#mackenzie leigh

[sleepynegress]

VANITY FAIR SALEM'S LOT FIRST LOOK...

[nofatclips]

In the Beginning Was Water and Sky, a short film by Ryan Ward

[scrunchylew]

[lewinblue]

Salem’s Lot Thoughts (spoilers below)

Disclaimer: These are just my opinions. I understand if you disagree but Salem’s Lot is a top 3 Stephen King book for me and I was highly anticipating this film.

The Great

The use of lighting of lighting was amazing. The deep blues and reds when things were about to get crazy we’re 👩‍🍳 💋 *chefs kiss*. The use of good lighting always pulls me in.

The vampires actually looked terrifying. I wasn’t expecting that but I loved it! Lately, in other media with vampires in it, they try to make the vampires look seductive and beautiful. This movie said “nope!” and made them look undead x10

The setting/scenery is exactly how I pictured it would look.

All of the performances were really good. There wasn’t one actor or actress that I thought was lacking.

Mark was a little bad ass the whole time. No hesitation, just ass whoopings for any vampire that wanted to try him.

The Good

I didn’t know how I would feel about gender swapping Doctor Cody because I liked his relationship with Ben in the books but having Alfre Woodard play Doctor Cody was a really good idea. In fact, she reminded me a bit of the character she played in a series of unfortunate events.

We didn’t see much of Mr. Burke but I did like what we saw of him.

They did more with Susan! Thank God, because while reading the book it felt like everyone was aware they were in a horror movie and she thought she was just in a romance novel.

Talking about Susan, the way her and Ben met was cute and the way she told him to meet her at the drive-in was smart and a good look into how savvy she can be.

Because of those few seems with Ben and Susan, I’m simply going to need Lewis Pullman in a romcom or just a romance movie.

Lastly, the costumes were really good. I was worried when we saw that still of Susan but the clothing wasn’t in your face saying “IT’S THE 70s”. It was quieter and the hair style Susan has does that really well because my mom has a picture of herself in 76 (?) with that exact hair cut.

The Bad

When I first heard about this I originally thought it would be a miniseries and after watching this film, I’m of the firm belief that it would have been better if it had been a mini series or limited series.

Characters and the town needed to be fleshed out more and there were some scenes that had me on the edge of my seat only for them to end abruptly.

I think we should have seen Barlowe more and that scene where he attacks Mark, his family and father Callahan should have been longer. It was too short in my opinion.

As much as Floyd Tidbits annoyed me in the book, he needed to be more present to give Ben and Susan some more conflict.

More Mr. Burke and Eva Miller!

The Horrible

There was only one thing that I truly hated and that was that they swapped Susan and Mr. Burke’s story. He should have stayed around longer and I thought it added to the angst with Brum leaving Susan for Ben to have to kill. Especially because they made her a vampire anyways! Why switch their stories!

[helmstone]

Is the Salem's Lot film missing in action?

Is the Salem's Lot film missing in action?

For some months, the most popular post on this blog was about a then forthcoming new version of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. The launch date moved to last April, but nothing. The film was made (the picture is from the Insta of actor Mackenzie Leigh) but what has happened since? I’ve done some digging, and the answer seems to be there’s a chance it may never release, despite (apparently) not being…

[aus-wnt]

[jbgranic]

Friday Flashback. Singer Mackenzie Leigh Meyer at Hometown Hockey, Oakville.

[ourfoxgod]

39 books to read if you liked ARCANE

CAITVI SHIPPERS –

1. a study in scarlet women by sherry thomas 2. the lady's guide to petticoats and piracy by mackenzi lee 3. plain bad heroines by emily m. danforth 4. the unbroken by c.l. clark 5. iron widow by xiran jay zhao 6. crier's war by nina varela 7. the drowning empire trilogy by andrea stweart 8. the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon 9. the midnight lie by marie rutkoski 10. the bone shard daughter by andrea stewart

JAYVIK SHIPPERS –

1. vicious by v.e. schwab 2. if we were villains by m.l. rio 3. the secret history by donna tartt 4. the song of achilles by madeline miller 5. the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde 6. a marvelous light by freya marske 7. the magpie lord by kj charles 8. fever syndrome by angela slatter 9. the gloaming by rory power 10. boys, beasts & men by sam j. miller

TIMEBOMB SHIPPERS –

1. six of crows by leigh bardugo 2. war girls by tochi onyebuchi 3. this savage song by victoria schwab 4. the knife of never letting go by patrick ness

JINX & VI'S RELATIONSHIP –

1. we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal 2. girls of paper and fire by natasha ngan 3. the ones we're meant to find by joan he 4. burn our bodies down by rory power 5. sawkill girls by claire legrand

GENERAL ARCANE VIBES –

1. the aeronaut's windlass by jim butcher 2. foundryside by robert jackson bennett 3. gunmetal gods by zamil akhtar 4. cyberpunk: neuromancer by william gibson 5. frostheart by jamie littler 6. the broken earth trilogy by n.k. jemisin 7. black sun by rebecca roanhorse 8. rebel seoul by axie oh 9. we ride the storm by devin madson 10. the drowned cities by paolo bacigalupi

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜🩷 Books for Bisexuality Visibility Month 🩷💜💙

please support this blog

💜 How incredible is it that I made a list of 99 books for bisexual visibility month, KNOWING there are so many NOT featured on this list? I'm so proud to be bi. Having these characters and stories intertwine with mine warms my heart.

💜 What's your favorite book featuring bisexual characters?

💙 The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar 💙 Perfect on Paper - Sophie Gonzales 💙 Imogen, Obviously - Becky Albertalli 💙 Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston 💙 Queens of Geek - Jen Wilde 💙 Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster - Andrea Mosqueda 💙 Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute - Talia Hibbert 💙 Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - Alexis Hall 💙 A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

💜 Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli 💜 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid 💜 Radio Silence - Alice Oseman 💜 The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee 💜 You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat 💜 Wolfsong - T.J. Klune 💜 The Pairing - Casey McQuiston 💜 Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail - Ashley Herring Blake 💜 Heartstopper - Alice Oseman

🩷 Going Bicoastal - Dahlia Adler 🩷 Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan 🩷 Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating - Adiba Jaigirdar 🩷 Autoboyography - Christina Lauren 🩷 Written in the Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur 🩷 They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera 🩷 Cool for the Summer - Dahlia Adler 🩷 Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake 🩷 One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

💙 I'll Be the One - Lyla Lee 💙 Running With Lions - Julian Winters 💙 Take a Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert 💙 Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender 💙 Not Your Sidekick - C.B. Lee 💙 Ophelia After All - Racquel Marie 💙 Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao 💙 Something to Talk About - Meryl Wilsner 💙 The Girls I've Been - Tess Sharpe

💜 Iris Kelly Doesn't Date - Ashley Herring Blake 💜 Never Ever Getting Back Together - Sophie Gonzales 💜 Her Royal Highness - Rachel Hawkins 💜 Call Me By Your Name - André Aciman 💜 I Wish You All the Best - Mason Deaver 💜 Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner 💜 Hang the Moon - Alexandria Bellefleur 💜 Kiss Her Once for Me - Alison Cochrun 💜 The Brightsiders - Jen Wilde

🩷 Wild Beauty - Anna-Marie McLemore 🩷 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Victoria Schwab 🩷 Payback's a Witch - Lana Harper 🩷 A Dowry of Blood - S.T. Gibson 🩷 Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo 🩷 Dark Rise - C.S. Pacat 🩷 If This Gets Out - Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich 🩷 Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann 🩷 Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

💙 Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune 💙 I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston 💙 Pumpkinheads - Rainbow Rowell 💙 Icebreaker - A.L. Graziadei 💙 This Poison Heart - Kalynn Bayron 💙 A Lot Like Adiós - Alexis Daria 💙 Sorry, Bro - Taleen Voskuni 💙 We Are Okay - Nina LaCour 💙 Count Your Lucky Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

💜 Hot Dog Girl - Jennifer Dugan 💜 Verona Comics - Jennifer Dugan 💜 They Hate Each Other - Amanda Woody 💜 The Disasters - M.K. England 💜 The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater 💜 You Should See Me in a Crown - Leah Johnson 💜 These Witches Don't Burn - Isabel Sterling 💜 My Dearest Darkest - Kayla Cottingham 💜 City of Shattered Light - Claire Winn

🩷 The Unbroken - C.L. Clark 🩷 Dread Nation - Justina Ireland 🩷 House of Hollow - Krystal Sutherland 🩷 Love & Other Disasters - Anita Kelly 🩷 Ace of Shades - Amanda Foody 🩷 The Lost Girls - Sonia Hartl 🩷 Of Fire and Stars - Audrey Coulthurst 🩷 This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story - Kacen Callender 🩷 Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

💙 If You Still Recognise Me - Cynthia So 💙 Melt With You - Jennifer Dugan 💙 The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun 💙 That Summer Feeling - Bridget Morrissey 💙 The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School - Sonora Reyes 💙 The Luis Ortega Survival Club - Sonora Reyes 💙 The Fiancée Farce - Alexandria Bellefleur 💙 Flip the Script - Lyla Lee 💙 Role Playing - Cathy Yardley

💜 I Think I Love You - Auriane Desombre 💜 Truly, Madly, Deeply - Alexandria Bellefleur 💜 Gearbreakers - Zoe Hana Mikuta 💜 Finally Fitz - Marisa Kanter 💜 The Spirit Bares Its Teeth - Andrew Joseph White 💜 Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl - Brianna R. Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum 💜 Late Bloomer - Mazey Eddings 💜 A Darker Shade of Magic - Victoria Schwab 💜 Love at First Set - Jennifer Dugan

[happygirl2oo2]

My fandom aesthetic boards - an organized ongoing list

📖 The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

📖 The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

📖 Shades Of Magic (including the additions in the Threads of Power books) by V.E. Schwab

📖 Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

📖 The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

📖 Written In The Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

📖 The Inheritance Games & The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

📖 The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

📖 Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

📖 The Montague Siblings series by Mackenzi Lee

📖 Fortunate Misfortune (Clear Lake Quartet Book 1) by Miah Onsha

📖 Those Who Wait by Haley Cass

📖 When You Least Expect It by Haley Cass

📖 The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

📖 Spoiler Alert interconnected book series by Olivia Dade

📖 Fence comic series (and the tie-in novels by Sarah Rees Brennan) by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad

📖 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

📖 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

📺 Fitzsimmons (from the TV show Agents of Shield)

📺 Elementary

📺 Dr. Maura Isles (from the TV show Rizzoli & Isles)

📺 Bull

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate Asexual Awareness Week with These 15 Books!

On April 6th, International Asexuality Day, Duck Prints Press posted a list of 10 of our own books featuring asexual characters. Now, in honor of Asexual Awareness Week, we’re back with fifteen more recommendations from our contributors!

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Commit to the Kick by Tris Lawrence

Every Heart a Doorwayby Seanan McGuire

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Not Your Backup by C. B. Lee

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Coffee Cake by Michaela Grey

Tarnished are the Stars by Rosiee Thor

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Firebreak by Nicole Komher-Stace

The Marquis Who Mustn’t by Courtney Milan

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

First Test by Tamora Pierce

Unbury the Bones by Coyote JM Edwards

Tell us your favorite books with asexual rep! We’d love to read more.

Did you know? You can view this list, and all our past queer rec lists, as shelves on Goodreads!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Can you recommend some HR with disabled male leads? I read Romancing the Duke and fell in love with Ransom

Sure! I haven't read that one yet but it's very literally on my shelf so I wanna soon.

I'd recommend:

When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid. My favorite Stacy Reid, the Scottish hero was born mute and (I think this is important) ends the story mute. He communicates by writing or with sign language, and he marries the heroine, who's pregnant by another man and on the run from her horrible parents, because they've basically been pen pals for a while and she'll be able to reintroduce his (scandalous) family back into high society. He claims her baby as his own. One of my favorite things in this book is that she learns sign, which I feel a lot of authors wouldn't see the need for her to do...? But it's lovely.

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale. The hero does not begin the story with a disability; his mistress's husband catches them together, and when he goes out to duel him he suffers what we can assume is a stroke, which leaves him unable to speak or communicate properly. The heroine, a Quaker, finds him in an asylum and begins to establish communication with him, which leads to this really sweeping, challenging, beautifully written romance. I looove it.

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath. Sterling is not blind when the book's plot happens, but he's losing his vision and knows he will eventually be completely blind. It informs a lot of his character arc, because he shows up in the first book of the series (lmao it's SOOOOO dramatic oh my god) like an absolute ASSHOLE. He's going through some shit everyone!!!! Anyway, he's a duke who sees the lower class Frannie and wants to make her his mistress, but she struggles with the belief that she's frigid due to sexual abuse she experienced as a child. So it's heavy. But it's suuuuper romantic and heartfelt.

Beauty Tempts the Beast by Lorraine Heath. It's hard for me to say what is happening with the hero because it's kind of a reveal...? But it doesn't have a huge physical effect, necessarily--I mean, it does and it doesn't. However, the impact it's had on his social experience growing up is huge and it BROKE my heart. Anyway, this is the one where he sort of accidentally owns a brothel, and he agrees to teach the heroine, who was upper class but lost everything, how to seduce rich men so that she can become a courtesan. In exchange, she'll help teach the women in the brothel how to be ladies so that they can get other jobs (and so that he doesn't have to own a brothel anymore lmao).

My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid. The heroine in this book pretends she's engaged to this reclusive duke so that she can help her sisters in society... then he shows up. He actually uses a wheelchair after an injury, which is why he's stayed away from society. This book is SO GOOD and SO HOT. The thing is that he also thinks he's impotent, and it's very quickly clear that he's actually not, he just has a mental block due to his shame about his disability. The book is super emotional and lovely.

When the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh. The hero in this book is a successful gambler who ends up in a marriage of convenience with a super nerdy heroine so that she can join this academic society that won't accept her as a single woman. This one is super hot. The hero is dyslexic, which led to a lot of issues in his childhood, etc, and I enjoyed the way the writer addressed this.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley has a hero on the autism spectrum; he spent time in an asylum, and at times his family (though they do love him) completely misunderstand him. It's a big part of the story, and I really love this book--he meets this widow, and they basically start a no strings situation that gets quite out of hand.

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor. The heroine basically asks her childhood friend to marry her because she found out that her dead husband was a bigamist (and therefore their marriage was invalid), and she's pregnant, so she wants to avoid her child being born a bastard. The hero obliges, but is hesitant to get closer to her, in part because he was wounded in the war and now suffers from mobility issues. There's a scene where she takes care of his leg that's so emotional and hot; and I really liked that they had to accommodate his disability in their sex life, and it wasn't treated as this weird thing.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. Another one where the hero was injured at war and now has chronic pain/mobility issues. This is also really unique in that the heroine is a trans woman; she and the hero were best friends, and she was presumed dead after the Battle of Waterloo and used that opportunity to make a new life as who she really is. The hero was DEVASTATED and that, plus his disability, lead to him developing some substance issues. The heroine is persuaded to go to his house with some friends to try to help him out, and at first he doesn't recognize her... But when he does... IT'S SO FUCKIN' ROMANTIC. Like, that scene was. INSPIRED. I don't wanna give it away but I'm always like "oh my god the scene where he realizes that [redacted]....." This book also incorporates accommodating the injury in their sex life, which again I like a lot.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian. This is an m/m historical in which a dandy basically asks Kit, a former highwayman who now runs a cafe, to help him rob his dad. Kit refuses, but agrees to TEACH him how to do it. Kit hurt his leg and now has pain/mobility issues, something that is a thing throughout the book and is done really well. Also, the book where Kit is afraid of face fucking Percy because it would be too rough~ and Percy rolls his eyes and grabs Kit's hands to make him do it, because Percy is a true throat goat.

Joanna Shupe also has one with a deaf hero that I haven't read yet: A Notorious Vow.

Edit: I should add that Grace Callaway's Never Say Never to an Earl has a hero with bipolar disorder, and I really liked how she wrote it. But I have bipolar disorder and sort of struggle with the classification of it as a disability (not that it's invalid at all, I just struggle personally with feeling like an imposter when I put those two things together) so if you see it that way, then that is there also.

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

📚 ALLITERATIVE TITLES 📚

[instagram]

Books pictured:

- Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter

- The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott

- The Upside of Unrequited Becky Albertalli

- Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

- Black Butterfly by Mark Gatiss

- Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

- Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

- Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde

- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Les

- Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

- Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

- Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

- Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

- Winter of the Wolf by Amanda Willimott

[fiefgoldenlake]

Recs for Disability Pride month (and some bonus belated recs for Pride!)

All titles link to Storygraph, which can give you a further synopsis, as well as any warnings.

Godkiller (Godkiller #1) by Hannah Kaner

Meet Kissen - the eponymous godkiller. In a world which has forsaken gods, Kissen deals with those who still prey on the public. She finds herself drawn into a quest with a young girl who is bound to a god. Along the way, they start to uncover what truly happened in their country's war against the gods. Bisexual rep, queer-normal world, main character has a prosthesis.

Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Zetian volunteers herself to be a concubine pilot, to avenge the death of her sister. Giant robots, known as Chrysalises, are piloted by men, with the assistance of a female (concubine) pilot. Zetian's actions lead her to be punished by a match-up with Li Shimin, who has killed every concubine pilot who has ever flown with him. But everyone has underestimated Zetian. Poly, bisexual rep, the correct resolution to a love triangle. The main character suffers from chronic pain, mobility issues, and uses a wheelchair on occasion. 

The Final Strife (The Ending Fire Trilogy #1) by Saara El-Arifi

This is a class-driven society, and clear-blooded Hassa belongs to the ghost class, who've had their tongues cut out and hands severed by the ruling Ember class. The book follows Sylah, one of the Stolen Ember children, forged into a weapon and using drugs to cope with her past, and the beautiful and privileged Anoor. In the background, there's Hassa, keeping an eye on everything. The Ghostings communicate through sign language, and although Sylah is as fluent as possible without being a native, she can't speak it - it is a language exclusive to them. Sylah also suffers from drug withdrawal symptoms in the first book. Trans rep, wlw, mutism. 

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Xiala is a disgraced Teek, charged with bringing a 'harmless' passenger to Tova. Serapio has a destiny, one which has caused him to be blinded, and he's determined to fulfill it. Blind main character (but has the capacity to be magically enhanced), queer-normal world. 

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) by Mackenzi Lee (YA)

Monty is already well-versed in vice before embarking on his Grand Tour with his best friend, Percy. It isn't a problem that he has a big crush on Percy - really. But it is Percy's last chance for freedom, since he suffers from epileptic seizures, and his uncle has judged it best that he be put in a sanitorium at the end of the trip. Bisexual rep, mlm, epilepsy, period-typical homophobia, period-typical discrimination. 

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

If you haven't already read it and you want to know more about a world like the Court of the Rogue, definitely check this one out! The Crows are a fantastic group, and you can't help rooting for them. Leader Kaz uses a cane and suffers from PTSD - Bardugo says she was looking to create a character who was "disabled and ferocious". Queer found family, mlm amongst the main characters, limp/use of cane, PTSD. 

Bonus Belated Pride Recs The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri

There's a rot spreading through the nation, which sees dying plants sprout inside people’s bodies, killing them. The Emperor is seeking to crush a rebellion, and will not tolerate any dissent. Priya does what she can to help the poorest citizens, but it's not without a cost, and she needs to keep her head down. Malini, the vengeful princess imprisoned by her own brother, has other ideas, however. Wlw. 

The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos #1) by Samantha Shannon

A quest fantasy with a queendom on one side, where magic is prohibited and the throne of Inys has passed, generation after generation, from mother to identical daughter. On the other side, there be dragons. Assassination attempts, a beautiful wlw romance, another main character who reads as ace, and a gripping plot, this book is worth every one of its (almost) 850 pages. Part of a series but each book stands alone.

Little Thieves (Little Thieves #1) by Margaret Owen (YA)

Vanja is one of my favourite characters that I've encountered in years (and as a bonus, the author is a confirmed TP fan!). This is an irreverent retelling of the Goose Girl from the maid's perspective, and the concept behind the title is, "The little thief steals gold, but the great one steals kingdoms; and only one goes to the gallows." Vanja is a little thief, accustomed to fending for herself, but she comes up against a curse, an impending marriage, and a personified pocket ledger. Demi rep, queer found family. 

Finally, I read Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly, which is a story about two guys who meet hiking the PCT. One of them brought his comfort read - Alanna: the First Adventure

[vernicosa]

Favourite Books / Music / Films & Television of 2024:

Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How Fascism Ruled Women: Italy, 1922-1945 by Victoria de Grazia The Complete Poems by Dorothy Parker A Corner House in Moscow by Mikhail Osorgin The Village by Marghanita Laski Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus by Michael Psellus Marshlands by Andre Gide Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus The Laugh Is in the Eyes by Julia Holter Guilty as Sin by Taylor Swift Altar by machineheart Beautiful Lies by Birdy Mother and Father by Broods Child of Mine by Laura Marling Luna Llena by Desde Andalucía Where Have All the Flowers Gone by Marlene Dietrich The Wrote and the Writ by Johnny Flynn Vermiglio directed by Maura Delpero HBO Rome by John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller The Turncoat directed by Florian Gallenberger Silent Joy directed by Dusan Hanak Little Dieter Needs to Fly by Werner Hezrog The Crimson Field by Sarah Phelps Perfect Sense directed by David Mackenzie Culloden directed by Peter Watkins Drive My Car directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi The Crown Season 6 by Peter Morgan

[simplylove101]

2024 Horror Challenge: [73/?]

↳“Why are you doing this to us?" "Because you let us!” Speak No Evil (2024) dir. James Watkins

Plot: A family is invited to spend a whole weekend in a lonely home in the countryside, but as the weekend progresses, they realize that a dark side lies within the family who invited them.

Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough & Scoot McNairy

So, this got watched as I said it would be since I watched the original earlier today and you know what, I liked this one too. I think overall both version are on par with each other. Both are well-acted and filmed. I went into it wondering whether it was a story that actually needed to be remade and I will still say not necessarily imo BUT I at least get why they did it now. They changed the ending. LOL That's all I'll say without full-on spoiling it but it's the opposite tone of the original when it comes to that. So, at least there was a valid reason for remaking it since at least something else was brought to the table. Does that make the movie better or more original? I wouldn't say so but I look at it as they gave the audience a choice of which ending they prefer if they wanted to rewatch the movie based on their mood. I did see the director of the original movie condemned the remake's ending/message & you know, I get it. It totally twists the intention of his story and that's a fair criticism. There is some truth that when America remakes a movie we tend to water down the stories in a way that the narrative loses the bite it may have had and the original definitely had that. But I did think the finale was the most thrilling part of the remake and it was nice being surprised by that since there were moments that were near identical scene by scene and I was tempted to scroll through those. lol The main pull for me to watch this was ofc James McAvoy who is just a wonderful actor and I love seeing him so unhinged since he's really good at it. The rest of the cast was great too. The cultural shock element wasn't nearly as present in the narrative so that was another difference. I will say, this was Blumhouse's one win for the year movie-wise to me, and the fact that it was a remake says it all about the state of their quality as of late tbh as far as I'm concerned. That said, I am curious about Wolf Man next year since Leigh Whannell is directing & Christopher Abbott is the lead. Anyway, like I said, I pretty liked this as much as the original. There were enough differences to make it feel fresh at certain parts but not enough to say it was original on its own. Regardless, it was still a win. Good watch.