Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan - Book Review

 

'A grieving mother and son hope to survive Christmas in a remote mountain cabin, in this chilling novella of dread, isolation and demons lurking in the frozen woods. Perfect for fans of The Only Good Indians, The Shining and The Babadook.

'Two weeks ago, Christine Sinclaire's husband slipped off the roof while hanging Christmas lights and fell to his death on the front lawn. Desperate to escape her guilt and her grief, Christine packs up her fifteen-year-old son and the family cat and flees to the cabin they'd reserved deep in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds to wait out the holidays.

'It isn't long before Christine begins to hear strange noises coming from the forest. When she spots a horned figure watching from between frozen branches, Christine assumes it's just a forest animal—a moose, maybe, since the property manager warned her about them, said they'd stomp a body so deep into the snow nobody'd find it 'til spring. But moose don't walk upright like the shadowy figure does. They don't call Christine's name with her dead husband's voice.'

Grief is a powerful emotion, one that is perhaps the most debilitating we can feel. Grief destroys our lives when it first hits us, it's all we can feel, often in times when we have no choice but to push on and keep on moving when all we want to do is lie down and lose ourselves. When grief comes with the loss of a loved one it's at its worst because it's not just the emotions of the loss you have to deal with, but the reality of it as the world around you changes to reflect that; yet we're often forced to continue our lives, going to work, going to school, talking to strangers, living out lives as if our world hasn't come crumbling down. Grief also lingers, even long after the event that brought it on, sometimes taking you by complete surprise it the most unusual times. Despite the power of grief it's one of the emotions that we're perhaps least equipped to deal with, and because of that it's one of the most destructive.

Grief is the central theme of Lindy Ryan's Cold Snap, which tells the story of Christine Sinclaire, who lost her husband to a sudden tragedy just weeks before when he fell from their roof whilst hanging Christmas lights. Standing beside him at the time, Christine was unable to save him, and was forced to watch as he fell to his death, snapping his back on a railing on the ground below. Unable to process these tragic events, and failing to connect with her teenage son Billy, Christine retreats into the last thing her husband wanted the three of them to do, travelling to the Pennsylvania woods for Christmas. Loading into her truck with the Christmas dinner supplies, presents, and pet cat Haiku, the bereaved family travels to a remote cabin in the snow covered forest. However, once they arrive Christine becomes convinced some strange creature able to talk in her husband's voice is watching her.

The set-up for Cold Snap definitely intrigued me. I enjoy horror, remote winter locations are one of my favourite environments, and strange, spectral entities tick my box; alas, I came away from Cold Snap not just terribly disappointed, but also incredibly bored.

Cold Snap is a relatively short read, barely more than a hundred and twenty pages in length, and I have to say with all honesty the short page count was something of a mercy to me, as despite the length I kept checking how much more of the book there was whilst reading it; and if it had been longer it would likely have ended up on my 'did not finish' pile. I have three main areas where Cold Snap failed to do anything for me, confusing and twisting narrative, repetitiveness, and lack of resolution. 

At the start of the review I said how grief is a destructive emotion, one that can ruin your life and mess with your mind, and I'm familiar with how it can cause blanks in memory, and how when it wears down your mind it can cause you to become disorientated and even confuse reality. I think that this was where Lindy Ryan was trying to take Christine's narrative, but more often than not the book ended up feeling more like a spiral into madness than grief itself. Christine acted like she was on a bad drug trip, or spiralling because she was missing needed medication. She would become obsessed over tiny, strange things whilst forgetting basic everyday stuff, having almost manic moments at times. Other times she'd black out halfway through a task, coming to in another location or in the middle of a task. There were multiple times where I wasn't even sure if this was even happening to her or not though, as Billy wouldn't seem to react to her mania or blackouts, going about his day like everything was normal to him. Christine quickly became an unreliable narrator, and one that made little sense most of the time.

This played into the second criticism, of Christine's repetitive nature. Every few pages Christine would obsesses over something, often repeating the same phrases over and over again, or going back to a subject that had no relation to the moment that she'd already gone to a dozen times. 'Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips.', 'Just the three of us and the trees. Just the three of us and trees. Just the three of us and the trees. Just the three of us and the trees.', 'Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips.', 'Remember why you called it a blankety? Remember why you called it a blankety?', 'Just the three of us and trees. Just the three of us and trees.', 'Blankety. Blankety. Blankety.', 'Derek's foot slips.'. Over and over and over and over again. A quarter of the book feels like a repeat of a phrase, or a question, or a thought that Christine has. Yes, it plays into themes of grief and trauma and how it wears the mind down, but boy does it make it hard to connect to the character, follow the story well, or care about what I'm reading.

For me the biggest problem was the supernatural horror element, and how nothing really comes from it. To spoil some of the book a little, Christine sees a man, maybe a moose, maybe a moose man, that talks like her husband, haunts her from the trees, might not be real, but is definitely real as it kills the cat and destroys the car, but is also not a real moose, but might be a real moose. The book gives no answers, no hints, and no satisfaction. The creature is hardly in the book too, with the majority of it centring instead on Christine and her insanity, and by the time the creature is shown to be actually 100% real and a threat it's a single chase scene until the book just ends. When I say it ends I mean it just suddenly stops. There's not even an attempt at a resolution, satisfying or not, and it comes across like Ryan was simply done with the story and didn't want to do any more. After slogging through one of the longest, most unsatisfying hundred pages I was rewarded with absolutely nothing at the end.

I understand that my review sounds harsh, and that I'm probably making some people who enjoyed the book angry as I'm missing something that made them connect with it and love it (I've seen the reviews and there are people who adore it). I think part of this is that Cold Snap was one of the first books I read in a long while as I've been dealing with some health issues and reading hasn't been easy for months now, and that it felt like I got nothing in return of the time and effort that went into reading the book. Perhaps I'm judging it harshly because of that, and if I was healthy and doing well I would have connected with it more, but for where I am at the moment it ended up being one of the most disappointing books I think I've ever read. Perhaps your experience with it will be better, I actually hope it is if you go to the effort of reading it; but for me, Cold Snap was a huge missed opportunity. 

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She Killed in Ecstasy - 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

Whilst I enjoy cinema and film I'm by no means an expert in it, and there are major figures in the industry who's work I've been completely unaware of over the years, particularly those outside of the mainstream. As such, I'd never encountered the work of Jess Franco, a rather prolific writer, director, and composer across 173 films, until the release of She Killed in Ecstasy, and Vampyros Lesbos on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Severin Films. Always eager to discover new things, I grabbed a copy of both and tried to not only learn more about Franco, but their lead actress, Soledad Miranda. 

She Killed in Ecstasy centres on Dr Johnson (Fred Williams) and his wife, played by Miranda, who is never given a name in the movie. Johnson has been experimenting with human embryos to try to leap forward in medical science, he's shunned by his peers, mocked, called an animal, and sent spiralling into a deep despair and mania. The result of this is that he eventually takes his life, with his Mrs Johnson finding his body in their home. Enraged that the man she loves most in the world was driven to suicide by the medical community, she swears to get revenge against those responsible, and launches into a murderous mission. 

Jess Franko was well known for his horror work, and for his erotic cinema, and She Killed in Ecstasy has these two work hand in hand for him, as he has Soledad Miranda use sex and seduction in order to gain revenge for her husband. However, compared to Vampyros Lesbos, which I watched first out of the two releases, it feels somewhat flatter than its counterpart, and lacks something that the other film had in spades; character.

She Killed in Ecstasy is a short film, clocking in at around 80 minutes, and despite having a short runtime and a simple revenge narrative the film came across like it was struggling to actually do anything. The story never really developed beyond its initial concept, the characters were pretty one dimensional and more stock archetypes than people, and many of the scenes went on too long to the point where they stopped being entertaining. I'm glad that it wasn't the first Franco movie I watched, as I'd have struggled to see why he had such a successful career.

The only real thing in the film that stands out is it's lead, Soledad Miranda, who is the only actor who seems to have any kind of presence in the film. Miranda has a striking beauty, one that lends her face well to expressing extreme shifts in emotion and mania that her character goes through. It's clear that Franco thought she was an extreme beauty, putting her in these two movies as seductresses, and whilst it worked well in Vampyros Lesbos here it fails somewhat as the film has no real reason why these victims, who are aware that they're being hunted by Miranda, willingly open their beds to her. She's too beautiful, too irresistible, and these terrible doctors can't help but get naked with her before they die. 

I can't help but feel that Franco had a vague idea for a film he wanted to make with Soledad Miranda, and whether because of his production style of knocking out as many films as he could, or some other pressure, rushed into the movie before he'd given it the treatment it deserved, and thus we end up with a film that could have been interesting, yet feels somewhat hollow. This feeling was only compounded by the fact that compared to Vampyros Lesbos, which had a pair of audio commentaries from people who had deep love for the film, She Killed in Ecstasy had none.

Whilst the release lacks audio commentaries it does come with some extras, including an interview with Franco, an interview with a historian who specialises in the life and career of Soledad Miranda, and an interview with author Stephen Thrower. There's also the thirteenth part in Severin's series on Jess Franco, 'In the Land of Franco'. The extras offer some extra insight into the film and it's creators, but like the film itself it does feel a little lacking at times.

Whilst I'm glad that I've watched She Killed in Ecstasy, and it makes for a good companion piece with the other release, it's not a film that I can see myself returning to. For fans of Franco this is likely going to be a great purchase, but for casual film watchers and movie fans it might not quite hit the mark as well.

She Killed in Ecstasy is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray now from Severin Films.

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Vampyros Lesbos - 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

Whilst I enjoy cinema and film I'm by no means an expert in it, and there are major figures in the industry who's work I've been completely unaware of over the years, particularly those outside of the mainstream. As such, I'd never encountered the work of Jess Franco, a rather prolific writer, director, and composer across 173 films, until the release of Vampyros Lesbos, and She Killed in Ecstasy on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Severin Films. Always eager to discover new things, I grabbed a copy of both and tried to not only learn more about Franco, but their lead actress, Soledad Miranda. 

Those familiar with the story of Dracula will very quickly come to see the inspiration behind Franco's erotic vampire film as we're introduced to young lawyer Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg), who's working for a law firm in Istanbul when she's sent to see Countess Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda) to discuss her inheritance. Prior to this we learn that Linda has been having erotic dreams about a mysterious woman, a woman she eventually sees performing in an exotic cabaret. When she finally arrives on the remote island she discovers that the woman in nonother than Carody. Little does she know, however, that Carody is more than she appears, and as the beautiful woman begins to seduce her Linda learns terrible truths.

Much as the name would suggest, Vampyros Lesbos is a lesbian take on the basic Dracula story, despite Dracula also being referenced as a character in the film. Aside from the parallel of Linda being both a combination of Jonathan and Mina Harker, there's also a Dr Seward (Dennis Price), and a Renfield stand-in. Despite these similarities, Franco does some interesting things with his vampires that definitely feel a little mould breaking for the time; the most obvious being that sunlight doesn't do anything to Carody (yes, this was also true in Dracula, but the idea was introduced in Nosferatu and became a staple of vampire mythology from that point on). This allows for some visually striking moments of our vampire antagonist sunbathing, frolicking on the beach, and generally enjoying the beautiful home she's made on the coast.

Whilst She Killed in Ecstasy felt somewhat light and lacking in places there's a lot more to Vampyros Lesbos than you'd expect, with plenty of story, character moments, subtle themes, and creative visual storytelling that feels a little jarring when you compare the two Franco films. It feels somewhat like perhaps out of the two this is the one that's more of a passion project, the film that he cared more about, and put the greater effort into; and this translates on screen as the much more enjoyable experience.

Soledad Miranda is wonderfully cast as Countess Carody, a vampire that was created by Dracula himself. Miranda is very beautiful, and her delicate looks coupled with her at times cold and aloof performance definitely sells the concept that she's an ancient and powerful being. She dominates the scenes she's in, and you can't help but give her your full attention any time she's on camera. This is perfectly contrast against Strömberg, who feels so much more real in comparison. She's a woman with troubles, struggling with the dreams she's been having, of the urges she feels upon meeting Carody, and the temptation of power that she's being offered. Where Carody is sure of herself and dominant Linda is so much more human.

It's not always clear what kind of film Vampyros Lesbos is trying to be though. It's centred around strong, powerful women who are given the spotlight over their male counterparts, yet Franco has a desire to titillate, and will disrobe his female leads in erotic scenes that feel more created for the male gaze than any realistic representation of the lesbian experience. It feels somewhat progressive for the era on one hand, yet sleazy and exploitative on the other; and based on some of the opinions expressed on the discs, this is perhaps part of the draw of Franco in general, and this film in particular. 

However you land on that topic you'd be hard pressed to deny that Franco has a very clear visual style for the film, and that he clearly wants to experiment and play with expectations. Some parts of the film take on a very dream-like feel, and audiences will have to contend with some surreal moments. There are repeating motifs throughout the film, not all of which make complete sense, but all add to the strange beauty of the film. And there are some visual touches that are so simple in their execution yet are incredibly striking. One scene has Soledad Miranda floating almost lifeless in a pool wearing nothing but a long red scarf around her neck that's floating in the water that creates the image of a body floating with its throat cut, blood spreading out around it. There's a set in the film that has been decorated by red tasseled rope hanging from the ceiling that evokes the image of blood dripping down the screen. It's these odd details that almost demand subsequent viewings of the movie.

The two audio commentaries that come on the new release also encourage subsequent watch-throughs, and end up giving listeners a lot more information about the film and the people who made it. Kat Ellinger, author of the horror book Daughters of Darkness gives some excellent insight into the film and displays a knowledge of the subject that is sure to encourage others to want to learn more about it. The second commentary, by film professor Aaron AuBuchon, and John Dickson and Will Moriss from Obscurate Film Collective has a much more relaxed and conversational style, and acts as a great counter to the other commentary.

Alongside the commentary tracks are a host of other extra features that include an interview with Jess Franco, an interview with Stephen Thrower, a Jess Franco career appreciation, the twelfth part of Severin's ongoing 'In the Land of Franco' series, an interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown, and an alternative opening and trailer.

Out of the two Franco releases being offered by Severin Films I found that Vampyros Lesbos was leagues ahead of She Killed in Ecstasy in terms of both overall quality of the film itself, and in what comes alongside it. Thanks to the quality of both of these I'm definitely more interested in seeing more of Franco's work, whilst She Killed in Ecstasy had almost the exact opposite sensation. For those who enjoy Franco I'm sure that this release is already on your radar, but for those like myself who are new to him this movie is hopefully going to really intrigue you, and one that you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Vampyros Lesbos is available now on 4K UHD/Blu-ray now from Severin Films.

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Bone Keeper - Film Review

 

I love a good creature feature. I think this stems from having grown up watching some fantastic monster movies as a kid, but a film that throws a group of characters into a situation where they have to deal with something monstrous as it hunts them down is almost like a comfort food for me. Upon seeing the trailer for Bone Keeper I immediately wanted to watch it, as it ticked a load of boxes for me. And whilst I went into the film not really expecting a huge amount of quality, I was relatively surprised at just how well Bone Keeper managed to deliver a decent, entertaining movie; even if it did stumble in a few places.

Bone Keeper begins by laying it's cards out on the table and removing some mystery elements from the film. Starting millions of years ago, a comet crashes to Earth, and something living crawls out of it. Over the centuries it grows, replicates, and kills creatures in the surrounding area, eventually moving into a deep cave system. We even seen ancient humans fall afoul of the alien monstrosity. I honestly think that this is a pretty bold move, telling viewers immediately that the creature in Bone Keeper is an alien, but when considering the fact that there would be no other way for us to learn this over the course of the movie, other than perhaps a character speculating it's origin, just showing us makes quite a bit of sense. Plus, the opening scenes are made with some very impressive visual effects, and it indicated to me immediately that despite being a lower budget movie it was at least trying to present itself as a film trying to push its limitations.

Jumping forwards in time to the 1970's, we see a scientist exploring the caves where this creature has chosen to live, and getting grabbed by it. This is the grandfather of our lead character, Olivia (Sarah Alexandra Marks). We learn that at some point her mother went looking for her grandfather, and went missing too. Now Olivia and a group of her friends have decided to set out for the caves to try and find some answers. Travelling to the area, they seek out the advise of Professor Harisson (John Rhys-Davies), who has made studying the caves and the creature inside his career. Something of a 'quack' scientist, he's able to describe the monster that lives within, warning the explorers to be careful. Despite these warnings, the six of them decide to continue on their mission and enter the cave system, unaware that they've just entered the hunting grounds of an ancient alien monster.

Bone Keeper, despite limitations in budget, actually ends up delivering a pretty decent and competent movie. The human cast, whilst never given the time or space to have any real depth, are all still distinct, fitting into horror archetypes. They're played well, with some endearing you to them whilst others, such as the hitchhiking vlogger they pick up, making you dislike them to the point where you're hoping they get eaten first. John Rhys-Davies is the biggest name attached to the project, and whilst the movie uses him most heavily in the first act writer/director Howard J. Ford seems to know that not using him more would be a mistake, and manages to pepper him throughout the film without it feeling like forced inclusion of the big name star. 

The story itself is entertaining, if not completely original. Bone Keeper borrows from other places, it's characters make frankly stupid mistakes, such as leaving one person behind to make a video in the monster caves when everyone else could have waited, but these are all expected tropes of the horror genre. Bone Keeper doesn't try to break the mould, but instead tries its best to deliver what fans of the genre would want; and for the most part delivers in a way that the movie never feels dull.

I want to talk about the films monster now, and this section will have to come with a little caveat. For the most part, the creature in Bone Keeper is pretty good. It's definitely alien, and doesn't really resemble anything that you'd expect to see in nature. It moves and behaves in ways that feel otherworldly, and whilst there are some aspects of its design that feel recognisable, such as tentacles, they're combined in such a way that the overall package feels unnatural and wrong. However, I'm not entirely sure if there aren't times when the monster effects are made using AI. The monster shifts and changes, mutating at times, and there are a few shots where these shifts feel wrong in the same way that AI videos suddenly having people morph and shift as they grow extra limbs of their face changes by mistake feels wrong. I don't know if this was just an unfortunate similarity, or if AI was utilised here, but having looked as some other opinions on the movie I'm not the only person who's come away suspecting AI having been used in the effects work. There's an early shot of the groups car driving through the countryside that set my AI alarm off simply due to the fact that they were on the completely wrong side of the road. But, there's no confirmation of AI usage listed in the films credits from what I can see, so this is purely a speculation on my part.

Whether the CGI used in the movie is AI or not, there are times where it does feel a little removed from actors and events happening on the screen. There are moments where the camera focuses on the monster as it comes charging through the cave at a character, then it'll cut to the human actor reacting and screaming, then back to the monster, and so forth. The people rarely share the screen with the creature other than the moment they die, and this does lead to a feeling of division between the effects work and the practical moments that only highlights the fact that these actors are reacting to nothing tangible. It's a small detail, but it did draw me out of the moment a few times.

Overall, Bone Keeper is a pretty decent, entertaining movie. It tries to deliver something decent, pushing the boundaries of its budget so that it can stand out amongst other low budget, independent movies. And for the most part this works, and the film is visual impressive at times. I hope that there wasn't any AI used in it's creation, as if it transpires their was I'd have to slash its final score quite substantially, but as it stands now, Bone Keeper is a fun monster movie.

Bone Keeper is available on digital release in the UK on 6th April 2026.

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Resident Evil Requiem - Switch 2 Review

 

As a lifelong fan of the Resident Evil franchise I've played every game in the series, most of them multiple times, and have bought them on multiple platforms. The Nintendo Switch was one of these platforms, where I purchased some of my favourites of the series to replay once again with the added bonus of being able to do so on the move, or to play handheld whilst watching something on the TV. The ability to play Resident Evil games in this way was something that I really enjoyed, but that I never expected to be able to do on launch day with the latest titles. As such, I was shocked when it was announced that Resident Evil Requiem, the 9th mainline game in franchise, would be coming to Switch 2 on day one. I decided to roll the dice, to see just how good the game would be on the handheld console, and ordered the Switch 2 version over other consoles (I actually ordered the Generations pack that came with Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil 8 too).

Resident Evil Requiem puts players into the roles of two characters as latest title delves into the history of the series, expanding it in new and interesting ways. The first of these characters is a new addition to the franchise, Grace Ashcroft (Angela Sant'Albano), daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak 1 & 2's Alyssa Ashcroft (Jane Perry), an FBI analyst sent to investigate a strange crime scene at the hotel where she watched her mother murdered almost a decade before. Survivors of Raccoon City are turning up dead, apparently suffering from a late onset T-virus infection, and Grace needs to investigate the old hotel. However, she discovers that the hotel is a trap for her, and that she's being hunted by former Umbrella scientist Victor Gideon (Antony Byrne). Meanwhile, Leon Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) is also investigating the incidents, having begun to exhibit T-virus infection himself. As he pursues answers his and Grace's paths will cross as they both find themselves in a fight for the legacy of Umbrella, and survival.

My initial reactions to Resident Evil Requiem on the Switch 2 were ones of shock. Other than perhaps characters hair not being absolutely perfect in cutscenes, the game looked no different in terms of quality to the previous handful of titles released that I played on the XBox. The graphical ability of the Switch 2 is something that's always surprised and impressed me, and there have been a few games I've played where I've had to stop and marvel at the fact that it looks as good as it does. Resident Evil Requiem is one of these titles. Whether it's the tense first person sections you play as Grace, or the more action oriented parts where you take over Leon, Resident Evil Requiem never fails to impress with its graphical ability.

I've seen some complaints online about small details, such as character hair not quite looking as good on the Switch version over Playstation and XBox, or that inventory items sometimes have some pixelation around the edges if you examine them, but these are tiny complaints for the most part. Yes, I agree that the hair wasn't perfect, but that was literally the only thing that stood out to me, and even then I think I was only looking for it because I'd seen people complain about it. I very quickly stopped caring about the hair, and ended up just marvelling at how good the game looks. Having since seen some side by side photos and videos I honestly think that the Switch 2 version looks fantastic, and is one of the most visually impressive games on the Switch 2 to date, alongside games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth. 

Graphics are perhaps one of the least important things for me when it comes to videogames. I grew up with the NES and Gameboy, where huge pixels and limited graphics were the norm, so there's very few, if any occasions where I will bash a modern game for how it looks unless it's s deliberate art style that I just don't vibe with. What matters to me is the gameplay and story, and Resident Evil Requiem definitely impresses with both of these.

The gameplay is split into two pretty distinct sides, with Grace and Leon having their own styles. Grace's more closely mirrors Resident Evil 7, focusing on tense, stealth based gameplay. Grace's sections have more limited resources than Leon's, and you'll be finding yourself worrying about ammo and health items in ways that never even come up when playing as Leon. Grace's segments are also set to first person perspective as a default, though this can be switched to third person in the options. Being a character who's not used to combat, or going up against bio-weapons, Grace's gameplay style fits her character well. Combat is often the worst option, and instead of charging at a zombie with a gun or knife it's better to watch what enemies to, to figure out their routines, and either use those against them, or time a careful sneak instead. This does develop somewhat over the course of the game, and as Grace gains the ability to craft more items like ammunition you can start fighting back, and you can choose whether to go stealth or combat with her. There's even a great tiny detail with her character that as the game progresses and you deal with more threats the slight shake of her hands when aiming her gun decreases as she becomes more efficient and hardened to events.

The two stand out parts of her segments, that are unique to her, are her crafting abilities, and the moments when she's chased by The Girl. Grace gets an item that allows her to collect infected blood from the environment and downed enemies. You can use this to create ammunition, health items, and even upgrades. This encourages the player to explore a little more, to find the places around the map where you can collected infected blood, as well as encouraging you to expend some resources in fighting foes. You might use up half a dozen bullets to take an enemy down, but if you can collect enough blood from them for even more ammo, or a much needed health pack it encourages you to at least try, and adds a whole new level or resource management and risk analysis.

There are some parts of the game where fighting isn't an option, however, as Grace gets chased by a huge enemy called The Girl. This enemy was revealed before release, and fits into the Mr X and Lady Dimitrescu role of the unstoppable foe that keeps following you. Resident Evil Requiem uses light as it's main mechanic in these segments, forcing players into near complete darkness to avoid detection from your light sources, and trying to utilise environmental lighting to fight back. These are tense parts of the game, and even when you know the best way to deal with The Girl on subsequent playthroughs never lets you lower your guard.

Whilst Grace is all about resource management and picking your fights Leon is the exact opposite, and the game encourages combat for him. Set in third person by default, Leon's parts will be familiar to anyone who played through the Resident Evil 4 remake. Armed with a selection of guns, a close combat hatchet, and fighting moves, Leon will shoot, slash, and punch his way through most of the game. These sections are quite enjoyable, and make for moments of delightful reprieve from the tense Grace segments, allowing the player to get over their fear as they plough through infected. Leon's sections are pretty short for the first half of the game, acting more like interludes for Grace, but once the game enters the second half things shift pretty dramatically, and you get large areas where Leon is the only playable character. The Raccoon City segment is Leon only, and ends up being a big chunk of the game.

It's in this second half that the game introduces a whole new gameplay mechanic for Leon that changes things up a little. Finding a device that records kills, Leon is actively encouraged to kill anything he can, gaining points for destroying enemies that can then be used to upgrade weapons, buy ammo and equipment, and even get new weapons completely from supply boxes scattered throughout the map. It feels a little like Capcom have taken some of the aspects from the Mercenaries mode that has featured in several of their games, and have moved it into the main story in a way that feels fresh and exciting.

The Raccoon City segments are also something of a love letter to Resident Evil 2, the game in which Leon first appeared. The return to the Raccoon City Police Station, revealed in early trailers, is honestly a delight, and seeing this classic location in it's new post-nuclear bomb and decades of decay state feels both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. There will be a number of nods to the past to be found there, including one of the most baffling and surprising character inclusions, and it was hard to not enjoy every moment of it. I think it was a shame that the game didn't include some further Raccoon City locations, such as places that appeared in Resident Evil 3, but for what we did get it's perhaps one of the more enjoyable parts of the game.

The game's story, which I won't go into too much detail about, has ties to the history of the franchise, and recontextualises certain characters and events in some interesting ways. For the most part I enjoyed these additions to the lore, and think that Resident Evil Requiem is also laying the groundwork for some interesting new directions that the series can take. One of these, I think, is perhaps being started with new character Zeno (Craig Burnatowski), a character that not only resembles Albert Wesker to the point where I thought he'd returned when I first saw him, but has similar powers to his last appearance. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Capcom setting the stage for their most popular villain to make a return, possibly in the next game in the series that would follow remakes of Resident Evil Code Veronica or Resident Evil 5 that featured him heavily. The voice actor also played Albert Wesker in the Resident Evil 4 remake too, so make of all that what you will.

Whilst I did enjoy a lot of Resident Evil Requiem I have some criticisms. The division of character time is a little uneven, with Grace and Leon featuring more heavily in the first and second half respectively more than the other. This does lead to a feeling of uneven division at times, especially on the first playthrough. Leon's action is enjoyable, but there are times where the game veers a little too close to Resident Evil 6 territory for me, such as a bike chase that's borderline too ridiculous, or zombies firing mortar rounds at you that reminds me of the bombastic, Call of Duty style that Resident Evil 6 employed that made that game a low point of the franchise for me. The lack of a real new game plus option was also a big disappointment. I've loved replaying through older games in the series with the weapons I'd unlocked, alongside their upgrades, working to increase their stats and abilities each playthrough. Resident Evil Requiem doesn't have this feature, and whilst you can unlock extra weapons and features for subsequent playthroughs it doesn't hit the same way, and left a slight taste of disappointment when I was hoping to dive back into a second playthrough.

When I finished playing the game I found myself unsure of what to think of it. I knew I liked it, but there was something about it that didn't quite land with me. I wasn't even sure what it was, I just didn't see the amazing game that everyone else was claiming it was. I did think that perhaps this was due to me having been ill with a very painful sinus infection when playing it, but then my friend, another lifelong Resident Evil fan, shared their thoughts on the game with me, and seemed to have ad a similar experience. I don't know if this feeling will change over time and subsequent playthroughs, but as it stands for me at the moment there's something about Resident Evil Requiem that prevents me from absolutely loving it. I even stopped playing it after a few days because I'd begun thinking 'I just want to play Resident Evil 8', and it's maybe not a good sign when all you can think about is another game whilst you're playing something. I'm hoping this feeling passes, that I'll like Resident Evil Requiem more as time goes by.

As it stands at the moment, I think that Resident Evil Requiem is a very enjoyable entry in the franchise, one that marries together the styles of Resident Evil 7 and the Resident Evil 4 remake in interesting ways. Whilst the lack of a new game plus mode does drag down the enjoyment for me a little bit the inclusion of history from the series, whether that tiny details found in the S.T.A.R.S. office, or the return of the giant spiders after decades does make it feel like a lot of love and attention has gone into the game. 

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Talamasca: The Secret Order - Season 1 Blu-ray Review

 

I became interested in the AMC created Anne Rice universe around the time that the second season of Interview with the Vampire was coming out on home released, having been offered the chance to review it. By the time the first episode ended I was hooked, and I knew that it was a show that was something a little special. Whilst I might have missed the first spin-off/addition to the universe in Mayfair Witches, I was excited to be able to dive into the third show in this ever expanding mythology, Talamasca: The Secret Order.

Introduced as something of a background element in Interview with the Vampire, the Talamasca are the mortal faction that plays a role in the realm of the supernatural in Anne Rice's world. Chroniclers of the immortals, historians of the hidden truth of the world, the Talamasca observe vampires, witches, ghosts, and demons and tries to maintain order where it can. The series introduces us to this organisation through the eyes of Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a young man looking to break his way into the world of law, but who's life has always been difficult thanks to his strange ability to hear what people have been thinking.

Guy is approached by Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), a mysterious figure that runs the New York chapter of the Talamasca. She introduces Guy to the world of the supernatural in order to recruit him on an important mission. Helen believes that the London branch of the Talamasca has gone rogue, and that it has fallen under the influence of a vampire named Jasper (William Fichtner). Journeying to London, Guy finds himself in a world of monsters and spy-craft as he tries to discover what Jasper is up to. However, as secrets about his own past, and the Talamasca's involvement in it, come to light Guy begins to question where his own loyalties should lie. 

At it's heart, Talamasca: The Secret Order, is a spy series. It deals with double agents, secret organisations, dead-drops, fake persona's, and trickery in the same way any decent spy story does; it just has the added element of monsters and magic thrown into the mix. Despite this, the show ended up being much more reserved on the supernatural front than I was expecting. Interview with the Vampire throws its audience into this world in an almost violent, passionate way, and you're confronted with the brutal, bloody reality of these monsters. Talamasca: The Secret Order, in contrast, often feels something of a step removed from that; though I suppose this does fit the theme of the organisation itself, as they're supposed to be outside observers of the supernatural.

Whilst the show plays down these elements somewhat, its more human focus makes it feel like a more unique companion piece to the other shows, and offers the viewers something new. Guy might have powers, but for the most part he's a fairly normal person. His lack of knowledge of how the spy world works, him trying to keep one step ahead and not get killed all the time allows the viewer to connect with him as he's a regular person in a fantastical world. Nicholas Denton fits this role well, and whilst Guy never feels like he's an idiot, he does manage to make him feel like he's out of his depth, having to think fast. He's fallible, he gets emotionally involved, and there are times where you're not sure what side he's going to land on.

The supporting cast do wonderful jobs too, and help to craft an engaging narrative. Elizabeth McGovern plays Helen, the head of the New York Talamasca, a woman who's clearly used to espionage and spy work, but whose own personal demons are setting her on a path that might make her world come crashing down. She manages to be both a kind, almost maternal figure to Guy, yet also challenges him in ways that could see her shift into a more antagonistic role. The opposite to this is William Fichtner's Jasper, the villain of the series. Jasper is a vampire who's taken over the London Talamasca, creating monstrous attack vampires, and using the organisation's resources for his own ends. He's set up to be evil, yet as the series goes on you see a more human side to him, he occasionally shows the pain and trauma beneath his threatening and charming exterior. He's the kind of villain that isn't just the hero to his own story, but could easily shift into being the hero of this story too. Fichtner plays him wonderfully, and you'll likely come away wishing for more scenes with him.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Céline Buckens who plays the young witch Doris, who becomes involved in Guy's life when her friend Kevis (Amelia Clarkson) is killed, Maisie Richardson-Sellers who plays the Talamasca agent Oliver, who's assigned to handle Guy, Jonathan Aris as head of the Talamasca London branch Owen, and Bryony Hannah as detective Ridge, a police officer determined to solve a series of grizzly killings that draw her closer to the world of the supernatural. The series also features a couple of fun inclusions from Interview with the Vampire that help to ground it a little more in that series, preventing it from just feeling like any other stand-alone urban fantasy series.

The story of Talamasca: The Secret Order is interesting, and manages to pace itself well over the course of its six episodes. It's got time to take it slow at moments, to allow you to spend some time with the characters and see inside their heads, getting to know them and understanding how these events are affecting them. Some other shows try to pack so much in that things move too fast, but Talamasca: The Secret Order seems to have found a decent balance between these quieter moments and moments of action and intrigue. That being said, the series didn't hit as hard as Interview with the Vampire for me. 

Interview with the Vampire is a show about passion, both the beautiful and destructive sides of it. The emotions are dialled up to eleven, and you're sucked into the lives of these immortals who love and hate and lust in ways that make humans emotions seem like pale shadows in comparison. Talamasca: The Secret Order is, in comparison, less than that. It's not bad, but it doesn't have the fire and fury that Interview with the Vampire did. To be fair, very few shows do, and I can't expect every piece in this shared universe to all feel the same. As it is, it's a decent, well crafted narrative that shows a very different side of Anne Rice's world.

Alongside the six episodes, the new Blu-ray release also includes a handful of special features. There's a small behind the scenes piece for each of the episodes that sits somewhere between five and ten minutes each that has some interviews with cast and crew which whilst doesn't add a huge amount are still fun to watch. There's a larger behind the scenes piece that sits around 40 minutes that goes mych deeper into the production of the series that'll satisfy fans.

Whilst Talamasca: The Secret Order might have a whole different flavour to the other entries in this franchise it's a welcome one for sure. It puts a fun, espionage spin onto a world of monsters and magic that we don't often get to see, and leaves you eagerly hoping for a second season so that we can get more from these characters.

Talamasca: The Secret Order is available now on Blu-ray.

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Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Black Panther: The Art of the Movie - Book Review

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been something of a mixed bag for everyone who's watched it, and I doubt that there has been a single person who's enjoyed every project equally, or even at all. For myself, I often found the films that tried something new to be the more interesting ones. A regular man who puts on a suit of armour and fights robots in a setting I recognise might be unusual and entertaining, but it wasn't anything that wowed me. Instead, it was the times when we were able to see the fantastical that really sold the amazing creativity of comics, like the alien worlds Guardians of the Galaxy, the magic of Doctor Strange, and in one of the most exciting things the MCU has done, the afrofuturism of Black Panther.

Originally debuting in Captain America: Civil War, the character of Black Panther was an immediate stand out, and fans were quickly demanding a solo movie for him. Thankfully, audiences didn't have to wait too long, and a film followed two years later. Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Black Panther: The Art of the Movie charts the creation of the film from an art and design perspective, giving readers and insight into costume designs, sets and locations, and props, all of which had to be constructed from scratch to bring the world of Wakanda to life.

Despite being set on Earth, Black Panther had to create much of its style from scratch, unable to just rely on standard filming locations and costumes bought from stores. The nation of Wakanda is in some ways like the alien worlds that inhabit the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, where every detail needs to be considered and crafted. However, the design team weren't just creating things out of whole cloth, as they were able to draw upon the rich histories of the people and cultures that make up the continent of Africa, combined with science fiction elements, to craft something unique.

The world of Black Panther is perhaps one of the most mainstream examples of afrofuturism, an art movement that combines cultural and artistic expressions from across the history of the African diaspora, including religion, and philosophy, to create a vision of a liberated identity. This is something that is very central to Black Panther, with Wakanda being a nation that was never conquered by the white colonialist oppression of nations such as England and France. This has been a part of Wakandan history since its creation in the comics, but the details vary from creative team to creative team. This means that whilst the general theme of Wakanda's visual aesthetic has been established the film was open to explore in in a variety of directions.

Across the various chapters in Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Black Panther: The Art of the Movie you can see where different inspirations have helped to shape the designs. There's a section of the book that explores the various tribes of Wakanda, complete with both colour and gorgeous black and whit epencil sketeches, that showcase not just the unique looks of these groups, but also explains the real world inspirations, such as the Tuareg people of Sahara the inspired the Merchant Tribe, or the Etheopian Karo people who's look helped to shape the Jabari Tribe. Moreso than any other book in the Infinity Saga series this is one volume is one that not only makes you appreciate the work that went into the film, but inspires you to go further afield, to look more into these real cultures and their history.

Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Black Panther: The Art of the Movie does what the other volumes does, it goes into the design elements, it shows how these evolved from initial concepts to what we ended up with, it has storyboards, CGI models, and huge double page spreads. As with the other entries in the series the quality of the book itself is excellent, with gorgeous, thick glossy paper, attention given to the binding and image layout to reduce image loss on cross page images, and the textured finish on the hardcover itself is wonderful.

If you're endeavouring to collect the entire series I imagine this entry is already going to be on your list of books to buy, but if you're only wanting to pick up one or two of them and aren't sure which you should go for this is definitely one that should be a contender for top place. Black Panther was a huge cultural milestone, and whilst this book leaves you completely satisfied it does also feel like discovering the tip of the iceberg as it gives readers an insight into a whole world of art and culture that they might not have been aware of; one that you'll find yourself wanting more of.

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Return to Skull Island - Graphic Novel Blog Tour

 

Skull Island, an animated entry in the Monsterverse franchise, may not have been a show that got much attention, having only aired for eight episodes on Netflix, despite it being well received. Set during the 1990's, it follows the adventures of a group of explorers that travel to the mysterious Skull Island in an attempt to rescue a young girl believed lost there. Of course, as with any good monster adventure story, disaster strikes, and the group end up stranded on Skull Island, and must come up with a plan to escape.

The book picks up where the show ends, with several characters still stranded on Skull Island as Kong fights a giant squid monster, and the girl they went to save, Annie, back in civilisation, waking up in a hospital. Starting in medias res is something of a bold choice for a book that could be many people's first introduction to this series (which it was for me), but considering how the show ended, it's actually the perfect choice as it immediately grabs readers and draws them in no matter how much they do or don't know.

The main story of Return to Skull Island follows two distinct narrative threads. The first of these follows Charlie, the young protagonist who's stuck on Skull Island. Having stolen a sacred relic from the island inhabitants in order to lure Kong into a fight with the monster that guards the ocean around the island, Charlie begins this new chapter of the story literally at the mercy of the people who live on Skull Island, starting the book hanging upside down in a tree. Brought to the leader, a young woman named Kaia, Charlie must undergo the judgment of the island. Luckily, his father and other survivors of their ship are on the island to help him. Unfortunately, something powerful has awoken on Skull Island, something that the wounded Kong may not be able to survive.

The second part of the narrative follows Annie, who's been brought home to her mother in the US; along with her giant dog. Annie, having spent most of her life surviving on a remote island filled with monsters and giant animals, struggles to return to the normal world, being almost immediately expelled. She even struggles to build a relationship with her mother. Knowing that she doesn't fit in, and that Charlie and the others are still stuck on Skull Island, Annie formulates a plan to get back to the island. Of course, these two narratives eventually come together as the two groups must contend with multiple new threats on the titular Skull Island.

Having gone back and watched the series now, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the book and the show mesh together. Despite the change in medium this book really does feel like it's a second season of the series, rather than something like a simple tie-in or follow-up, and thanks to the cliff hanger nature of the series it makes Return to Skull Island feel like mandatory reading.

Simon Furman captures the tone of the series well, and manages to make the characters feel the same. Everyone has the same voice still, still acts in the same ways, and have the same motivations despite the change in circumstances, and if you have a favourite character from the series I think that you'll find them well represented.

The book also introduces a number of new characters that fit into the world created by the show well. But is it the characters that people come to these stories for? Sure, you need good characters and a decent plot to keep a Kaiju story from being vapid nonsense, but it's the monsters that are the headliners that people want to see; and Return to Skull Island introduces a cool new antagonist for Kong to go up against. Return to Skull Islands's new headline monster is Yuggoth, a creature made from mould and fungus, it makes a startling change from other Kaiju who tend to be animals or creatures of some recognisable kind. 

Yuggoth is a mass of mushrooms, spores, and sludge that feels more akin to creatures like Biollante or Hedorah, monsters that present a different kind of challenge for Kong and our human characters, as simply blowing it to pieces or tearing limbs off won't kill it the way it would other creatures. Yuggoth challenges Kong in a fun way, and forces the heroes to rely on more than just pure brute strength to win the day. I also really like the monster's design, and would love to have seen something like this on the big screen.

The art team on Return to Skull Island, Christopher Jones and Charlie Kirchoff, do a wonderful job at recapturing the feel of the show, with bold, bright art and designs that will appeal to readers of all ages. As with the series itself, the book feels like it's designed for a wider audience, and it's art style is a big part of it. Characters and monsters are fairly simple, without being plain. The art manages to convey a lot of detail and depth whilst using few lines and colouring. Everything is neat, and clean, and it means that you're not getting lost in unnecessary details or noise, and get to appreciate the art on the page even more.

Return to Skull Island feels like a fantastic continuation to the series, one that's set to keep on going with the upcoming Escape from Skull Island. If you watched the series and wanted more this book will give you that. If you're a fan of King Kong and the Monsterverse but missed the series when it was first released this book is a fun introduction to it, and will get you to go back and check out what you missed.

Return to Skull Island is out now from Titan Comics.

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Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History (Revised and Expanded Edition) - Book Review

 

Back to the Future is a film series that secured its place within the hearts of a generation almost immediately upon it's release in 1985. A pair of sequels quickly followed, with the second and third film being made back to back, and the resulting trilogy became one of the most beloved film series ever created. It's hard to describe just how much of an impact they had upon wider culture, from people only knowing the Delorean as a time machine, to thousands of posts and memes in 2015 as we reached the point of the future time of the second film, and even Donald Trump being compared to the future sleazy criminal version of Biff Tannen (a comparison that's actually hugely unfair to Biff). Back to the Future is an icon, and one that not only deserves a book like Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History, but demands it.

This newly revised and expanded version of the book is a bit of a monster to hold with its thick, embossed hardcover, and more than 200 pages. As someone with chronic illness there were times when I found even picking up the book to read a challenge that resulted in some pain; and if a book is that big that just holding it hurts I know I'm getting some value for money.

The book is split into four distinct parts, the first and largest covers the original film, the second the sequel, and the third the final film, with the last section going into the ongoing legacy of the series and where it has continued on in popular culture. 

The first film definitely gets the most attention here, and this is largely because it's the film that needed the most work, which we can see here as the book covers various drafts of the script, story changes, and even the recasting of one of the film's two lead actors. It's interesting to see what we could have had with the details on these early drafts, with Marty as a streetwise video pirate, the time machine being a fridge, a nuclear bomb needed to send Marty home, and a military action scene in the final act. Whilst the bare bones of the film we know and love is there much of that charm is missing from these early versions; which is something that we get to see slowly added as the pre-production of the film is given in wonderful detail.

Once the story we know is figured out the book goes into the design elements of the film, showing us designs for the Delorean, some of which look more like spaceships, versions of the flux capacitor that vary wildly from what we got, and storyboard breakdowns of some of the films more intense moments. These chapters go into some fantastic details about the challenges of creating the film from scratch, of finding the right look and feel for the sets, costumes, and props, to picking the perfect actors for the role, and the pitfalls that come from having to translate the script to the screen.

Whilst the section on the second movie isn't as long as the first it's by no means lacking in any way. Readers are treated to the various story drafts, designs for the future locations and clothing, behind the scenes looks at how the sequel returned to the first movie, and find out how the films effects were brought to life with models, wirework, and a prosthetic trickery.

The part of the book that covers the third film is a delightful section, partly because as a little girl I always liked the third one the best. With the third film taking such a big leap away from the visual eras of the first two films almost everything had to be designed new from the ground up, and we get to see here how the town of Hill Valley was designed and constructed in the desert, how costumes were developed, Doc Browns old west inventions, and one of my favourite pieces in the trilogy, the time train.

Following on from taking a look at the films the book goes into the legacy of the series. We get to see how the Back to the Future ride was developed and created for Universal Studios, from the development of the concept, to the creation of animatronic dinosaurs and miniature sets. We also get some insight into the short lived animated series that continues the adventures of Marty, the Doc, and his family following the events of the third film. The book covers merchandise and toys that have been released over the years, video games, references in other media, and comics. One of the largest parts of this section goes into the creation of the musical version of the film, something that has spanned the globe and wowed audiences across thousands of performances.

Whilst a book packed with behind the scenes stories, interviews, production secrets, and more extra information than any fan of the franchise could ask for, the book doesn't just stop there, as it comes with more surprises. Scattered throughout the book are pieces of merchandise, prop replica's, and easter eggs than I was ready for. These include things like a lenticular photo of Marty and his siblings that creates the effect of Marty's brother and sister vanishing from time, a copy of the letter Marty leave Doc Brown warning him about getting shot, a reversible 2015 newspaper with both versions of events, a Biff dollar, the photo of Doc and Marty in 1885, and so much more. My personal favourite is the fold out poster for Jaws 19, which I am incredibly tempted to get framed alongside some of the other pieces to make a collage display.

When I first saw the details for Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History I was a bit taken aback by the price, as this isn't a cheap book. However, after spending some time with it I can't help but feel that it's a very reasonable price, as the book is amazing value for money. As a fan of the films it throws more insight and information at me than I could have asked for, giving me an even deeper appreciation and love for the series. The addition of the extra pieces, like the posters, photos, and prop replicas not only makes it great value for money, but made the book so much fun to explore, as each turn of the page leading to another secret item brought a huge smile and the excitement of discovery.

Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History (Revised and Expanded Edition) is the perfect piece for any fan of the franchise, and if you failed to pick the book up on previous releases you're not going to want to miss out on this celebration of 40 years of an icon of cinema.

Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History (Revised and Expanded Edition) is available now from Titan Books.

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