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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Triple Frontier (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Triple threat
#tripplefrontier is a slick #film that at its depest focuses on the casualties & sacrafises that five mens obbsessions, greed & selfishness have on all the people they encounter. Bar #apostle & #cargo ive not really enjoyed any of the #netflix movies but seeing the impressive cast & equaly impressive director attached to tripple frontier i really couldnt pass this one up & ive got to say i was very impressed. Acting is great all round with #benafflek & #oscarisaac taking the front seat here. I was also #excited to see #garretthedlund in this but sadly his character isnt given much screentime at all or explored enough. Affleck has the most intresting character a father that at first seems like an all round good guy until we start to see the cracks in his personality housing traits such as neglect, coldness, #obbsession, greed, #addiction & agressive streaks. Watching him change from the weak man to this #heartless, job adict, selfish yet highly trained person is engrosing & helps ramp up tension with a certain unpredictability. Group dinamic is also a joy to watch & the #relationships they have with each other are belivable & help the viewer form a nice connection with them all. Some solid metaphors of how much a life costs & how #america takes whatever they want from people regardless of the effects or casualties it has are subley weaved in here at points. Themes of how #combat effects individuals mentaly, how a job in the #specialforces fails on the risk vs reward scale forcing many to seek higher paid mercinary work instead & also alot about trust/reliability in #hostile situations not just with unknowns but in #friendships too. Shot impressibly there are some #beautiful establishing shots & some #gorgeous camera work too (especially during the firefights & car chases). Sets are all visually pleasing to the eye & locations feel varied & full of life/hostility. Cgi is belivable & the soundtrack is memorable also. Tension is great giving you the #feeling that somethings about to go wrong at every turn & the action is exilirating. While nothing particually new its a very well made film thats certainly sets the bar for Netflix films to follow. #ciniphile #filmbuff
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Painless in Books
Jul 2, 2018
Very Cool Book!
Excuse me for a second, while I go barf. OMG this book. Holy heck the gruesome descriptions of blood and gore and guts was SO RAD. I found myself cringing and fidgeting and yes, even feeling a bit nauseous in some spots - but totally in a GOOD WAY! Painless was exactly what I wanted in a super-unique, creepy, shocking horror-thriller.
Greg Owens is in pain. A LOT of pain. He fell off a ladder on a construction job, injuring his back, and his entire life has gone to shit. He lost his wife, his kid, he can't work, he's addicted to pills. He's desperate, and can't find anything that will help him get relief, so he can return to construction, or any job he doesn't need "Pills to pay the Bills" in order to to work. His addiction is keeping him from his little girl and he's resorted to getting pills illegally from dealers, just to make it though the day.
Dr. Dante Menta is running an exclusive clinical trial. He's been working on a pain relief technique for years, and promises a complete cure of all physical pain. Sign me up, right? We meet all the patients involved in the trial who have arrived before Greg. There are even animal patients. Some of them are seeking relief from back pain, or car accident injuries, others from auto-immune things like Lupus - and even chronic migraine headaches.
The patients are taken in one by one to get the procedure and at first, it's exactly as promised and the results are impressive! But soon, shit starts hitting the fan. Patients are starting to act really strange, obsessive, destructive. Things start to go horribly, horribly wrong. And it's incredible awesome to watch!
I thought this story was really different and the premise was immediately intriguing - it was a quick read, but written really well, and explores a dark side of both how people deal with pain management and also Dr. Mentas obsession with his life's work to find a cure. I would love to see this translated to a horror movie, and I'd be first in line to buy a ticket!
Greg Owens is in pain. A LOT of pain. He fell off a ladder on a construction job, injuring his back, and his entire life has gone to shit. He lost his wife, his kid, he can't work, he's addicted to pills. He's desperate, and can't find anything that will help him get relief, so he can return to construction, or any job he doesn't need "Pills to pay the Bills" in order to to work. His addiction is keeping him from his little girl and he's resorted to getting pills illegally from dealers, just to make it though the day.
Dr. Dante Menta is running an exclusive clinical trial. He's been working on a pain relief technique for years, and promises a complete cure of all physical pain. Sign me up, right? We meet all the patients involved in the trial who have arrived before Greg. There are even animal patients. Some of them are seeking relief from back pain, or car accident injuries, others from auto-immune things like Lupus - and even chronic migraine headaches.
The patients are taken in one by one to get the procedure and at first, it's exactly as promised and the results are impressive! But soon, shit starts hitting the fan. Patients are starting to act really strange, obsessive, destructive. Things start to go horribly, horribly wrong. And it's incredible awesome to watch!
I thought this story was really different and the premise was immediately intriguing - it was a quick read, but written really well, and explores a dark side of both how people deal with pain management and also Dr. Mentas obsession with his life's work to find a cure. I would love to see this translated to a horror movie, and I'd be first in line to buy a ticket!
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Relative Strangers in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I received this book from NetGalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.
Relative Strangers is an amazing coming of age tale that tackles all the feelings that come with trying to figure out who you are, where you fit in, and unrequited love. Garner tackles important topics like alcoholism, addiction, loss of a parent, sexuality, and abandonment issues. It is a big challenge to stuff that many topics and issues into one book and Garner does it with finesse and grace; and most importantly not leaving any loose ends.
The whole story happens within the course of Jules’ senior year of high school. She discovers something about her past that her mother has kept a secret from her for her entire life. Through detective work, support from her friends, and Facebook, she finds the one person that might be can tell her everything that is missing from her history. Jules’ embarks on a quest to find herself, her past, and her way back to reconnecting emotionally with her mother.
Not only does Paula Garner write such a wonderful story but she creates characters that suck you into the intricate weavings of the story. You feel like you’re one of the girls. I felt like Jules, Gab, and Leila were some of my closest friends. I laughed with them, cried with them, and I cheered for them. One thing I often find difficult when you have so many characters is how to make them grow as the book goes on. Garner did this without making it feel forced. Each of the characters grew in their own way as they took on the rights of passage set in their paths.
Relative Strangers is a story that I think all people will be able to relate to in one way or another. I also think that it’s a great book for teens to read that teaches about appreciating and enjoying the relationships you have with the people around you. Garner kept the emotional twists coming, the pages turning, and the tears flowing well into the night. I highly recommend checking out this book if you’re into Contemporary Coming of Age stories.
Relative Strangers is an amazing coming of age tale that tackles all the feelings that come with trying to figure out who you are, where you fit in, and unrequited love. Garner tackles important topics like alcoholism, addiction, loss of a parent, sexuality, and abandonment issues. It is a big challenge to stuff that many topics and issues into one book and Garner does it with finesse and grace; and most importantly not leaving any loose ends.
The whole story happens within the course of Jules’ senior year of high school. She discovers something about her past that her mother has kept a secret from her for her entire life. Through detective work, support from her friends, and Facebook, she finds the one person that might be can tell her everything that is missing from her history. Jules’ embarks on a quest to find herself, her past, and her way back to reconnecting emotionally with her mother.
Not only does Paula Garner write such a wonderful story but she creates characters that suck you into the intricate weavings of the story. You feel like you’re one of the girls. I felt like Jules, Gab, and Leila were some of my closest friends. I laughed with them, cried with them, and I cheered for them. One thing I often find difficult when you have so many characters is how to make them grow as the book goes on. Garner did this without making it feel forced. Each of the characters grew in their own way as they took on the rights of passage set in their paths.
Relative Strangers is a story that I think all people will be able to relate to in one way or another. I also think that it’s a great book for teens to read that teaches about appreciating and enjoying the relationships you have with the people around you. Garner kept the emotional twists coming, the pages turning, and the tears flowing well into the night. I highly recommend checking out this book if you’re into Contemporary Coming of Age stories.
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in Video Games
Jan 4, 2020
Fluid and fantastic combat system. (2 more)
Another FromSoftware Classic.
Best game of 2019.
My first experience with a FromSoftware game was Bloodborne. I played fifteen minutes, and gave up due to its difficulty. Time and time again, I just couldn't get past its first area, but with perseverance, I conquered the mountain, and Bloodborne became one of my favourite games. Fast forward just over three years, I destroyed Dark Souls III, and obliterated Nioh. Challenging games had become an addiction I couldn't quit. Enter Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware's latest, very much story orientated entry in their catalogue of fine games.
First things first, Sekiro is most definitely a mountain to climb. If you don't grasp the rhythm of parrying and deflecting your opponents attacks, you are finished. Unlike previous FromSoftware entries, attacking is not the aim of this game. It takes time, but once you begin to understand the combat, the reward is so gratifying, especially with the boss battles, which will often want to make you throw the controller through a concrete wall.
Each boss is strategically different with how they plan to beat you, some opting to go all out attack on you, others playing the waiting game by throwing objects or firing arrows. Variety is key, and progressing and gaining new skills will help you beat each enemy as they come.
Sekiro also just happens to be one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Its culture is rich, and its vibrancy through colour is breathtaking. While no modifications can be done with your Shinobi, it doesn't matter as you'll be too busy taking in each detail the world has to offer.
But nothing is without fault. Sekiro sometimes feels like certain boss fights are rigged in their favour, and that pure luck gets you to beat them, and that felt all too often with the infamous, Demon of Hatred. This certain boss felt so out of place, and I felt it didn't need to be included whatsoever. However, this never bogged the games standard down, as by this point the fluidity and grace of Sekiro had already confirmed what I was thinking two thirds of the way through;
Sekiro is 2019's best game.
First things first, Sekiro is most definitely a mountain to climb. If you don't grasp the rhythm of parrying and deflecting your opponents attacks, you are finished. Unlike previous FromSoftware entries, attacking is not the aim of this game. It takes time, but once you begin to understand the combat, the reward is so gratifying, especially with the boss battles, which will often want to make you throw the controller through a concrete wall.
Each boss is strategically different with how they plan to beat you, some opting to go all out attack on you, others playing the waiting game by throwing objects or firing arrows. Variety is key, and progressing and gaining new skills will help you beat each enemy as they come.
Sekiro also just happens to be one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Its culture is rich, and its vibrancy through colour is breathtaking. While no modifications can be done with your Shinobi, it doesn't matter as you'll be too busy taking in each detail the world has to offer.
But nothing is without fault. Sekiro sometimes feels like certain boss fights are rigged in their favour, and that pure luck gets you to beat them, and that felt all too often with the infamous, Demon of Hatred. This certain boss felt so out of place, and I felt it didn't need to be included whatsoever. However, this never bogged the games standard down, as by this point the fluidity and grace of Sekiro had already confirmed what I was thinking two thirds of the way through;
Sekiro is 2019's best game.
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