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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Last Breath (The Morganville Vampires, #11) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I always crack open the next Morganville book knowing that I will love it before I read a single word. Rachel Caine is a writer I can depend on. In this book, she takes the concept that she used in the previous book of sharing the P.O.V. with another character and multiplies it. In other words, while Claire still gets the most narration, the reader also gets to read a bit of narration by Amelie, Shane, Michael, and Eve. Shane's thought process is familiar from the previous book, and Eve's reminds me of her diary entries from the early books in the series. Michael's are interesting because I got to see some of the darkness that he struggles with on a daily basis, while trying to hide it from the other members of the Glass House. I enjoy Amelie's P.O.V. the most because she obviously has the most secrets and history to reveal. Caine could easily make Amelie the main character of a prequel series about the founding of Morganville (how I wish!).
Claire is in top form as usual, as she has the unique -- and unexplained -- ability to see Magnus before anyone else, or before Magnus even wants to be seen. Magnus is quite the horror-movie creature, the draug, whom even the local vamps fear. Reading the detailed descriptions of what he can do with water gives me goosebumps. As for how Magnus retaliates against Claire, I simply refused to believe that Claire's state was permanent -- she is simply too essential to the series. Now I am wondering, though, how the series would fare if Claire went vamp -- but that's all up to Rachel Caine.
The one thing I really disliked, of course, was how the book ended -- the first cliff-hanger of the series. There was just way too big of a loose end hanging to leave me feeling satisfied. The rest of the book was still fabulous, though, and I can't wait for Black Dawn to hit the shelves.
Claire is in top form as usual, as she has the unique -- and unexplained -- ability to see Magnus before anyone else, or before Magnus even wants to be seen. Magnus is quite the horror-movie creature, the draug, whom even the local vamps fear. Reading the detailed descriptions of what he can do with water gives me goosebumps. As for how Magnus retaliates against Claire, I simply refused to believe that Claire's state was permanent -- she is simply too essential to the series. Now I am wondering, though, how the series would fare if Claire went vamp -- but that's all up to Rachel Caine.
The one thing I really disliked, of course, was how the book ended -- the first cliff-hanger of the series. There was just way too big of a loose end hanging to leave me feeling satisfied. The rest of the book was still fabulous, though, and I can't wait for Black Dawn to hit the shelves.
Jessica Erdas (463 KP) rated Gerald's Game in Books
May 16, 2018
Being the first Stephen King book I've read and my interest piqued by the Netflix movie trailer, I had a vague idea of what I was getting myself into. I don't mind a long book but I feel like the story could have been told in a somewhat shorter way but still appreciated the descriptiveness and detail. I wasn't prepared for just how dark this story would get. It just got darker and darker the further I got in (I'm no stranger to the macabre or disturbing but parts still affected me greatly). The writing was amazing, relatable in it's own way. You could really feel the main characters wide range of emotions each time she was faced with something new. This was definitely the first time I've read a book where I had to pause to give myself a moment to fight back the bile trying to rise up my throat because the description of one of the darker parts was so vividly recounted (Chapter 31 for anyone wondering). Regardless of this physical manifestation, I did find the book very interesting and would recommend it (although I think I'd be careful who I did so with because I think it could be quite triggering to anyone who has experienced sexual assault of any kind as it is very realistically told in that aspect).
David McK (3562 KP) rated San Andreas (2015) in Movies
Jun 14, 2020 (Updated Jun 16, 2020)
You could be forgiven by, basically, thinking this disaster film deserves the tag line "The Rock Vs an Earthquake".
You'd be wrong, however, with surprisingly little made of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's physicality, as a Los Angeles Fire Department search-and-rescue helicopter pilot who goes off-book on a mission to rescue his family following a magnitude 9 (the largest recorded) earthquake along the San Andreas fault.
Very much a by-the-books movie (and it knows it!), with young love flourishing amongst the ruins and devastation, and with the circumstances leading to a reconciliation of the leading mans nuclear family (who started the movie filing for divorce), whilst his wife's new-boyfriend ends up, ummm, 'disposed off' in the third act after he shows his true colours.
You'd be wrong, however, with surprisingly little made of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's physicality, as a Los Angeles Fire Department search-and-rescue helicopter pilot who goes off-book on a mission to rescue his family following a magnitude 9 (the largest recorded) earthquake along the San Andreas fault.
Very much a by-the-books movie (and it knows it!), with young love flourishing amongst the ruins and devastation, and with the circumstances leading to a reconciliation of the leading mans nuclear family (who started the movie filing for divorce), whilst his wife's new-boyfriend ends up, ummm, 'disposed off' in the third act after he shows his true colours.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Near Perfect Film/Comic Book Movie With A Piece Missing
Contains spoilers, click to show
This film did a great job in making the Joker or rather Arthur a sympathetic character. Joaquin Phoenix did a phenomenal job in this movie. His laugh made me really feel for this character, it sounded sad but also painful, like it physically hurt him. I really felt for Arthur and it actually made me feel bad for him equally when he was getting beat up and assaulted but also just berated and treated bad by others. People were talking about the violence in the movie and how it was graphic and disturbing but what bothered me more were the parts where Arthur was having violence done on him, it made me sad for him. I thought a lot of the movie was well done. The double twist in him finding his mother's letter to Thomas Wayne saying he (Arthur) is his son only to find out that he was adopted was a great reveal. Still makes me wonder what the truth really is, because later he does find a photograph with Thomas Wayne's initials on the back. Either he really is his son and Wayne had it covered up, which he totally has the means to do, or maybe she was delusional about it. I also thought it was cool how they showed Arthur also had delusions of grandeur in the begging when he is watching the Murray show and he imagines himself as a guest there. Like I said this movie was really well done in a lot of ways but there were somethings that bothered me. One right off the back is that Bruce Wayne is just a kid in this movie and if Arthur is supposed to be the Joker he would be way older than he should be when Wayne becomes Batman. To mere there wasn't a lot that Arthur really did as Joker. Nothing grandiose or epic like what I've become accustomed to with the Joker in other incarnations. There was no plans or power moves like in The Dark Knight or parade and taking over the city like in 1989's Batman. They really could have called the movie something else since he really only becomes the Joker at the end of the movie for not really that long even. I know it's supposed to be an origin story of how he becomes the Joker but it wasn't even going off of any of the comics and just loosely based on the version of Joker from The Killing Joke and then given the "Hollywood" treatment. I think I just expected more Joker from a movie called Joker. I thought the ending was perfect if it would have ended with him on top of the car when they helped him escape. I honestly don't know why they should that little part with him in Arkham, I don't think it added anything and kind of took away from it. The only thing I can think of is they didn't want to end it that dark. I have to say that if your judging this film from not being a big fan of Joker, the comics or the films and only on as a stand alone film it's probably like a 9/10. But for me since at it's core it is a comic book movie I give it an 8/10.
Robz H (21 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Aug 6, 2017
Nice easy read.
I really liked the idea behind this book... Being a child of the 80s it was a real buzz to think that all the things that made me tick as a child could become stuff of legend. The setting for the story is entirely believable, with climate change, renewable energy and global over population very hot topics right now - it's no real stretch of the imagination to see that this is where we could be in the future. I also really identified with the insecurities of the characters... The anonymity that the internet lends is liberating, but also terribly isolating.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did find my mind wandering at times, that I was glossing over paragraphs that had got too bogged down in details that weren't entirely pertinent to the story. That being said, I think that this story is going to make for an amazing movie, I'm very much looking forward to it.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did find my mind wandering at times, that I was glossing over paragraphs that had got too bogged down in details that weren't entirely pertinent to the story. That being said, I think that this story is going to make for an amazing movie, I'm very much looking forward to it.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Pet Sematary (1989) in Movies
Oct 19, 2018
A good adaptation
Whilst this isn’t one of the best Stephen King adaptations, it’s a lot better than expected.
This stays very true to the original book. It’s been a while since I’ve read the book, but there was nothing in this that stood out as being different, which is always good news. This is a typical late 80s film, with some very weak performances and feels very much like a made for TV movie. That said, a lot of the physical effects and make up were very impressively done and the film is a lot bloodier than i ever would’ve expected. There are also some very bad special effects, but fortunately these are few and far between. Watching this has made me intrigued to see how the new adaptation turns out - if they manage to stay faithfully to the story but with a 21st century update on the effects, it should really be one to watch.
This stays very true to the original book. It’s been a while since I’ve read the book, but there was nothing in this that stood out as being different, which is always good news. This is a typical late 80s film, with some very weak performances and feels very much like a made for TV movie. That said, a lot of the physical effects and make up were very impressively done and the film is a lot bloodier than i ever would’ve expected. There are also some very bad special effects, but fortunately these are few and far between. Watching this has made me intrigued to see how the new adaptation turns out - if they manage to stay faithfully to the story but with a 21st century update on the effects, it should really be one to watch.
Beginning Film Studies
Book
Beginning film studies offers the ideal introduction to this vibrant subject. Written accessibly and...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Into the Night in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Our protagonist in this story is Gemma, she moved from a little town to Melbourne, leaving her family behind, to try and start her life fresh. She is assigned to a couple of murders, first of all, we have a homeless man stabbed in an alley, followed shortly by a stabbing of a movie star. Are these murders related? Who stabbed the celebrity and why? These questions followed me all the way throughout the pages of this novel.
I really liked Gemma in this book. In the first book I didn’t support her actions, and couldn’t understand her behaviour, but in this book, she explained her actions a little better, and I was able to have a better glimpse into her inner personality. I really liked that the author chose the characters who are hard to read and incredibly disturbed, they give the book this mysterious aura, and as a reader, I like the challenge of trying to figure them out. 😀 I really enjoyed the variety and diversity of the characters as well, from homeless and poor, to rich and famous, and everything in between. 🙂 I did like the parts, where Gemma was sharing her personal feelings, they allowed to get to know her better, but in some places, these parts were a bit too long, and my mind tended to wander off…
The narrative is told from a single perspective, and there is quite a lot happening in this book. The spotlight is on the famous actor’s death, but there are other two cases (homeless man and an escort), which remain in the shadows for most of the time, appearing just briefly here and there. The investigation is going on quite slowly, but paired with other murders and Gemma’s life, the story didn’t drag to me. Even though I missed more twists, I did like the turns author brought to this book, they were quite unexpected to me.
I really liked the writing style, I think it was creative and very well thought through, with decent length chapters, which made my reading experience very enjoyable. I liked the setting of this book, it changed between different places, and I appreciate that the author skipped the unimportant events. I thought that I figured out the reasoning for the murders halfway through the book, but I was really happy to be proved wrong. 😀 I really liked the ending of this book, I think it concluded this story nicely, however, I still couldn’t fully figure out what Gemma wants. 😀
So, to conclude, I can see author’s improvement in this book, the characters picked for this novel are challenging and intriguing, the plot is very creatively layered and complex, filled with unexpected discoveries. I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for a different thriller, where the protagonist is as important as the investigation. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
I really liked Gemma in this book. In the first book I didn’t support her actions, and couldn’t understand her behaviour, but in this book, she explained her actions a little better, and I was able to have a better glimpse into her inner personality. I really liked that the author chose the characters who are hard to read and incredibly disturbed, they give the book this mysterious aura, and as a reader, I like the challenge of trying to figure them out. 😀 I really enjoyed the variety and diversity of the characters as well, from homeless and poor, to rich and famous, and everything in between. 🙂 I did like the parts, where Gemma was sharing her personal feelings, they allowed to get to know her better, but in some places, these parts were a bit too long, and my mind tended to wander off…
The narrative is told from a single perspective, and there is quite a lot happening in this book. The spotlight is on the famous actor’s death, but there are other two cases (homeless man and an escort), which remain in the shadows for most of the time, appearing just briefly here and there. The investigation is going on quite slowly, but paired with other murders and Gemma’s life, the story didn’t drag to me. Even though I missed more twists, I did like the turns author brought to this book, they were quite unexpected to me.
I really liked the writing style, I think it was creative and very well thought through, with decent length chapters, which made my reading experience very enjoyable. I liked the setting of this book, it changed between different places, and I appreciate that the author skipped the unimportant events. I thought that I figured out the reasoning for the murders halfway through the book, but I was really happy to be proved wrong. 😀 I really liked the ending of this book, I think it concluded this story nicely, however, I still couldn’t fully figure out what Gemma wants. 😀
So, to conclude, I can see author’s improvement in this book, the characters picked for this novel are challenging and intriguing, the plot is very creatively layered and complex, filled with unexpected discoveries. I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for a different thriller, where the protagonist is as important as the investigation. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Hunger Games (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
“The Hunger Games” is based in a post-apocalyptic time when the world has been overcome by a series of devastating natural disasters and people have turned on each other to provide supplies for their families and for themselves in order to survive.
Bringing peace to the land was a nation known as Panem which is ruled by the Capitol. Panem had once consisted of thirteen districts all providing a resource essential to the survival of its people. An uprising against the Capitol caused much anger and destruction resulting in war and the annihilation of its thirteenth district.
With the intent to make sure such an uprising would never happen again, the Capitol required each of the twelve remaining districts to abide by the rules and regulations written in the Treaty of Treason to make sure that there is peace within Panem. Once a year a lottery is held where each of the twelve districts must offer up one young man and one young woman as tributes. This must be done in order to remind the people of Panem what was lost. Each of the 24 tributes must train and then battle for survival in an outdoor arena against each other leaving only one tribute to become the victor. This is known as The Hunger Games.
“The Hunger Games” is based upon the New York times best seller written by Suzanne Collins and directed by Gary Ross who also directed Seabiscuit. The storyline follows the main character Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who volunteers as tribute in order to save her younger sister from having to fight and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcheson) has also been randomly chosen as tribute for the twelfth district.
The movie mostly follows these two characters on their journey to the battle ground as opposed to the book where we get a little more background into each of the different districts and their tributes. Who will be the victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games?
Let me start off by stating that you do not need to have read the book in order to enjoy this film. However, the movie does follow the book very well. Fans will always have their own very strong opinions as to whether the films follow their favorite books but for someone who read the book after I watched the movie I must say I was not lost nor did I feel disappointed that I did not read it prior to screening it.
This film includes a great cast such as Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and a surprisingly effectively-cast Lenny Kravitz. Along with a fitting cast the film also offers a great soundtrack, colors that fit each district and great cinematography.
It is always interesting to hear the comments of the other reviewers after the end of a movie screening. Some commented on how they pictured certain characters as a totally different type of character than what was portrayed in the book such as Cinna played by Lenny Kravitz.
One lady pictured him as a slim Asian man while my guest pictured him as a flamboyant white man with a high fashion sense. Others commented on how shaky the cinematography was. Yes, granted it does get shaky in a lot of the scenes but it only adds action to the heart pounding edge of your seat scenes. This film is a kickstart to the season of great movies to come and I predict “The Hunger Games” will reach a bigger audience as it provides elements of action, drama and sci-fi to satisfy a larger audience.
For those of you who have not read the book I do have to warn you some of the scenes and or elements of the story may be just a little too disturbing for some but is a great story nonetheless.
Bringing peace to the land was a nation known as Panem which is ruled by the Capitol. Panem had once consisted of thirteen districts all providing a resource essential to the survival of its people. An uprising against the Capitol caused much anger and destruction resulting in war and the annihilation of its thirteenth district.
With the intent to make sure such an uprising would never happen again, the Capitol required each of the twelve remaining districts to abide by the rules and regulations written in the Treaty of Treason to make sure that there is peace within Panem. Once a year a lottery is held where each of the twelve districts must offer up one young man and one young woman as tributes. This must be done in order to remind the people of Panem what was lost. Each of the 24 tributes must train and then battle for survival in an outdoor arena against each other leaving only one tribute to become the victor. This is known as The Hunger Games.
“The Hunger Games” is based upon the New York times best seller written by Suzanne Collins and directed by Gary Ross who also directed Seabiscuit. The storyline follows the main character Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who volunteers as tribute in order to save her younger sister from having to fight and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcheson) has also been randomly chosen as tribute for the twelfth district.
The movie mostly follows these two characters on their journey to the battle ground as opposed to the book where we get a little more background into each of the different districts and their tributes. Who will be the victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games?
Let me start off by stating that you do not need to have read the book in order to enjoy this film. However, the movie does follow the book very well. Fans will always have their own very strong opinions as to whether the films follow their favorite books but for someone who read the book after I watched the movie I must say I was not lost nor did I feel disappointed that I did not read it prior to screening it.
This film includes a great cast such as Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and a surprisingly effectively-cast Lenny Kravitz. Along with a fitting cast the film also offers a great soundtrack, colors that fit each district and great cinematography.
It is always interesting to hear the comments of the other reviewers after the end of a movie screening. Some commented on how they pictured certain characters as a totally different type of character than what was portrayed in the book such as Cinna played by Lenny Kravitz.
One lady pictured him as a slim Asian man while my guest pictured him as a flamboyant white man with a high fashion sense. Others commented on how shaky the cinematography was. Yes, granted it does get shaky in a lot of the scenes but it only adds action to the heart pounding edge of your seat scenes. This film is a kickstart to the season of great movies to come and I predict “The Hunger Games” will reach a bigger audience as it provides elements of action, drama and sci-fi to satisfy a larger audience.
For those of you who have not read the book I do have to warn you some of the scenes and or elements of the story may be just a little too disturbing for some but is a great story nonetheless.
