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Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
2021 | Horror, Thriller
Chris rock (2 more)
Samuel l jackson
Gore
Not enough Samuel l jackson (0 more)
Third visit to the cinema this week must admit for a saw sequel its better than some previous entries there has been i must have lost count how many there is now anyway no spoilers here from me figured out early on who the copy cat was. There was some good traps in this one. Could have done bit more Samuel l jackson but I still liked the movie and does leave the door open for another sequel
  
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Not terribly creative, but gets the job done
Maybe Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson will be the next Mel Gibson and Danny Glover or Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan!

Entertaining throughout with some witty dialogue and creative action scenes, you could certainly do a lot worse than this action comedy.


The Reynolds-Jackson chemistry is what works best in the film and takes you through some of the dull moments.


I was entertained throughout.


  
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
2021 | Horror, Thriller
It's the right amount of dark and gritty with a decent performance from Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson! (0 more)
Traps aren't all that imaginative, the social justice angle is all over the place and it is a little too far removed from the tried and proven SAW formula!10 (0 more)
Flawed but enjoyable!
It's been a little more than 10 years since the death of John Kramer aka The Jigsaw Killer! A new killer emerges from the shadows, with a very different agenda and is hellbent on continuing Jigsaw's legacy. Detective Zeke Banks is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into a vast conspiracy involving the dark deeds of the corrupt system he once swore to protect!

In reality the killer is very uninspired, the traps are not as elegantly designed and there is very little of the SAW DNA present in the film. The main reasons to watch SPIRAL are Chris Rock and Sam Jackson!
  
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
2014 | Action, Sci-Fi
Captain America: world police
Hold on to your shields, cos cap is back and he didn't skip leg day!
Wth a new less campy outfit and an ever growing addiction to kick someone's ass,
Captain America returns to take on the also returning Hydra, he must form a team to take on the oncoming threat which has a secret weapon....the winter soldier!
With awesome cameos, plenty of action and a twist you didn't see coming (unless you read the comics) Captain America: the winter soldier is a must see for all comic book nerds and geeks alike and to anyone in seek of a great action movie
Starring chris evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson, Sebastian stan, Bath Mackie, Cobie Smulders.
  
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Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in Movies

May 15, 2019 (Updated May 15, 2019)  
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
2015 | Action, Sci-Fi
Set up for the future films (0 more)
Feels disjointed and has clear studio intervention issues. (0 more)
A great second Avengers outing
Starring: Robert Downey JR, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Rennee, James Spader, Samuel L Jackson and Paul Bettany.

Directed by: Joss Whedon.

Plot - Tony Stark creates an AI that turns psychopathic and is determined to destroy the world. The Avengers must stop the AI known as Ultron.

With spectacular visuals and an amusing villain this is on the surface of things, exactly what you would want a sequel to the excellent Avengers Assemble to be. The way in which the Avengers are reintroduced is quit simply one of the coolest things I've seen for a while.
The issue is that it treads over a great deal of previous material and doesn't feel as original and fresh as the previous.
Surprisingly something that is handled brilliantly is the volume of characters that are in this. Something that many have tried and failed. Huge kudos for this Mr Whedon.
With a great deal more humour, a romance that feels slightly forced and amazing action sequences I would rate this marginally below Avengers Assemble. That being said, I enjoyed it immensely and would definitely recommend seeing it.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 30, 2020  
Today's special guest on my blog is Teddy Jones, author of the literary fiction novel SLANTED LIGHT! Read her fantastic guest post about her writing journey, and enter the giveaway to win these fantastic prizes:

Grand Prize: $25 Amazon gift card and signed copies of both books in the Jackson's Pond, Texas Series by Teddy Jones
Two Winners: Signed copy of Slanted Light by Teddy Jones

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-slanted.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Teddy Jones’s earlier novel, Jackson’s Pond, Texas, began the saga of the Jackson family. Now, Slanted Light continues their tale.

Claire Havlicek’s late night call brings her brother Chris Banks from his home in New Mexico back to the town that bears their family name, Jackson’s Pond. She’s collapsed under the weight of threats to her thirteen-year marriage that have undermined her confidence and her will. Her husband, J. D., responds to seduction by a woman in need; theft and the threat of a forced buyout jeopardize Claire’s two medical clinics; drought imperils their ranch and cattle business; a teenage daughter turns to bulimia.

When Claire admits her limits, her grandmother, Willa Jackson, and the other members of her family help her learn that being human, weaknesses and all, can be a source of strength and joy.
     
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers (2012)
2012 | Action, Sci-Fi
The first Avengers movie is a real treat - it was at the time of the release and it is now. In 2012, the culmination of the first handful of MCU movies was just glorious, seeing all these heroes together for the first time. Now in 2020, we've become accustomed to that, spoilt by the more recent Infinity War and Endgame, it's easy to forget just how special Avengers is in it's comparative humbleness, especially for people who grew up reading these stories in comic books.

The main bulk of the cast, comprised of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo (in his first appearance as Bruce Banner/Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner all bounce off of each other so naturally. The balance of dramatic moments and back and forth humour on display laid the blueprint for many MCU films to come, most notably Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tom Hiddleston steps up his game from the first Thor film and gives us an instantly iconic villain in Loki, one that has only been rivalled since by Thanos in terms of character development and story.

The set pieces are fantastic as well, most memorably, the Hulk and Thor battle on the Helicarrier, and of course the huge and ridiculous final show down in Manhattan, and the CGI still looks great 8 years down the line. A big event movie such as this was only made possible by introducing the individual characters slowly over a number of years, and it's proof that patience pays off. A formula that Marvel Studios have since mastered.

I know that none of these films are The Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane, but fuck me, films like Avengers Assemble (it's UK title) are so stupidly entertaining, and everything a kid who grew up reading comics could possibly want.
  
The Sky Throne
The Sky Throne
Chris Ledbetter | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.</i></b>
I haven't been on a blog tour in so long, it's weirddd. How do I format things again?

Honestly, I'm starting to trust Chris Ledbetter's ideas because all of the books I've come across/read that are by him all have one thing in common: they're different, they're unique and they refreshing take on something. <b>Please don't ever let me down with bookish concepts. I'm picky now, and I'd probably cry.</b>

Ledbetter doesn't disappoint, of course. Well before the demigods of Mount Olympus and Percy Jackson existed, there were the Titans and the Olympians. "<b>WAIT, you ask. DOES THIS MEAN IF I LIKE RICK RIORDAN'S BOOKS, I MIGHT LIKE <i>THE SKY THRONE</i>."</b>

And let's be honest: the Olympians probably didn't spring into adulthood straight from birth, so they have to start somewhere, even if it starts with Hyperion attacking young Zeus and killing his best friend in the process. <b>This would be a highly tragic way for Lupe to die because she IS my best friend.</b> He is then sent to Mount Olympus Preparatory, which if we're putting two things together, all of the students who go there will later be known as the Olympians.

Considering the fact Greek mythology is vast, there is a large cast of characters - anyone who knows little to nothing about Greek mythology might end up lost keeping track of all the characters and who they are. We've got the major players: Chronos/Kronos, Rhea, Zeus, the rest of the Olympians, the Titans, etc. - most of them have nicknames that are remotely similar to their original name, but it may be difficult to keep track regardless. <b>Or maybe I'm very strange and have a shabby memory. My brain cries when I try to remember too hard.</b>

"Okay, but the Olympians and Titans usually bicker like nobody's business. Is that included and will it give me headache (aka make me want to throw the book against the wall)?" Despite the somewhat large cast of characters, Ledbetter has a great balance between what <i style="font-weight: bold;">we</i> as readers know about Greek figures depicted in media and a personality each character has of their own. The Olympians have their bickering and putting each other down sometimes, but it's a lot less bickering and more familial than what I know of, which is 10 tablespoons of bickering and 1/2 teaspoon of actually getting along. <b>Yes, Percy Jackson. I'm eyeballing you, even if I loved you in my middle school days.</b>

<i>The Sky Throne</i> brings back great middle school reading memories without trying to replace them - fans of Rick Riordan's <i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians</i> and <i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> will most likely find themselves enjoying the first book in Ledbetter's new series.
<b>
</b> And lo and behold, Ledbetter has confirmed! There is a sequel in the works! Secretly I'm dancing around. Shh.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-sky-throne-by-chris-ledbetter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Hateful Eight (2015) in Movies

Aug 30, 2019 (Updated Sep 11, 2019)  
The Hateful Eight (2015)
The Hateful Eight (2015)
2015 | Action, Western
A modern masterpiece
Honestly, there is nothing I dislike about the 8th film from Quentin Tarantino. Absolutely nothing.

From the minute The Hateful Eight starts it's meaty runtime, we're treated to some stunning long distance shots. The setting is gorgeous, and every shot in the opening moments has been shot with care.
It's not long until the cast start getting introduced, specifically Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), John Ruth (Kurt Russell), Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), as they all make their way to the town of Red Rock for various reasons.
All four of them are fantastic, as they masterfully work Tarantino's wonderful script. As usual, the dialogue throughout The Hateful Eight is thoroughly engaging, and didn't lose my attention for one second.

On the way there, they stop at an inn to shelter from the violent blizzard - Minnie's Haberdashery - where the rest of the film takes place. It's here we meet Bob (Demián Bichir), Oswald Mobray (Tom Roth), Joe Gabe (Michael Madsen), and General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), rounding out our eight strong cast of hateful characters.

What follows is a dialogue heavy, intense ride as these characters begin to find themselves at odds with each other, revealing hidden secrets along the way, in the aftermath of American Civil War.
It's an intriguing set up that I can't say anymore about without spoiling anything.
It's certainly a film that benefits from knowing nothing about it before going in.

As I said, this is an amazing looking movie, with an extremely solid cast, and a tight and often funny script. The music score is beautiful just to add a lovely finishing touch.

I can't praise this masterpiece enough - Tarantino at his best.
  
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
2014 | Action, Sci-Fi
This first sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger is everything a sequel should be. It has bigger and better set pieces, it has a bigger emotional centre, it brings in already established MCU characters and introduces new ones, and is arguably one of the best entries into the MCU to date.

Chris Evans does nothing more than tighten his grip around his most famous role. He joins Robert Downey Jr. in the category of irreplaceable actors for these characters.
Scarlett Johansson is once again great as Black Widow, and newcomer Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon provides Cap with a likeable new ally. The three of them as a sort of mini Avengers in this movie are fantastic.
Sebastian Stan plays The Winter Soldier with aplomb, and gives us a truly dangerous antagonist. The dude is fucking terrifying, yet his relationship with Steve Rogers gives us the heart of this movie. It's a tragic story which of course will be further explored in Civil War further down the line.
The cast is rounded off with Samuel L. Jackson returning as Nick Fury, Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, and some smaller roles for Cobie Smulders and Hayley Atwell.
It's a really solid cast all in all, an area that Marvel Studios rarely missteps.

The set pieces are hugely high octane and thrilling. The opening scene on the barge is a highlight, as well as the teams fight with the Winter Soldier midway through. Even Nick Fury gets a banger of an action sequence. Also, this film boasts probably the biggest plot twist gut punch in the whole MCU with the SHIELD/Hydra reveal. It's an extremely well crafted, ballsy narrative that impacts the shape of the MCU going forward.

There's honestly nothing bad to say about this one. It's top tier comic book cinema.