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Jigsaw (2017)
Jigsaw (2017)
2017 | Crime, Horror
Contains spoilers, click to show
10 Years after the events in saw 7 (the Final chapter/Saw 3D) a new 'game' has started and a new group of police officers have to try to find out what is happening and who is responsible.
Jigsaw runs to almost the same formula as the previous films , there is a game in progress and the police have to stop it but as well as the game there is still enough of a story to make the film interesting. The biggest difference is that there isn't really the back story in the same way the other films had mainly because, with the exception of John Kramer (the original Jigsaw), we have all new characters. Instead Jigsaw focuses on finding out who the new Jigsaw is or even if it is a new Jigsaw or if John has some how come back from the dead. This is where the film is cleaver, it gives us a number of possible suspects and even makes it seem it may be John.
Jigsaw doesn't seem to be as gory as the previous films, yes you still have people in a game and yes at least some of them loose but there are no intestines littering the ground or close ups on people getting cut in half. Don't get me wrong there is still gore, closeups of the dead bodies and people loosing limbs but it doesn't quite have the same feel to it.
The story aspect to the film is good , as I said, it does leave you guessing to who the killer is although, if you pay attention there are clues. The film also plays with time a bit and, as in the other films, this is used to throw the viewer off track.
Jigsaw is a good entry in to the Saw franchise, as it has a ten year gap from Saw 7 it doesn't get bogged down with the original charters and doesn't get (too) bogged down with the past timeline which was getting a bit muddled (in my opinion) but it does manage to pull from what has gone before and use it further the story.
And that's it, the end of the Saw franchise. OK not quite, at the time of writing 'Spiral, Chapters from the book of Saw' is due out at the cinema (Corona willing) in a couple of weeks and it looks to bigger and better however I probably won't get to see it for a while so, for now, it's time to move onto something new.
  
    African Proverbs

    African Proverbs

    Reference

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    Baganda * One who loves you, warns you. Ethiopian * Evil enters like a splinter and...

Murder Comes to Call
Murder Comes to Call
Jessica Ellicott | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thefts and Murder
When Beryl Helliwell goes to court for reckless driving, she meets Declan O’Shea, an Irish immigrant trying to start a life for himself in the English village of Walmsley Parva. However, being Irish, he is viewed with suspicion, and the string of thefts happening in the village only make things worse. When the police start to question him about the thefts, he hires Beryl and Edwina Davenport to clear his name. The stakes are only raised when a dead body turns up at the scene of the latest burglary. Couple that with another client who needs his case solved right away, and Edwina and Beryl have their work cut out of them. Can they figure out what is really happening?

While this is the fourth book in the series, you could easily jump in here. You would miss out on the growth in the characters and their relationships, which is definitely part of the charm of the series. Plus these are just great characters to spend time with. Fans will be delighted to check in with these friends and catch up with the latest going on in their lives. The plot seemed to be a bit scattered early on, but I suspected that events would tie together, and my faith was rewarded. In fact, I was impressed with just how everything came together by the end. The setting, both location and historical, come to life well. We get a great feel for the impact of World War I on this village without it ever slowing things down. I was fully absorbed in another time and place as I read, and if you are looking for a great historical mystery, you will be, too.
  
December is the height of tourist season for Rudolph, New York, a town that has built its economy around celebrating Christmas. This year, a reporter is coming to cover the annual Christmas parade, but when Merry Wilkinson finds him dead in a park that night, it looks like someone is out to kill the Christmas spirit in town.

This is a delightful first in a new series. You can feel the Christmas spirit in the shops, the carols, the characters. All of it is well executed, and I wish it were a real place so I could go visit. Unfortunately, that spirit did overwhelm the mystery a few times, especially near the beginning, but the plot did build to a logical climax.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-review-rest-ye-murdered-gentlemen.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
After Life - Season 2
After Life - Season 2
2020 | Comedy, Drama
It’s difficult not to enjoy or at least admire anything Ricky Gervais writes for TV. His track record now speaks for itself. What you are going to get at the very minimum is a well thought out concept, some odd characters, mostly with their hearts in the right place, and a handful of irreverent jokes that will make you howl out loud and also have a little think.

I loved season one of this show about a man constantly on the edge of wondering whether to bother carrying on with life after the tragically early death of the wife he loved more than life itself. If you want to remind yourself what I said about it, please check the archives. Much of what I had to say then still applies – it is the same show, just six new episodes.

Which is both good and bad, I think. Good because it is good. It makes you think and care and respond humanely, but with lots of chuckles. Bad because it doesn’t do a lot to move things on. Tony, played pitch perfectly by Gervais is still depressed, of course he is, his wife is still dead. He is starting to try a bit more with people around him, and taking more risks with his own life. But the pills are still down the side of the sofa, the red wine is still flowing, and so are the snarky comments.

People like the dog. I can see why. Dog lovers know that bond all too well. The reason to get up in the morning is your best canine pal, and that is sometimes enough. Slowly, Tony is starting to find new reasons to get out of bed though; helping others be happy is given him reason to be. And that is the genius of it really – because he can be a bit of a prick, but you always forgive him when you see the kindness behind the wall of pain.

For me, this season isn’t better than the first one, it is about the same, which is no bad thing. To be at all critical, it seems to be relying too much on the same point being made over and over. Which may be why it wasn’t recently nominated for any Emmys, when it was touted to do quite well. Or is it because of Gervais’ last go at the Golden Globe elite in January?

Watch it. Enjoy it. Recommend it to friends who haven’t seen it. Just don’t get too carried away with it until season 3 proves it goes somewhere new and interesting that it didn’t already go to.
  
Voodoo Butterfly (Voodoo Butterfly #1)
Voodoo Butterfly (Voodoo Butterfly #1)
Camille Faye | 2014 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Voodoo Butterfly (Voodoo Butterfly #1) by Camille Faye
Voodoo Butterfly is the first book in the Voodoo Butterfly series, and from the start you can tell that research has been done for this story. Sophia is alone in the world, or at least she thinks she is. Her mother moved away from New Orleans, and told Sophia everyone was dead. However, after her mother's death, Sophia finds out that her grandmother had been alive, but no longer. She is told she has inherited half of a shop, and goes to the funeral to pay her last respects to a woman she never knew about.

This is a gripping and interesting story, with many facets to keep your attention. It is well written, with plenty of character development throughout. And come on, admit it, if you were handed a voodoo shop in New Orleans, you'd be sceptical too! I loved the interaction between all the characters, although I was unsure of just what Jacques was playing at.

There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I definitely would like to continue with this series. A fantastic start that leaves you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
    Shadow Blade

    Shadow Blade

    Games and Entertainment

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    Kuro is a young man on his quest to become the Shadow Blade. He must seek the teachings of the last...