The Autobiography of Mr. Spock – Book Review

Posted on September 5, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Thank you to Titan Books for the copy of this book in return for an honest review

I am a massive Star Trek fan. It’s one of my favourite things in life. I’m a fan of new trek, old trek and everything in-between. My favourite is the original series. I could go on about why I think it’s so good, but I’ll save that for another time. My favourite character is Spock. When I found out this book was being published, as the next instalment to the fantastic Star Trek autobiography series, I was excited.

The book lives up to my expectations. Since it’s from Spock viewpoint it’s not told as a typical autobiography but instead in the format of the t’san a’lat, a traditional Vulcan text that Vulcans would write towards the end of their lives to detail the wisdom they have gained over their lives. The book is written as if it was just before the events of the 2009 film, detailing Spock’s life up that point through a series of chapters, each one dedicated to someone important in Spock’s life.

When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be something like a greatest hits tour, where it would go through the memorable episodes and films in the Star Trek universe. It doesn’t do this at all, in fact it barely mentions the 5 year mission and the events of Wrath of Kahn take up about two pages.

I wouldn’t recommend this for anybody other than big-time Star Trek fans. It’s not for people who haven’t seen at least the original series, the accompanying films and Star Trek Discovery: Season 2. It brushes over a lot of details and assumes you already know those details. For example, the chapter about Captain Kirk is very brief and he is barely mentioned in the book, even though he is an important person to Spock in the universe. The reason for this is explained and it makes sense, but this is an add-on to everything else that has come before.

It also touches on some non-canon books, such as The Pandora Principle, which I haven’t read but will be soon. It’s a really in-depth character study and is enjoyable to read. There is a lot of detail in sections of Spock’s life, especially his time on Romulus that is touched upon in Next Generation. It also feels like a prequel to Star Trek: Picard, with the events at the end of the book directly leading into that show. Spock is also writing this to Picard as the person who will deal with his legacy after death.

I really enjoyed this book. It feels like Spock and you can almost hear it in Leonard Nimoy’s voice when reading. There are moments when the voice is lost and it doesn’t feel like the character at all but for the most part Uma McCormack does a really good job and it’s made me want to revisit my favourite episodes and films all over again.

Posted in Book reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

King Knight – The Best Film About Witches Attending a High School Reunion Ever Made – FrightFest

Posted on September 5, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Richard Bates Jr.

Writer: Richard Bates Jr.

Starring: Matthew Gray Gubler, Angela Sarafyan, Andy Milonakis, Kate Comer, Nelson Franklin, Emily Chang, Johnny Pemberton, Ray Wise and Aubrey Plaza

Rating: ★★★★★

King Knight starts like a fairy tale with a narrator telling a story. It feels whimsical and joyous right from the start and keeps this up to the final moments. It’s a film about finding joy in life and dealing with your past, explored through the ideas of witchcraft and the pagen religion.  

Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler, Criminal Minds) leads his coven with his wife Willow (Angela Sarafyan, Westworld), solving their relationship problems and celebrating life. His past catches up with him and Willow discovers that Thorn is actually Thornton, the class president, prom king and voted most likely to succeed in high school. The coven, shocked at this discovery, banish Thorn and he goes on a walkabout of self-discovery.

This is a truly odd film. It’s doesn’t take itself seriously at all, while all the performances are completely straight. This makes a bizarre blend of comedy that works really well and will have you laughing for the whole run-time. It’s a film about witches that doesn’t fall into any tropes. Writer/director Richard Bates Jr. didn’t want to mock the pagen religion in any way so passed his script to members of the religion before making it, to ensure that there were no send ups and the characters were believable. His dedication really pays off and the story created is heartfelt, funny and entertaining.

The cast is great. Matthew Gray Gubler is perfect as the coven leader who is banished from his own coven. He’s incredibly funny and charming on screen. His relationship with his wife, played by Angela Sarafyan is perfect. Their chemistry is great and the argument they have when she first finds out about his past is one of the funniest parts of the film. Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) is also case as Merlin and is great when he is on screen. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as a pinecone is also a work of genius and a highlight.

There are so many great moments in this film. It’s just one after another after another. It starts with the coven leaders acting as relationship councillors for the other witches, followed by a strange ceremony involving jumping over a candle. The big reveal, that builds up over the first twenty minutes and then everything that happens afterwards. It’s incredibly funny and odd in the best way possible.  

King Knight is full of memorable moments and funny sequences. It’s a brilliant comedy and a great time when watching it. This is definitely going to find a cult following and will probably be divisive. For those that love oddball comedies that are completely different, this will be something you will watch time and time again.

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It – Film Review – Fright Fest

Posted on September 5, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Yernar Nurgaliyev

Starring: Daniar Alshinov, Yerkebulan Daiyrov, Asel Kaliyeva and Rustem Zhaniyamanov

Rating: ★★★★

If you take the sinister feeling of Deliverance and combine it with the comedy and silliness of Without a Paddle, you’ll get something close to Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It. It’s a mix of extreme gore, with some seriously great effects, and over the top comedy that works incredibly well.

Dastan (Daniar Alshinov) is struggling with his life. His wife wants him to step up and take responsibility now that they have a child on the way, he can’t choose a name for their child and debt collectors are calling him constantly. Instead of dealing with anything head on he goes off on a fishing trip with his two closest friends. While drifting down river, they witness a mob execution and try to run away. The mob chase them, and at the same time a complete psycho who lives in the middle of nowhere is chasing down the mob. It’s a story of survival and extreme violence.

This is a manic and funny film. It takes tropes from horror films that you’ve seen before and twists them into something really entertaining and funny. It’s not completely original, but it still works and you’ll have a laugh while watching.

The effects are fantastic. There is a moment, when the psycho chasing them, rips a man jaw. It’s incredible effects that look amazing. If there wasn’t such a light-hearted tone to everything, then it would be truly terrifying. People’s heads being shot off with shotguns, impaling, and heads being sliced off or in half. It’s all here and gives the goriest of horror films a run for its money. There isn’t any really scares here though, it’s a full on laugh out loud comedy.

The whole cast is great and really being out the comedy of the film. Dastan and his friends going down river, and the look on their face when they witness the execution is perfect. It’s so funny. One of the mobsters faints at the sight of gore and spends a lot of the film falling down. He is introduced carrying a boom-box and dancing on screen. It’s a funny moment that sets the scene for the rest of the film.

Like any self-respecting horror film that features going out into the middle of no where there is a scene towards the beginning that features a gas station that should tell the main characters to turn around and run. Obviously they don’t see this as a warning sign and continue their journey. It’s a very funny scene and sets up an even funnier one later in the film.

Full of laughs and seriously good effects, Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It is a fantastic film. The premise has been done before but the comedy works, and the film never feels boring. It’s well worth seeking out if you’re in the mood for gore and laughter.

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bad Candy – Film Review – FrightFest

Posted on September 4, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Scott B. Hansen and Desiree Connell

Starring: Corey Taylor, Zack Galligan, Derek Russo, Kevin Wayne, Michael Aaron Milligan and Kenneth Trujillo

Rating: ★★½ 

Bad Candy is a new horror anthology that links all of the stories together with recurring characters and a radio show, where Corey Taylor (Slipknot singer) and Zak Galligan (Gremlins) tell the stories we are watching.

There is a real mixed bag with the stories. The first one, about a girl who can draw anything to life, is good, but ends too soon. It’s strange that when the story gets going it just ends, especially as some of the later ones go on for far too long. There are still good elements from all of them, even if some feel underbaked. There’s a devil monster who appears in all of the stories and seems to be the one punishing people and once he gets involved the story isn’t far from being over. It never lets you get actually invested to be scared in any of them, because they end so quickly.  

The performances are alright for a horror film like this. There’s nothing spectacular but they get the job done. Corey Taylor gives it everything he’s got as the radio DJ telling the stories. It would have been nice for him to narrate them as well, outside of the in-between segments.

The effects are all over the place. Some of the CGI is passable and the practical effects and puppets are great. It’s just the shoddy CGI that’s the problem, like in so many horror films. When it’s bad it’s noticeably bad. It’s really distracting, and while the film isn’t particularly scary, it makes it laughable at points.

There are so many shorts in this anthology. Some of them feel unfinished and could do with being cut out. The second one, which features a man putting razor blades into candy just doesn’t do anything. It’s a nice idea, but it lasts about five minutes and just ends. The child gets the candy, trips up and the devil monster that is the running connection between the stories turns up then kills the old man. That may be a spoiler but the whole scene is so short that it feels more like a pitch for a longer idea. In the end it just pads out the film, which feels too long by the final half hour anyway.

The segments with Corey Taylor and Zack Galligan are the best bits. Corey Taylor brings his charisma in full force and really elevates the film and the nod towards Galligan’s role in Gremlins is smile worthy. It’s their segments that bring the whole thing together and bookends the shorts.

Bad Candy is a fine film. It’s nothing special, but is entertaining at points. This would be a good film for Halloween night with a few friends around. It’s not a classic, but it’s not really trying to be. Some cheap thrills and some entertainment.   

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Parker Sessions – Film Review – FrightFest

Posted on September 4, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Stephen Simmons

Writer: Stephen Simmons

Starring: Rachell Sean, Danny James and Guy Wheatley

Rating: ★★★½

Suffering from insomnia and night terrors can be a horrific experience. The anxiety is causes, especially when you know you have a big day ahead of you, can cause panic attacks. The Parker Sessions is an attempt to capture that feeling from Stephen Simmons and his own experience of night terrors and sleepwalking.

Parker suffers (Rachell Sean) from night terrors and it is destroying her life. The film starts with her visiting a new councillor, and it’s clear he’s not the first she’s seen. She’s been looking for someone who really listens to her and is looking for a way to relieve her problem. The councillor gives her some advice, ‘face your fear’, and Parker takes that a literally.

The Parker Sessions is an intense and solid film with an interesting idea. It’s presented in an entertaining and gripping way with whimsical effects at the beginning that slowly disappear as the film moves on and gives way to the more grounded horror. When the councillor asks Parker questions, she replies with lies and the film cuts to scenes of the truth with loud sound effects. Some of the names are redacted as well, both visually and audibly. Parker isn’t given a surname and the councillor’s family isn’t given any names. The picture of his family on his desk has the faces of his wife and child scribbled out with ‘the wife’, ‘the boy’ written on top. It’s not really clear why it’s like that, and leaves you with the thought that Simmons couldn’t think of a name for them.

The score is fantastic with a heartbeat like rhythm during the night terror section and screeching violins during the climax of the film. It stands out and really works putting you on edge and builds up an oppressive atmosphere that is heightened further by the black and white visuals that give everything a gritty texture.

The acting is a mixed bag. At points the performances are great and at other points, especially with some of the laughing and cut away moments in the first act, it feels very stilted. The screaming from Parker during her nightmare sequence is powerful and chilling. So much of the film hinges on that moment and it works.  

The film is split into four acts, with a small intermission between each one showing Parker’s trip to the fair. It gives you time to reflect on each act and process the events, it’s a very focused film with a lot of talking and the breaks give enough time to let everything sink in. It also feels like the intermissions have mostly been added to pad out the short run time. It’s just over an hour long, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s short, striking and haunting.

The description for this film on FrightFest’s line up describes it as something akin to David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky, which is a massive exaggeration. There’s nothing that surreal or dreamlike about The Parker Sessions and it doesn’t mess with your mind in any way. The story feels fairly straight forward and the comparison doesn’t do the film any justice.

It is the debut feature film from writer/director Stephen Simmons (credited as a ‘nightmare from Stephen King Simmons), who has previously made a few shorts. This is a great first film that is original and haunting. Hopefully whatever Simmons makes next will be even better.

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment