Reaper (Birds of a Feather #5)
Book
Annie has secrets. She takes a job as stable hand at Double H, but she's really there to let her...
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Into the Forge
Book
Epic tales abound in Dennis L. McKiernan's wondrous world of Mithgar, but none are as renowned as...
David McK (3816 KP) rated Oppenheimer (2023) in Movies
Mar 14, 2024
Only saw it on a re-release, following loads of Oscar wins, in March 2024.
If I could compare it to a single other movie, that would probably be "Schindler's List": this (and that), I feel, is one of those movies that you can say you've seen, probably be glad you did, but wouldn't be rushing back to anytime soon.
As a Nolan movie, this is also told with lots of out-of-sequence shots, and jumping quite a bit between time: we have whole sections set in the 19402 (in colour) intercut with 1950/60s(? I'm not sure on the exact date) black and white segments.
The movie is also largely (but not exclusively) told through the eyes of Oppenheimer, following the work of a team of scientists who developed the first A-bomb, and only lightly touching on the effects of said bomb(s) being dropped on Japan.
It's a well shot and well acted movie, undeniably, but - as mentioned above - not one I'd be rushing back to see any time soon.
The Hemlock Cure
Book
It is 1665 and the women of Eyam keep many secrets. Isabel Frith, the village midwife, walks a...
Historical fiction The Black Death Bubonic Plague 1665-1666 Eyam
Death on the Grand Canal
Book
Having discovered a knack for investigation, Stefanie joins Thomas Burkhardt in Milan, Italy, on the...
Becs (244 KP) rated The Black Orchids in Books
Aug 2, 2019
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, torture
Review:
I originally rated this 3.5 stars but I'm dropping this down to 2.5 stars, as I've had time to sit and really gather my thoughts around.
The Black Orchids is a paranormal fantasy novel about a young girl being haunted by a monster called It (no, not the clown). She goes to a boarding school where she comes into contact with It again and even gains new friends. There are multiple of love interests within this story and the story gave off a very dark, suspenseful, and adventure feel with twists, but it wasn't what I expected from reading the blurb.
The Black Orchids vaguely has the same vibes that the Vampire Academy and Beautiful Creatures series' has. There was a lack of connection with the characters and the story overall lacked. There was potential here but it fell short and left me a bit disappointed.
The main character was in a constant battle with herself and her family, she even considered herself to be different from the "other girls". Basically, she was the loner, edgy girl that didn't have friends. This wasn't executed the greatest and really just made the MC feel shallow and a tad emotionless. The other characters weren't much better. The relationships between them seemed a tad forced and not at all 'believable'.
The story lacked descriptive nature and world-building. But the plot was pretty decent. I wasn't instantly enamored with the story and it was a slow read - even though I devoured it. There was something still keeping me reading and I couldn't put my finger on it. I know for sure it wasn't the characters, as I could never really connect with any of them and the villain wasn't even the greatest. Majority of villains are these morally grey characters with amazing backstories, but not the villain here. There was no grand reveal of who the mystery figure was and the plot twist at the end was rather disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending! But so much more could have been added to the story-line that would have added an appealing and captivating touch that built up until BOOM, plot twist, and cliffhanger. The Black Orchids does end on a bit of a cliffhanger but again, it lacked and didn't give a massive explosion to my brain as most cliffhangers do.
Another aspect of The Black Orchids that I couldn't get over was all of the spelling and grammatical errors. I kept having to reread sentences, paragraphs, and even whole pages! I wanted to DNF this but also keep reading, all at the same time. And I honestly don't know how I feel about that.
The Black Orchids has a good plot for a debut, it just needs a bit of work done to it to revamp and add cushion to the story-line.
"In the end, she settled for trying to show a turtle raising its head out of its shell. She thought it symbolized new hope, courage, and maybe even as a welcoming. For a turtle to peek outside was courage indeed, they never knew what awaited them on the other side."
Toussaint Louverture: A Revolutionary Life
Book
Toussaint Louverture's life was one of hardship, triumph, and contradiction. Born into bondage in...
Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide: A Memoir
Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Darrell Dawsey
Book
In this surprising and moving memoir, the legendary rap star and cofounder of Run D.M.C. keeps it a...
Ernest Borgnine recommended Black City (Il re di Poggioreale) (1961) in Movies (curated)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Werewolf By Night (2022) in Movies
Oct 6, 2022
Werewolf By Night is a visually appealing tale that lovingly plays homage to the classic Black and White horror movies of old yet infuses modern content and a touch of humor.
When a group of Monster Hunters is assembled at Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader, the assembled guests are tasked to compete against one another to find a relic and oh yes, content with a deadly monster in the maze as well.
The hunters are informed that they are fair game for one another and the combination of competition and survival promises danger and deadly encounters along the way.
Things are not as they seem as one of the hunters named Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) has a dark secret or two and when he ends up working with Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), things get very interesting and deadly.
The show is deeply-enjoyable and makes me wish that this was a series versus a special but I would think that audiences will see some of the characters again in the future. There is a bit more violence than one might expect from the MCU but due to the Black and White filming, it is not as graphic as it could be but still might be more than some younger fans would expect.
Composer Michael Giacchino has done an amazing job with the show as the pacing is solid, the characters are interesting, and the visuals capture the enduring nostalgia of the bygone classics.
I enjoyed the special from start to finish and should be an enjoyable experience not only for Marvel fans but for horror fans everywhere.
Look for it on Disney+ on December 7th.



