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culturecultpress · 2 years

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Read N.A. Battaglia's short story "Resurrected from Cinders" in "UNSPEAKABLE" - an anthology of contemporary fiction in TWO volumes. UNSPEAKABLE features stories by various authors in multiple genres, all centred on or featuring a character who has committed some unspeakable crime! Buy a Print copy or Kindle version of Unspeakable (Vol. 01) from Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFWRSKQG Buy a Print copy or Kindle version of Unspeakable (Vol. 02) from Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFV2C7N9 Unspeakable is available on Amazon worldwide! Buy the Paperback of Unspeakable (Vol. 01) from Pothi.com (INDIA ONLY): https://store.pothi.com/book/jay-chakravarti-ed-unspeakable-vol-01-anthology-contemporary-fiction/ Buy the Paperback of Unspeakable (Vol. 02) from Pothi.com (INDIA ONLY): https://store.pothi.com/book/jay-chakravarti-ed-unspeakable-vol-02-anthology-contemporary-fiction/ #BookRelease #BookBlurb #StorySynopsis #Fiction #BookNerd #LoveForReading #ReadersOfInstagram #Biblio #Bibliophile #crimeauthor #crimestories #thrillerstories #thrillerauthor #crimethriller #bookcollecter #bookcollecting #bookclubofinstagram #bookchat #bookcase #bookcasestyling #bookcollectors https://www.instagram.com/p/CjPfSb9pvFI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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fearsmagazine · 2 years

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LOVE HURTS - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Black Mandala

SYNOPSIS: On the most romantic night of the year, six single twenty-somethings find themselves Valentine’s Day guests of a wealthy, mysterious host and are greeted by his tight-lipped butler. Each of the guests have been lured by $10,000 and the promise of love. There is a catch, they must make it through dinner and reach a personal “breakthrough.” With nothing to lose these strangers open themselves up to the prospect of romantic connections. However, their vulnerability could leave all of them dead!

REVIEW: A bit of Agatha Christie, kitsch and Millennial angst serve up an entertaining and thrilling Valentine’s Day nightmare.

The screenplay is an interesting mix of genres with some stereotypical characters that feels like a discount drugstore’s discounted Valentine’s Day chocolates. They’re not See’s or Godiva's, but they satisfy a craving. You know from the setup that things are going to go wrong. Of interest, the host is a LGBTQ character who greets the unaware guests with a musical number in drag. The plot is interesting but the dialogue is cliched. You can finish character dialogue or the comeback lines. Expectations come to pass and you know “the host” knows a bit more than he is letting on. The lynchpin that makes it worth the watch is the big reveal at the end. It offers the explanation as to some of the things going on in the background. It adds weight and a bit of gravitas to the film.

The cast is engaging, likable, but superficial and utilitarian. Given the plot it would have been nice to have characters that were a bit more dimensional. The performances play into that. I’m not sure if that kitsch was intentional or not. If it was, cool, but if not, cringe. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery is under utilized as Detective Holden. For those who have never seen it, he gives a stellar performance in the 1995 film “Powder” and I enjoyed him in “The Boondock Saints” films. Likewise, I’ve seen Simon Phillips in other films and TV series and his performance seems to lack some direction at times.

The production values feel like a made for TV/Hallmark movie. The editing and pacing impart a nice dynamic to the film so that the 2 hr. 19 min. running time does not lag. The space feels a bit too large and that the performances have to cover a distance. It’s a nice space for the setting but it could have been framed better and the cinematography could have added some atmosphere. Darren Morze’s score takes a back seat and offers nothing to the viewing experience. In fact, I really am unable to recall any of it. Instead of uplifting the material, it feels like director Hiroshi Katagiri is playing into the screenplay’s shortcomings.

LOVE HURTS is a flawed film that is a fun Valentine’s Day horror thriller that offers a few unsatisfying empty cinematic calories. I feel it suffers from an indecision of it being a comedy or a mystery/horror film. The cast gives it their best efforts but it languished in stereotypes and clichés. The ending is a bit better and feels like a different film. It is more serious than the rest of the narrative. LOVE HURTS is not painful and might take some of the pain out of a lonely Valentine's Day.

CAST: Sean Patrick Flanery, Natalie Burn, Simon Phillips, Andrés Erickson, Sean Sprawling, and Rich Paul. CREW: Director - Hiroshi Katagiri; Screenplay - Aviva Dove-Viebahn & Brittany Fonte; Producer - Andrei Dunca; Cinematographer - Joshua Ausley; Score - Darren Morze; Production Designer - Brian Alonso; Costume Designers - Raquel Anne & Christina Battaglia; Special Makeup Effects Artist - Erin Chaney OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/8nrOamuyRIk RELEASE DATE: February 14th, 2022

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #love hurts #lovehurtsmovie #black mandala #hiroshi katagiri #aviva dove-viebahn #brittany fonte #Sean Patrick Flanery #simon phillips #horror #thriller #mystery #joseph mauceri #joseph b mauceri

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