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Lumos (380 KP) rated Caraval in Books

Jan 7, 2018  
Caraval
Caraval
Stephanie Garber | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.1 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
A dark and quirky cross between The Hunger Games and The Night Circus. (0 more)
I couldn't put it down!
  
BloodRayne (2006)
BloodRayne (2006)
2006 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Rayne of blood
So this movie excist, bloodrayne came out the same month as uwe bolls other terrible movie- alone in the dark. So in 2006, you didnt get one but two terrible uwe boll movies that came out the same month, both based off of video games.

Bloodrayne is about- In 18th-century Romania, after spending much of her life in a traveling circus, human-vampire hybrid Rayne (Kristanna Loken) escapes and plots to take down her evil vampire father, Kagan (Ben Kingsley). When she's discovered by three vampire hunters, Vladimir (Michael Madsen), Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez) and Sebastian (Matt Davis), she manages to convince them to spare her life and join her cause. But slaying a vampire as powerful as Kagan will be no easy task.

The cast is wasted on this film. Im not sure why they signed up for this movie in the first place, but their did.

Its a god awful movie that no one, i mean no one should suffer through.
  
BloodRayne (2006)
BloodRayne (2006)
2006 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Turning a video game into a feature film is often a daunting task. With a large built in audience, gamers tend to be very picky over film adaptations and agitate very easily over even the slightest deviation from the source material.

Often in games, storylines are kept to the basic elements in order to keep the action flowing, unhindered by dialogue, character development, and plot twists as the notion is that gamers want action and will become bored if they have to wait through the elements listed above.

It is ironic that in films bases on games, the paring down of plot and characters in favor of a more linear setup and action often draws the wrath of critics and gamers for doing what game makers have been doing for years, letting gamers get to the goods.

In the new film Bloodrayne based on the hit game series of the same name by Majesco, Director Uwe Boll has crafted a film that explores the how and whys of the game series, focusing on the origins of the title character Rayne (Kristanna Loken), who toils as the half-human, half-vampire Dhampir in remote 18th century Romania as a freak in a traveling circus. Here ability to be burned by water yet healed by the blood of animals is a big drawing card to the circus, who has no problem exploiting her only to lock her in an animal cage when the show is over.

Unknown to Rayne, her fate is about to become entwined with a man named Vladamir (Michael Madsen), a vampire hunter and member of a secret society dedicated to eliminating the threat they pose. It is learned that the land is under the control of a powerful vampire named Kagan (Ben Kinglsey), who is seeking to locate and reunite three vampire relics in an effort to gain absolute power.

In time Rayne is brought into the order that sees her as a tool for fighting back the ever increasing army of Kagan. This movie is not met well by certain members of the group, especially Katarin (Michelle Rodriquez), who is not certain that bringing a person who is part vampire into their midst is a good idea.

Despite rising tensions and a steamy attraction to a hunter named Sebastian (Matt Davis), Rayne soon finds herself part of the group and firmly matched up against Kagan and his minions with the fate of the world in the balance.

While the film has some issues such as a thin plot and at times stiff acting and basic dialogue it is a marked improvement for Boll who has received harsh criticisms of his past works. Bloodrayne blends exotic visuals with classic gothic touches in a manner that compliments the material and is never heavy handed. The action scenes while gory are engaging and abundant, especially the inclusion of so called Boss battles that are common in video games.

While Bloodrayne has its blemishes, the film has its moments and is not nearly as bad as several mean spirited campaigns against it and Boll have suggested.

I have seen far worse films in the last 6 months such as The Cave, Into the Blue and Bewitched to name a few. As vampire films go, Bloodrayne is better than most of the horror offerings we have been inundated with in recent years less we forget “Wrong Turn” and “House of Wax”
  
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Havoc
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Havoc
Shooter
The first of four planned DLC packs for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has finally arrived on PC after

being delayed a week so the developers could work out some last minute issues.

Despite the wait and the first week issues with finding games online, the new collection has been one of the most enjoyable and creative collection of maps in recent years and has added to what is an already solid online experience.

The four new maps are as follows.

 

Core

Set in the Gobi Desert in an abandoned nuclear fusion plant, this map is ideal for the leaping abilities of the game as there are structures which can only be reached via your advanced jumping abilities. Worker robots enhance the setting and the uneven terrain makes for some great hiding spots to launch your attacks.

This is one that you will see plenty of snipers setting up in so run and gun players like myself may have some initial frustrations but the décor more than makes up for any early challenges and frustrations.

Urban

Set in a futuristic ward of Dallas, this multi-level square map has a large open area in the middle where ranged shooters will have plenty of opportunity to pick off those in No Man’s Land. It also offers plenty of ledges, windows, stairs, and areas for differing styles of play so gamers can find the best method for their style of play.

 

Sideshow

Set in a rundown hotel and rest stop that has been given a creepy circus theme you get everything from semi-trucks, creepy hotel rooms, rest rooms, and irrigation ponds in which to plan your attack,. There are plenty of places to hide and also plenty of places for Snipers to pick you off from afar.

Making use of the exterior parts of the map are keys to success and making sure that you get the drop on your enemies is key as there are numerous places to be ambushed in this one and the maniacal clown noises set a creepy tone as well.

Drift

My favorite of the maps is a highly-detailed ski resort set in the Rocky Mountains. Everything from holiday lights and a carousel to a train station, shops, and hotel make this a very detailed map.

The snow drifts allow plenty of cover and the numerous windows and ledges allow amble space for players to get the drop on their enemies.

I loved the avalanche that came in unexpectedly in one game as it really changed up the direction of the battle.

Players will also have access to the AE4 Widowmaker. A direct energy weapon that fires bursts of energy which work well but does not have a large capacity before needing to recharge so make your shots count. I actually earned this while playing Advanced Warfare pre-DLC so for me the inclusion was not that big of a deal as it has been an option for me to use for a while.

The maps are available in both Team Death Match and Mosh Pit but as I mentioned earlier, it has been tough finding games on PC during the first few days of release before the evening hours. I was able to find a few game options early in the morning on a Saturday so it was likely a case of people who purchased it waiting until the weekend to load up and play.

Perhaps the biggest draw for the game is the new Exo-Zombies mode which takes the past mode of Zombie games that Treyarch developed and gives it a new twist by allowing the Undead to move and leap faster with the aid of Exo Suits.

Playing as one of four characters portrayed by John Malkovich, Bill Paxton Rose McGowan and The Walking Dead’s John Bernthal, players must survive waves of enhanced Zombies and take refuge in a large Atlas base. Like past versions, kills result in money which is used to purchase more weapons and ammunition around the base and in a new twist, players can become infected and need to locate and use a station to cure the infection.

The base is large and more detailed than players may be used to, and when you die, you must venture back into the base to obtain a new Exo Suit. Your past weapons can be obtained by finding the spot where you died, and like before, the game ends when all four players have become incapacitated as there is nobody left to revive you.

The Zombies also have some great new abilities and detail to them that I will not reveal here and leave it as something for players to discover on their own.

Havoc is a solid first effort that was marred for me only by the lack of online games and having some issues with maps not loading properly. Aside from that which has been much better in recent days, Havoc is a very fun and enjoyable collection which does offer new enjoyment and options for fans looking for new challenges.

http://sknr.net/2015/03/08/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-havoc-dlc/