Search
Search results
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Castle Rock in TV
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Good cast (2 more)
Some cool ideas
Stephen King references
Ups and Downs
Castle Rock is an interesting show, it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I went in expected a creepy, atmospheric thriller and instead I got a slow burning character study. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well told character study, with plenty of interesting characters and plot threads.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Guardians (The MORE Trilogy, #2) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I have to be honest when I say I abso-freaking-lutely LOVE this author, her style, and her books. SheÕs just absolutely amazing, and I really, really cannot sing her praises highly enough. That said, IÕd best give some justification for my gushiness ;)
Firstly, there is an amazing transition from the first book, with the drama and tension carrying over perfectly and just, well, seamlessly if IÕm honest. I read a lot of series (theyÕre like good shoes, you find a good one and you just keep going with it) and this is most definitely one of the best I have seen for a long while. This is all linked in with an absolutely incredible plot line. The twists and turns are immense, well developed and truly amazing from start to finish. The perspectives of the different characters are always completely crystal clear, showing a very good grasp of the craft.
Characterisation, as with in the first story, is incredibly well written and just, quite frankly amazing. They are all so enigmatic and developed slowly to make sure you really do invest and get to know them. It was great to see more of Tiernan and Emma is such a dark horse! I shanÕt say more so as not to spoil it, but she is most definitely a good addition to the character lists! Caleb and Ava are, as always, a delight to read and are perfect for each other, even if outside events are trying to meddle in that. Throw in the brilliant intrigue and mystery surrounding Ava and you have exceedingly compelling reading.
To conclude, I can do nothing more than repeat my words from my first review Ð EPIC, PHENOMENAL, AMAZING (capitals most necessary!) and I loved it. I devoured this book, reading in every available minute (even lulls in conversation in the staff room) and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I honestly could not wait to read the final installment and I was truly gripped by the book from start to finish.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Firstly, there is an amazing transition from the first book, with the drama and tension carrying over perfectly and just, well, seamlessly if IÕm honest. I read a lot of series (theyÕre like good shoes, you find a good one and you just keep going with it) and this is most definitely one of the best I have seen for a long while. This is all linked in with an absolutely incredible plot line. The twists and turns are immense, well developed and truly amazing from start to finish. The perspectives of the different characters are always completely crystal clear, showing a very good grasp of the craft.
Characterisation, as with in the first story, is incredibly well written and just, quite frankly amazing. They are all so enigmatic and developed slowly to make sure you really do invest and get to know them. It was great to see more of Tiernan and Emma is such a dark horse! I shanÕt say more so as not to spoil it, but she is most definitely a good addition to the character lists! Caleb and Ava are, as always, a delight to read and are perfect for each other, even if outside events are trying to meddle in that. Throw in the brilliant intrigue and mystery surrounding Ava and you have exceedingly compelling reading.
To conclude, I can do nothing more than repeat my words from my first review Ð EPIC, PHENOMENAL, AMAZING (capitals most necessary!) and I loved it. I devoured this book, reading in every available minute (even lulls in conversation in the staff room) and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I honestly could not wait to read the final installment and I was truly gripped by the book from start to finish.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The 5th wave (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Films about invaders from space have been a staple of film and television since the golden age of cinema. Playing on many Cold War fears in the aftermath of W.W.II, aliens bent on destruction has been an enduring staple of cinematic culture.
In the new film “The 5th Wave” which is based on the book of the same name, Chloe Grace Moretz plays Cassie, a teen who has her entire life turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious craft. A few days after the arrival of “the Others” as they are known, a pulse wipes out all electronics on the planet. This is soon followed by tsunamis and earthquakes as well as disease and death.
Cassie along with her father and brother find shelter but their community is soon disrupted by the arrival of the military who say that the invaders are now amongst them and posing as humans.
The military under the leadership of Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber) has a plan to train the children to spot and defeat the alien invaders thus setting in motion the main conflict of the film. The secondary story consists of Cassie attempting to reunite with her family and her relationship with a mysterious stranger named Evan (Alex Roe).
The film is clearly aimed at a young adult market and as such I was able to spot the big twist in the film a long ways off as the clues were blatantly obvious to me. That being said, the film is better than you might expect and being the first chapter in a trilogy of books does set up the possibilities of sequels.
The dialogue and acting is pretty groan inducing at times, but again, remember the target audience, the film should entertain and it is nice to see Moretz deliver a solid performance in what in many ways could have been a limited role.
While it is not going to make you forget “The Hunger Games” anytime soon, the film is still a decent escape for those willing to overlook the flaws.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/22/the-5th-wave/
In the new film “The 5th Wave” which is based on the book of the same name, Chloe Grace Moretz plays Cassie, a teen who has her entire life turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious craft. A few days after the arrival of “the Others” as they are known, a pulse wipes out all electronics on the planet. This is soon followed by tsunamis and earthquakes as well as disease and death.
Cassie along with her father and brother find shelter but their community is soon disrupted by the arrival of the military who say that the invaders are now amongst them and posing as humans.
The military under the leadership of Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber) has a plan to train the children to spot and defeat the alien invaders thus setting in motion the main conflict of the film. The secondary story consists of Cassie attempting to reunite with her family and her relationship with a mysterious stranger named Evan (Alex Roe).
The film is clearly aimed at a young adult market and as such I was able to spot the big twist in the film a long ways off as the clues were blatantly obvious to me. That being said, the film is better than you might expect and being the first chapter in a trilogy of books does set up the possibilities of sequels.
The dialogue and acting is pretty groan inducing at times, but again, remember the target audience, the film should entertain and it is nice to see Moretz deliver a solid performance in what in many ways could have been a limited role.
While it is not going to make you forget “The Hunger Games” anytime soon, the film is still a decent escape for those willing to overlook the flaws.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/22/the-5th-wave/
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Into The Crooked Place (Into The Crooked Place #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I wanted this book to be good, its a bit like when you bake a cake and you have all the finest ingredients and the baker is brilliant as well but just somehow it doesn't quite come out as good as one would hope.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.
Petting Zoo - Funny animated animal picture book
Education and Games
App
21 beautifully animated animals. Full of surprises, wit and quirky animations! "A wonderful App for...
Shadow Wars®
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Fierce battles, ruthless monsters, and intense strategy. Enter the Shadow Wars. Monsters are real. ...
Pan Book 6: The Alliance of Tribes
Book, Education and Stickers
App
#1 Best Seller in App Store Kids and Books in 42+ countries Featured “Best New Apps" &...
Young John McGahern: Becoming a Novelist
Book
John McGahern was the most admired Irish novelist of the past fifty years. His accessible fiction...
Box of Frogs: Memoirs of a Canoeing Cyclist
Book
In 2015, Iain Hollis embarked on a 4,000 mile solo cycling adventure around Europe. Medically...
B2B Digital Marketing: Using the Web to Market Directly to Businesses
Book
The only 100% B2B-focused guide to high-profit, low-cost digital marketing! Finally, there's a...