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Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in Books
May 15, 2017
Continuation of the story (2 more)
Remaining true to the video games
Remaining true to the franchise
The Story Continues
The second novel to be released in the series continues the story of Ezio Auditore, just as the game of the same title did. Ezio has concentrated his efforts to bring down the Borgia family and the Templar Order, and traveled to Rome in order to complete his work that he started some years ago. Now a Master Assassin, Ezio must recruit his own brotherhood of Assassin's if he is to defeat the Templar Order.
The story of Ezio, allows us an insight as to his character development, as he grows from a young man seeking revenge, to a Master Assassin, seeking to bring down the Templar Order for the fate of the world depends upon the succession of the Assassin's. Rome is yet another brilliant setting for the Assassin's Creed franchise to take place and Ezio is certainly one of the most interesting Assassin's to follow throughout the franchise.
With help yet again from his previous allies, including Leonardo Da Vinci, the story told here is one of mystery and excitement.
I'm not sure how many times I can praise Bowden for his work on this series. All I can say is that he does not fail to entertain and reveal a new experience to the world of Assassin's Creed. If you have read my previous reviews then you know how much I praise this man for his work on the series of Novels he has written for the fans. Each one delivers a new thrilling experience and each one stays true to the events of the video game as much as possible. Of course each person who plays the video game plays differently. These novels give more of a sense of what the Assassin's themselves would have truly done in the events that unfold.
The story of Ezio, allows us an insight as to his character development, as he grows from a young man seeking revenge, to a Master Assassin, seeking to bring down the Templar Order for the fate of the world depends upon the succession of the Assassin's. Rome is yet another brilliant setting for the Assassin's Creed franchise to take place and Ezio is certainly one of the most interesting Assassin's to follow throughout the franchise.
With help yet again from his previous allies, including Leonardo Da Vinci, the story told here is one of mystery and excitement.
I'm not sure how many times I can praise Bowden for his work on this series. All I can say is that he does not fail to entertain and reveal a new experience to the world of Assassin's Creed. If you have read my previous reviews then you know how much I praise this man for his work on the series of Novels he has written for the fans. Each one delivers a new thrilling experience and each one stays true to the events of the video game as much as possible. Of course each person who plays the video game plays differently. These novels give more of a sense of what the Assassin's themselves would have truly done in the events that unfold.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Ever After in Books
Apr 9, 2019
What would you do if you found out your husband had an affair? Would you try to end the marriage, or work it out? What if sex was not a part of the affair, would that make a difference? These are the questions that Josie has after she finds out that her husband, Frank, has been having an affair for the past seven weeks. Should she stay or go? He's so great with the kids, but what about her? This book takes you on Josie's journey from her discovery of the affair, to her final decision on whether to stay with her husband or get a divorce.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I'm not sure what I would do if infidelity was a question in my marriage. I think, we can all say what we would do, but until we are faced with that situation, I don't think we fully understand how we would feel. Love is a tricky thing and when you find it with someone, it can be devastating when they break that love apart.
When Josie finds out about Frank's affair, her world is turned upside down. She has to find out the answer to all of her questions. She doesn't know if she will ever be able to trust Frank again or how she is going to live without him, as well. This is the man who is the father of her children and the man she has shared a bed with for so many years. But how could he betray her like this? They both decide to go to counseling. But Josie has conditions that Frank must agree to before she will even entertain the fact of sharing just her time with him. Will he agree or will they just end up going their separate ways.
This book is good for any married woman to read and may help you if this is a situation that you may be going through in your life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I'm not sure what I would do if infidelity was a question in my marriage. I think, we can all say what we would do, but until we are faced with that situation, I don't think we fully understand how we would feel. Love is a tricky thing and when you find it with someone, it can be devastating when they break that love apart.
When Josie finds out about Frank's affair, her world is turned upside down. She has to find out the answer to all of her questions. She doesn't know if she will ever be able to trust Frank again or how she is going to live without him, as well. This is the man who is the father of her children and the man she has shared a bed with for so many years. But how could he betray her like this? They both decide to go to counseling. But Josie has conditions that Frank must agree to before she will even entertain the fact of sharing just her time with him. Will he agree or will they just end up going their separate ways.
This book is good for any married woman to read and may help you if this is a situation that you may be going through in your life.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (2nd Edition) in Tabletop Games
Jun 4, 2019
Classic, awesome, brilliant RPG system
Where can I start with 2nd Edition....
For about 10-15 years, 2nd edition D&D was THE game for role playing. For many thousands of people, it is still THE game for role playing.
Dont get me wrong, there are some elements which can seem counter-intuitive; the best armour class is a negative value (so, a normal person standing in normal clothes is AC 10. A fully plate-armoured knight, with a shield, is AC1, but may be 0 or a negative value). But, when you look at the wider picture, it starts to make sense - the main attack measure is THAC0 (To Hit Armour Class 0) and starts at 20, and drops at a varying rate depending on the class. So a level 1 fighter would need to roll a 10 to hit the person mentioned earlier (AC10). To hit the knight, at AC1, the fighter would need to roll a 19.
2nd Ed, for me, is the last D&D which doesnt have a computer game feel. The Proficiency system, which is optional, is one of my favourite bits - it acknowledges that people (even heroes) aren't going to be skilled at everything, and even something mundane like reading would not be necessarily be a common skill.
The plethora of resources available for 2nd Ed is amazing; from the jungles of Chult, to the sprawling Sword Coast, to the stars with Spelljammer, to a homebrew campaign - all you need are three books; the Players Handbook, the DM guide, and the Monstrous Manual, and even that is optional. It is totally possible to play an absence-of-magic settling, and have all players and enemies being humans, or all dwarves, or anything else.
I have heard people say that the latest edition (5th) is all the best bits from 2nd, 3.5, and 4th, but from what I have seen, it might shine a candle to 2nd ed, but it will not claim the crown.
For about 10-15 years, 2nd edition D&D was THE game for role playing. For many thousands of people, it is still THE game for role playing.
Dont get me wrong, there are some elements which can seem counter-intuitive; the best armour class is a negative value (so, a normal person standing in normal clothes is AC 10. A fully plate-armoured knight, with a shield, is AC1, but may be 0 or a negative value). But, when you look at the wider picture, it starts to make sense - the main attack measure is THAC0 (To Hit Armour Class 0) and starts at 20, and drops at a varying rate depending on the class. So a level 1 fighter would need to roll a 10 to hit the person mentioned earlier (AC10). To hit the knight, at AC1, the fighter would need to roll a 19.
2nd Ed, for me, is the last D&D which doesnt have a computer game feel. The Proficiency system, which is optional, is one of my favourite bits - it acknowledges that people (even heroes) aren't going to be skilled at everything, and even something mundane like reading would not be necessarily be a common skill.
The plethora of resources available for 2nd Ed is amazing; from the jungles of Chult, to the sprawling Sword Coast, to the stars with Spelljammer, to a homebrew campaign - all you need are three books; the Players Handbook, the DM guide, and the Monstrous Manual, and even that is optional. It is totally possible to play an absence-of-magic settling, and have all players and enemies being humans, or all dwarves, or anything else.
I have heard people say that the latest edition (5th) is all the best bits from 2nd, 3.5, and 4th, but from what I have seen, it might shine a candle to 2nd ed, but it will not claim the crown.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Coffinmaker's Garden (Ash Henderson #3) in Books
Jan 17, 2021
I realise that starting to read a series on book 3 is probably not the best idea but having previously read and enjoyed some of Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae series, I thought what the heck and I certainly wasn't disappointed in the slightest and would definitely say this works as a standalone.
What we have here are 2 investigations that are equally disturbing and upsetting - a serial killer who has gone undetected for decades and a child killer who is refining his modus operandi with each innocent life he takes. Ash, in his role as consultant, is involved in both.
The characters are great - Ash, Alice, Mother, Shifty, DS Franklin and even Henry - all of them in fact, some may be a tad OTT or stereotypical but all had their place and their own little quirks which made them believable. The various settings were really well written with the scenes being so well written that they invoked sounds and smells that put me right there.
The book is written mainly from Ash's point of view. He can be a cynical and grumpy so-and-so and definitely doesn't do things by the books and does have questionable decision-making skills at times, but he definitely grew on me; I think it was his dark sense of humour that did it but also his aversion to authority who have been so far removed from the job that they haven't got a clue helped a bit ... oh and the fact that he certainly gets put through the wringer by Mr MacBride during his investigation and from what has obviously gone on in the previous books in the series, which might have had something to do with it too!
With the story lines being as dark as they are, you might think this is a dark and depressing read but fear not, this is not the case at all. Yes, as you can imagine, it's not a laugh a minute and there is quite a lot of violence throughout but there are plenty of lighter moments that will have you laughing out loud. You do have to suspend reality for some parts of the book as there are bits that are a little unbelievable but if you can't do this in a work of fiction, when can you? and it certainly didn't spoil my reading experience.
All in all, a really great book and one I would highly recommend to those of you who love their crime thrillers dark both in the plot and the humour.
Thanks to HarperCollins / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What we have here are 2 investigations that are equally disturbing and upsetting - a serial killer who has gone undetected for decades and a child killer who is refining his modus operandi with each innocent life he takes. Ash, in his role as consultant, is involved in both.
The characters are great - Ash, Alice, Mother, Shifty, DS Franklin and even Henry - all of them in fact, some may be a tad OTT or stereotypical but all had their place and their own little quirks which made them believable. The various settings were really well written with the scenes being so well written that they invoked sounds and smells that put me right there.
The book is written mainly from Ash's point of view. He can be a cynical and grumpy so-and-so and definitely doesn't do things by the books and does have questionable decision-making skills at times, but he definitely grew on me; I think it was his dark sense of humour that did it but also his aversion to authority who have been so far removed from the job that they haven't got a clue helped a bit ... oh and the fact that he certainly gets put through the wringer by Mr MacBride during his investigation and from what has obviously gone on in the previous books in the series, which might have had something to do with it too!
With the story lines being as dark as they are, you might think this is a dark and depressing read but fear not, this is not the case at all. Yes, as you can imagine, it's not a laugh a minute and there is quite a lot of violence throughout but there are plenty of lighter moments that will have you laughing out loud. You do have to suspend reality for some parts of the book as there are bits that are a little unbelievable but if you can't do this in a work of fiction, when can you? and it certainly didn't spoil my reading experience.
All in all, a really great book and one I would highly recommend to those of you who love their crime thrillers dark both in the plot and the humour.
Thanks to HarperCollins / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tales of Evil in Tabletop Games
Oct 1, 2020
It is no surprise that following the enormous success of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” that creators would begin developing ideas borrowed from the show’s setting or characters. Of course we have seen games in this “80s kids Goonie-esque adventure game” genre before, and I have to say that I love the setting. When I saw the Kickstarter campaign for Tales of Evil I was immediately drawn to it. Did my investment pay off or is this one a gnarly bust?
Tales of Evil is a cooperative, horror, storytelling, adventure game that uses a unique new “Fusion System” throughout the game. Players will be taking on personas of kids from the 1980s who belong to a club named “Pizza & Investigation.” I do not wish to reveal too much in this review, so I will be covering this as a Solo Chronicles using one character going through the introductory tutorial mission.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter Deluxe version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, well, just follow the setup instructions in the rulebook. There’s too much for me to explain here. For one character playing the tutorial scenario, the game setup should look similar to what is pictured below. Maybe. The rulebook does not specifically state WHERE each item should be placed, so players will have ultimate freedom to setup items where they see fit to be most efficient for themselves.
Players in Tales of Evil will have no real “turn structure” as most games do, because all players will be adventuring together as a group. So characters will be moving as a group and never splitting the party (RPGers breathe a sigh of relief… maybe). However, as with many adventure games of this style, once players explore into new areas certain markers will placed on the board (Clue, Darkness, Mystery, Search, etc). These markers signify different actions that can be taken, or entrances to areas that are blocked or found, or something that could be traced from one area to another. The leader of the group for the time being is in possession of the Walkie-Talkie and will make all final decisions for the group after any discussion (for solo players, it is just a nice prop). Usually searching for items will result in a card draw and upon the card will be a test to pass using the stats on the player character mat to roll dice for successes. Of course, the other side of that are horrible losses as well.
Players will be traipsing through the area and reading passages from two actual books: the Story Book and the Event Book. Most of the action happens in the Story Book and it will guide players through the story and once choices are made or tests succeeded/failed, the book will instruct players what to do next and to which section to turn to further the story (a la Tales of the Arabian Nights). The game continues in this fashion until the story ends with victory or defeat.
Components. Why yes, that is a real spoon in the photo above. No, it does not come with the game. I will explain in a bit. The components in this game are great. Each character has their own mat for organization, action cards, equipment cards, and status cards that dictate the difficulty of the game and how the character degrades over time in the horror-filled mission. Some components are even glow-in-the-dark! A nice touch, but certainly unnecessary. I find everything to be wonderful quality, even the cards that are kind of polarizing on the KS comments are nice (people are complaining that they are not linen-finished, but I believe the publisher made the right call to make them matte finished if the linen obscured the look and art on them). Thumbs up for components from me.
I wanted to wait until my final thoughts to explain the whole “Fusion System” that is in play here. Tales of Evil uses the catchphrase, “You will get into the game and the game will get into you!” Now, I’m not sure exactly how this game is getting into me, but I’m certainly digging the game and this Fusion System. You see, some cards (in the tutorial, remember, so I’m not really giving much away here) will give players 60 seconds to grab a kitchen spoon for some benefit and a debilitation if they are unable to find one – hence the spoon in my photos. Another card relies on the character (and also then the player) removing their shoes. Still yet another deals with fire or people smoking in the vicinity. If there is fire nearby in real life, it affects the effects of the card drawn. It’s ingenious and I love every little bit of it! I can’t wait to see how the Fusion System will work in this game more and how it can be applied to other games in the future.
All in all I love everything about Tales of Evil. The setting is great, the Pizza & Investigation kids are awesome, and the game itself is incredibly engaging and makes you really think about the choices you make within. Perhaps the haunting feeling of doubting some choices is how the game gets into you, because I did find myself wondering what would have happened had I chosen a different course for some instances. I am very drawn to this game and I want to tackle all of the scenarios. Even solo! And another great thing about Tales of Evil is the fact that a player (or players) can join a game already in progress! So if I am exploring solo and my wife decides she wants to hop in, she just grabs a character mat, sets up the character, and dives right in with me. I LOVE games like that. So versatile.
While I should probably stop gushing at this point I just can’t. This game is so much fun and worth every penny spent on it. I implore you, if you are a fan of exploration adventure games in this vein you definitely need to snatch up a copy whenever you see one. And if you love it as much as I do let me know. We can swap adventure stories.
Oh did I mention the designer is even created a way for us normies to create our own scenarios and upload them to other Tales of Evil players? Yeah, I’m fascinated by that as well…
Tales of Evil is a cooperative, horror, storytelling, adventure game that uses a unique new “Fusion System” throughout the game. Players will be taking on personas of kids from the 1980s who belong to a club named “Pizza & Investigation.” I do not wish to reveal too much in this review, so I will be covering this as a Solo Chronicles using one character going through the introductory tutorial mission.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter Deluxe version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, well, just follow the setup instructions in the rulebook. There’s too much for me to explain here. For one character playing the tutorial scenario, the game setup should look similar to what is pictured below. Maybe. The rulebook does not specifically state WHERE each item should be placed, so players will have ultimate freedom to setup items where they see fit to be most efficient for themselves.
Players in Tales of Evil will have no real “turn structure” as most games do, because all players will be adventuring together as a group. So characters will be moving as a group and never splitting the party (RPGers breathe a sigh of relief… maybe). However, as with many adventure games of this style, once players explore into new areas certain markers will placed on the board (Clue, Darkness, Mystery, Search, etc). These markers signify different actions that can be taken, or entrances to areas that are blocked or found, or something that could be traced from one area to another. The leader of the group for the time being is in possession of the Walkie-Talkie and will make all final decisions for the group after any discussion (for solo players, it is just a nice prop). Usually searching for items will result in a card draw and upon the card will be a test to pass using the stats on the player character mat to roll dice for successes. Of course, the other side of that are horrible losses as well.
Players will be traipsing through the area and reading passages from two actual books: the Story Book and the Event Book. Most of the action happens in the Story Book and it will guide players through the story and once choices are made or tests succeeded/failed, the book will instruct players what to do next and to which section to turn to further the story (a la Tales of the Arabian Nights). The game continues in this fashion until the story ends with victory or defeat.
Components. Why yes, that is a real spoon in the photo above. No, it does not come with the game. I will explain in a bit. The components in this game are great. Each character has their own mat for organization, action cards, equipment cards, and status cards that dictate the difficulty of the game and how the character degrades over time in the horror-filled mission. Some components are even glow-in-the-dark! A nice touch, but certainly unnecessary. I find everything to be wonderful quality, even the cards that are kind of polarizing on the KS comments are nice (people are complaining that they are not linen-finished, but I believe the publisher made the right call to make them matte finished if the linen obscured the look and art on them). Thumbs up for components from me.
I wanted to wait until my final thoughts to explain the whole “Fusion System” that is in play here. Tales of Evil uses the catchphrase, “You will get into the game and the game will get into you!” Now, I’m not sure exactly how this game is getting into me, but I’m certainly digging the game and this Fusion System. You see, some cards (in the tutorial, remember, so I’m not really giving much away here) will give players 60 seconds to grab a kitchen spoon for some benefit and a debilitation if they are unable to find one – hence the spoon in my photos. Another card relies on the character (and also then the player) removing their shoes. Still yet another deals with fire or people smoking in the vicinity. If there is fire nearby in real life, it affects the effects of the card drawn. It’s ingenious and I love every little bit of it! I can’t wait to see how the Fusion System will work in this game more and how it can be applied to other games in the future.
All in all I love everything about Tales of Evil. The setting is great, the Pizza & Investigation kids are awesome, and the game itself is incredibly engaging and makes you really think about the choices you make within. Perhaps the haunting feeling of doubting some choices is how the game gets into you, because I did find myself wondering what would have happened had I chosen a different course for some instances. I am very drawn to this game and I want to tackle all of the scenarios. Even solo! And another great thing about Tales of Evil is the fact that a player (or players) can join a game already in progress! So if I am exploring solo and my wife decides she wants to hop in, she just grabs a character mat, sets up the character, and dives right in with me. I LOVE games like that. So versatile.
While I should probably stop gushing at this point I just can’t. This game is so much fun and worth every penny spent on it. I implore you, if you are a fan of exploration adventure games in this vein you definitely need to snatch up a copy whenever you see one. And if you love it as much as I do let me know. We can swap adventure stories.
Oh did I mention the designer is even created a way for us normies to create our own scenarios and upload them to other Tales of Evil players? Yeah, I’m fascinated by that as well…
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
First off I want to address the elephant in the room, or more accurately, the serial killer in the room. Kudos to Cineworld for always engaging in dressing up banter for their movies, but honestly, I don't need to be tormented by them during the movie too. We're all familiar with the hovering member of staff who checks the screens during the performance. When the titles started to role on Halloween I was aware of the lurking figure, unlike other times though when I glanced out of the corner of my eye I wasn't greeted with the friendly face of an employee but rather the mask-clad face of a serial killer. At least he wasn't creeping up on me otherwise I would have unleashed the power of my flying handbag... you try and scare people there WILL be consequences! Saying that I would love them to re-release Scream so I could dress up as Ghostface and just tilt my head at people.
Anyway, to the film!
Having just seen the original I found it very easy to draw parallels between the two. The links were everywhere and it made for a nice familiar touch, which I found surprising as it isn't a film that I'm really that well versed in.
The opening credits were obviously a highlight and it was fun to watch the scene unfold, literally. Having not seen many of the other Halloween offerings I don't know how they dealt with Michael and Laurie's connection, not that it really matters I suppose as they tossed out the rest of the timeline out of the window for this one.
Comparing the two films you can really see how they've given Laurie some of Michael's traits. He's so much a part of her that she's even taken to lurking like him outside the school watching her granddaughter. She progresses through the film much like he did in the first, with little flashes of him in her actions like when we see her exit a restaurant and stand at the end of the path like he did after murdering his sister.
We see the escape from the transfer but we don't really know how it happened, although I had my suspicions. Yet again we see a mirror of events from the first film. The patients are roaming around and Michael attacks without mercy to get what he wants/needs.
I'll take a quick diversion here to talk about one of my dislikes about the film. The journalists doing the interviews with Michael and Laurie. I understand why they were there. Michael needed to get his identity back and some groundwork needed to be laid so that the audience could see what Laurie had been working to her whole life... but... I didn't find either character to be particularly effective and the small monologues for the tape seemed poorly executed. Yes, yes, they're just making audio notes for the final piece, but as a film they're supposed to be crafting the scene in a way that flows, and they really don't. Of course as I said, they need to be there so that Michael can get his face back so *shrug* their fate wasn't such a sad one for the story line.
I think what makes Michael so effective as the bad guy is that he's just so brazen. He's got one objective and his single mindedness means that he never stops. It doesn't matter that he's wearing his hospital clothing, he has to do something and that confidence makes him invisible to almost everyone until it's too late. Seeing him in the background of shots brings on the anticipation of what's to come. When it's dark you're squinting at an area that seems unusually framed waiting to see that face emerge from the gloom. It works incredibly well and brings almost a glee to the watcher. You know something that the characters don't... you could survive this thing.
Movies these days seem to be finding some very talented kids and the writers are furnishing them with excellent lines. Jibrail Nantambu as Julian, the ill-fated babysitting job of Haddonfield, brings the comedy in what is otherwise the bleak slasher-fest you'd expect. He's got the witty banter, the attitude, and he delivers perfectly. Watch out for my favourite piece of the movie where Vicky his babysitter attempts to go and investigate for a possible intruder. Julian knows where horror films are at, and he knows who's expendable, good job kid.
As a sequel I think it works really well. Trying to erase the knowledge that there were films in between was challenging though. It's an 18 certificate though and the more I watch them these days the more I wonder exactly how TV and film has jaded my perception of things. Sure, there's a lot of murdering! But none of it seemed particularly graphic or violent to me. Like I say... perhaps I've just become accustomed to it.
What you should do
If you enjoy horror films then I think this one would appeal. Especially if you see the original before you go. I'm sure it would work as a standalone film with only basic knowledge of the first, but there's no denying how well they'll work together in a double bill.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
As with the original, I would still like some of Laurie Strode's luck at surviving against the odds.
Anyway, to the film!
Having just seen the original I found it very easy to draw parallels between the two. The links were everywhere and it made for a nice familiar touch, which I found surprising as it isn't a film that I'm really that well versed in.
The opening credits were obviously a highlight and it was fun to watch the scene unfold, literally. Having not seen many of the other Halloween offerings I don't know how they dealt with Michael and Laurie's connection, not that it really matters I suppose as they tossed out the rest of the timeline out of the window for this one.
Comparing the two films you can really see how they've given Laurie some of Michael's traits. He's so much a part of her that she's even taken to lurking like him outside the school watching her granddaughter. She progresses through the film much like he did in the first, with little flashes of him in her actions like when we see her exit a restaurant and stand at the end of the path like he did after murdering his sister.
We see the escape from the transfer but we don't really know how it happened, although I had my suspicions. Yet again we see a mirror of events from the first film. The patients are roaming around and Michael attacks without mercy to get what he wants/needs.
I'll take a quick diversion here to talk about one of my dislikes about the film. The journalists doing the interviews with Michael and Laurie. I understand why they were there. Michael needed to get his identity back and some groundwork needed to be laid so that the audience could see what Laurie had been working to her whole life... but... I didn't find either character to be particularly effective and the small monologues for the tape seemed poorly executed. Yes, yes, they're just making audio notes for the final piece, but as a film they're supposed to be crafting the scene in a way that flows, and they really don't. Of course as I said, they need to be there so that Michael can get his face back so *shrug* their fate wasn't such a sad one for the story line.
I think what makes Michael so effective as the bad guy is that he's just so brazen. He's got one objective and his single mindedness means that he never stops. It doesn't matter that he's wearing his hospital clothing, he has to do something and that confidence makes him invisible to almost everyone until it's too late. Seeing him in the background of shots brings on the anticipation of what's to come. When it's dark you're squinting at an area that seems unusually framed waiting to see that face emerge from the gloom. It works incredibly well and brings almost a glee to the watcher. You know something that the characters don't... you could survive this thing.
Movies these days seem to be finding some very talented kids and the writers are furnishing them with excellent lines. Jibrail Nantambu as Julian, the ill-fated babysitting job of Haddonfield, brings the comedy in what is otherwise the bleak slasher-fest you'd expect. He's got the witty banter, the attitude, and he delivers perfectly. Watch out for my favourite piece of the movie where Vicky his babysitter attempts to go and investigate for a possible intruder. Julian knows where horror films are at, and he knows who's expendable, good job kid.
As a sequel I think it works really well. Trying to erase the knowledge that there were films in between was challenging though. It's an 18 certificate though and the more I watch them these days the more I wonder exactly how TV and film has jaded my perception of things. Sure, there's a lot of murdering! But none of it seemed particularly graphic or violent to me. Like I say... perhaps I've just become accustomed to it.
What you should do
If you enjoy horror films then I think this one would appeal. Especially if you see the original before you go. I'm sure it would work as a standalone film with only basic knowledge of the first, but there's no denying how well they'll work together in a double bill.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
As with the original, I would still like some of Laurie Strode's luck at surviving against the odds.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Flowers for Algernon in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A must read
Contains spoilers, click to show
Flowers for Algernon is an amazing journey that makes you take a step back and rethink things. It brings up a lot of issues that, no matter what time we are in, always seem to be around us, whether we notice or not. I found this story to be touching and in ways a bit disturbing. The journey in which this book takes you on, definitely makes you rethink things you may have done or witnessed in the past. It will have you thinking differently about those with learning disabilities and other mental issues. To see it from the point of view of someone who would go through these hardships, you are able to get the feel and understanding of things that you may not have had before.
Charlie is mentally retarded and it shows in his progress reports, which is where the whole story lies in. His grammar is horrible and his spelling can make it hard to read at first. It was hard to remind myself over the first few pages that the way it was written is exactly how someone like Charlie would write. However, it is very clear from the beginning he wants to "get smart." However, his reasoning behind it makes me shudder. I don't shudder because it makes me scared, but because of the disgust I feel towards how people treat him. He states he wants to please his teacher and be able to join in on conversations with his co-workers. He feels isolated and wants to be more than he is. Even though its clear people are making fun of him, he doesn't see it that way because they are laughing and smiling. To him, that means they are his friends. It isn't until later her realizes they are laughing at him that he begins to understand things.
I really liked how as Charlie learned new things and became more intelligent than he was, his progress reports became clearer and easier to read. But with his intelligence growing, he noticed other areas of his life were lacking. He no longer acted the way he had before, began to think very differently and still had the emotions of a child but in a whole new aspect. He was smart, but it was clear he was happier before the operation and the rise in his I.Q. It kind of goes to show that being smart doesn't always means you will be happy. He had to suffer to understand that the way his mind was changing wasn't exactly what he wanted. He wanted so much and even though he got smarter like he wanted, he lost the motivating factors behind it. He ended up losing his job and a lot of the people who surrounded him because of how his personality changed. It was heartbreaking to see him go through the hardships and feel so alone.
I found myself enjoying the fact that even during these hardships, he remained close with Algernon, the mouse who proved the operation worked. Charlie spoke fondly of the mouse, even though at first he hated him. It was pleasant to see that Charlie still had a friend, even if it was just a mouse. Especially with his memories torturing him whenever they decided to pop up. I found Charlie's childhood heartbreaking and exceptionally disturbing. His mother's ideals seemed to be wrong in my opinion. I don't know what she went through, but to be so harsh on a child and to not believe anyone because of how it might make her look to her neighbors and other people, was quite disturbing to me. I found myself hating the woman, and yet I know there are plenty of people who would do the same to their child, even in this day and age.
I have to say the ending was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever read. I understand there will always be risks to experiments that mess with ones brain, but I had really hoped for the best for Charlie. I wasn't fond of his intellectual self because of how he acted towards others and how he thought, but at the same time, to have him lose everything made me tear up and cry. It was truly not a desirable ending. However, seeing him put others first again was heartwarming. It goes to show you, sometimes it those who don't really understand things that are the kindest of people out there. It makes me think of those social studies of people asking others for money and it is the homeless who will try to help out versus those who have a lot they could give. I firmly believe that this book was created to show just how things can appear to be okay and its really not.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is in 9th grade or higher. I think we all need a reality check from time to time. I have read this book in high school for a book report and even though I am a decade older, rereading it reminded me of how much I loved this book. It has a bunch of underlying meanings and not just on intelligence. I loved the little hidden lessons and thoughts behind this book. It definitely gets your brain working and really puts our society in a truthful light. Even though its based on mental retardation, you can easily apply a lot of what is discussed in Charlie's progress reports and the things it hints at to other sources of discrimination . I would ultimately rate this book 5 stars out of stars. Though the book seems simple to read, it touches base on things in our everyday world that we normally wouldn't think twice about, and probably should. Flowers for Algernon is truly an amazing read.
Charlie is mentally retarded and it shows in his progress reports, which is where the whole story lies in. His grammar is horrible and his spelling can make it hard to read at first. It was hard to remind myself over the first few pages that the way it was written is exactly how someone like Charlie would write. However, it is very clear from the beginning he wants to "get smart." However, his reasoning behind it makes me shudder. I don't shudder because it makes me scared, but because of the disgust I feel towards how people treat him. He states he wants to please his teacher and be able to join in on conversations with his co-workers. He feels isolated and wants to be more than he is. Even though its clear people are making fun of him, he doesn't see it that way because they are laughing and smiling. To him, that means they are his friends. It isn't until later her realizes they are laughing at him that he begins to understand things.
I really liked how as Charlie learned new things and became more intelligent than he was, his progress reports became clearer and easier to read. But with his intelligence growing, he noticed other areas of his life were lacking. He no longer acted the way he had before, began to think very differently and still had the emotions of a child but in a whole new aspect. He was smart, but it was clear he was happier before the operation and the rise in his I.Q. It kind of goes to show that being smart doesn't always means you will be happy. He had to suffer to understand that the way his mind was changing wasn't exactly what he wanted. He wanted so much and even though he got smarter like he wanted, he lost the motivating factors behind it. He ended up losing his job and a lot of the people who surrounded him because of how his personality changed. It was heartbreaking to see him go through the hardships and feel so alone.
I found myself enjoying the fact that even during these hardships, he remained close with Algernon, the mouse who proved the operation worked. Charlie spoke fondly of the mouse, even though at first he hated him. It was pleasant to see that Charlie still had a friend, even if it was just a mouse. Especially with his memories torturing him whenever they decided to pop up. I found Charlie's childhood heartbreaking and exceptionally disturbing. His mother's ideals seemed to be wrong in my opinion. I don't know what she went through, but to be so harsh on a child and to not believe anyone because of how it might make her look to her neighbors and other people, was quite disturbing to me. I found myself hating the woman, and yet I know there are plenty of people who would do the same to their child, even in this day and age.
I have to say the ending was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever read. I understand there will always be risks to experiments that mess with ones brain, but I had really hoped for the best for Charlie. I wasn't fond of his intellectual self because of how he acted towards others and how he thought, but at the same time, to have him lose everything made me tear up and cry. It was truly not a desirable ending. However, seeing him put others first again was heartwarming. It goes to show you, sometimes it those who don't really understand things that are the kindest of people out there. It makes me think of those social studies of people asking others for money and it is the homeless who will try to help out versus those who have a lot they could give. I firmly believe that this book was created to show just how things can appear to be okay and its really not.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is in 9th grade or higher. I think we all need a reality check from time to time. I have read this book in high school for a book report and even though I am a decade older, rereading it reminded me of how much I loved this book. It has a bunch of underlying meanings and not just on intelligence. I loved the little hidden lessons and thoughts behind this book. It definitely gets your brain working and really puts our society in a truthful light. Even though its based on mental retardation, you can easily apply a lot of what is discussed in Charlie's progress reports and the things it hints at to other sources of discrimination . I would ultimately rate this book 5 stars out of stars. Though the book seems simple to read, it touches base on things in our everyday world that we normally wouldn't think twice about, and probably should. Flowers for Algernon is truly an amazing read.
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