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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Into The Storm (2014) in Movies

Jun 19, 2019

Into The Storm (2014)

2014 | Mystery

6.0

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

It has been 20 years since “Twister” thrilled audiences by using state of
the art effects to simulate one of the most destructive forces on earth.
In the new film “Into the Storm:, Warner Bros has once again dipped into
the formula that made “Twister” so successful, combing the best FX on the
planet with high-end sound and human drama.

The film follows a documentary film crew low on cash and in desperate need
to find a storm so that funding can continue. At the same time, a student
is recording a video diary for his high school and dealing with his
estranged father who happens to be the assistant principal.

The family has severe tension over the death of their mother and see the
father as caring more about his working and position than the needs of his
kids.

The characters are not broadly written or well developed as essentially
they exist to serve as props for the very impressive scenes of destruction
when the massive tornadoes strike.

There are some very effective moments of tension when people and vehicles
are thrown around and as buildings are destroyed by the full force of
nature’s fury.

While many aspects of the film fail to stand out, the visual power of the
film is attention grabbing and does allow you to overlook the thin plot
and characters.

We were fortunate to screen the film with the latest Atmos Dolby sound
systems, which really enhanced the experience of what it is like to be the
a storm without risk to life and property.

For the visuals alone, I would say the film is worth seeing as long as you
temper your expectations accordingly.

http://sknr.net/2014/08/08/into-the-storm/

Kudos

Midge (525 KP) rated The Songbird Girls in Books

Dec 15, 2018

The Songbird Girls

Richard Jay Parker | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Really Enjoyable!

Wow, this book is amazing! I generally enjoy a good thriller but this one had me enthralled from the very first page.

Detective Tom Fabian’s past is catching up with him. It has been years since the most famous case of his career – when his evidence put infamous serial killer Christopher Wisher behind bars forever. But when Wisher summons a reluctant Fabian to his prison cell to hand over a diary, he realises that Wisher’s twisted games are far from over.

Shortly after Fabian’s visit, Wisher is found dead in his cell. And a few days later, the police find a woman's body bearing Wisher’s signature, a dead songbird. But the police never released this detail to the public … so who has Wisher been talking to? Did Wisher have an accomplice? He had a number of regular visitors whilst in prison. Why are they visiting a serial killer?

The Songbird Girls has a very clever plotline that I really enjoyed. It was intriguing from the beginning and although this is not the first book in the series, I found it a good stand-alone read, as there was plenty of back history.

There are many twists and turns throughout this well-written novel. I simply had to keep reading on with this fascinating thriller and the ending left me very happy. I believe there is definitely scope for a follow-on book. It has an impressive, well-thought-out storyline that culminates in some very tense closing chapters.

I highly recommend reading The Songbird Girls and I am looking forward to reading another book from this author!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Richard Parker, for a copy of this book in return for a review.

Kudos

Sarah (7799 KP) rated Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) in Movies

Dec 29, 2018

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

2001 | Comedy, Romance

8.1

(24 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Lovable & heartwarming rom-com

Out of all the rom-coms out there, Bridget Jones Diary is one of my favourites. For a start Bridget herself isn’t your usual perfect rom-com lead - she’s not stick thin and drinks and smokes far too much - for me that makes Bridget all the more endearing. I think most women can relate to Bridget in some way. She’s funny, loud mouthed and not very coherent at public speaking, and can’t help but make an idiot out of herself, and this is what makes this film all the more lovable.

It’s a heartwarming story of love, not only for Bridget but for her parents too. And it’s also funny and a little on the adult side with a great soundtrack, and yes the plot is predictable but this is one of those films where it doesn’t matter. Yes we can predict what the ending will be, but it’s the getting there that matters.

It has a great cast. I’ve never been a fan of Renee Zellweger but I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Bridget. And to have both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant as the male leads was always going to be a winner - the fight the two have us hilarious. It’s an altogether lovely, funny rom-com that despite being 17 years old (which i find so hard to believe) is still so relatable today.

I’ll be honest, I’m virtually the same age as Bridget and I actually feel like so much like Bridget right now it’s scary, some of the scenes in this are exactly how I’ve been behaving these past few months! Albeit sadly without the Mark Darcy, or even a charming, sex-pest boss....