Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (4572)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Hunger in Books

Jun 5, 2019  
The Hunger
The Hunger
Alma Katsu | 2019
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Hunger by Alma Katsu is based on the true events of Donner Party tragedy where a party of pioneers travelling west came to a crossroads and the leader, George Donner had to make a decision to take the well documented but longer route across the desert towards California, or to take the untested path, which was rumoured to be far shorter. His decision could mean life or death to the families travelling with him.

It’s kind of funny that the first time I heard of the Donner Party was on one of my favourite horror films, The Shining, written by Stephen King and directed Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson acting as the character Jack Torrance, mentions the Donner Party and it’s how the name came about for the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 in Northern California. Since hearing about this in the film I was eager to look it up, so when I read the synopsis of The Hunger, I had to read it!

This book is broken up into monthly sections starting from June 1846 to April 1847. The latter of which is actually the prologue and supplies the details of the findings of one man, Lewis Keseberg, the last known survivor of the Donna Party event. This makes for an intriguing hook for the rest of the book and I couldn’t wait to see what had happened. Why had no one else survived?

The Hunger is an atmospheric re-imagining of the Donner Party disaster, which blends true horror with the supernatural and is ideal for historical, paranormal and even dark horror fans! It’s full of drama, mystery, intrigue and is downright spooky. The tension Alma Katsu adds, it amazing! I really sympathised for the families, those that had no idea what was going on, and even those that were forced to survive the only way they knew how. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about Westward migration that is so chilling! This is a study of human endurance tested to its very limits – and beyond. How far would YOU go in order to survive?
  
40x40

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Green Zone (2010) in Movies

Aug 8, 2019  
Green Zone (2010)
Green Zone (2010)
2010 | Drama, Mystery
7
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Taking you into the depths of the controversial Iraq conflict is the new thriller “Green Zone”. Matt Damon, stars as chief warrant officer Roy Miller. Along side Damon are a number of well crafted characters such as the shady operations lead, Clark Poundstone, played by the ever snarky Greg Kinnear and the eager journalist, Lawrie Danye, played by Amy Ryan. However, the strongest support both within the plot and story telling came from the local informant “Freddy” played by Khalid Abdalla.

Based on the 2006 award winning book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone” by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the film focuses on the duality of war. The plot covers both the obtuse role of US military within Iraq and the multitude of complexities a soldier faces in the pursuit of what is right.

“Green Zone” presents a compelling take on the Iraq conflict by pursuing a variety of perspectives and maintaining the intensity of a good thriller. It is a film that manages to enjoy the fruits of a novel basis while avoiding the boring dragging out that so often happens when films try to maintain literary accuracy.

In fact, the beginning was more like playing a good level of Call of Duty Modern Warfare (starring a main character who happens to have once been Jason Bourne) than an adaptation of a famous piece of literature. Partially due to Damon’s acting skills, “Green Zone” manages to walk far from the identity of Bourne and quickly catches viewers up in an entirely different character.

An interesting perspective on a conflict that is still fresh in the minds of US citizens, “Green Zone” proves to be thought-provoking while at the same time creating an enjoyable film-going experience.