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Kaz (232 KP) rated The Wasp Factory in Books
May 15, 2019
A Sinister, but Excellent Read
I've just finished 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks and all I can say is wow!
This story is told by Frank, a 16 year old boy, who lives on a remote island in Scotland with his father. This is about Frank, his very dysfunctional family and trying to find his brother, who has escaped from a mental institution.
What I love about this book is the way in which Iain Banks writes characters. Frank is such a complex character that, although in essence he is an evil person, there are flashes of innocence and sensitivity about him, that you can't help but like him. One moment you feel like he is the only reasonable member of his family and then gradually, you realize his true character. Despite that, you feel sorry for Frank and the life that he has grown up in and the next, completely horrified by some of the things he does in the novel. He's not just a bad character, which in turn, makes him all the more believable.
I also liked some of the dark humour in this novel. Some of the more disturbing stories of Frank's family history were told in such a way, as to make them funny. I felt guilty for laughing at times, but I couldn't help it!
Away from the story itself, I liked how the novel comments on human nature's need for power and to overpower others. This idea is relevant in the areas of gender, politics and society.
This novel isn't plot driven, but character driven, so the story was a bit slow at times. However, I was not expecting the twist at the end.
This might not be for everyone, because it is so dark and at times, really intense. However, I thought this was a brilliant first read for 2019.
I would give this 5 starts, but I have to knock a point off, because this book dragged a couple of times.
This story is told by Frank, a 16 year old boy, who lives on a remote island in Scotland with his father. This is about Frank, his very dysfunctional family and trying to find his brother, who has escaped from a mental institution.
What I love about this book is the way in which Iain Banks writes characters. Frank is such a complex character that, although in essence he is an evil person, there are flashes of innocence and sensitivity about him, that you can't help but like him. One moment you feel like he is the only reasonable member of his family and then gradually, you realize his true character. Despite that, you feel sorry for Frank and the life that he has grown up in and the next, completely horrified by some of the things he does in the novel. He's not just a bad character, which in turn, makes him all the more believable.
I also liked some of the dark humour in this novel. Some of the more disturbing stories of Frank's family history were told in such a way, as to make them funny. I felt guilty for laughing at times, but I couldn't help it!
Away from the story itself, I liked how the novel comments on human nature's need for power and to overpower others. This idea is relevant in the areas of gender, politics and society.
This novel isn't plot driven, but character driven, so the story was a bit slow at times. However, I was not expecting the twist at the end.
This might not be for everyone, because it is so dark and at times, really intense. However, I thought this was a brilliant first read for 2019.
I would give this 5 starts, but I have to knock a point off, because this book dragged a couple of times.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies
Jun 12, 2019
Completely unnecessary and forgettable
I had little hope for this film. After the brilliance that was Days of Future Past, we were faced with the truly poor Apocalypse and I’m afraid to say that Dark Phoenix really follows in Apocalypse’s footsteps. Whilst it isn’t any worse, it isn’t any better either.
For starters, did we really need them to redo the Dark Phoenix storyline? Admittedly it has at least been done better than The Last Stand, but it’s still a very predictable and dull storyline. Even more so because we’ve seen it all before. And it isn’t helped by a terrible script and a very pointless villain that made the plot even worse. Writing Jessica Chastain’s character and that entire plot line out of the film would actually have made it slightly better. Only slightly mind.
I’m not convinced about Sophie Turner either. Like the film itself, she isn’t terrible but I don’t think she’s particularly good either. I liked the scenes with Jean showcasing her new powers, but it’s obvious that the majority of the CGI budget has gone on this and the rest of the scenes look a little poor in comparison. For me what this film is missing is the camaraderie of the X-Men being together and fighting together. Whilst this is featured in the final part (and by far one of the best scenes), it comes far too late. They’ve also relegated some of the more light hearted and funny characters like Quiksilver to bit parts, when this film is in dire need of some humour. And even Magneto is rather sidelined and the pairing of Fassbender and McAvoy was by far the best thing about these X-Men films. Yes we get a great scene with them towards the end which was marvellous, but it was too little too late.
Quite honestly I think they should’ve called it a day with the X-Men films and ended on a high with Days of Future Past. I just really hope they don’t make any more!
For starters, did we really need them to redo the Dark Phoenix storyline? Admittedly it has at least been done better than The Last Stand, but it’s still a very predictable and dull storyline. Even more so because we’ve seen it all before. And it isn’t helped by a terrible script and a very pointless villain that made the plot even worse. Writing Jessica Chastain’s character and that entire plot line out of the film would actually have made it slightly better. Only slightly mind.
I’m not convinced about Sophie Turner either. Like the film itself, she isn’t terrible but I don’t think she’s particularly good either. I liked the scenes with Jean showcasing her new powers, but it’s obvious that the majority of the CGI budget has gone on this and the rest of the scenes look a little poor in comparison. For me what this film is missing is the camaraderie of the X-Men being together and fighting together. Whilst this is featured in the final part (and by far one of the best scenes), it comes far too late. They’ve also relegated some of the more light hearted and funny characters like Quiksilver to bit parts, when this film is in dire need of some humour. And even Magneto is rather sidelined and the pairing of Fassbender and McAvoy was by far the best thing about these X-Men films. Yes we get a great scene with them towards the end which was marvellous, but it was too little too late.
Quite honestly I think they should’ve called it a day with the X-Men films and ended on a high with Days of Future Past. I just really hope they don’t make any more!
Story – The Box is a very interesting horror, it poses a question that would leave the audience much like Susan wondering what changed everything in her family’s life, it has a shock moment, while the rest is filled with the psychological side of horror. The Birthday Party plays out more like a dark comedy that a horror, it does work very well watching how hard the it is to cover up a death. Don’t Fall does seem to be the weakest of the stories here, mostly because it is way too short, it seems to take us to the location, hit night and everything happens and it is over way too quickly. Her Only Living Son does play out a lot like ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ only having a supernatural side to the outcome, it is one that could easily be a longer film too. Overall the stories are different enough, we have little sparks for each sub-genre of horror too which only means if you didn’t like one, you can skip to the next with ease.
Horror – The horror in the film gives us something different in each little story, we have psychological, dark humour, creature feature and satanic, which will give the audience something to enjoy between them.
Settings – The film does use each setting to make us feel like we are in different stories with Happy Birthday using the environment the best through the film.
Special Effects – The effects are strong when needed, we don’t turn to them very often which is nice for a horror film at times.
Scene of the Movie – Dinner with a difference.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Don’t Fall feels too short.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice little horror anthology which highlights the female film makers in the genre, each story will have something for each type of horror fan to enjoy.
Overall: Horror Anthology 101
Horror – The horror in the film gives us something different in each little story, we have psychological, dark humour, creature feature and satanic, which will give the audience something to enjoy between them.
Settings – The film does use each setting to make us feel like we are in different stories with Happy Birthday using the environment the best through the film.
Special Effects – The effects are strong when needed, we don’t turn to them very often which is nice for a horror film at times.
Scene of the Movie – Dinner with a difference.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Don’t Fall feels too short.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice little horror anthology which highlights the female film makers in the genre, each story will have something for each type of horror fan to enjoy.
Overall: Horror Anthology 101
Three Graves Full
Jon Gray and Jamie Mason
Book
Hitchcock meets the Coen Brothers in a darkly comic suspense novel with the tense pacing of a...
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Read the most up to date version of this review over on Ramble Media http://www.ramblemedia.com/?p=20241
I received an ARC of this book and I am so very glad I was given this opportunity as this book really is something else! I devoured it in no time at all, reading until I fell asleep on my kindle, waking up and reading some more. I honestly have not read a book this well written and gripping in a while, and it is most definitely a book worth adding to your to-read list sharpish!
So I suppose you want to know why I find this book so wonderful? Well for once, I am actually rather speechless, in an incredibly good way, as there is just so much good that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps the one thing I absolutely loved in this book is the plot. A different take on the typical YA Magical genre, the inclusion of Kings, Mys factions, heartbreak, mates and the friendship between these groups, it's all so very different from the norm. But that is one of the greatest aspects of this book, it breaks so many of the standard rules and 'norms' of this genre. It is naughty in parts, funny in others and downright heart breaking at times as well. The plot is superbly paced to guide the reader through everything that takes place, without dragging it's feet or rushing too fast - it is perfectly pitched for your enjoyment. The twists and turns in the plot is another huge advantage as it simply keeps you on the balls of your feet throughout. It's rare to find a book that does this so completely so I have to give credit to Scarlett Dawn for developing such a wonderful plot development.
Something else that is amazing in this book is the dynamic between the characters. They are wonderful. Seriously, they gel so incredibly well with each other and with you as a reader that you feel like the 5th member of the Prodigy group. They are wonderful characters in their own right, but together they truly shine. Jack, a real Jack the lad, so untamed and playful; Pearl, a beauty with a mischievous side; Ezra, dark and mysterious, he exudes sex appeal; and Lily, well what can you say? She's shorter than average, smaller than average, a fiery tempered Shifter which matches her fiery red hair. I love her to bits, mostly because she really reminds me of myself, but also because she is a strong heroine, and these types of characters are really missing from books. She's inspirational and an absolute delight to read, sucking you into her crazy world and dragging you into all their mischief together. Equally, you also get drawn into her heart break, and my heart seriously ached with her with the tragedy she faced. She is an incredibly well written character, and one I honestly cannot wait to learn more about.
Another amazing aspect of this book is the humour which weaves its way throughout. It counteracts the dark undertones of sadness and tension throughout, meaning that although the darkness is there, there is always hope and happiness not far behind. This stops the story from becoming too angsty and helps the reader have a few good belly laughs along the way. The naughtiness of the humour is excellently written, balancing on the tasteful sexual humour rather than being crude. This makes it even more enjoyable to read as it just feels so natural. It's like an old pair of jeans, the book just feels so right as you read it. Although there may be uncomfortable moments (King Kincaid and Venclaire feature in most of them), Scarlett Dawn makes them incredibly enjoyable by using a unique brand of humour to ease the tension, usually through Lily's thoughts. I can only compliment this as it is something I know isn't hard to write and balance correctly.
So I suppose I ought to wrap this on before I gush too much and end up repeating myself. IF you haven't already guessed from reading the review so far, I absolutely, positively ADORED this book (yes, the capitalisation is most definitely needed). It has everything you want in a good read, emotions of all kinds, a fab pace and plot and excellent characters. There's nothing more for me to say other than to tell you to get a copy of this book sooner rather than later and be prepared for a cliff hanger that is out of this world! Now all there is for me to do is twiddle my thumbs and wait very impatiently for the next instalment!
I received an ARC of this book and I am so very glad I was given this opportunity as this book really is something else! I devoured it in no time at all, reading until I fell asleep on my kindle, waking up and reading some more. I honestly have not read a book this well written and gripping in a while, and it is most definitely a book worth adding to your to-read list sharpish!
So I suppose you want to know why I find this book so wonderful? Well for once, I am actually rather speechless, in an incredibly good way, as there is just so much good that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps the one thing I absolutely loved in this book is the plot. A different take on the typical YA Magical genre, the inclusion of Kings, Mys factions, heartbreak, mates and the friendship between these groups, it's all so very different from the norm. But that is one of the greatest aspects of this book, it breaks so many of the standard rules and 'norms' of this genre. It is naughty in parts, funny in others and downright heart breaking at times as well. The plot is superbly paced to guide the reader through everything that takes place, without dragging it's feet or rushing too fast - it is perfectly pitched for your enjoyment. The twists and turns in the plot is another huge advantage as it simply keeps you on the balls of your feet throughout. It's rare to find a book that does this so completely so I have to give credit to Scarlett Dawn for developing such a wonderful plot development.
Something else that is amazing in this book is the dynamic between the characters. They are wonderful. Seriously, they gel so incredibly well with each other and with you as a reader that you feel like the 5th member of the Prodigy group. They are wonderful characters in their own right, but together they truly shine. Jack, a real Jack the lad, so untamed and playful; Pearl, a beauty with a mischievous side; Ezra, dark and mysterious, he exudes sex appeal; and Lily, well what can you say? She's shorter than average, smaller than average, a fiery tempered Shifter which matches her fiery red hair. I love her to bits, mostly because she really reminds me of myself, but also because she is a strong heroine, and these types of characters are really missing from books. She's inspirational and an absolute delight to read, sucking you into her crazy world and dragging you into all their mischief together. Equally, you also get drawn into her heart break, and my heart seriously ached with her with the tragedy she faced. She is an incredibly well written character, and one I honestly cannot wait to learn more about.
Another amazing aspect of this book is the humour which weaves its way throughout. It counteracts the dark undertones of sadness and tension throughout, meaning that although the darkness is there, there is always hope and happiness not far behind. This stops the story from becoming too angsty and helps the reader have a few good belly laughs along the way. The naughtiness of the humour is excellently written, balancing on the tasteful sexual humour rather than being crude. This makes it even more enjoyable to read as it just feels so natural. It's like an old pair of jeans, the book just feels so right as you read it. Although there may be uncomfortable moments (King Kincaid and Venclaire feature in most of them), Scarlett Dawn makes them incredibly enjoyable by using a unique brand of humour to ease the tension, usually through Lily's thoughts. I can only compliment this as it is something I know isn't hard to write and balance correctly.
So I suppose I ought to wrap this on before I gush too much and end up repeating myself. IF you haven't already guessed from reading the review so far, I absolutely, positively ADORED this book (yes, the capitalisation is most definitely needed). It has everything you want in a good read, emotions of all kinds, a fab pace and plot and excellent characters. There's nothing more for me to say other than to tell you to get a copy of this book sooner rather than later and be prepared for a cliff hanger that is out of this world! Now all there is for me to do is twiddle my thumbs and wait very impatiently for the next instalment!
Sheridan (209 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies
Jul 9, 2017
Cast (3 more)
Visual Effects
Dark/Dry Humour
Perfect Harley Quinn portrayal
Harley/Joker relationship portrayed felt romantic rather than what it is (2 more)
Villain was lacking
Storyline wasn't fleshed out enough
Excellent Movie - Even for a Marvel fan ;)
Let it be said now, I will always love Marvel more than DC because I relate to the characters. I've never particularly been a fan of DC heroes but I've always said they have excellent bad guys. If you're a die-hard fan of the comics this movie probably won't do it for you because there is a lot of interpretation in there. I, however, loved it solely because of the excellent casting. The storyline is a little lacking and I felt the villain in the movie wasn't quite fleshed out enough for it to be a complete movie, if that makes sense. Harley Quinn couldn't have been more perfectly cast (though I might be biased as an Aussie lol), Deadshot had an interesting interpreation from Will Smith and I enjoyed it, Joker was definitely closer to what I've seen in the comics, however I feel his relationship with Harley wasn't shown correctly (it felt more romantic than it should have, he's an awful person and truly treats her like s**t, it's a relationship based on insanity and stockholm syndrome and it didn't feel that way to me) All in all despite a few flaws it was a good movie. I would definitely watch it again.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jan 18, 2018
Frances McDormand (2 more)
Sam Rockwell
Comedy
Darkly funny and depressing
I went into this film with a lot of preconceptions, having seen earlier reviews and loved Martin McDonagh’s previous films. I’m not entirely sure for me that it quite lived up to the hype.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really don’t rate. I know she’s Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
I’ll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films I’ll see in 2018, impressive as it’s only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really don’t rate. I know she’s Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
I’ll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films I’ll see in 2018, impressive as it’s only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 4 in TV
Mar 26, 2018
Back on form
I'm probably one of the few people who didn't rate the third series of Black Mirror. In my eyes, it just wasn't up the high standards set by the previous series. So I'd put off watching series 4 as i didn't have very high expectations, but I'm now very sad that I didn't watch it sooner!
This is a fantastic series with a lot of very strong episodes. From the USS Callister which really makes fun of the old school sci-fi shows, to Hang the DJ which introduces a whole new method to modern dating. Virtually every episode is full of dark humour, with very ominous overtones. My favourite would have to be Black Museum, as it is ridiculously funny and I loved the references to the previous episodes. The only truly weak episode would probably be Metalhead and that was more due to the execution rather the premise itself.
For me, the best thing about Black Mirror is the social and cultural commentary and the use of technology for sinister means. As this is set in an alternate or near future, you can almost see these things happening in reality and each episode is a great talking point (if you happen to be watching it with someone else). Arkangel is a great example, highlighting the pitfalls of overprotective parenting.
A fantastic return to form for Black Mirror, and has left me wanting more!
This is a fantastic series with a lot of very strong episodes. From the USS Callister which really makes fun of the old school sci-fi shows, to Hang the DJ which introduces a whole new method to modern dating. Virtually every episode is full of dark humour, with very ominous overtones. My favourite would have to be Black Museum, as it is ridiculously funny and I loved the references to the previous episodes. The only truly weak episode would probably be Metalhead and that was more due to the execution rather the premise itself.
For me, the best thing about Black Mirror is the social and cultural commentary and the use of technology for sinister means. As this is set in an alternate or near future, you can almost see these things happening in reality and each episode is a great talking point (if you happen to be watching it with someone else). Arkangel is a great example, highlighting the pitfalls of overprotective parenting.
A fantastic return to form for Black Mirror, and has left me wanting more!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Nov 1, 2018
Much better than expected
Considering some of the terrible critics reviews for this I was expecting it to be horrendous, but for the most part it was actually quite enjoyable.
Tom Hardy makes this film. He is fantastic as Eddie Brock and Venom, even if he does go a little ott cringey in parts. He really injects some much needed humour and likeability into this film, without him this really would have been terrible. Some of the CGI is patchy in parts and the final fight scene is overwhelming due to the sheer amount of CGI going on. There's some dodgy editing and an even dodgier script, and the ending feels rather rushed. Riz Ahmed is a great actor but vastly underused, and to echo every other reviews Michelle Williams is absolutely awful. She contributed nothing other than major irritation for the entire film.
I'm not a massive comic person but do recall Venom from comics and some of the earlier Spiderman cartoons, and I'm actually fairly impressed with this origin story and how Venom has been portrayed. Let's face it, they couldn't get much worse than what came out in Spiderman 3. Whilst this film has a lot of faults, it's still very entertaining.
I do wish they'd given this a proper Marvel film though. It already comes across as quite dark, and I think this could've been fantastic had they given it a Deadpool type makeover.
Tom Hardy makes this film. He is fantastic as Eddie Brock and Venom, even if he does go a little ott cringey in parts. He really injects some much needed humour and likeability into this film, without him this really would have been terrible. Some of the CGI is patchy in parts and the final fight scene is overwhelming due to the sheer amount of CGI going on. There's some dodgy editing and an even dodgier script, and the ending feels rather rushed. Riz Ahmed is a great actor but vastly underused, and to echo every other reviews Michelle Williams is absolutely awful. She contributed nothing other than major irritation for the entire film.
I'm not a massive comic person but do recall Venom from comics and some of the earlier Spiderman cartoons, and I'm actually fairly impressed with this origin story and how Venom has been portrayed. Let's face it, they couldn't get much worse than what came out in Spiderman 3. Whilst this film has a lot of faults, it's still very entertaining.
I do wish they'd given this a proper Marvel film though. It already comes across as quite dark, and I think this could've been fantastic had they given it a Deadpool type makeover.
Star Shell Reflections 1916: The Great War Diaries of Jim Maultsaid
Book
As the centenary of the Great War approaches, this book offers a unique perspective told in the...