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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part III (1982) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020
Disclaimer: I still like this film, in the same way I like the whole franchise for better or worse, but man, Part III is a struggle to get through at times.
The main issue is the pacing and dialogue. I always found Part 2 Jason to be pretty intimidating, almost like a feral animal, but this time around, he's sneaking about Higgin's Haven, causing all kinds of hijinks and skulking in the distance. Leave that shit to Michael Myers and give me the Jason that's an unstoppable bull in a china shop!
This approach to Jason means that there is a ludicrous number of fake out scares in the first half of the film. It becomes trying pretty quickly.
The script is absolutely piss poor, no two ways about it - although I do appreciate the more frequent attempts at humour than what came before. Some of the characters are memorable in their own way - Shelley and Fox to name a couple, but none of the characters are developed much - watching the special features, it was made clear that the use of 3D and the increased technical issues that came with it took up most of the attention whilst filming - a classic case of actors doing the best with what they were given, which wasn't much in this instance!
Although all of this ensures that the end product doesn't begin to touch the first two in terms of quality, there are still some positives of course. This was the entry that gave Jason his iconic hockey mask for starters, and the make up work done on actor Richard Brooker is impressive even today. The practical work put into the films many death scenes is easy to appreciate, and the overall look of the film is pure 80s slasher, which is never a bad thing.
It's not the best film in the series, and certainly not the worst, and if you like slashers as much as I do, then there's definitely something for you here, even if the end result feels a bit aimless.
The main issue is the pacing and dialogue. I always found Part 2 Jason to be pretty intimidating, almost like a feral animal, but this time around, he's sneaking about Higgin's Haven, causing all kinds of hijinks and skulking in the distance. Leave that shit to Michael Myers and give me the Jason that's an unstoppable bull in a china shop!
This approach to Jason means that there is a ludicrous number of fake out scares in the first half of the film. It becomes trying pretty quickly.
The script is absolutely piss poor, no two ways about it - although I do appreciate the more frequent attempts at humour than what came before. Some of the characters are memorable in their own way - Shelley and Fox to name a couple, but none of the characters are developed much - watching the special features, it was made clear that the use of 3D and the increased technical issues that came with it took up most of the attention whilst filming - a classic case of actors doing the best with what they were given, which wasn't much in this instance!
Although all of this ensures that the end product doesn't begin to touch the first two in terms of quality, there are still some positives of course. This was the entry that gave Jason his iconic hockey mask for starters, and the make up work done on actor Richard Brooker is impressive even today. The practical work put into the films many death scenes is easy to appreciate, and the overall look of the film is pure 80s slasher, which is never a bad thing.
It's not the best film in the series, and certainly not the worst, and if you like slashers as much as I do, then there's definitely something for you here, even if the end result feels a bit aimless.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated How to Save a Life in Books
Aug 6, 2020
This was an incredibly fast read that kept me hooked, that's for sure. The Groundhog Day aspect of this book was fascinating. It's also a bit strange and completely stressful. Knowing Mia is pretty much guaranteed to die over and over--in different ways--freaked me out. I'm not sure how Dom didn't totally lose it. (I'm going to say that he definitely lost it a little bit!)
The book is certainly repetitive in some ways. I think you can't totally avoid this when you're writing a "relive the same day over and over" story. What frustrated me was the constant emphasis put on Dom's obsession with Mia: his repeated telling that she was an impulsive and different sort of person and that's why he fell for her, but also why he was wary of marrying her in the beginning. This point was hammered home far too much for me. We get it.
While I actually really loved the plot of this book--it was something new and I needed that--I couldn't fully embrace it because I just didn't adore Dom and Mia as a couple. Dom was a doormat and a bit annoying. Take control of your life! Mia's impulsive, carpe diem came across more as rude and too much. Overall, they didn't seem to be a good match.
I enjoyed the fact that this book had one narrator: Dom, even if he drove me a little crazy sometimes. I honestly couldn't grasp his infatuation with Mia and wanted to shake him and tell him to move on. The book also threw in some weird tangent plot pieces that just didn't seem to need to be there. They wound up as distractions or loose ends.
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. While I couldn't fully warm to Dom and Mia, this was a fast-paced read and something different. It had an interesting ending--nothing predictable here. 3.5 stars.
The book is certainly repetitive in some ways. I think you can't totally avoid this when you're writing a "relive the same day over and over" story. What frustrated me was the constant emphasis put on Dom's obsession with Mia: his repeated telling that she was an impulsive and different sort of person and that's why he fell for her, but also why he was wary of marrying her in the beginning. This point was hammered home far too much for me. We get it.
While I actually really loved the plot of this book--it was something new and I needed that--I couldn't fully embrace it because I just didn't adore Dom and Mia as a couple. Dom was a doormat and a bit annoying. Take control of your life! Mia's impulsive, carpe diem came across more as rude and too much. Overall, they didn't seem to be a good match.
I enjoyed the fact that this book had one narrator: Dom, even if he drove me a little crazy sometimes. I honestly couldn't grasp his infatuation with Mia and wanted to shake him and tell him to move on. The book also threw in some weird tangent plot pieces that just didn't seem to need to be there. They wound up as distractions or loose ends.
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. While I couldn't fully warm to Dom and Mia, this was a fast-paced read and something different. It had an interesting ending--nothing predictable here. 3.5 stars.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Aug 16, 2020
1917 is a remarkable film through and through, and I can't praise it enough.
The cast, the cinematography, the set pieces, the music score are all outstanding.
The plot revolves around Lance Corporals Schofield (George McKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) embarking on a seemingly impossible mission across no man's land in Northern France, deep into enemy territory to deliver a message to a fellow regiment, with the aim of preventing them from walking into a trap and potentially losing 1600 soldiers.
The two lead actors are fantastic, portraying two soldiers leaning on each other to achieve their goal.
The journey that takes place is tough and harrowing at times. There's a point about half way through the movie where the pace just doesn't slow down once. It's extremely intense, and bolstered infinitely by the shooting style.
The film is shot in a way that gives the viewer the impression of a one take movie. It's edited together so well that it appears seamless, and allows for some truly breathtaking moments, and never lets you break away from events unfolding. It caught my attention immediately and never lost it for one second.
This method allows for a very stylish looking experience, but it's a kind of style that never detracts or takes away from the horror of war. It's a perfect combination, ensuring that scenes of action feel relentless, whilst sadder moments are suitably poignant and perfectly executed. The emotional beats in 1917 are something else and took me by surprise. I have no shame in saying that I was fighting back tears a couple of times.
By the times the credits rolled, I was just sat in stunned silence, something that has only happened to me a few times before when it comes to movies.
1917 is pretty much perfect. A great war film, a great drama, and en effective exploration of what friendship and duty really mean.
Make the time to watch it if you haven't already!
The cast, the cinematography, the set pieces, the music score are all outstanding.
The plot revolves around Lance Corporals Schofield (George McKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) embarking on a seemingly impossible mission across no man's land in Northern France, deep into enemy territory to deliver a message to a fellow regiment, with the aim of preventing them from walking into a trap and potentially losing 1600 soldiers.
The two lead actors are fantastic, portraying two soldiers leaning on each other to achieve their goal.
The journey that takes place is tough and harrowing at times. There's a point about half way through the movie where the pace just doesn't slow down once. It's extremely intense, and bolstered infinitely by the shooting style.
The film is shot in a way that gives the viewer the impression of a one take movie. It's edited together so well that it appears seamless, and allows for some truly breathtaking moments, and never lets you break away from events unfolding. It caught my attention immediately and never lost it for one second.
This method allows for a very stylish looking experience, but it's a kind of style that never detracts or takes away from the horror of war. It's a perfect combination, ensuring that scenes of action feel relentless, whilst sadder moments are suitably poignant and perfectly executed. The emotional beats in 1917 are something else and took me by surprise. I have no shame in saying that I was fighting back tears a couple of times.
By the times the credits rolled, I was just sat in stunned silence, something that has only happened to me a few times before when it comes to movies.
1917 is pretty much perfect. A great war film, a great drama, and en effective exploration of what friendship and duty really mean.
Make the time to watch it if you haven't already!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated Fake Truth in Books
Jun 5, 2020
The Truth is I Wish More of This Book Were Fake
Writer Ian Ludlow is stuck. Despite his most recent exploits as an off the books CIA agent, he can’t come up with anything worthy of his next book. So when his CIA partner, Margo French, throws a newspaper at him, he picks a couple of articles at random and they begin to investigate as if Ian’s writer’s imagination was right and there is a connection between them. The scary thing is, they might have stumbled upon something that way, with tentacles that spread from Russia to the US-Mexico border with the news media in between. But what exactly have they found?
I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one was a disappointment. While we see the various threads involved in this plot early on, the story still moves too slowly for the first half. Once it does start, we get plenty of action and a great climax. Since this is a loving spoof of the spy genre, I definitely enjoyed some laughs. The characters can be a bit thin, but that’s part of the genre. Unfortunately, so is sex, and there are several sex scenes I really could have done without. The author stages his story in such a way that very thinly disguises his politics, which really pulled me out of the story. I pick up fiction to escape politics, not to have one point of view shoved down my throat. I realize both of the things that bothered me might be selling points to others, but to me, they kept me from fully enjoying the book. I enjoyed the first two books in this series (and the books should be read in order since this one has some spoilers for previous adventures), so hopefully the series will be back to entertaining for the next in the series.
I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one was a disappointment. While we see the various threads involved in this plot early on, the story still moves too slowly for the first half. Once it does start, we get plenty of action and a great climax. Since this is a loving spoof of the spy genre, I definitely enjoyed some laughs. The characters can be a bit thin, but that’s part of the genre. Unfortunately, so is sex, and there are several sex scenes I really could have done without. The author stages his story in such a way that very thinly disguises his politics, which really pulled me out of the story. I pick up fiction to escape politics, not to have one point of view shoved down my throat. I realize both of the things that bothered me might be selling points to others, but to me, they kept me from fully enjoying the book. I enjoyed the first two books in this series (and the books should be read in order since this one has some spoilers for previous adventures), so hopefully the series will be back to entertaining for the next in the series.
BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Victims for Sale in Books
Jun 8, 2020
A good, solid, “Creepy” thriller
This caught my eye when I saw MMB Tours host a “ bookstagram” tour some time ago and was intrigued. I need more thrillers in my repertoire and I do enjoy reading lesser known authors.
It has been quite some time since I was creeped out by a book!
This was purely down to the premise, which was superb, (maybe not the right choice of word considering) and something I have not read in a thriller before. Nish tackles human trafficking and exploitation on a whole new level. Focusing on girls who are intellectually disabled in the care system and their subsequent offspring.
Nish also provides an interesting insight into cultural and generational issues within the confines of an Indian family living in London.
It did take me a while to get into the story as I had trouble following the timeline and characters, it jumped ahead at times and on occasion I had to go back a couple of pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. This however did not detract from the plot itself.
The plot was full of twists and turns and had me guessing right through to the end, which is always a a win for me. Nish crammed a lot into 336 pages, so I did find the ending crept up on me a little too quickly. Perhaps had this been maybe a 500 pager this would not have been the case.
Nish’s prose is without a doubt first class and you can clearly see her journalistic skill set shining through. However she could have relaxed it a little as the narrative was very formal in parts, but again I must stress that this did not distract from the story and is merely an opinion.
All in all Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath was a good, solid, “creepy” thriller that should not be passed up!
Please note that this does come with trigger warnings, so hit me up if you are inclined to be effected by certain material
It has been quite some time since I was creeped out by a book!
This was purely down to the premise, which was superb, (maybe not the right choice of word considering) and something I have not read in a thriller before. Nish tackles human trafficking and exploitation on a whole new level. Focusing on girls who are intellectually disabled in the care system and their subsequent offspring.
Nish also provides an interesting insight into cultural and generational issues within the confines of an Indian family living in London.
It did take me a while to get into the story as I had trouble following the timeline and characters, it jumped ahead at times and on occasion I had to go back a couple of pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. This however did not detract from the plot itself.
The plot was full of twists and turns and had me guessing right through to the end, which is always a a win for me. Nish crammed a lot into 336 pages, so I did find the ending crept up on me a little too quickly. Perhaps had this been maybe a 500 pager this would not have been the case.
Nish’s prose is without a doubt first class and you can clearly see her journalistic skill set shining through. However she could have relaxed it a little as the narrative was very formal in parts, but again I must stress that this did not distract from the story and is merely an opinion.
All in all Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath was a good, solid, “creepy” thriller that should not be passed up!
Please note that this does come with trigger warnings, so hit me up if you are inclined to be effected by certain material
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Before the Crown in Books
Jun 14, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and Flora Harding for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.
Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.
I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.
I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.
In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.
Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.
Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.
I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.
I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.
In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.