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Lee (2222 KP) rated Hotel Artemis (2018) in Movies
Jul 21, 2018
This review is probably a little unfair in that I actually managed to fall asleep for the last 20 minutes of it! It was a very hot cinema, very comfortable seating and the end of a very long week for me, so not my fault. Who am I kidding, I'm just an old aged lightweight!
Anyway, the year is 2028, we're in Los Angeles and there is currently rioting on the streets. In among all of this, Jodie Foster is running Hotel Artemis, an emergency hospital and recuperation area where criminals who have paid for membership can go to get patched up. Dave Bautista is her assistant, he's basically Drax the hospital porter.
A small number of criminals are already recuperating in the hotel and are soon joined by a couple of guys fresh off a job and in need of medical attention. Unknowingly though, one of the guys has stolen something he shouldn't have done, a pen vault containing some very previous gems...
What I saw of the movie was a bit of a slow burn. It's all very John Wick, but without the action, and nowhere near as good. However, you just know that the action is coming and everything is building up to it. Unfortunately though, that's where I checked out for a while, and I can't tell you how annoyed I was when I woke up again, 2 minutes from the end!
Anyway, the year is 2028, we're in Los Angeles and there is currently rioting on the streets. In among all of this, Jodie Foster is running Hotel Artemis, an emergency hospital and recuperation area where criminals who have paid for membership can go to get patched up. Dave Bautista is her assistant, he's basically Drax the hospital porter.
A small number of criminals are already recuperating in the hotel and are soon joined by a couple of guys fresh off a job and in need of medical attention. Unknowingly though, one of the guys has stolen something he shouldn't have done, a pen vault containing some very previous gems...
What I saw of the movie was a bit of a slow burn. It's all very John Wick, but without the action, and nowhere near as good. However, you just know that the action is coming and everything is building up to it. Unfortunately though, that's where I checked out for a while, and I can't tell you how annoyed I was when I woke up again, 2 minutes from the end!
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Beat Depression Fast: 10 Steps to a Happier You Using Positive Psychology in Books
Nov 14, 2018
3.5 stars
As I have mentioned before in another review I find it difficult to rate self help books. The reason for this is because I cannot state if the activities within these pages will actually work. Recovery from depression is a very long journey, longer than this book takes to read and so I can't really comment on if these theories work as I'm yet to delve deeper. I was struggling between 3 stars and 4 stars so I settled with a 3.5. Some of the terminology was a bit much to understand in places and I thought there was perhaps a bit too much repetition, also there were a couple mistakes which could actually offend some people. On the other hand, this book was filled with some great information. I have read a fair few self help books on depression and so I was surprised to come across some new information I didn't already know. I was able to discover more ways in which depression can take hold and actually found out I drastically need to change my diet...I never really thought about it before but after doing one of the exercises I discovered how poor my diet actually is. The meditation parts in this book were ok, easy to follow and understand but I'm yet to know if they will work. The journey of recovery will continue long after this book is returned to the library.
As I have mentioned before in another review I find it difficult to rate self help books. The reason for this is because I cannot state if the activities within these pages will actually work. Recovery from depression is a very long journey, longer than this book takes to read and so I can't really comment on if these theories work as I'm yet to delve deeper. I was struggling between 3 stars and 4 stars so I settled with a 3.5. Some of the terminology was a bit much to understand in places and I thought there was perhaps a bit too much repetition, also there were a couple mistakes which could actually offend some people. On the other hand, this book was filled with some great information. I have read a fair few self help books on depression and so I was surprised to come across some new information I didn't already know. I was able to discover more ways in which depression can take hold and actually found out I drastically need to change my diet...I never really thought about it before but after doing one of the exercises I discovered how poor my diet actually is. The meditation parts in this book were ok, easy to follow and understand but I'm yet to know if they will work. The journey of recovery will continue long after this book is returned to the library.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Close to You in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Kara Isaac took my breath away with such a beautiful story. I can't wait to get my hands on her next release coming out in just a few weeks! Filled with so many dynamics, I was biting my nails, laughing out loud, sighing with relief, and at times, even yelling at the book. I have always been a fan of Tolkien and so I found the setting both brilliant and intriguing. This story hit close to home in the fact that I know what it is to be hurt and have a fear of trusting people. It was so encouraging though to watch Allie and Jackson's journey. Cheering them on and hoping they find their healing in Lord along the way. Filled with quotes from Tolkien and random #NerdGirl knowledge, I had so much fun reading Close to You. This is THE book that I chose to read on my way home from Nashville. I think the people on my flights thought I was crazy for the giggling that commenced a couple of times. If you enjoy a good, clean romance, Lord of the Rings, and New Zealand, you will fall head over teakettle for Kara Isaac and Close to You!
I received a free copy of Close to You in my "Swag Bag" from Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, Nashville, 2016. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a free copy of Close to You in my "Swag Bag" from Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, Nashville, 2016. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
David McK (3557 KP) rated Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated Sep 1, 2019)
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a TV show on British terrestial channles, that gained a bit of a cult following: 'Red Dwarf'.
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the most annoying man in existence. Added to this are the ships now-senile computer Holly and the Cat: a creature evolved from a cat that Lister had smuggle aboard (and why he was in the stasis booth in the first place).
To this, and round about season 3 (although he first made an appearance in season 2), was added Kryten: a mechanoid with an overactive guilt chip.
Some novels based on a TV show seem to pretty much just repeat the episode scene for scene; others seem to share nothing in common with hteir source material except the name. This, I felt, falls somewhere in the middle: while certain segments of the novel do indeed follow (very) closely to their source, others only use that as their starting-off point. It aslo does a better job of tying the episodes together than the TV show ever could!
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the most annoying man in existence. Added to this are the ships now-senile computer Holly and the Cat: a creature evolved from a cat that Lister had smuggle aboard (and why he was in the stasis booth in the first place).
To this, and round about season 3 (although he first made an appearance in season 2), was added Kryten: a mechanoid with an overactive guilt chip.
Some novels based on a TV show seem to pretty much just repeat the episode scene for scene; others seem to share nothing in common with hteir source material except the name. This, I felt, falls somewhere in the middle: while certain segments of the novel do indeed follow (very) closely to their source, others only use that as their starting-off point. It aslo does a better job of tying the episodes together than the TV show ever could!
David McK (3557 KP) rated Batman, Volume 3: Death of the Family in Books
Jan 30, 2019
With a title that references the famous Batman story 'A Death in the family' (in which the Joker bumps off Robin - or, at least, one of the characters to hold that mantle), this is third volume in 'The New 52' series of Batman comics (after [b:Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls|13223349|Batman, Volume 1 The Court of Owls|Scott Snyder|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342307351s/13223349.jpg|18412501] and [b:Batman, Volume 2: The City of Owls|15752115|Batman, Volume 2 The City of Owls|Scott Snyder|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342309403s/15752115.jpg|21446852]), and sees the return of who is commonly considered to be ol' Bat's arch-nemesis: that of the Joker.
And, boy, is the clown prince of crime scary in this.
With more in common, perhaps, to Heath Ledgers portrayal of that character in 'The Dark Knight' than to Cesar Romero's (Batman '66 TV series) or even Jack Nicholson (the 1989 Batman movie), this version is pretty much just a pure agent of chaos, and a formidable (and scary) foe indeed - this is definitely not a read for the kiddies, say.
Taking in a couple of plot-strands from other New 52 titles (including The Joker, Nightwing, Batgirl and Detective Comics, amongst others) this version of the Joker is out to re-create his early crimes; out to (effectively) 'reset' tgime back to when it was just Batman and him duking it out.
And, boy, is the clown prince of crime scary in this.
With more in common, perhaps, to Heath Ledgers portrayal of that character in 'The Dark Knight' than to Cesar Romero's (Batman '66 TV series) or even Jack Nicholson (the 1989 Batman movie), this version is pretty much just a pure agent of chaos, and a formidable (and scary) foe indeed - this is definitely not a read for the kiddies, say.
Taking in a couple of plot-strands from other New 52 titles (including The Joker, Nightwing, Batgirl and Detective Comics, amongst others) this version of the Joker is out to re-create his early crimes; out to (effectively) 'reset' tgime back to when it was just Batman and him duking it out.
Fred (860 KP) rated Brightburn (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Don't bully Superman
A horror retelling of the Superman origin story. A child crashes on the Earth & is raised by a couple. The child has super powers. He can fly, has super speed, shoot beams from his eyes & is impervious to pain & damage. The difference is this kid is not a very good guy.
He gets messages & images from the space pod he arrived in as an infant. He's somewhat bullied & treated bad from adults all around him. Not very good for them. I'm sure you can guess where this movie goes.
I have to say the acting is damn good. Jackson Dunn, who plays the super-powered kid is excellent. He's very believable & creepy.
People were saying the movie was super-gory. I didn't find it to be the case. Sure, there were some gory parts, but nothing that would make me say it's a gory film. There were quite a few jump scares in the film, which normally I don't like, but they work here. The special effects were done very well. I loved the shots of Brandon (the kid) flying around at night, backlit by the moon.
The movie doesn't end like you would think & this is a very good thing.If I say any more, i may ruin it, so I'll just end here by saying if you're a horror fan, see it. If you're sick of all the superhero movies today, this may be a good change for you.
He gets messages & images from the space pod he arrived in as an infant. He's somewhat bullied & treated bad from adults all around him. Not very good for them. I'm sure you can guess where this movie goes.
I have to say the acting is damn good. Jackson Dunn, who plays the super-powered kid is excellent. He's very believable & creepy.
People were saying the movie was super-gory. I didn't find it to be the case. Sure, there were some gory parts, but nothing that would make me say it's a gory film. There were quite a few jump scares in the film, which normally I don't like, but they work here. The special effects were done very well. I loved the shots of Brandon (the kid) flying around at night, backlit by the moon.
The movie doesn't end like you would think & this is a very good thing.If I say any more, i may ruin it, so I'll just end here by saying if you're a horror fan, see it. If you're sick of all the superhero movies today, this may be a good change for you.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) in Movies
Dec 31, 2019
An average sequel
The original Lego movie (and the Lego Batman film) were surprisingly great films, so it's no surprise they decided to make a sequel. Sadly it's also no surprise that the sequel only ends up fairly average.
It looks visually stunning, and I loved how they've tied this in more with the real world. I think it's quite smart how they've managed to link the characters to the real life toys. The problem is the story itself is rather lacklustre and a little all over the place, and most of the jokes fall flat. There was only 1 or 2 things I laughed at during the entire film, which is a shame as the original and Batman film were downright hilarious. Even the music is pretty dull. There's no song that really matches up to the brilliant Everything is Awesome and the ones that almost do are the remix versions of that song. Although I did love the Lonely Island song over the credits. There's a great voice cast in this too, to the point where I spend most of the film trying to figure out who's who. But there are some who sound a little out of place - Richard Ayoade and Noel Fielding to name a couple. And also what was with Will Ferrell? He barely featured in this at all apparent from being a voice from another room, rather odd!
It looks visually stunning, and I loved how they've tied this in more with the real world. I think it's quite smart how they've managed to link the characters to the real life toys. The problem is the story itself is rather lacklustre and a little all over the place, and most of the jokes fall flat. There was only 1 or 2 things I laughed at during the entire film, which is a shame as the original and Batman film were downright hilarious. Even the music is pretty dull. There's no song that really matches up to the brilliant Everything is Awesome and the ones that almost do are the remix versions of that song. Although I did love the Lonely Island song over the credits. There's a great voice cast in this too, to the point where I spend most of the film trying to figure out who's who. But there are some who sound a little out of place - Richard Ayoade and Noel Fielding to name a couple. And also what was with Will Ferrell? He barely featured in this at all apparent from being a voice from another room, rather odd!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Starve Acre in Books
Nov 1, 2019
A very unusual book
Starve Acre is first and foremost a book about loss. Richard and Juliette Willoughby have recently lost their 5 year old son, and both are struggling to come to terms with their loss and grief in their different ways. Richard has taken to digging up a nearby field, looking for evidence of an ancient oak tree that once stood there. Juliette has just gone into herself and refuses to let Ewan go, convinced she heard him at night.
The interactions between the two, and the lack of interactions, beautifully tell a story of shared yet so personal loss. Neither can truly help or understand the other's loss.
Throughout the story, which is told without chapter breaks, we get a picture of Ewan's short life and the beginnings of odd behaviour, as well as some odd findings while Richard is digging in the field.
There are some very odd, creepy moments in this book, and some very touching moments. However, I felt slightly let down by the ending. There was a good amount of exposition in the last couple of pages (which may sound like a cop-out rushed ending but is well delivered) but the very final scene felt like a missed trick to me. I was expecting a very horror ending, but while what I got was unsettling, there was an element of ridiculousness to it that spoiled it.
A very enjoyable short read.
The interactions between the two, and the lack of interactions, beautifully tell a story of shared yet so personal loss. Neither can truly help or understand the other's loss.
Throughout the story, which is told without chapter breaks, we get a picture of Ewan's short life and the beginnings of odd behaviour, as well as some odd findings while Richard is digging in the field.
There are some very odd, creepy moments in this book, and some very touching moments. However, I felt slightly let down by the ending. There was a good amount of exposition in the last couple of pages (which may sound like a cop-out rushed ending but is well delivered) but the very final scene felt like a missed trick to me. I was expecting a very horror ending, but while what I got was unsettling, there was an element of ridiculousness to it that spoiled it.
A very enjoyable short read.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Scone Cold Dead in Books
Jul 23, 2019
Can Natalie Find a Scone Cold Killer?
It’s late spring on Cranberry Island, but the beautiful weather is doing nothing for the tensions building. Something is going on with the lobstermen on the island. There are rumors of illegal activity, but no one seems to have any proof. Natalie Barnes is concerned about that, but she is also concerned that her bed and breakfast doesn’t have reservations like in years past. Fortunately, she does have some guests thanks to the new artists commune her niece, Gwen, has opened. But when the tension on the island leads to murder, will Natalie figure out what happened?
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
Trackie (153 KP) rated Sex Education in TV
Jan 17, 2019
Sex Education Season 1
Young or old, in some way or another, you will relate to this show.
Sex Education isn't just about sex, it's about learning self appreciation, respect and living life as best as possible with the choices we have in front of us.
This starts off as a raunchy series, quickly turning into a story of many characters who seem to have it all or nothing in between. They soon come to realize that they are no more special than the person next to them, no more right or wrong than the one they criticize or blame.
Casting is fantastic - The leading role, wow; a normal and confused 16 year old who has an amazing gift, to calm and guide those who seek his help in finding the answer to any slight imperfections they may have with themselves or with their partner.
A blend of comedy, love and drama - Sex Education is a well balanced and written series that takes you for a ride that's full of heart.
With the variety of characters in this show, each and every one of us should have some one to feel familiar with.
I can’t recommend this series enough and can’t wait for series 2. There are talks about a second season but we won’t know for a couple of months yet if or when it will happen.
Sex Education isn't just about sex, it's about learning self appreciation, respect and living life as best as possible with the choices we have in front of us.
This starts off as a raunchy series, quickly turning into a story of many characters who seem to have it all or nothing in between. They soon come to realize that they are no more special than the person next to them, no more right or wrong than the one they criticize or blame.
Casting is fantastic - The leading role, wow; a normal and confused 16 year old who has an amazing gift, to calm and guide those who seek his help in finding the answer to any slight imperfections they may have with themselves or with their partner.
A blend of comedy, love and drama - Sex Education is a well balanced and written series that takes you for a ride that's full of heart.
With the variety of characters in this show, each and every one of us should have some one to feel familiar with.
I can’t recommend this series enough and can’t wait for series 2. There are talks about a second season but we won’t know for a couple of months yet if or when it will happen.