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Purrsistently (46 KP) rated Hospital Sketches in Books
Jun 21, 2018
It was a good thing to have read but it strongly underscored a painfully ignorant romanticized view of war that Americans are so fond of. She did not see children shot on the road in cold blood, she did not see officers give their men permission to rape any woman who disrespected them. She did not see the pow camps, did not see grandmothers and babies dead of exposure in the snow. She did not see the factory worker women (largely woc) kidnapped, raped over many days, and then abandoned hundreds of miles from home with nothing. There were no “white saviors” here or anywhere. War is not Romantic. Even the “Just Cause” lies on a bed of sending boys with little (if any) stake in the disagreement to maim and kill and torture other boys like themselves because old men can’t be bothered to work out their disputes at a table and instead delight in laying waste to their Nation’s youth.
David McK (3185 KP) rated Ice Station Zebra in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Cold-War set thriller, by an author that (for some reason) I associate more with World War 2 settings, this concerns the journey of the Atomic submarine Dolphin to the Arctic, in order to rescue the survivors of the adrift Ice Staion of the title.
I also feel that this could be split into 3 very distinct sections - the journey to the Arctic, the search and rescue of the survivors, and the journey back, with it transpiring in the middle section that the Ice Station had been sabatoged, rather than just plain unlucky, and with it furhter being revealed in the final section that the saboteour is still alive and on the sub ...
While it may be slightly dated now (in that the USSR is no longer in existence) and in some of the state-of-the-(then)-art technology, this is still an enjoyable read once you put yourself into the right mindset!
I also feel that this could be split into 3 very distinct sections - the journey to the Arctic, the search and rescue of the survivors, and the journey back, with it transpiring in the middle section that the Ice Station had been sabatoged, rather than just plain unlucky, and with it furhter being revealed in the final section that the saboteour is still alive and on the sub ...
While it may be slightly dated now (in that the USSR is no longer in existence) and in some of the state-of-the-(then)-art technology, this is still an enjoyable read once you put yourself into the right mindset!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Stone Cold (Camel Club, #3) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book is my favorite in the Camel Club series by far! The story was filled with so many twists & turns that is was quite the breathless ride. I couldn't put it down for the last half & felt like I held my breath the entire time I was reading!
It tells the story of Soviet & American spies during the Cold War. Without giving too much away there is a great deal of murder & treason involved...along with a great con. I am in love with the character of Annabelle Conroy & so glad that Baldacci decided to bring her along for the ride in this installment too. Looking forward to the next chapter in the Camel Club saga!!!!
It tells the story of Soviet & American spies during the Cold War. Without giving too much away there is a great deal of murder & treason involved...along with a great con. I am in love with the character of Annabelle Conroy & so glad that Baldacci decided to bring her along for the ride in this installment too. Looking forward to the next chapter in the Camel Club saga!!!!
Erika (17788 KP) rated Anna (2019) in Movies
Jun 29, 2019
Entertaining while watching, completely forgettable afterwards.
This is your standard Cold War spy movie with a non-linear time line. I know this film was supposed to be released last year, but Lionsgate pushed it back because of allegations against Luc Beeson. The cast did zero promotional appearances, and I maybe saw the trailer twice.
I went because a) I like seeing women kick some ass and 2) Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy. I did truly find it engaging while I was watching it, it definitely held my attention. But then, a day later, I almost completely forgot about it. Which, is not a good thing. I even had it rated higher right after the movie.
I went because a) I like seeing women kick some ass and 2) Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy. I did truly find it engaging while I was watching it, it definitely held my attention. But then, a day later, I almost completely forgot about it. Which, is not a good thing. I even had it rated higher right after the movie.
Peter G. (247 KP) rated WarGames (1983) in Movies
Sep 18, 2019
Looking rather dated now but was considered way ahead for it's time, I found this film very intriguing as it came at a time when computers weren't quite in every home and many were paranoid as to their actual power and what they were capable of.
If you can look past the cluncky and very old hardware and the story in isolation there is a very tense and enjoyable us versus them government conspiracy chess game that moves at pace towards a satisfying but typical 80s conclusion.
Broderick and Sheedy make great protagonists and were great cast choices, it's rather cheesy now but for me a great look back at 80s cold war paranoia.
If you can look past the cluncky and very old hardware and the story in isolation there is a very tense and enjoyable us versus them government conspiracy chess game that moves at pace towards a satisfying but typical 80s conclusion.
Broderick and Sheedy make great protagonists and were great cast choices, it's rather cheesy now but for me a great look back at 80s cold war paranoia.
David McK (3185 KP) rated Moonraker (James Bond, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I know I've seen it, but I don't really remember all the much about the 1979 Moonraker film (incidentally, the year I was born), other than that it starred Roger Moore (in his fourth role as James Bond), and that James Bond went into space.
James Bond does not go into space.
At least, not in the novel on which that film is (very loosely) based - or, more accurately, from which they took the title.
Instead, we have a Cold-War era spy thriller, with the Moonraker of the title really more of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (an IBM) rather than the Space Shuttle of the movie. Nor is there CIA involvement, nor a battle-in-space, nor a madman setting out to wipe out all life on Earth ... you get the picture.
There are, however, elements of the novel that make it into future Bond movies, in particular the facial reconstructive surgery of 'Die Another Day' clearly picking up it's cue from the background given to the central antagonist of Drax, and just what happened to him during the war.
James Bond does not go into space.
At least, not in the novel on which that film is (very loosely) based - or, more accurately, from which they took the title.
Instead, we have a Cold-War era spy thriller, with the Moonraker of the title really more of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (an IBM) rather than the Space Shuttle of the movie. Nor is there CIA involvement, nor a battle-in-space, nor a madman setting out to wipe out all life on Earth ... you get the picture.
There are, however, elements of the novel that make it into future Bond movies, in particular the facial reconstructive surgery of 'Die Another Day' clearly picking up it's cue from the background given to the central antagonist of Drax, and just what happened to him during the war.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 16, 2021
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated To Die in Spring in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Let me start this review with this: <b>I cried on the train because of this novel.</b>
Towards the end of WWII, the Russians and the Americans were closing in and Germany were desperate. Boys, as young as 8 !!, were being forced into becoming soldiers and pushed to the front to fight for a country that were losing, brutally. Thousands of children’s lives were lost.
In this book we meet Walter and Fiete, both young men, aged 17, who are forced into becoming SS soldiers. They are best friends, but they’re very different. Walter is reserved and respectful, Fiete is loud, sarcastic and happy to voice his opinion on what he thinks of the war. Unfortunately, Fiete gets pushed on the front line, fighting a war he thinks is idiotic, so he attempts to desert. Deserters get executed by their own men.
This novel is so beautiful yet so horrible. You can’t really think of this novel as fiction when you know the contents within probably happened to thousands of teenagers. It’s so distressing when you think about how people were treated and how they lived during the war and this book represents it perfectly.
Reading this book, the fear and melancholy of being a soldier fighting a losing battle creeps through your bones. You’re there, stuck in a rotting basement, scared of death yet willing it on, just to get out. I applaud Rothmann for making those feelings so real in me… A young woman, sat on her train going into another day of work, of safety, but with goosebumps, because in her mind, she’s stuck outside in the cold, desperately trying to find a hiding place from the American war planes flying over.
This novel is an emotionally charged story about the brutality of war and the awful things young men were forced to do, just to have their pathetic Fuhrer shamefully kill himself and the battle be lost. I urge any person who likes to read war books, to read this one. The writing is stunning, the characters are real, and the story is harrowing.
<i>Thanks to Picador Books for providing me with an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Towards the end of WWII, the Russians and the Americans were closing in and Germany were desperate. Boys, as young as 8 !!, were being forced into becoming soldiers and pushed to the front to fight for a country that were losing, brutally. Thousands of children’s lives were lost.
In this book we meet Walter and Fiete, both young men, aged 17, who are forced into becoming SS soldiers. They are best friends, but they’re very different. Walter is reserved and respectful, Fiete is loud, sarcastic and happy to voice his opinion on what he thinks of the war. Unfortunately, Fiete gets pushed on the front line, fighting a war he thinks is idiotic, so he attempts to desert. Deserters get executed by their own men.
This novel is so beautiful yet so horrible. You can’t really think of this novel as fiction when you know the contents within probably happened to thousands of teenagers. It’s so distressing when you think about how people were treated and how they lived during the war and this book represents it perfectly.
Reading this book, the fear and melancholy of being a soldier fighting a losing battle creeps through your bones. You’re there, stuck in a rotting basement, scared of death yet willing it on, just to get out. I applaud Rothmann for making those feelings so real in me… A young woman, sat on her train going into another day of work, of safety, but with goosebumps, because in her mind, she’s stuck outside in the cold, desperately trying to find a hiding place from the American war planes flying over.
This novel is an emotionally charged story about the brutality of war and the awful things young men were forced to do, just to have their pathetic Fuhrer shamefully kill himself and the battle be lost. I urge any person who likes to read war books, to read this one. The writing is stunning, the characters are real, and the story is harrowing.
<i>Thanks to Picador Books for providing me with an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Lenard (726 KP) rated Anna (2019) in Movies
Jul 1, 2019
Luc Besson loves to make intricately plotted action movies. Anna is set near the end of the Cold War. The CIA and KGB use whatever methods they can to gain an advantage. In 1990, the KGB captured several CIA operatives and Agent Miller is seriously pissed off. At the same time, a Russian junkie is tracked down by the KGB to become a sleeper agent. But Anna, once she cleans up, is a striking beauty who wants to be free. Luc Besson keeps the viewer guessing on who is the puppet and who is the puppet master. Anna is Luc's calling card to write the new Black Widow movie about a KGB agent who turns into a spy for the US.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Neeson's best film in years
Yes, we all know the jokes. Liam Neeson’s spiral into revenge thriller territory is one of the most meme-worthy things in film, except maybe John Travolta and Battlefield Earth. Starting with Taken and its, let’s be honest, dreadful sequels, the Irish actor has made a name for himself as the go-to guy to rough someone up after a spate of bad-luck.
He’s had kids killed, kidnapped and spouses murdered in cold blood, he’s even been framed for hijacking a jumbo jet – if anyone deserves a break, it’s Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, his films have ranged from great (Taken, Non-Stop), to middling (Run All Night, The Commuter), to downright dreadful (Taken 2, Taken 3) and that’s how the meme-worthiness was born. Nevertheless, Neeson is back for yet another revenge thriller in Cold Pursuit. But how does it stack up?
Nels Coxman’s (Neeson) quiet life as a snowplough driver comes crashing down when his beloved son (Micheál Richardson) dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking (Tom Bateman) and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to cold-blooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss called White Bull.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. This is not a review biased by Neeson’s, shall we say, ill-worded rant on his former life. We all have our own opinions on the matter, but that should not detract from individuals going to see a movie in the cinema. In fact, Cold Pursuit is Neeson’s most accomplished film in years, helped by stylish directing from Swedish director Hans Petter Moland. It’s worth noting that Cold Pursuit is in fact a US remake of Swedish film, In Order of Disappearance and there’s a tasteful nod to the film’s roots in the end-credits.
With a dark, comedic edge, Cold Pursuit is as funny as much as it is gory and it is this hybridity of genres that remains the film’s trump card. The script, penned by Moland himself, is witty and sharp, filled with fantastic line-delivery by the entire cast who look like they’re having a cracking time. There are twists and turns and even a gay-romantic subplot – how very contemporary.
Apart from Neeson, Tom Bateman is an absolute stand-out as the film’s primary antagonist. Allowing him to be a presence in the film from the outset allows the audience to fully feel his character and there’s no doubt that he is a despicable human-being. Neeson performs in typical Liam Neeson fashion. He snarls and growls his way through the film but allows a softer side to creep in than we’re used to, helped in part by that comedic script.
Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre
It’s not perfect however. Laura Dern is a massively underused presence throughout and disappears completely from the film about 1-hour in with no other references to her character. This is a real shame as her chemistry with Neeson is good and they make a believable couple, especially when they’re dealing with the ramifications of their son’s death.
Dern continues to prove her acting prowess and it would have been nice to see her continue to be a feature throughout the film. The pacing is a little off too. At 118 minutes long, the film plods a little as it gets going and then doesn’t stop until the fun and entirely ridiculous finale.
However, it’s good to see the special effects are up to scratch for the genre. Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre. With a relatively modest budget of $60million, it appears that was well spent with clever editing and cinematography masking any less-than-stellar visuals.
Overall, Cold Pursuit is a fun, if forgettable revenge thriller that features some delicious dark comedy mixed with an intriguing story. It’s certainly Neeson’s best film since Non-Stopand marks a return to form for the Irish actor. Unfortunately, these type of flicks are ten-a-penny nowadays and I’m unsure whether snappy one-liners and beautiful snow-capped peaks are enough to differentiate it in a crowded marketplace.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/03/01/cold-pursuit-review-neesons-best-film-in-years/
He’s had kids killed, kidnapped and spouses murdered in cold blood, he’s even been framed for hijacking a jumbo jet – if anyone deserves a break, it’s Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, his films have ranged from great (Taken, Non-Stop), to middling (Run All Night, The Commuter), to downright dreadful (Taken 2, Taken 3) and that’s how the meme-worthiness was born. Nevertheless, Neeson is back for yet another revenge thriller in Cold Pursuit. But how does it stack up?
Nels Coxman’s (Neeson) quiet life as a snowplough driver comes crashing down when his beloved son (Micheál Richardson) dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking (Tom Bateman) and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to cold-blooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss called White Bull.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. This is not a review biased by Neeson’s, shall we say, ill-worded rant on his former life. We all have our own opinions on the matter, but that should not detract from individuals going to see a movie in the cinema. In fact, Cold Pursuit is Neeson’s most accomplished film in years, helped by stylish directing from Swedish director Hans Petter Moland. It’s worth noting that Cold Pursuit is in fact a US remake of Swedish film, In Order of Disappearance and there’s a tasteful nod to the film’s roots in the end-credits.
With a dark, comedic edge, Cold Pursuit is as funny as much as it is gory and it is this hybridity of genres that remains the film’s trump card. The script, penned by Moland himself, is witty and sharp, filled with fantastic line-delivery by the entire cast who look like they’re having a cracking time. There are twists and turns and even a gay-romantic subplot – how very contemporary.
Apart from Neeson, Tom Bateman is an absolute stand-out as the film’s primary antagonist. Allowing him to be a presence in the film from the outset allows the audience to fully feel his character and there’s no doubt that he is a despicable human-being. Neeson performs in typical Liam Neeson fashion. He snarls and growls his way through the film but allows a softer side to creep in than we’re used to, helped in part by that comedic script.
Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre
It’s not perfect however. Laura Dern is a massively underused presence throughout and disappears completely from the film about 1-hour in with no other references to her character. This is a real shame as her chemistry with Neeson is good and they make a believable couple, especially when they’re dealing with the ramifications of their son’s death.
Dern continues to prove her acting prowess and it would have been nice to see her continue to be a feature throughout the film. The pacing is a little off too. At 118 minutes long, the film plods a little as it gets going and then doesn’t stop until the fun and entirely ridiculous finale.
However, it’s good to see the special effects are up to scratch for the genre. Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre. With a relatively modest budget of $60million, it appears that was well spent with clever editing and cinematography masking any less-than-stellar visuals.
Overall, Cold Pursuit is a fun, if forgettable revenge thriller that features some delicious dark comedy mixed with an intriguing story. It’s certainly Neeson’s best film since Non-Stopand marks a return to form for the Irish actor. Unfortunately, these type of flicks are ten-a-penny nowadays and I’m unsure whether snappy one-liners and beautiful snow-capped peaks are enough to differentiate it in a crowded marketplace.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/03/01/cold-pursuit-review-neesons-best-film-in-years/