Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 10:32
(A review of
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Collected Best, Vol. 1)
*This review applies to both Volume 1 & Volume 2 of 'Hellraiser: Collected Best'.
So, I absolutely LOVED the film 'Hellraiser', Clive Barker's directorial masterpiece. I also loved 'Hellraiser 2'. Then as the movie sequels went on I liked them less and less until I got downright sick of it all (didn't we all?).
But the first two movies really grabbed my attention, as did Pinhead and the 'Cenobites'. There was also lots of talk of the Lemerchand Puzzle Box and made clear that it was steeped in mystery and history. I remember really wanting to know more about this entire world that Barker had dreamed up. The horizons seemed endless.
Thankfully, the graphic short stories arrived, done by new writers and artists (with Clive Barker's blessing) who imagined their own tales of the Cenobites and Lemerchand Boxes, ranging from the crusades through to the modern day to even the distant future. Some stories are better than others, but I enjoyed all of them to varying degrees. Same goes for the artwork.
Clive Barker is a visual artist as well as a writer, and I think those that took on his work fully understood that. The visuals in these graphic novels can be haunting, and the stories are grim and frightening. All these Faustian dealings in comic book form were a real and welcome treat and a fantastic companion to the whole Hellraiser universe. If you're a fan, I can't recommend it enough! [Link removed - login to see]
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 10:25
(A review of
Clive Barker's Hellraiser Vol. 1)
3.5 Stars
Hell is Back in fashion, Kids!
Oh, hush, child. How they all yearn for home... But hell is a house of many rooms, too.
I loved Barker's original novella and the movie adaptation, and the rest of the media featuring Cenobites varied from average to horrendous to unwatchable for me. So when I came across this comic book, I was excited because of Barker's involvement, and a bit wary at the same time because of the franchise's nose-diving track record.
But when the unholy Priest start delivering the sermon, you listen.
The story has two fronts, one focusing on Priest AKA Pinhead and his plans to evolve into something... more human? We have seen you in your Human form, Pinhead. It's not worth it. And weirdly, Women really dig you in your Cenobite form. (I've been to some dark corners of the Internet during my ill-advised search for cenobite fan art. Don't ask for details!) The second front focuses on Kirsty Cotton from the original movie and sequel. Apparently, she is now a hunter of Lemarchand's devices (there are many!), and with the help of Harrowers (the other survivors of Hell), she is getting closer to destroying every portal that opens to hell.
I read the book two times back-to-back, the first time it was meh, and it was better second time around as I caught some threads of Barker's webs. I enjoyed Pinhead's Chorus scene, the chapter featuring the backstory of Harrowers, and the final confrontation. Yet the story is missing a certain freshness, probably because I'm used to the dynamics of Hellraiser world. Nevertheless, the opening act shows promise, and the art is beautiful and sinfully gory, making it an interesting new chapter for the Hellraiser franchise.
(less)
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 10:15
(A review of
Batman: Harley Quinn)
First canonical appearance of Harley in DC comic books!
Creative Team:
Writer: Paul Dini
Illustrator: Yvel Guichet
Cover: Alex Ross
NO WOMAN'S JOKE
Harley Quinn was around quite a bit in the media since her introduction in Batman: The Animated Series and certainly she was been on the tie-in comic title published by DC Comics, but that wasn't considered "canon" per se, until this special one-shot was published during the Batman event known as No Man's Land.
Being written by Paul Dini, one of Harley's "dads", it's a very compelling origin in the official DC Comics universe, changing some stuff from her "animated" origin in Mad Love, but still keeping her psychological medical title backgroung, her insane fascination for The Joker, her relationship with Poison Ivy, and even as a curious thing, in both origins, the "animated" and this one at hand, Harley is able to beat knocked-out Batman.
In the middle of the chaos of the No Man's Land situation, Dr. Harleen Quinzel rises to become canonical part of the DC universe, turning into her Harley Quinn persona...
...and Gotham City has never been the same since then!
It got better!
[Link removed - login to see]
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 10:05
(A review of
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Beginning (Issue #1))
I would be lying in saying that I fully understand what I have read, the story tries to delve into Freddy's past by showing some of his background, but all condensed into about 60 pages around the vision without introspection by a girl who has constant flashbacks. .
Quick narrative that never manages to reach the right climax. [Link removed - login to see]
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 09:59
(A review of
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy)
...in loving memory, Wes Craven, 1939~2015
TO BE DEAD IS OK, BUT TO BE FORGOTTEN IS A REAL BITCH!
As far as I can grope into the vast sea of my recollection, A Nightmare on Elm Street was the first horror movie I've ever seen. Now I can still remember a lot of details, such as Freddy goes thru a wall and leaves the wall on fire, Freddy's face moves behind the mural space right above the headboard, Freddy's arms so long that they're trying to hug me, oh, Depp was sucked into his bed and thrown up again in a fountain of blood, blah blah blah. And yeah! That rope jumping nursery rhyme :D
Actually the movies never scare me even if they're scary, I just love them for the innovations, the perseverance and the coolness and all
While reading this book, I realized my eyes were watery and there was a lump in my throat, I just felt I'd grown up with Freddy on Elm Street, Springwood, Ohio. It has much rare details and never-before-seen materials, they graphically portray the birth of this legendary, classical horror movie series...and stuff like how Wes created Freddy, Why he named Freddy as Freddy Krueger, Why he chose Depp not Charlie Sheen to be Glen, etc. Definitely a must read for a Freddy buff like me
The book is so cool, Freddy is so cool, the crew was so cool, Wes was so cool, but not that cool the moment Freddy spoke Shanghainese to me when he visited me in my dream after I'd seen the movie on VCR in 1990
Welcome, be my guest, fuckers!!
(less)
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 09:54
(A review of
A Nightmare on Elm Street #4: Perchance to Dream)
I have to admit I really enjoy these Black Flame novels based on horror movies. So far the Friday the 13th series has been my favorite, but the Freddy books aren't bad.
In this one we see "The Dream Child" return, and he has powers he's been using to keep Freddy in check. Of course this doesn't last, and soon Freddy's back and running wild. The characters were mostly cardboard cutouts, but at least you knew them for what they were. There was also a character who turned out to be a psycho that you wouldn't expect, but I won't spoil that here.
The ending turned out to be a little ambiguous, but pretty much every ending in the Elm Street franchise has been.
If you're a fan of the movies, you'll like the books. I personally find most of the books to have much stronger storylines than the movies ever had. [Link removed - login to see]
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 09:48
(A review of
Ripped from a Dream: The Nightmare on Elm Street Omnibus)
the nightmare franchise is my all time favorite horror or slasher franchise. That makes me very biased but it was thoroughly entertaining. I wish I could find more books
6.23- after re-reading it recently I think this deserves 4 stars. I am a big NOES fan and I think i was too hyped up reading this initially after seeing Freddy vs. Jason.
Suffer the children- this was the worse novel in the omnibus. too many characters in and out of nightmares because of Freddy utilizing a coma patient to get in and out of the patients friends dreams. Good little twist at the end with main character locked up and having a new bundle of joy. But overall this one was 2-3 stars
DreamSpawn- This might have been my favorite of the 3. Freddy isn't even in it until thee 3rd act mostly. Definitely ties into teen and school anguish as well as recent school shootings. 4 stars
Protege- This was reminiscent of Freddy vs Jason in that he uses a real world person to do his bidding to have his name and fear spread to power him. Its obviously done differently with a pregnant mother and thee protagonist in thee womb at time of death. 3-4 stars [Link removed - login to see]
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 09:43
(A review of
A Nightmare On Elm Street #2: Dreamspawn)
This one disappointed me just a little. While it wasn't bad overall, the first half of the book read like a Young Adult novel, and not even a horror novel. It just dealt with high school cliques and talked about the worst of today's teenagers, or at the least the stereotypes.
It did get better once Freddy starts to make longer appearances, but even then it felt like something was missing. It was almost like this was an angst filled Young Adult novel and Freddy was just thrown in as an afterthought. Now, that being said, I do understand that some of the teenage drama was necessary in order to build the story up for the conclusion, but to me it felt like it dragged on too long.
This wasn't bad at all, I just thought it could have been better. Now that I think about it, I guess several of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies played out like YA novels with all the angst and teenage tropes and such. If you're a fan of the movies and of Freddy, it's worth reading for sure. Just be prepared to wade though some teenage girl angst before you get to the scary parts. (Or is that vice versa? lol)
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 02:23
(A review of
Mass Effect 2)
Warning: SpoilersThe second chapter of the Mass Effect trilogy is a triumphant achievement by Bioware and, along with Dragon Age: Origins, one of their best games since Baldur's Gate 2.
I enjoyed the quality of the writing, the phenomenal voice acting, the huge cast of memorable characters, visiting distinctive locations on different planets, facing interesting side quests (a step forward from the "go to planet XYZ, find the bunker and kill everyone" of ME1), dealing with an intriguing morality system (with the Paragon/Renegade choices). Also worth noting: if you import a character from the first game using the final savegame, some decisions you made suddenly become relevant, showing the consequences of your actions - what happened to characters or groups you saved or ruined, spared or sacrificed. This creates the feeling of continuity of the best epic sagas.
So, what doesn't work? Well, while the sidequests / loyalty missions are stellar, the whole Cerberus plot feels kind of meandering. Some moments (the final boss fight...) are pure schlock compared to the cosmic horror foreshadowed by the first game. The micro-management of the inventory has been simplified to the point of becoming shallow. And, although I am glad the Mako is gone (I hated its mechanical guts), exploring whole planets instead of just landing sites can be fun - put it back in ME3, only without the awful physics of the Mako, please.
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 30 July 2022 02:19
(A review of
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)
This game is the reason gamers like me don't get much sleep. It's basically your everyday fantasy RPG (Role Playing Game) set in a world full of demons, monsters, knights, bandits, goblins, and more. That's where the similarity ends. The game is based in a mythical world that's just plain massive. It's basically a country with several cities and towns. The mapping is spectacular, with no two areas alike (swamps, mountains, gaping forests, snow covered lands, lakes, rivers), the towns have unique architecture, and not to mention the developers show how the 360's graphics engine can make for some very realistic water effects. Everything in this game is superb, right down to the sound (not to mention Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart lend their voices). It wasn't enough to knock it down a point, but I did find the character creation a bit of a challenge, along with some of the people in the game, too many of them look old and worn out. Other than that, this game hit every mark in my book... it allows for complete control of your character, you can be a mage (magic) or a warrior, or both. You can actually choose your path. Follow the main quest first and beat the main story line, or follow some side quests and get your character to a more respectable level (which I recommend)? I truly believe out of any non-MMORPG out there this has one of the biggest replay value factors ever, not to mention hours upon hours of gameplay and entertainment (some quests require you to travel great distances to complete). The gameplay is fantastic, the selection of tools, weapons, and other items is magnificent, and the graphics are, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. This game, so far, is the only RPG that comes very close to real life. I think the only thing that makes it different from real life is that the real world has no reset button. This is a must have, must play, must get addicted game. Like great literature, this you cannot put down until it's done!
0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Login
Home
189 Lists
2424 Reviews
Collections