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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
As a fan of the Pride and Prejudice book by Jane Austen, I thought it was all kinds of wrong when I came across the parody novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith, that essentially Austen’s classic novel with elements of modern zombie fiction. Mainly because I’m not a fan of horror movies. So as we approached the theater where we were screening Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I told my husband, “I really don’t want to watch this. I hate zombies.” He just laughed. “You hate zombies, but you watch Walking Dead. Just pretend it’s an episode of Walking dead. Just set near the Victorian era.” I admit, I do watch the Walking Dead but it’s the most stressful hour of television for me, and there are commercial breaks. This movie has a running time for this move was almost 2 hrs with no commercials.
But the movie got a giggle out of me in the first 5 minutes. And of course it made me gasp not long after. But Walking Dead has trained me well, and it wasn’t too long ago that I watched Hateful Eight, so I think I’m quite desensitized to blood and gore now, and in comparison, PPZ was relatively mild in that regard. It also had enough of the elements of the original story that fighting zombies actually became an entertaining digression. You know – beautiful young ladies, dashing young men, ballroom dancing, budding romance, zombie attack.
“To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind… well-read… and accomplished. But to survive in the world as WE know it, you’ll need… other qualities.” Those qualities include being skilled in the martial arts and weapons training, while wearing a corset –essentially making them Regency era bad-asses.
Because I don’t watch Downton Abbey, the last time I saw Lily James, who plays Elizabeth Bennett, she was brilliantly blond and sweetly keeping her promise to her mother to “have courage and be kind.” as Cinderella. In PPZ, she’s a fierce brunette who doesn’t take too kindly to Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by a sullen and haughty Sam Riley – another Disney alum, last seen as Diaval, Maleficent’s companion raven.
Where the Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy is won over by Elizbeth’s charm and wit, PPZ’s Darcy is slowly won over by Elizabeth’s aggressive and bold battle skills. Adding the alternate history of how zombies came to be a part of Regency era England hurried the story along, so the romantic developments felt a bit rushed, but Riley’s Darcy was quite believable in his reluctant but growing admiration of Elizabeth.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie, zombies and all. When you can get guys to cheer for some undead’s head getting blown off, and still make the ladies sigh for the romance, you have a pretty perfect date movie. It may very well be my favorite period costume romantic zombie action film.
But the movie got a giggle out of me in the first 5 minutes. And of course it made me gasp not long after. But Walking Dead has trained me well, and it wasn’t too long ago that I watched Hateful Eight, so I think I’m quite desensitized to blood and gore now, and in comparison, PPZ was relatively mild in that regard. It also had enough of the elements of the original story that fighting zombies actually became an entertaining digression. You know – beautiful young ladies, dashing young men, ballroom dancing, budding romance, zombie attack.
“To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind… well-read… and accomplished. But to survive in the world as WE know it, you’ll need… other qualities.” Those qualities include being skilled in the martial arts and weapons training, while wearing a corset –essentially making them Regency era bad-asses.
Because I don’t watch Downton Abbey, the last time I saw Lily James, who plays Elizabeth Bennett, she was brilliantly blond and sweetly keeping her promise to her mother to “have courage and be kind.” as Cinderella. In PPZ, she’s a fierce brunette who doesn’t take too kindly to Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by a sullen and haughty Sam Riley – another Disney alum, last seen as Diaval, Maleficent’s companion raven.
Where the Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy is won over by Elizbeth’s charm and wit, PPZ’s Darcy is slowly won over by Elizabeth’s aggressive and bold battle skills. Adding the alternate history of how zombies came to be a part of Regency era England hurried the story along, so the romantic developments felt a bit rushed, but Riley’s Darcy was quite believable in his reluctant but growing admiration of Elizabeth.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie, zombies and all. When you can get guys to cheer for some undead’s head getting blown off, and still make the ladies sigh for the romance, you have a pretty perfect date movie. It may very well be my favorite period costume romantic zombie action film.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street in Video Games
Feb 26, 2020 (Updated Feb 26, 2020)
Why?????
A Night on Elm Street- based on the movie franchise turned into a video game. A video game that is both awful and hard as hell. So this and the Friday The 13th video game, came out around the sane time. With Friday The 13th coming out first in 1989 in NA and A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1990 in NA.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.
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Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated Falling into Magic (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic #1) in Books
Sep 1, 2021
It is truly a magical place.
Welcome to Destiny Falls. It is truly a magical place. Hayden Caldwell has had a good life in Seattle with her grandmothers, her best friend (and business partner) Luna, and her pampered cat, Sassy. A fall into a construction hole, and a flash of light, has her awakening in an alternate world with her long-lost older brother, in fact, she finds a whole family she never knew she had. She discovers she is part of a family that has been chosen to care for the town of Destiny Falls. However, her trip back home wasn’t an accident, and danger is very close to her and her newfound family.
This book is disguised as a cozy mystery, really though, it is just a fun time romp. Imagine a world where the Iphones and magic coexist in a seamless way. Where your pet has a telepathic connection with you and your home invites you to stay by creating a room for you to live in. The reader is as enchanted as Hayden learning alongside her how this world she has been dropped into works. The clues to the mystery are woven terrifically into the larger story, which is inexorably leading to the big question… What really did happen to Hayden’s mother?
One reviewer describes the book as “Harry Potter collides with the Hallmark channel and Law and Order”, and I can’t think of a more apt interpretation. The author’s descriptions of the town and the surrounding area, are wonderful examples. Classic Americana with a supernatural twinge. A library that behaves as if it wants to outdo HP’s undetectable extension charm, hiking trails that take longer on the return trip, a ferry that just might have you disembark at the end of your trip right where you started, and if you are really very lucky you might actually be allowed to see the second waterfall at Twin Falls Lake.
This is a place that is as fascinating as the story and can really be considered a character in itself, especially as it goes out of its way to remain unnoticed by the world at large. The characters in this book, by the way, are also both very fantastical, exactly like one would expect to find in this type of world, and yet they are also exactly the kind of folks you would find living on Main St. in Anytown USA. Hayden’s Grandmother (capital G) scares me just a little, but I adore her younger siblings. With Hayden’s interest in not one, but two local bachelors (both of whom seem quite dreamy to me) it is obvious that there is a place in this remarkable world for Hayden’s future and you can be sure I will be stopping by later books to see how it goes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is disguised as a cozy mystery, really though, it is just a fun time romp. Imagine a world where the Iphones and magic coexist in a seamless way. Where your pet has a telepathic connection with you and your home invites you to stay by creating a room for you to live in. The reader is as enchanted as Hayden learning alongside her how this world she has been dropped into works. The clues to the mystery are woven terrifically into the larger story, which is inexorably leading to the big question… What really did happen to Hayden’s mother?
One reviewer describes the book as “Harry Potter collides with the Hallmark channel and Law and Order”, and I can’t think of a more apt interpretation. The author’s descriptions of the town and the surrounding area, are wonderful examples. Classic Americana with a supernatural twinge. A library that behaves as if it wants to outdo HP’s undetectable extension charm, hiking trails that take longer on the return trip, a ferry that just might have you disembark at the end of your trip right where you started, and if you are really very lucky you might actually be allowed to see the second waterfall at Twin Falls Lake.
This is a place that is as fascinating as the story and can really be considered a character in itself, especially as it goes out of its way to remain unnoticed by the world at large. The characters in this book, by the way, are also both very fantastical, exactly like one would expect to find in this type of world, and yet they are also exactly the kind of folks you would find living on Main St. in Anytown USA. Hayden’s Grandmother (capital G) scares me just a little, but I adore her younger siblings. With Hayden’s interest in not one, but two local bachelors (both of whom seem quite dreamy to me) it is obvious that there is a place in this remarkable world for Hayden’s future and you can be sure I will be stopping by later books to see how it goes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Epic Tactics: Maps Expansion in Tabletop Games
Dec 18, 2021
In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the Maps expansion for the game Tiny Epic Tactics.
The Maps expansion for Tiny Epic Tactics offers players of the game 2 new locations in which to play: The Winter Highlands and the Savage Wastelands. Although the rules and gameplay are identical to that of the base game, the new locations are set up in different configurations, providing players with a variable setup of sorts with which to play the game.
The components of the Maps expansion are as follows: a new map scroll for each location, as well as a set of 6 box covers depicting the artwork of the location. The map scrolls are cloth, and are the same quality as the map scroll of the base game. The box covers, however, leave much to be desired. Instead of providing new sets of actual boxes, this expansion instead has cardboard covers for the existing base game boxes. They are folded and flattened in the expansion box, and then are popped up and fit over top of the base boxes. My main issue with this is that with many plays, I anticipate that the thin cardboard box covers will start to tear or break. Also, since they are stored flattened, sometimes the covers do not fit snugly over the boxes, causing some of the sides to curve out a little bit. With how high quality all of the Tiny Epic games are, the box covers in the Maps expansion just don’t meet my expectations.
All in all, is the Maps expansion necessary for complete enjoyment of Tiny Epic Tactics? In my opinion, no. These new locations do not change any of the rules or gameplay. The purpose of this expansion really is to just provide players with a couple of alternate locations. Since each of the new locations does set up its boxes differently than the base game, there is a bit of uniqueness in each map. But by not adding any new rules or mechanics, it kind of falls a bit flat for me.
Official recommendation: If you play Tiny Epic Tactics so often that you are bored of the base game map setup, then I would definitely check out the Maps expansion. It just offers a new setting to freshen up the gameplay. If you are like me, though, and don’t get around to Tiny Epic Tactics enough to feel bored by the game layout, then this expansion really is just to satisfy your completionism. If the components were higher quality, I would be more willing to pull this expansion out more often. But the shortcomings of the production, as well as the lack of real changes to gameplay, keep it on the shelf for me.
This breakdown is for the Maps expansion for the game Tiny Epic Tactics.
The Maps expansion for Tiny Epic Tactics offers players of the game 2 new locations in which to play: The Winter Highlands and the Savage Wastelands. Although the rules and gameplay are identical to that of the base game, the new locations are set up in different configurations, providing players with a variable setup of sorts with which to play the game.
The components of the Maps expansion are as follows: a new map scroll for each location, as well as a set of 6 box covers depicting the artwork of the location. The map scrolls are cloth, and are the same quality as the map scroll of the base game. The box covers, however, leave much to be desired. Instead of providing new sets of actual boxes, this expansion instead has cardboard covers for the existing base game boxes. They are folded and flattened in the expansion box, and then are popped up and fit over top of the base boxes. My main issue with this is that with many plays, I anticipate that the thin cardboard box covers will start to tear or break. Also, since they are stored flattened, sometimes the covers do not fit snugly over the boxes, causing some of the sides to curve out a little bit. With how high quality all of the Tiny Epic games are, the box covers in the Maps expansion just don’t meet my expectations.
All in all, is the Maps expansion necessary for complete enjoyment of Tiny Epic Tactics? In my opinion, no. These new locations do not change any of the rules or gameplay. The purpose of this expansion really is to just provide players with a couple of alternate locations. Since each of the new locations does set up its boxes differently than the base game, there is a bit of uniqueness in each map. But by not adding any new rules or mechanics, it kind of falls a bit flat for me.
Official recommendation: If you play Tiny Epic Tactics so often that you are bored of the base game map setup, then I would definitely check out the Maps expansion. It just offers a new setting to freshen up the gameplay. If you are like me, though, and don’t get around to Tiny Epic Tactics enough to feel bored by the game layout, then this expansion really is just to satisfy your completionism. If the components were higher quality, I would be more willing to pull this expansion out more often. But the shortcomings of the production, as well as the lack of real changes to gameplay, keep it on the shelf for me.
