that went direct to DVD and streaming platforms. Its cast is made up of mainly unknown actors. It is a western with a supernatural twist that involves a US marshal and his deputy, who take into custody a woman that is married to a wanted outlaw, and a family of Mormons who find a man that is running from a tribe of Native American Indians after looting one of their graveyards. These two groups are brought together, and it is discovered that the graverobber has taken a sacred totem that kept the spirit of an evil witch in her grave, thus releasing an entity that can possess any and all who come into contact with it. Written, directed and produced by Robert Conway, best known for his work on the Krampus horror trilogy, this is a small film that is nonetheless entertaining for not only the horror crowd, but also those who love a good old-fashioned western. Lots of violence, but no erotica and very little strong language makes this passable for older children.

BOOK REVIEW: A Rip in Time by Jeff Gunzel

 

Taking place in a world where supernatural beings are common, a young girl is found that is a mixture of races. Though she is innocent of her heritage, and the powers that this brings to her, the future may hinge on her existence. Now she is in danger, as the many different races attempt to claim her as their own. Can she be saved by those who have vowed to protect her, or will she prove too dangerous even for them?

This book relies mostly on action and suspense to tell its story, but there are some erotic and torture scenes in it. For this reason, it may not be a good selection for the young adult audience. However, it is an extremely good effort and well worth the time. It is the first in a series. Looking forward to the continuation of the epic. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Jurassic World: Dominion

 

This is the third entry into the Jurassic World trilogy, that being the second film trilogy about live dinosaurs that have been brought back into the world through modern genetic tampering. In this, the dinosaurs that were inadvertently let loose in the last movie are now roaming the world at will, creating an almost intolerable situation for human civilization. There is now a black market specializing in dinosaurs, and illegal breeding farms are a constant problem. In addition, the girl Maisie, who is herself a clone of her mother, is now in her teens and becoming increasingly frustrated with the protected life forced upon her by her foster parents, Claire Dearing and Owen Grady. In a second storyline, Ellie Sattler, from the original Jurassic Park movies, is investigating abnormally large locusts that are devastating the crops of independent farmers while leaving the ones raised by the company Biosyn untouched. After talking her old lover, Alan Grant, into accompanying her, she visits Biosyn, where another old friend, Ian Malcolm, awaits them with valuable information. All the storylines come together when Maisie is kidnapped by Biosyn, and Claire and Owen follow her there to get her back.

As you can see, there is quite a lot happening in this film, which could prove confusing, but is actually handled wonderfully by the production and editing teams. The special effects are, of course, amazing, which is something that is expected with the movies Steven Spielberg is associated with, but the character development is also incredible. The most heart-warming revelations are given to Maisie, played by the very talented young actress Isabella Sermon. But the entire cast is breathtaking in this, as this film not only celebrates the newer endeavors, but also brings nostalgia into the mix with the stars of the former movies as well. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, BD Wong, they are all here, and the script brings them together with Chris Pratt’s and Brice Dallas Howard’s characters in such a way that seems so natural that it is hard to remember that 30 years has passed since the original film was released. Definitely see this one.