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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies

May 27, 2019 (Updated May 27, 2019)  
The Mummy (2017)
The Mummy (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure
An abrupt and poorly executed end to the Dark Universe
Since The Mummy came out in 2017, Universals planned Dark Universe has come to a shuddering stop.
After watching this movie I can see why.

The movie starts off ok I guess, the pretty standard 'tomb raiding' you can expect from a Mummy film.

It Tom Cruise that starts to tank it for me - I've always been able to take or leave Tom Cruise. Sometimes I like him, sometimes I don't, and in The Mummy, I definitely didn't. It just seems like he's playing a parody of himself at this point.

When we are introduced midway through the film to the plot device that was supposed to start linking The Mummy to future Dark Universe films - namely Russell Crowe as Jekkyl/Hyde - the movie falls apart even further, causing what little coherence it did have to slowly crumble.
Annabelle Wallace's character is reduced to someone who panders after Tom Cruise, even with his character constantly being an arsehole.
Jake Johnson's character is used as a weird exposition tool that pops randomly without rhyme or reason.
It's just all a little messy.

Some saving graces - The CGI effects or pretty good for the most part and I did quite like Sofia Boutella as The Mummy.

Maybe the first Brendan Frasier Mummy film was just a one off, which is kind of sad, as I was quite excited to see the Universal Monsters brought back to life.
  
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
1982 | Horror
The title probably says it all here, but here goes. The female high school basketball team decides to have a party complete with pizza and talking about boys. After quite the lengthy group shower they decide on the guest list and arrange for the fun times to begin. No one likes the new girl so she is not invited.

Even before the party begins the audience is alerted to the escape of a mental patient who is now on the loose wreaking bloody havoc in the neighborhood. Soon he shows up at the school and starts taking care of his own business using a very large drill with an extended drill bit.

After the party begins, he slowly starts to pick off the attendees as they manage to find themselves alone with the killer or in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The thing I found the most odd was the reveal of the killer almost right away. In most slasher/horror films of this type, the killer is almost always shown in shadows, from behind or partially revealed under the end of the movie where the unmasking happens. Not in this film. He is shown pretty much at the onset and chases the girls around almost the entire film with his lengthy power tool.

Passable action and suspense along with enough good kills to keep me interested for 75 minutes.

  
AL
A Lady Never Tells (Willowmere, #1)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've really enjoyed some of Camp's previous books and I often think that in this genre books work best where they are in a series with some continuing characters, so I was looking forward to getting my teeth into the Willowmere series.

This is the first book in said series and although I didn't actively dislike it, I did find it a bit mediocre. A lot of plot elements seemed very reused and I always find the 'American girls coming over to England and catching eligible aristocratic batchelor' a bit too Mary-Sue-ish.

I didn't find it easy to like the heroine in this book all that much and it was difficult to see quite why the hero (who was likeable) would fall in love with her. Mary (or Marigold!) brings her sister to England to find their English family after their mother dies and they want to escape a somewhat unpleasant stepfather, but after this they all, but Mary in particular, do some pretty silly things. OK, they may not be up on British aristocratic ettiquette, but they seem to loose all common sense sometimes! Mary deliberately decides to conceal some important information and they go off on a jaunt whenever they feel like it, despite being attacked and suffering attempted abductions, and they seem to think it is unreasonable that the gentlemen taking responsibility for them want to try and stop them exposing themselves to danger!

Hopefully the next two books will be better.
  
Hank Brodt Holocaust Memoirs: A Candle and a Promise
Hank Brodt Holocaust Memoirs: A Candle and a Promise
Deborah Donnelly | 2017 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For me, it is always incredibly sad to read holocaust memoirs or any memoirs related to concentration camps. The amount of suffering it has brought to the innocent people, it is hard to comprehend.

The description of this book is pretty accurate. This book is a story of a poor polish- Jewish boy called Hank, and how he survived the Holocaust. The story starts with Hank’s childhood to post survival activities. After being taken to the concentration camp, Hank did not stay for long in one place, he was transported many times to different camps, and he shared the events he had to endure and people he met.

The book is accompanied by plenty of photos of different events, different concentration camps which Hank was transported to, and also pictures of Hank’s family. I loved the short chapters, and I finished this memoir in one sitting. For me it was gripping and I really wanted to find out what happened next after each chapter. So, to conclude, I am very happy that Hank had a chance to survive and shared his experiences with all the readers. It was a horrible period in human history, and I believe that it should not be left forgotten. So, if you into WWII books, give this book a go, it is a chilling read, filled with pain and sorrow, but it shows, that even in the worst of times, some people can still keep their kindness.
  
Holidate (2020)
Holidate (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Romance
10
8.0 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A young woman, Sloane comes home for the holidays to see her critical family who always brings up that she's still single. Meanwhile a guy called Jackson is meeting the family of a crazy woman after just the second date. He walks out of their house when things get weird and uncomfortable.
Both Sloane and Jackson bump into each other whilst returning unwanted gifts in a longer than neccessary but pretty entertaining scene. They end up talking and hanging out at the mall, the idea of a holidate comes up which is something Sloanes aunty participates in in the holidays, meaning you get together with a random stranger specifically for a holiday, just a date with no commitments. Jackson gives sloane his number, at first she refuses to text him but after her mum tries to set her up with a guy she phones Jackson to arrange a no commitment holidate for new years. They get on well and have a good evening despite a dirty dancing inspired hilarious injury.
Fast forward to valentines, sloane is still dateless and once again bumps into Jackson who saves her from an awkward encounter with her ex. This is when they agree to be each others dates for every holiday.
As a lover of rom coms I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Admittedly it was highly predictable but also highly entertaining, I howled with laughter multiple times.
Highly recommended.