Search
Search results
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) in Movies
May 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 24, 2019)
An underrated sequel
And so it begins....
The Lost World is the first of a handful of sequels that don't even scratch the original, but I've always thought this was an underappreciated follow up.
As with the first, I first saw this when I was very young, and naturally thought it was incredible (as any 10 year old boy would), but unlike the first one, it doesn't hold up watching it now.
Starting with a huge positive though - I will always, and I mean always have time for Jeff Goldblum. He has always been one of my top actors and he returns to the role of Ian Malcolm with aplomb here.
Another welcome member of the cast is Pete Postlethwaite as the token bad guy, and of course Richard Attenborough returning as John Hammond.
There are also some great set pieces, namely the now infamous trailer-hanging-from-the-side-of-cliff scene. The tension built up here is reminiscent of the first T-Rex scene from the first film.
But on the flip side you have the last 30 minutes. The change of location is jarring and the urban setting highlights just how rough around the edges the special effects are.
I have to give kudos to Spielberg for attempting such an ambitious twist at the last minute, but it doesn't quite work, and gives way to a huge plot hole involving the fates of the ship crew.
I also find myself not really caring about the rest of the cast, which is a shame, as I tend to enjoy Julianne Moore.
Overall - it's not terrible, it's not great, but enjoy this sequel for what it is as it's down hill from here!
The Lost World is the first of a handful of sequels that don't even scratch the original, but I've always thought this was an underappreciated follow up.
As with the first, I first saw this when I was very young, and naturally thought it was incredible (as any 10 year old boy would), but unlike the first one, it doesn't hold up watching it now.
Starting with a huge positive though - I will always, and I mean always have time for Jeff Goldblum. He has always been one of my top actors and he returns to the role of Ian Malcolm with aplomb here.
Another welcome member of the cast is Pete Postlethwaite as the token bad guy, and of course Richard Attenborough returning as John Hammond.
There are also some great set pieces, namely the now infamous trailer-hanging-from-the-side-of-cliff scene. The tension built up here is reminiscent of the first T-Rex scene from the first film.
But on the flip side you have the last 30 minutes. The change of location is jarring and the urban setting highlights just how rough around the edges the special effects are.
I have to give kudos to Spielberg for attempting such an ambitious twist at the last minute, but it doesn't quite work, and gives way to a huge plot hole involving the fates of the ship crew.
I also find myself not really caring about the rest of the cast, which is a shame, as I tend to enjoy Julianne Moore.
Overall - it's not terrible, it's not great, but enjoy this sequel for what it is as it's down hill from here!
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Kahn is establishing himself as a solid and reliable voice in cosy crime
Vaseem Khan is still a relatively new voice in cozy crime fiction, but I have been with him since the start, and on current showing I shall be with him long into the future.
One of the great pleasures for crime fiction readers of the last decade has been the influx of new voices as - in the search for something new and different - the British market has been opened up to translations from abroad (Camilleri, Akunin, Vargas) and English-language fiction set in different cultural environments (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Aurelio Zen, Dr. Siri Paboun). Khan has proven himself a skillful and delightful contributor to the latter category, lifting the vibrant sounds, colours, smells and characters of India (good and bad) from the page as he weaves remarkably clever and entertaining stories of brutal thefts, murder and abduction for the protagonist, Inspector Chopra (Retd) & and his mystical and cheeky four-legged sidekick, Ganesha, to unravel.
His latest book sees a young and arrogant Bollywood star abducted on the eve of his most important film shoot to date. As the biggest and most expensive film in Bollywood history grinds to a halt money, reputations and lives are on the line and Chopra is employed to quietly find and return the prodigal starlet to his duties. It quickly becomes apparent, though, that the boy has not just had a Bieberesque tantrum, and that the funding for, and personalities behind the movie may be a lot murkier and more complex than they seem.
Already on his third book in two years he promises to be as prolific as he is enjoyable.
One of the great pleasures for crime fiction readers of the last decade has been the influx of new voices as - in the search for something new and different - the British market has been opened up to translations from abroad (Camilleri, Akunin, Vargas) and English-language fiction set in different cultural environments (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Aurelio Zen, Dr. Siri Paboun). Khan has proven himself a skillful and delightful contributor to the latter category, lifting the vibrant sounds, colours, smells and characters of India (good and bad) from the page as he weaves remarkably clever and entertaining stories of brutal thefts, murder and abduction for the protagonist, Inspector Chopra (Retd) & and his mystical and cheeky four-legged sidekick, Ganesha, to unravel.
His latest book sees a young and arrogant Bollywood star abducted on the eve of his most important film shoot to date. As the biggest and most expensive film in Bollywood history grinds to a halt money, reputations and lives are on the line and Chopra is employed to quietly find and return the prodigal starlet to his duties. It quickly becomes apparent, though, that the boy has not just had a Bieberesque tantrum, and that the funding for, and personalities behind the movie may be a lot murkier and more complex than they seem.
Already on his third book in two years he promises to be as prolific as he is enjoyable.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
A group of students are taking a cruise to New York. A couple, who's part of the group, ventures off on their own in their own private boat. They wind up drifting through Camp Crystal Lake for a little quality time together. They set anchor and wind up resurrecting Jason in the process. Now as the cruise ship sets off, with Jason in tow, our students may have more than their biology projects to worry about.
Re-watching this was not a pleasant experience. I really had to force myself to watch it and once I finally did it was almost painful to make myself sit through the entire thing. Continuity is probably the film's biggest flaw. When we see young Jason drown, he looks like a normal little boy. Whenever Rennie sees him, however, he suddenly looks like he has down syndrome and like somebody beat him with a 2x4 made from every ugly branch they could get a hold of. On top of that, he pretty much has a different appearance every time Rennie sees him. Then there's the whole Crystal Lake leading into the ocean thing and the ending. Heavens, the ending is atrocious.
The script isn't so hot either. Julius is probably the best example. After Wayne asks him what weapon he's going to take after they realize Jason is on the ship, Julius replies, "Nothing," then pauses for a moment before following with, "...but this gun." The kills were also lacking. Jason takes a guitar to a girl's head and throws a guy onto an antenna. That's about as inventive as we get this time around. The one enjoyable factor of the film is Kane Hodder as Jason. The scene in Times Square is probably the highlight of the film. It's disappointing that the last film with "Friday the 13th" in the title is so bad.
Re-watching this was not a pleasant experience. I really had to force myself to watch it and once I finally did it was almost painful to make myself sit through the entire thing. Continuity is probably the film's biggest flaw. When we see young Jason drown, he looks like a normal little boy. Whenever Rennie sees him, however, he suddenly looks like he has down syndrome and like somebody beat him with a 2x4 made from every ugly branch they could get a hold of. On top of that, he pretty much has a different appearance every time Rennie sees him. Then there's the whole Crystal Lake leading into the ocean thing and the ending. Heavens, the ending is atrocious.
The script isn't so hot either. Julius is probably the best example. After Wayne asks him what weapon he's going to take after they realize Jason is on the ship, Julius replies, "Nothing," then pauses for a moment before following with, "...but this gun." The kills were also lacking. Jason takes a guitar to a girl's head and throws a guy onto an antenna. That's about as inventive as we get this time around. The one enjoyable factor of the film is Kane Hodder as Jason. The scene in Times Square is probably the highlight of the film. It's disappointing that the last film with "Friday the 13th" in the title is so bad.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Zombeavers (2015) in Movies
Jan 4, 2019
Cool Cameos (2 more)
John Mayer and Bill Burr... That's right I said John Fuckin Mayer
B Movie Hall of Fame candidate
Zom what???
Upon forst look, a title like Zombeavers, kind of makes you think of porn... Rob Rotten porn... But once you dive ( get it...dive) into Zombeavers you cant help bit want to stick around and see what these creatures look like.
And, in all cheesey movie goodness... The hand puppeted varments look like shit... They flop around aimlessly in an attempt to look like they are attacking with great vigor... Only to come across like a dying trout, flipping and slopping through the air on the ground.
Bill Burr and a nearly unrecognizable John Mayer open the movie as two good ol boy toxic waste drivers who "unknowingly" dump a barrel of some kind of hazardous chemicals off their truck as they're discussing prison sex and gettin blown by dudes... Comedic genius honestly... It's brilliant.
But overall, this cast of not a lot of anyones... Including some chick from American Soap Opera Days of our Lives... And some other girl from Death House can not save this trainwreck of a film. Its good in a way that is meant not to be good.
Over all cheese factor... Tostitos Con Queso Cheese Dip... That was left out of the fridge and had papers piled in top of it on your coffee table... So when you open it, it attacks your senses in all the wrong days.
While I'd love to give it a higher rating... I can not see giving it over a five.
And, in all cheesey movie goodness... The hand puppeted varments look like shit... They flop around aimlessly in an attempt to look like they are attacking with great vigor... Only to come across like a dying trout, flipping and slopping through the air on the ground.
Bill Burr and a nearly unrecognizable John Mayer open the movie as two good ol boy toxic waste drivers who "unknowingly" dump a barrel of some kind of hazardous chemicals off their truck as they're discussing prison sex and gettin blown by dudes... Comedic genius honestly... It's brilliant.
But overall, this cast of not a lot of anyones... Including some chick from American Soap Opera Days of our Lives... And some other girl from Death House can not save this trainwreck of a film. Its good in a way that is meant not to be good.
Over all cheese factor... Tostitos Con Queso Cheese Dip... That was left out of the fridge and had papers piled in top of it on your coffee table... So when you open it, it attacks your senses in all the wrong days.
While I'd love to give it a higher rating... I can not see giving it over a five.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Ki's Redemption (An Alien Exchange Trilogy #3) in Books
Jul 17, 2019
Ki's Redemption (An Alien Exchange Trilogy #3) by Keri Kruspe
Ki's Redemption is the third book in the An Alien Exchange Trilogy, BUT it is the first one I have read. Did this impact me in any way? Only by making me want to read the first two immediately!!! For the story itself though, it was all good. The characters are clearly defined and well established. Enough of a back-story is given so you understand all about things that have happened in the past, without it overshadowing the current story.
I love a good science fiction romp, and this book had it all. Sassy and strong females. Alpha males who need taking down a peg or two at times by said females. Artificial Intelligence. Androids. Robots. Bad dudes. Seriously, it's all here. Even better than a good science fiction romp, is a good science fiction romp that has DRAGONS!!!! And boy was I not disappointed by the two shown in this book! The descriptions of them are vivid, making it so very easy to see them in my mind. Can I just say, I thought Cleithe was amazing! Her grief broke my heart!
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, this book was a delight from start to finish. The story is gripping and full of action without being too much. Absolutely recommended by me, with the proviso that you simply must read books one and two too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get my grubby mitts on said books!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I love a good science fiction romp, and this book had it all. Sassy and strong females. Alpha males who need taking down a peg or two at times by said females. Artificial Intelligence. Androids. Robots. Bad dudes. Seriously, it's all here. Even better than a good science fiction romp, is a good science fiction romp that has DRAGONS!!!! And boy was I not disappointed by the two shown in this book! The descriptions of them are vivid, making it so very easy to see them in my mind. Can I just say, I thought Cleithe was amazing! Her grief broke my heart!
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, this book was a delight from start to finish. The story is gripping and full of action without being too much. Absolutely recommended by me, with the proviso that you simply must read books one and two too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get my grubby mitts on said books!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Blake Mistake in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Ben Blake has a talent that can occasionaly help in his job as an intelligence operative. When he forsees a terrorist attack he asks his friend, brother in law and former bad boy Jake Snell to help him prevent it. However Jake is starting to behave oddly, including having periods where he is not aware of what he has done. Could the suppressed memories of his traumatic upbringing be the cause? Meanwhile his wife (and Ben's sister) Emma is delving into Jake's family history. Maybe the secrets of the past are best left alone.
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Dec 1, 2019
Saving Private Ryan meets Resident Evil!
Had heard mixed reviews on this, but saw it for 4 bucks for Black Friday so I figured I couldn't lose!
Basically, to prevent the Allied forces being massacred on D-Day, US troops are ordered to detonate a Nazi communication tower. A small band of brothers actually makes it to the ground and finds a small French town equipped with a cute French girl and her brother. When a Nazi commander comes calling for more than an interrogation, the surviving troops must decide whether t reveal themselves to save her.
I actually really got into this movie and thought the action mixed with horror was pretty cool. Some of the fight/shootout sequences were cleverly done along with some of the secrets and experiments the Nazis are hiding deep within their stronghold. There are tough decisions and ultimate sacrifices to be made and the film threads the needle between genres successfully. I could see how if you were thinking this was going to be a full out horror film you would be disappointed; however, I had kind of heard a little about it ahead of time so my expectations were redirected.
The SFX held well throughout and didn't stick out as being bad or taking you out of the action. When some of the more extreme elements are revealed, I went along with it like I was watching my son play one of his weird FPS games. A lot of the film did feel like I was watching Call of Duty or something like that. Boy do I wish I could have those yeas of my life watching my son play that crap back!
Colossally entertaining!
Basically, to prevent the Allied forces being massacred on D-Day, US troops are ordered to detonate a Nazi communication tower. A small band of brothers actually makes it to the ground and finds a small French town equipped with a cute French girl and her brother. When a Nazi commander comes calling for more than an interrogation, the surviving troops must decide whether t reveal themselves to save her.
I actually really got into this movie and thought the action mixed with horror was pretty cool. Some of the fight/shootout sequences were cleverly done along with some of the secrets and experiments the Nazis are hiding deep within their stronghold. There are tough decisions and ultimate sacrifices to be made and the film threads the needle between genres successfully. I could see how if you were thinking this was going to be a full out horror film you would be disappointed; however, I had kind of heard a little about it ahead of time so my expectations were redirected.
The SFX held well throughout and didn't stick out as being bad or taking you out of the action. When some of the more extreme elements are revealed, I went along with it like I was watching my son play one of his weird FPS games. A lot of the film did feel like I was watching Call of Duty or something like that. Boy do I wish I could have those yeas of my life watching my son play that crap back!
Colossally entertaining!
ClareR (5603 KP) rated False Witness in Books
Jul 27, 2021
False Witness is a standalone thriller by Karin Slaughter, and what a fantastic read it is!
It’s set during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we can see the drastic effect it’s had on people’s everyday lives, as well as the working life of a Leigh, a lawyer.
When Leigh walks in to a meeting with a new client - a man accused of violently raping a woman - she doesn’t expect to see someone from her past. It’s a past that she doesn’t talk about, and has told no-one about in its entirety. Even her husband.
Trevor Tennant is the boy that Leigh and her sister, Callie, used to babysit, and now it seems that he has picked up some of the bad habits that his father had: violence against women for one thing. Except Buddy Waleski, Trevors father, also liked very young girls.
Somehow, Trevor has found out what happened between his father and the sisters on the night Buddy disappeared, and blackmails Leigh in order to get him off all charges. He sees the acts of his paedophile father as acceptable, that Callie enjoyed the abuse - in fact he doesn’t believe it was abuse at all. The entitlement is strong in this story - as well as a twisted view of life in general!
Callie is such a vulnerable character. As strong as her sister is, Callie hides behind heroin. It’s a life of existing and getting to the next fix. She’s a really caring person though: she loves animals and she repeatedly puts others before herself.
This is a really dark, high paced, intelligent novel, and it kept me riveted to the screen as I read it in instalments on The Pigeonhole. It was torture waiting for the next instalment, and I’d definitely recommend it!
It’s set during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we can see the drastic effect it’s had on people’s everyday lives, as well as the working life of a Leigh, a lawyer.
When Leigh walks in to a meeting with a new client - a man accused of violently raping a woman - she doesn’t expect to see someone from her past. It’s a past that she doesn’t talk about, and has told no-one about in its entirety. Even her husband.
Trevor Tennant is the boy that Leigh and her sister, Callie, used to babysit, and now it seems that he has picked up some of the bad habits that his father had: violence against women for one thing. Except Buddy Waleski, Trevors father, also liked very young girls.
Somehow, Trevor has found out what happened between his father and the sisters on the night Buddy disappeared, and blackmails Leigh in order to get him off all charges. He sees the acts of his paedophile father as acceptable, that Callie enjoyed the abuse - in fact he doesn’t believe it was abuse at all. The entitlement is strong in this story - as well as a twisted view of life in general!
Callie is such a vulnerable character. As strong as her sister is, Callie hides behind heroin. It’s a life of existing and getting to the next fix. She’s a really caring person though: she loves animals and she repeatedly puts others before herself.
This is a really dark, high paced, intelligent novel, and it kept me riveted to the screen as I read it in instalments on The Pigeonhole. It was torture waiting for the next instalment, and I’d definitely recommend it!
Mark Arm recommended Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave / Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in Music (curated)
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Lust (Seven Princes of Sin #1) in Books
Apr 1, 2022
LUST is the first book in the Seven Princes of Sin series and boy, is this going to be a good one!
Now, before I go any further, please take note of the Trigger Warnings. This is a dark story with some graphic descriptions.
This is Donna and Adam's story. She is sent in to kill him, being as he and his brothers pose a threat to The Saints. However, Adam feels something for her from the beginning, even if he doesn't know what it is. He also recognises her from the surveillance photos he has. He lets her into his life, just to see what her plan is. What he didn't plan on was falling for her though.
I love all of these brothers! Strong, protective, and they value women -- the exact opposite of what Donna has lived with up until now. Each brother is different, which means I can't wait for their stories now!
I love how even though our boys are sons of hell, the real evil comes in the form of humans or those who are supposed to be 'good'.
There were a couple of editing errors that have slipped through the net, but nothing too bad and easy enough to ignore.
If you can deal with dark stories then I suggest you give this one a go. A fantastic start to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. Just be careful with those trigger warnings.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, before I go any further, please take note of the Trigger Warnings. This is a dark story with some graphic descriptions.
This is Donna and Adam's story. She is sent in to kill him, being as he and his brothers pose a threat to The Saints. However, Adam feels something for her from the beginning, even if he doesn't know what it is. He also recognises her from the surveillance photos he has. He lets her into his life, just to see what her plan is. What he didn't plan on was falling for her though.
I love all of these brothers! Strong, protective, and they value women -- the exact opposite of what Donna has lived with up until now. Each brother is different, which means I can't wait for their stories now!
I love how even though our boys are sons of hell, the real evil comes in the form of humans or those who are supposed to be 'good'.
There were a couple of editing errors that have slipped through the net, but nothing too bad and easy enough to ignore.
If you can deal with dark stories then I suggest you give this one a go. A fantastic start to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. Just be careful with those trigger warnings.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!