Author: Dark Mark

Quick Review: Beast (2022)

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Written by Ryan Engle
Story by Jaime Primak Sullivan
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur

A father and his two teenage daughters find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator. (IMDB)

In an effort to reconnect with his daughters, bereaved Dr Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) returns to his ex-wife’s South African home for a cathartic family holiday. Norah (Leah Jeffries) and Meredith (Iyana Halley) are almost strangers to him and Meredith, in particular, is finding it hard to forgive Nate for, in her eyes, abandoning their mother when she was sick.

Staying with Martin (Sharlto Copley) a game warden and old friend of Nate and his wife, they plan to see the sights and get a “behind the scenes” look at the Savanna and its animals.

BEAST opens with a group of poachers getting what they deserve at the paws of a big Lion who has gone rogue and is fighting back without any consideration for who it mauls.

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GNoH Review: Orphan: First Kill (2022)

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Written by David Coggeshall (screenplay by), David Leslie Johnson McGoldrick (story by), Alex Mace (story by)
Directed by William Brent Bell

After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. (IMDB)

In a weird way, and I suspect the director is just messing with your head, you may end up rooting for Esther.

See the full review over on Ginger Nuts of Horror HERE

NOPE (2022)

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Written and Directed by Jordan Peele

The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
(IMDB)

There is a lot going on in the latest from Jordan Peele and to discuss the plot in any detail would lead to numerous spoilers that will ruin the experience for you. NOPE is a film that is worth going in to knowing as little as possible so you can just enjoy it as the images literally unfurl in front of you on the screen.

Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) Haywood are thrown together at the family ranch, Haywood’s Hollywood Horses, which is suffering after the unexpected and, frankly, strange death of their father, Otis (Keith David). OJ’s heart isn’t in it and, while Emerald is a natural salesperson, the Ranch is not at the top of her list of career options. With OJ selling horses off to local attraction owner, Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Steven Yeun) it feels as if time is running out for Haywood’s Hollywood Horses after being in the movie business since it began.

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GNoH Review: Glorious (2022)

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Written by Joshua Hall, David Ian McKendry and Todd Rigney
Directed by Rebekah McKendry

After a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop. He finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.

Glorious is a well-written and directed film that is lean, fun, and gory. It has half a foot in some serious moral themes but doesn’t get bogged down trying to be too clever. It knows what it is, plays to those strengths and is a glorious example of what you can do with a contained horror.

Read the full review at Ginger Nuts HERE

GNoH Review: Darling (2022)

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By Mercedes M. Yardley

Darling has its demons. Cherry LaRouche escaped the claws of Darling, Louisiana at sixteen. When she is forced to return after her mother’s death, Cherry and her children move back into her childhood home where the walls whisper and something sinister skitters across the roof at night. While Cherry tries to settle back into a town where evil spreads like infection, the bodies of several murdered children turn up. When Cherry’s own daughter goes missing, she is forced to confront the true monsters of Darling.

Mercedes skilfully fleshes out all her characters and the backstories that have shaped their lives, slowly filling in the gaps and presenting each as distinct and unique.

Read the full review at Ginger Nuts of Horror HERE

Quick Review: The Thief of Broken Toys (2010)

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Author: Tim Lebbon

Available at AMAZON
ISBN-10: 0981297897
ISBN-13: 978-0981297897

When a father loses his son and his wife leaves him, he cannot tear himselfaway from the small fishing village where the boy’s memories reside. They’re all he has left. Thinking that his life is all but over, he takes to wandering the cliffs, carrying broken things that he always promised his son he would fix, but never did. They’re a sign of his failure, and they keep little Toby close. And then he meets the thief of broken toys, and everything begins to change…

I must confess, I was not very familiar with the work of Tim Lebbon before this volume hit the door mat. A prize involving a competition with The Last Storm and a Tarantula (I might tell you more when I review Storm) I had no real idea what to expect, but the cover blurb is intriguing so I got on with reading it as soon as I could.

At 150 pages, it didn’t take long.

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GNoH Review: Dark Stars (2022)

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Edited by John F.D. Taft

Created as an homage to the 1980 classic horror anthology, Dark Forces, this collection contains 12 original novelettes showcasing today’s top horror talent edited by John F.D. Taff. Within these pages you’ll find tales of dead men walking, an insidious secret summer fling, an island harbouring unspeakable power, and a dark hallway that beckons. You’ll encounter terrible monsters―both human and supernatural―and be forever changed. These stories run the gamut from traditional to modern, from dark fantasy to neo-noir, from explorations of beloved horror tropes to the unknown―possibly unknowable―threats.

Dark Stars is a celebration of the diversity, variety and joy of horror, an escapist delight to die-hard fans, and the start of a slippery, yet attractive slope for newbies.

So, grab a copy, settle in, and enjoy.

See the full review at Ginger Nuts of Horror HERE

The Unbeareable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

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Directed by Tom Gormican

Written by Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten

In this wildly entertaining, action-packed comedy, Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage plays… Nick Cage! Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalised version of Cage accepts a million-dollar offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take an unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and he must use his legendary acting skills, channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to become a real-life action hero.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is directed by Tom Gormican and stars Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Night School), Sharon Horgan (Military Wives, Pulling), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Gone Girl) and Lily Mo Sheen.

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