The Book Pile – 11/07/2021

Posted on July 11, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a post about the books I’ve been reading. That’s probably because reading has been slow over the recent months, but I’ve still read a couple of good books that I want to share.

Demon Seed by Dean Koontz

The cover to the 1997 version

I haven’t read much by Dean Koontz, probably 3 or 4 of his books. And he’s written a hell of a lot. Demon Seed was first published back in the early 1970s and then revised in the late 90s as Koontz was unhappy with the original book. I read the revised version and would one day like to read the original. Even in the 90s this book is ahead of its time, if the 70s version is anything like it then it was a half a century ahead of its time, at least. Demon Seed is about a house that has a built in computer that can do anything the home-owner wants. It can dim lights, control the heating, lock doors, perform security checks. It’s a futuristic home, with one problem. The A.I. has been taken over by a sentient program that has fallen in love with the home owner, Susan and wants her to carry a child that it can then take over.

The book is from the perspective of Adam Two, the sentient program, who has written the story as a plea to not be turned off after the events of the book. It’s creepy, unhinged and really well made. It’s a short book, only around 200ish pages, but it’s a real page turner and one that you will want to devour. Now that we are becoming all too reliant on technology, this feels like it is possible. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a really good book. It’s experimental in style, progressive with its themes and a good short horror book. It’s not going to change your world, but it is a good read.

Flip by Dennis Vogen

The other book that I’ve read in the last few weeks is Flip by Dennis Vogen. I stumbled across Vogen’s blog and really liked the minimalist cover. The premise, sounded interesting. A serial killer who claims he can kill people through their dreams. I saw that it was currently on Kindle Unlimited so downloaded it. Again, this is quite a short read, I’m not sure in pages, but maybe 120ish? It doesn’t matter it’s really gripping. It’s a head trip of a story with most of it set in a dream world. Each chapter is widely different and strange in a good way. The title is referring to flipping the dream and it changes the world around Liam, the main character.

There is a powerful theme of loss and family throughout the story and this is where it’s most engaging. I’m not going to spoil too much of the plot, but this is a really good book that you can read in one sitting. There’s a sequel coming out later this month on Kindle, Push, and I’ve already got that pre-ordered.

Currently Reading

As always I’ve got a few different things on the go. Each night I’m listening to a chapter or 2 of Ayoade on Ayoade: A cinematic Odyssey. The Audio book is read by Richard Ayoade, which is great. The book is Ayoade interviewing himself as if he is one of cinema’s great directors. It’s strange and very funny.

I’ve also been listening to the audio book for One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown. This is a real in-depth look into The Beatles, especially their origins. I’m about 2 and half hours in to the 20 book. I’ve been listening when cleaning and exercising mainly. It’s enjoyable so far and I’ve learnt a few things about The Beatles. But there are points where it focuses too much on one topic. There is a chapter that looks at what happened between John Lennon and Brian Epstein on a holiday in Spain, which is a little boring. For the most part, it’s too private and it goes on and on about the different opinions of what happened and who said what. That being said it’s clear there’s been a great amount of research done for this book, with it referencing a whole lot of people and other books written about the band.

Finally the other book I’m reading is Archibald Lox by Darren Shan. The 4th one just came out at the beginning of July. I started re-reading the first 3 in June and still making my way through them. I’m looking forward to catching up with part 5 out in August. I think it’s even better the second time round as I’ve been able to digest the world a little better.

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Fear Street Part Two: 1978

Posted on July 10, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Leigh Janiak

Starring: Sadie Sink, Emily Rud, Ryan Simpkins, McCabe Slye, Ted Sutherland and Gillian Jacobs

Rating: ★★★

It’s strange starting an almost 2 hour film with a ‘previously’ segment. Combine that with the weekly episodic film series that is Fear Street and the only thing that separates it from the almost endless list of Netflix series is that they didn’t all drop on the same day, instead being released weekly.

Continuing from the moment that last week’s film ended the teen-horror series Fear Street continues. This time taking us back in time to a summer camp where the witch had previously struck, possessing a councillor to kill a lot of children. This is very much a continuation of the first film in tone and style. It would be easy to believe that you’ve left a film on pause for a week before coming back to it. If you liked the first one, then this isn’t going to disappoint. In fact I think it’s a little better.

Much like the first instalment, Part Two blends a sweeping classical score with a list of rock hits from the 70s from The Velvet Underground to The Runaways. It works really well. Before the story goes back to 1978 we get Nirvana’s cover of Bowie’s Man who Sold the World, letting us travel through time by taking a 90s cover of a 70s classic. This song bookends the embedded narrative, because we also get Bowie’s original towards the end of the film, signalling that we are finished with the camp story and heading back to the 90s. It’s a nice touch and is one of many nods towards Bowie, the main character is called Ziggy, and in the 90s her dog is named Major Tom.

For the most part this film feels very polished. The acting is good, the sets look great, the music is pretty much spot on. The only downside is the gore. The effects, while passable aren’t great and do stand out. The noise of flesh being cut is also a little too over the top. Even though this carries an 18 rating in the UK, it feels like the film is shying away from being an all out gore-fest, especially with the children, this normally happens just off camera and not in a way that makes it worse like in Psycho or Reservoir Dogs. This is a true teen-horror film through and through.

It may not be scary, but Fear Street Part Two is still fun. It’s compelling and has a good story at the heart of it. It is a love letter to classic slasher films, like Friday the 13th. It’s nothing completely original, but it captures the feeling of the classics it is references. It’s a perfect continuation of what the first one set up and the third one looks like it’s going to be good. The ending is very reminiscent of the end of Evil Dead 2 and the final part, due next Friday, has a lot to live up to.  

If you liked this review, let me know in the comments below and follow my blog. I write a daily film review, alongside book reviews and short stories. You can follow me on Twitter to keep up to date: https://twitter.com/AManningWriter

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Ouija – Film Review

Posted on July 9, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Stiles White

Starring: Olivia Cooke, Darren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith, Bianca Santos

Rating: 1/5

While Hasbro currently own the rights to the game Ouija, spirit boards pre-date the widely known brand. Ouija itself was commercialised due to America’s obsession with spiritualism and the occult during the late 1800s. There are many ideas of where the name comes from, with one being that the name originates from a medium using the board and asking it what it was called, the pointer spelled out Ouija then explained that this means good luck and another being that it sounds Egyptian, which was popular with the spiritualists at the time.

As the credits start to roll on Ouija (2014) it comes up saying based on the Hasbro board game. This is the most entertaining Ouija gets, not only because it references the parlour game, but because it’s finally over. Ouija is without a doubt the worst big studio horror films of recent years. It’s dreadfully slow and not in the slightest bit scary. To be completely honest, it’s a waste of time watching it.

The story revolves around a group of friends who are mourning the loss of Debbie, who has committed suicide while possessed. They try to communicate with her, using a Ouija board and end up contacting a spirit who wants to kill them. Laine Morris, played by Olivia Cooke (Bate’s Motel, Ready Player One) asks her friends ‘do you ever feel like even after someone you love has died, there’s still a way you can talk to them?’ and they end up using a Ouija board shortly afterwards.  That’s an actual line of dialogue in this film and it’s just an example of how clunky, unnatural and at points laughable the dialogue is throughout. What kind of question is that? As a teenager, how many loved ones does she know who have died that she can still speak to?  

Tonally this film is all over the place. The spirit chases them and then they just run away and escape. There’s no prolonged terror it just flip-flops constantly between trying to be scary to moving the plot along. One moment they are being chased, the next they are back in school. The spirit proves is can attack them at any point, killing Isabelle while she is brushing her teeth, but is kind enough to let them go about their day to day life, even finding the answers to solve their problems from Laine’s Grandma. How does Laine’s Grandma know how to stop the hauntings? Unclear, maybe that’s just knowledge you pick up in life and I haven’t gotten to that stage just yet.

Somehow, even though it’s under 90 minutes, this drags on for what feels like 3 hours. It’s a punishment watching this. It’s so bland and forgettable that your brain will erase it while you are watching it. It’s not that the pace is slow, it moves quite quickly, it’s just so unengaging and boring that you’ll be aware of each passing second, knowing that this is just sapping away time before you’re the one communicating to the living realm through a Ouija board.

The performances are ok, and the effects are passable, but there is no real terror here. There’s nothing scary, unsettling, or creepy. It’s just boring and that’s the worst thing a horror film can be. Apart from laughing at some of the dialogue there is no fun to be had here.

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My Top 50 films – Part 1

Posted on July 9, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

50 may sound like a lot, but it’s not. I filled out the 50 spaces without even thinking very hard. I’m sure I’ve missed some, even after going over the list again and again. This is going to be a 10 post series, and I’m sure by the last week I will have changed the previous weeks in my head time and time again.

As I couldn’t list them in a normal 50 – 1 list, I decided to group them up, with only the last 2 weeks being films that I consider my top 10. Anything from weeks 1 – 8 could be in any order from 50-11. It’s impossible to list them otherwise.

These are my favourite films, not meaning that they are the best films. Some of them are objectively bad. If you are looking for the best films ever made, then this isn’t the right place for that. IMDB can probably help. I can guarantee that I haven’t even seen most of what are considered the best films ever made. I’ve seen Citizen Kane, which is most often considered the best film ever made, and while I enjoyed it, Kane doesn’t make the cut for my list.

So here we go, and not in any order at all, the first 5 films that are part of my ever-changing list of favourites:  

The Way (2010)

I loved this film from about 5 minutes in. It’s sombre, funny, heartfelt. This is an almost life-changing experience that has stayed with me since I first watched it. I think about it quite often, and this was almost in my top 10, ask me tomorrow and it probably will be. This is a film about dreams, not being too old to live and a father – son relationship. It’s emotional and well crafted. Martin Sheen is spectacular in it and I can’t say enough good things about it. If you haven’t already, watch it. This is more than just a film, it’s a journey, as cliché as that sounds. This is one of the few films that have ever inspired me to go out and do stuff that I’ve always wanted to.

The Godfather (1972/1974)

Would any list be complete without The Godfather? I’m combining 1&2 into this spot. It’s my list, my rules. There’s nothing that can be said about this that hasn’t been said before. Excellent performances, a gripping story and one hell of a score. They are both almost perfect films and one of the few examples where the sequel is arguably better than the first one. Both of then constantly sit high on IMDBs list of best films ever. I watched this then when I was about 13 years old and loved it. A lot of the nuance in the story probably went over my head, but I was hooked and watched it again and again. I even liked the third one, which most people don’t, but wanted to stick to just 1 and 2 here.

Dog Day Afternoon (1979)

This is the quintessential hostage/bank robbery and anti-hero film. Al Pacino is excellent. The film moves at a quick pace, never dragging for a moment. The story is gripping and full of emotion. I love this film. My dad showed it to me when I was 18 and I loved it straight away. Both of my parents used to show me films they love when I was growing up and this is one of the last ones I watched when living with my dad. This is also my favourite Pacino film, his performance is strong and believable. From start to finish this is a captivating tale and a film that doesn’t get as much recognition now adays as it deserves.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Wes Anderson and his Anderson best. This is the heartfelt tale of two children who fall in love and run away together. It’s quirky and strange and presented in a childish way. This is an amazing film with a spectacular cast. It’s funny and heart-warming. Every shot is perfect and presented in the theatrical way that makes it recognisably Anderson, with its use of camera angels, colours, and effective music. This is the perfect film to watch on a winter’s night with popcorn and be taken away on a cinematic tale.

Once upon a time in Hollywood (2019)

For me, this is Tarantino’s best film. I love most of his work, apart from Death Proof, but OUATIH is the best of the bunch. It’s a love letter to cinema, and a fairy tale what if… alternative to one of the most horrific murders in recent history. The cast is great. I know a lot of people criticise this one for being too long, but I don’t feel it here. I loved every second of it and could honestly watch more. It’s meandering and feels loose on plot, but I love being taken away into the world that Tarantino creates with rose-tinted glasses. It’s pure escapism. I watched it the day it came out in cinemas in August, got the Blu Ray for Christmas and watched it Boxing Day morning. It’s not often I re-watch films so soon, but this one is special.

And that’s the first 5 films from my top 50. I can’t stress enough that these are in any order and a lot of them are a lot closer to 1 than 50. Have you seen any of the films above? Love them/Hate them? Let me know in the comments. I’ll be back next Friday with 5 more.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley

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Black Widow – Film Review

Posted on July 8, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Cate Shortland

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Ray Winstone and Rachel Weisz

Rating: ★★★

It’s been a strange that for the better part of 2 years we have been seeing Black Widow promotions and trailers both online and at the cinema. That’s over now and so is the longest gap between films since the MCU began back in 2008. Black Widow is finally here. Does it live up to the hype and expectations? Mostly. It’s a Marvel film and if you’ve liked the ones so far, then chances are you’ll like this one too. It looks great with polished effects and well-choreographed action sequences.

Part origin story and part sequel to Civil War, with Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson, Jojo Rabbit) on the run. The film starts with an extended flashback showing Natasha as a child in Ohio with her spy family. It then jumps to moments after the ending of Civil War and that’s where the bulk of the story is set. The plot is nothing special or exactly ground-breaking. It sticks to the Marvel formula and like most of the films in the series so far is enjoyable to watch and entertaining, but this isn’t something that’s going to stay with you for long after the credits roll.

It’s nice to have a smaller scale entry to the MCU. It’s not the end of the world at stake, but the lives of a group of brainwashed assassins. The stakes feel really low, especially as we know that Black Widow survives the events to appear in Infinity War and Endgame. By having smaller stakes it gives the family dynamic between Natasha and her pretend sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh, Midsommar) and parents (Rachel Weisz, The Mummy & David Harbour, Stranger Things). The best part of this film is when the 4 of them are on screen together. The reunion family sequence is the closest this gets to being more than just action-adventure and actually has some emotional wright to it.

For the most part this is an all out action film. Once the action starts it doesn’t really slow down, except for the family reunion. It’s pretty relentless and keeps the pace moving nicely. Even though this is over 2 hours long, I was surprised when the end came around. It’s exciting and entertaining, what more could you want from a Marvel film. It does feel very formulaic at the beginning, but once it gets going the humour starts to shine through and the way Johansson and Pugh bounce off each other is really funny. However there are a few lines that are trying to be jokes, but don’t land well and it can be distracting at times, but not by much.

And in case anyone was wondering, there is a post-credit scene. It’s not worth staying for though. It seems to mostly be setting up the Hawkeye Disney Plus Series that is on the way. If you don’t want to wait through nearly 10 minutes of credits, and don’t mind being the pariah leaving the busy screening, then catch it later online or Disney Plus.

I also saw this in 4DX, which I would recommend greatly for most big budget action blockbusters, but not this one. It’s just too much and distracting from the film. There are moments, like when it snows and a helicopter is going down where it’s really immersive, but being thrown around every moment for 2 hours isn’t as fun as it sounds.

If you’ve liked the Marvel films so far, then this one will be for you. If you’ve somehow missed the series, then there isn’t much you need to know before going into this one. It’s self-contained and enjoyable enough. It’s bizarre that it’s taken this long for Black Widow to get her own film. It should have happened a long time ago, and finally that’s been put right.

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