Book Review - Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Title: Rules for Vanishing
Series: -
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
 
Description: Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her—and who won't make it out of the woods?

It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her... or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca—before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends—and their cameras—following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.
 
Review: Once a year, a path appear in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Only people brave enough try to find her, but you have to play by certain rules. A year ago, Sara lost her sister Becca when she went into the woods and walked that path, in search of Lucy Gallows. When the time is here for the path to reappear, Sara is determined to find her sister. A group of their mutual friends gather to walk the path with her, when even most of them are skeptical.
 
The story is set in a small town, with a dark legend haunting them. This already sets the atmosphere. The book is compared to “The Blair With Project”, which I can totally understand, especially because of the unique format. It’s not just traditional storytelling, but also transcripts of interviews, written statements, group chats and more. And I love this style of writing. It reads like a “found-footage” film. You get more and more questions, especially because you have no idea who you can trust. Not even Sara, who we mainly follow.
 
When you throw a bunch of teenagers together in a scary situation, you often predict they will eventually break up or make terrible decisions. But author Kate Alice Marshall manages to avoid a lot of clichés and stereotypes. Instead they make rational decisions, talk about their differences and feel more real. Unnecessary drama is left out, there are no villainous teens and the little romance is kept mostly in the background. Because being in a life and death situation isn’t romantic.
 
I praise Kate Alice Marshall for her creativity and the way she wrote this original horror story. I can totally see this being turned into a movie. It’s fast-paced, atmospheric, creepy and well-written. The ending though, would not leave everyone satisfied. I personally loved the twist and don’t mind being left with questions at the end. If you still think and talk about a book after finishing it, you have written a good book.  “Rules for Vanishing” is an eerie story that you should read if you like unique horror stories in a mixed-media-type format. If none of these things appeal to you, this book is not for you.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - A Man Called Otto

Director: Marc Forster
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Rachel Keller, Truman Hanks, Cameron Britton, Mack Bayda, Juanita Jennings, Peter Lawson Jones
 
Description: Otto (Tom Hanks) is a grump who’s given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves across the street, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol (Mariana Trevino), leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 17: A MOVIE WITH AN ACTOR YOU LOVE

Review: “A Man Called Otto” is based on the book “A Man Called Ove”. And Tom Hanks pays the titular Otto.

When you first meet grumpy, you would think he is quite unsympathetic. A blunt man who plays by the rules and berates you if you park where you’re not supposed to, for example. When new neighbors movie in on his street, the pretense he puts on slowly subsides. So he helps them (reluctantly) with chores. In return, he gets nice meals, which make him feel a little appreciated again. The film manages to combine (dark) comedy and drama well.

The story follows a well-known path. A grumpy man slowly becomes more gentle and builds a bond with another person. Otto’s backstory is also told, which impressed me. His life was full of misfortune, which makes you somewhat understand why he is the way is. And by the end of the film, you love Otto. Fun fact: Young Otto is played by Tom Hanks’ son, Truman Hanks.

I loved “A Man Called Otto”. It’s funny and heartwarming and in a melancholy way, it is quite a feel-good film as well. Tom Hanks never disappoints and once again the film is carried by him. The path from grumpy man to likeable guy is very well-executed.

Rating: 4/ 5

Rwatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 21

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

70/ 100: Warrior (2010)
A story about two brothers, both MMA-fighters, who are estranged and both have a difficult relationship with their father. A sports film with emotional depth and amazing performances by Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. Click HERE to read my full review.
 

71/ 100: The Godfather (1972)
Don Vito Corleone is at the head of his family business, when he wants his youngest son Michael to take over from him. “The Godfather” is an epic, timeless classic, the best mafia movie ever made and an influential film for Hollywood. Please make sure to check out my full review HERE.
 

72/ 100: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Andy Dufresne is sentenced to life in prison in 1947 for the murder of his wife and her lover. Prison life is horrific and violent, but Andy befriends fellow inmate Red and cleverly manages to fall in line with the cruel guards. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman provide excellent counterpoints to each other, the clever script and tight direction ensured that the film is a favorite on many lists. It’s at the top of mine, still, after so many years. HERE is my full review.
 
Still to watch: 28

20s Movie Review - Herself

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Clare Dunne, Molly McCann, Ruby Rose O’Hara, Conleth Hill, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Harriet Walker, Cathy Belton

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 CHALLENGE MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 16: A MOVIE DIRECTED BY A WOMAN
 
Description: A young mother (Clare Dunne) escapes her abusive husband (Ian Lloyd Anderson) and fights back against a broken housing system. She gets out to build her own home and in the process rebuilds her life and re-discovers herself.

Review: We meet Sandra, who escapes her abusive husband Gary, with her two daughters Molly and Emma. While living in a hotel, Sandra is on an endless waiting list for social housing. When Peggy, the woman whose house Sandra cleans, discovers that Sandra is trying to find a way to build her own house. While Peggy has an unused plot of land, she offers Sandra this piece of land and will help her financially. Now Sandra just has to find the right workers.  

Meanwhile, Sandra still has to deal with her ex Gary, who is also the father of her daughters. While he has the right to see them and Sandra has to keep up with her end of the deal by taking them to Gary, one of her daughters refuses to visit her father. She locks herself in the closet and even wets herself. Sandra keeps her with her, but she is in trouble because this way her daughter missed too many visits to her father, which was an agreement. When Sandra is questioned about the abuse, the judge asks her why she didn’t leave Gary earlier. The response that Sandra had really left an impression on me: “Why do you always ask why I didn’t leave him and don’t ask him why he didn’t stop?” This hit me.

“Herself” is a beautiful, warm, empathetic film that will give you a good cry, about female resilience that captures very well the current time and the challenges surrounding affordable housing.  

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Knock at the Cabin

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Horror
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui
 
Description: While vacationing, a girl (Kristen Cui) and her parents (Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff) are taken hostage by armed stranger who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

Review: After the success of “The Sixth Sense”, writer/ director M. Night Shyamalan made the plot twist his trademark. It masked his drama for mild drama between character and exceptional camerawork. Moreover, the revelations didn’t always land well, distracting the audience by focusing only on them. Eric and Andrew are on vacation with their young daughter Wen, when four strangers show up. With noticeable reluctance, they hold them captive and present them with a dilemma: one of the family members must sacrifice themselves and be killed by the other tow or the world perishes. At least, that’s what the strangers claim.

This is a film adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s 2019 book “The Cabin at the End of the World”. It’s difficult to get a message out of the film. The plot deviates from the book, so should you have read it, there are still plenty of surprises.

The inconic Shyamalan twist is omitted this time, however these is an interesting reveal that I liked a lot. You’re left with more questions then answers at the end of the film, which I didn’t mind. It makes you think about it and you can conduct your own theory about what happened. But I can definitely understand this will frustrate many viewers.

The tension in the movie is immediately present, right from the start. Dave Bautista, the former WWE-wrestler and mostly known for action roles, is the best part of the film. He shows that he can do way more than he is usually tasked with in his films. He is incredible in “Knock at the Cabin”. No action this time, real emotional acting, which really blew me away. The dialogue is really good and the camerawork, which is also a well-known trademark for Shyamalan, is outstanding.

“Knock at the Cabin” is not one of Shyamalan’s best films, but certainly not in the worst category either. It’s a very solid thriller, that will probably have a lot of mixed reviews. In my opinion it’s a really good film, but Shyamalan made better ones.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - The Mandalorian (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2023
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Jack Black, Lizzo, Christopher Lloyd

Description: The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

Review: Mandalorian Din Djarin has quite a bit to recover from after taking off his helmet against all rules. To save his honor, he must travel to his home planet for a cleansing ritual. Mandalore is badly scarred and now largely deserted. In addition having to care for Grogu, Din Djarin comes to the aid of an old acquaintance and former enemy in the fight against pirates on the planet Nevarro. Supporters of the old Empire are also still asserting themselves.

The nice thing about “The Mandalorian” is that while there is a large story arc that spans a season, each episode also contains a completed story. Often a mission. This continues on in the third season, but creator Jon Favreau gradually tries to tie in more and more to the larger “Star Wars” universe as well as characters from earlier seasons.

A major factor is Bo Katan Kryze, who has a large and important role in this season. I loved that. Despite the many contradictions Bo Katan and Din Djarin have, it makes for an interesting interplay between the two characters who are clearly matched but also complement each other. And Grogu, cute as ever, is also present. Can’t get enough of him.

Despite the familiar approach, this new season explores a number of separate side paths, the function of which is not always immediately clear. For example, an entire episode is devoted to two defectors from the former Empire trying to find amnesty on planet Coruscant. This episode only gains momentum towards the end . Later in the season, these Mandalorian-less events are given a bit more context.

Totally bizarre and even more self-contained is a trip to a strange planet called Plazir 15, where actors Jack Black and Christopher Lloyd and singer Lizzo make an appearance. It is the most bizarre episode in the series so far, even though I found it highly entertaining. But it’s not the show’s best. The last two episode on the other hand, make you quickly forget about that and are of the high level we are used to. And it has a heart-warming conclusion.

Even though this season wasn’t as good as the previous two, I still really enjoyed it and I can’t get enough of this amazing series.

Oldies Review - The Godfather

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 175 minutes
Year: 1972
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert DuVall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, John Cazale
 
Description: The aging patriarch (Marlon Brando) of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York City transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son (Al Pacino).

Review: Don Vito Corleone, better known as The Godfather, is the head of the Corleone mafia family. When an attempt is made to take his life, son Michael unexpectedly steps into the family business.
For many, including myself, “The Godfather” is an all-time favorite and an absolute timeless classic. It is and remains a great mafia epic and probably one of the most influential films ever made.

As soon as the film starts with the atmospheric music of Nino Rota, you are transported to the past and become part of the Corleone family. The head, Don Vito, commands the screen with his presence. With this, Marlon Brando won an Academy Award for one of the most iconic roles ever.

It is a film completely focused on the Corleone family. Despite all the criminal acts within the world of the mafia, the story also highlights the love, frustration and misfortune within the family. This makes the whole realistic. In doing so, each member also leaves an impression. Daughter Connie who allows herself to be in an abusive marriage, tough brother Sonny with his anger issues and even the more sleezy Fredo, who has a more prominent role in “Godfather Part II” (1974). The film’s lead role is given to the youngest son of the family: Michael Corleone.

This was Al Pacino’s big break, an it is understandable why. We frequently see event sfrom Michael’s perspective, which makes him somewhat sympathetic. Michael’s character development, which begins here and continues in the two sequels, is fairly tragic to see. Someone who had no interest in the family business at first, but unexpectedly follows in his father’s footstep, becoming the head of it.

“The Godfather” is not only a timeless classic, that every person, film fan or not, should see. But it’s also a masterclass in filmmaking. I think it’s every filmmakers dream to create aa masterpiece such as “The Godfather”. After so many years, the praise for this movie is still justified.

Rating: 5/ 5