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Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies
May 25, 2019
One of us, one of us!!
I enjoyed Jordan Peele's first feature 'Get Out'. I thought it was very good but not amazing and certainly didnt deserve some of the 'scariest/best horror film ever' accolades it got- it was a thriller at best. In this his second feature he has crafted not as good a film as 'Get Out' but certainly a better horror film. It follows the story of a family on vacation who get stalked by a group of sinister people who look just like them. As the film goes on we discover it's a much more widespread issue. The acting is top notch and the 'Reds' are indeed creepy and menacing. Some of the shots and visuals created by Peele are sublime and show he is skilled as a film maker. This film is a steady 8 or 9 out of 10 until it comes to the 3rd act which is where it gets silly. The reveal as to why this has happened is rushed and not fully explained. Theres a weird ballet dance fight scene to 'I got 5 on it' by Luniz (no I'm not joking) that is bizarre and totally against the tone at a time the film has tried to up the suspense. Theres a twist which me & my wife got within the first 5-10 mins of the film & there are also many plot holes and unanswered questions. BUT all that aside it is a solid 7 out of 10 and is well worth a watch. Sit down, switch off your brain and enjoy.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Evil Genius in TV
Jun 26, 2018 (Updated Jun 27, 2018)
Evil? Most definitely. Genius? More questionable.
Evil Genius is a 4 part documentary series on Netflix created by Trey Borzillieri and Barbara Schroeder. It covers the 2003 Pizza Bomber Bank Heist that took place in Erie, Pennsylvania, a bizarre case that still has many unanswered questions years later.
The documentary opens very strongly, launching you right into the action and the entire first episode is full of WTF moments. Unfortunately after this, the doc slows right down, from the start of episode 2 right up until the last 15 minutes or so of ep4, which thankfully picks up for a decent revelation that round off the show. Due to the doc only being 4 episodes, it meant that it didn't drag on too much like Making A Murderer did, but it also meant that each episode felt a bit uneven, crammed in places and slow in others.
One major disappointment for me was the fact they never spoke to anyone that was actually working in the bank the day that Brian Wells walked in wearing a collar bomb and robbed it. I felt like this was a huge insight that could have answered lots of questions and was totally missed by the filmmakers.
I sort of felt that they instead spent too much time on Marjory Dhiel-Armstrong and her co-conspirators who were most likely the ones that put the collar on Brian and got him to rob the bank. Sure, their weird back stories are kinda interesting, but the most important part of this story is what happened in and outside of the PNC bank in Erie that day.
The documentary opens very strongly, launching you right into the action and the entire first episode is full of WTF moments. Unfortunately after this, the doc slows right down, from the start of episode 2 right up until the last 15 minutes or so of ep4, which thankfully picks up for a decent revelation that round off the show. Due to the doc only being 4 episodes, it meant that it didn't drag on too much like Making A Murderer did, but it also meant that each episode felt a bit uneven, crammed in places and slow in others.
One major disappointment for me was the fact they never spoke to anyone that was actually working in the bank the day that Brian Wells walked in wearing a collar bomb and robbed it. I felt like this was a huge insight that could have answered lots of questions and was totally missed by the filmmakers.
I sort of felt that they instead spent too much time on Marjory Dhiel-Armstrong and her co-conspirators who were most likely the ones that put the collar on Brian and got him to rob the bank. Sure, their weird back stories are kinda interesting, but the most important part of this story is what happened in and outside of the PNC bank in Erie that day.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Deadly Desire (Riley Jensen #7) in Books
Mar 17, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Seduction that kills. Pleasure to die for. She just can’t resist…
Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used—and discarded—in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil—or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.
Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn’t back off the investigation, but it’s Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye’s lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she’s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread.
Keri Arthur is such a brilliant writer and this is one of my favourite series I just love Riley Jensen. This book did not disappoint it was full of suspense , action and sex!! I love the characters in this series and the way the books just flow. So Riley finally finds her soul mate in this one and I totally agree Kye is not suitable but I'm looking forward to seeing it all unravel! Poor Quinn 😢
Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used—and discarded—in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil—or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.
Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn’t back off the investigation, but it’s Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye’s lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she’s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread.
Keri Arthur is such a brilliant writer and this is one of my favourite series I just love Riley Jensen. This book did not disappoint it was full of suspense , action and sex!! I love the characters in this series and the way the books just flow. So Riley finally finds her soul mate in this one and I totally agree Kye is not suitable but I'm looking forward to seeing it all unravel! Poor Quinn 😢
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Dakota and the American Dream in Books
Apr 24, 2020
"Dakota was tired of playing catch with his mother at the park," so he rested on a bench but was soon distracted by a peculiar talking squirrel. Chasing after the strange creature, Dakota finds himself in a fantasy world full of anthropomorphic animals. Before he knows what is happening, Dakota finds himself working for Corporate America with its odd rules and unhappy employees.
The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.
From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.
As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.
The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.
From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.
As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.
How can you prove what is real? This is essentially what Grzegorz Kunowski is asking in his novellaUbiety. The title relates to the state of existing and being in a localised space, which is what the protagonist Adam Johnson is challenging throughout the story. Designed to help people face up to reality and question endless possibilities about what could or should be, Adam finds himself in many bizarre situations that blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
Quite frankly difficult to follow, Ubiety includes many dream scenes that border on madness. “Since the dawn of time common folk and wise men have scratched their heads as they asked about topics to do with dreams, such as why do we have them?” (Page 9, PDF version) Through his dreams, Adam’s brilliant mind creates scenes based on human fears and curiosity, however, it is difficult to tell which parts of the novel are “reality” since everything is equally absurd.
Adam is a person who thinks too much, resulting in overanalysing every aspect of life. The imaginary monsters that haunt his dreams begin to seem less scary than the hidden evils in the real world. Through his writing, Kunowski questions whether we are truly free or are we slaves? Slaves to machines, slaves to technology, slaves to social norms and so forth.
Unfortunately, Ubiety is difficult to read, however, within the confusion, there are a couple of gems that make you think and philosophise about life, the world and reality. Heading each chapter with a quote from a historical thinker, Kunowski draws our attention to the “realities” of the past, present and future, encouraging us to challenge what we know and believe.
Quite frankly difficult to follow, Ubiety includes many dream scenes that border on madness. “Since the dawn of time common folk and wise men have scratched their heads as they asked about topics to do with dreams, such as why do we have them?” (Page 9, PDF version) Through his dreams, Adam’s brilliant mind creates scenes based on human fears and curiosity, however, it is difficult to tell which parts of the novel are “reality” since everything is equally absurd.
Adam is a person who thinks too much, resulting in overanalysing every aspect of life. The imaginary monsters that haunt his dreams begin to seem less scary than the hidden evils in the real world. Through his writing, Kunowski questions whether we are truly free or are we slaves? Slaves to machines, slaves to technology, slaves to social norms and so forth.
Unfortunately, Ubiety is difficult to read, however, within the confusion, there are a couple of gems that make you think and philosophise about life, the world and reality. Heading each chapter with a quote from a historical thinker, Kunowski draws our attention to the “realities” of the past, present and future, encouraging us to challenge what we know and believe.
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