Newsletter #2

I clearly couldn't think of a better title

Hiya Book Fam! 👋🏽

Believe it or not, I’m just as excited to be writing this second newsletter, even though it’s late, and not really how I planned it. I’m overjoyed to have this little space where I get to talk to all of you! I hope you find it fun as well as we feel out this new place, format, and the features we might enjoy in it.

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What’s New

As this is a weekly-ish newsletter, I thought it might be nice to keep tabs on what’s gone on since last time before we get to the main topic, which may or may not be the same as I said it would be, and be free to read. Leave a comment telling me what you think or features you’d like to see in Thrills x Chill.

Since last time, I’ve read two books from April’s TBR pile, Annihilation and The Vegetarian, and I watched a new-to-me horror movie, Open Graves. I’ll leave the full review and discussion of the books for the wrap-up post around April 26th, but I greatly enjoyed both books and added the second Southern Reach Trilogy book, Authority, to this month’s TBR. However, I will tell you what I think about Open Graves right now.

I watched Open Graves because Amazon Prime Video told me that its reviewers gave it 3.8 stars, IMDB users gave it 4.2 stars, and it starred Eliza Dushku. After watching it I realized that while Amazon uses a five-star system, IMDB uses a 10-star system AND I remembered that “starring” only guarantees that an actor is “in this movie” not necessarily in a major, good, or even main role. But even though the 4 out of 10 is more accurate than the 4 out of 5 and the movie wastes its best actor with a bad script and worse effects, I had so much fun watching it 😂 The concept is kind of bonkers on its own, basically Jumanji but make it horror with a dash of Final Destination, then they just never stop with the bonkiness!

Spoiler: The surfing never really pays off either

From the opening medieval opening to the never explained recurring dragonfly/damselfly imagery, most of the characters’ relationship to each other or their motivations, even the setting of the film, said to be “North of Spain” (so France? Iceland? or northern Spain? what?), all seem to be lost in some kind of translation which makes all dialogue, actions, plot, even the Groundhog Day style ending feel random and further hilarious. I’m low-key obsessed with this puzzle of a movie. It gives me Prince of Darkness vibes and I love it for that. In terms of quality, I feel generous saying it’s a 2 out 5, but in terms of entertainment for me, it’s a 7 out of 10 or a one-thumbs up 👍🏽

And that’s it for what’s been going on at B.A. headquarters. Now, on to part of the main discussion, two novels, Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn and Little Heaven by Nick Cutter (spoiler - I finished neither). Also, don’t forget to watch out for the podcast on cults this weekend where I’ll talk about the films The Wickerman, Midsommar, and Martyrs, after watching them all for the first time.