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The Future Royal Family: William, Kate and the Modern Royals
Robert Jobson and Arthur Edwards
Book
They have been dubbed 'the modern royals' by the world's media, and have not only won the hearts and...
The Euro: And its Threat to the Future of Europe
Book
From Nobel Prize-winning economist and best-selling author Joseph Sitglitz, author of Globalization...
The Naked Guide to Cider: Not All Guide Books are the Same
James Russell, Jones Richard and Joe Burt
Book
Now, fully revised and updated, the third edition of The Naked Guide to Cider includes more than 200...
Lost Horizon
Games
App
[ The classic point ‘n click adventure by Animation Arts and Deep Silver FISHLABS comes to the App...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Oxygen (2021) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A taut mystery horror/thriller that goes off in surprising directions!
You can recognize a ‘lockdown-produced movie’ a mile off. Typically it focuses on a handful of players, who are mostly socially isolated. Here is a classic example. Yet by doing that, the director is forced to focus in on character and dialogue. As such, some of these ‘small’ movies that reign in the director’s excesses are far better as a result.
“Oxygen” is a case in point. When I saw that the film was directed by Alexandre Aja – the man behind the OTT “Piranha 3D” and the equally OTT popcorn-croc movie “Crawl” from 2 years ago, I feared the worst. But this an intriguing little movie that mystifies and jolts in equal measure.
There is probably no such thing anymore as a truly novel thriller or science fiction film. And this draws recognisably from a host of other movies: I personally recognised elements from “Room“, “Solaris”, “Moon” and “Gravity” in there. But the closest similarity is definitely to the Ryan Reynolds 2010 thriller “Buried” which features a very similar initial set-up. If “Oxygen” were to have pulled out an ending like that film (if you haven’t watched it yet – do so!) then it would have been a mini-classic.
Positives:
No spoilers here, but this is a ‘small’ mystery movie that goes off in a VERY surprising direction. The script is genuinely unpredictable.
Mélanie Laurent gives a strong performance as the heroine near the end of her tether.
Although this is a French film, don’t let that put you off. Netflix gives options of the original French, French with subtitles and an English dub. And the English dubbing is so good that it took me until some sub-titles for text written in French before I realised it was dubbed!
Negatives:
After the long drip-drip-drip of context, I found the ending to be something of a disappointment. Too twee.
I found something morally dubious about the ‘re-routing’ request near the end of the movie. (Although, I’m sure given the options, I would probably do the same!)
If you don’t like jump scares, you are likely to spill a lot of hot drinks while watching this one!
“Oxygen” is a case in point. When I saw that the film was directed by Alexandre Aja – the man behind the OTT “Piranha 3D” and the equally OTT popcorn-croc movie “Crawl” from 2 years ago, I feared the worst. But this an intriguing little movie that mystifies and jolts in equal measure.
There is probably no such thing anymore as a truly novel thriller or science fiction film. And this draws recognisably from a host of other movies: I personally recognised elements from “Room“, “Solaris”, “Moon” and “Gravity” in there. But the closest similarity is definitely to the Ryan Reynolds 2010 thriller “Buried” which features a very similar initial set-up. If “Oxygen” were to have pulled out an ending like that film (if you haven’t watched it yet – do so!) then it would have been a mini-classic.
Positives:
No spoilers here, but this is a ‘small’ mystery movie that goes off in a VERY surprising direction. The script is genuinely unpredictable.
Mélanie Laurent gives a strong performance as the heroine near the end of her tether.
Although this is a French film, don’t let that put you off. Netflix gives options of the original French, French with subtitles and an English dub. And the English dubbing is so good that it took me until some sub-titles for text written in French before I realised it was dubbed!
Negatives:
After the long drip-drip-drip of context, I found the ending to be something of a disappointment. Too twee.
I found something morally dubious about the ‘re-routing’ request near the end of the movie. (Although, I’m sure given the options, I would probably do the same!)
If you don’t like jump scares, you are likely to spill a lot of hot drinks while watching this one!
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>Mrs B</i> is a contemporary novel by lecturer and writer Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw. Whilst loosely based on Gustave Flaubert’s <i>Madame Bovary</i>, it is set in Trinidad and contains a number of themes. Beginning in June 2009 it spans the course of a year before finishing in July 2010.
The titular character <i>Mrs B</i> is a middle-aged woman named Mrs Elena Butcher who, due to dislike of her husband’s surname, is always referred to as Mrs B. At the beginning of the book Mrs B and her husband, Charles, are driving to the airport to collect their daughter, Ruthie, who has flown home from Boston University. It is revealed that Ruthie suffered a nervous breakdown a couple of months before hand, but what is yet to be discovered is that she is pregnant. Whilst in Boston, Ruthie had developed an intimate relationship with a man dubbed the Professor. Mrs B’s daughter was once her pride and joy but the result of Ruthie’s down fall begins to have a negative effect on Mrs B’s life and sours her relationships with those previously close to her, particularly her husband.
Pregnancy and romantic affairs are not the only themes of the novel. Trinidad is becoming a dangerous place with crimes, such as murders, becoming a daily occurrence. Politics plays its hand in these everyday occurrences, so it is not very reassuring when Mrs B’s ex-lover becomes involved with the government. However the events in Trinidad seem more normal than the emotions Mrs B feels within her own family.
The story line jumps around a lot from character to character and also from past to present. Whilst not exactly confusing it is difficult to understand what the actual plot line is. There was not much of climax and the reader does not really get a chance to connect with the characters and so the conclusion feels neither disappointing nor satisfactory.
For readers unfamiliar with the Caribbean and life in Trinidad this book is quite educational, providing descriptions of the culture and customs of the islands inhabitants. So despite the lack of a strong story line, Walcott-Hackshaw writes effectively to make this an interesting read.
<i>Mrs B</i> is a contemporary novel by lecturer and writer Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw. Whilst loosely based on Gustave Flaubert’s <i>Madame Bovary</i>, it is set in Trinidad and contains a number of themes. Beginning in June 2009 it spans the course of a year before finishing in July 2010.
The titular character <i>Mrs B</i> is a middle-aged woman named Mrs Elena Butcher who, due to dislike of her husband’s surname, is always referred to as Mrs B. At the beginning of the book Mrs B and her husband, Charles, are driving to the airport to collect their daughter, Ruthie, who has flown home from Boston University. It is revealed that Ruthie suffered a nervous breakdown a couple of months before hand, but what is yet to be discovered is that she is pregnant. Whilst in Boston, Ruthie had developed an intimate relationship with a man dubbed the Professor. Mrs B’s daughter was once her pride and joy but the result of Ruthie’s down fall begins to have a negative effect on Mrs B’s life and sours her relationships with those previously close to her, particularly her husband.
Pregnancy and romantic affairs are not the only themes of the novel. Trinidad is becoming a dangerous place with crimes, such as murders, becoming a daily occurrence. Politics plays its hand in these everyday occurrences, so it is not very reassuring when Mrs B’s ex-lover becomes involved with the government. However the events in Trinidad seem more normal than the emotions Mrs B feels within her own family.
The story line jumps around a lot from character to character and also from past to present. Whilst not exactly confusing it is difficult to understand what the actual plot line is. There was not much of climax and the reader does not really get a chance to connect with the characters and so the conclusion feels neither disappointing nor satisfactory.
For readers unfamiliar with the Caribbean and life in Trinidad this book is quite educational, providing descriptions of the culture and customs of the islands inhabitants. So despite the lack of a strong story line, Walcott-Hackshaw writes effectively to make this an interesting read.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Alan Wake in Video Games
Oct 31, 2019 (Updated Oct 31, 2019)
Flash The Darkness Demons
Contains spoilers, click to show
Alan Wake- is one of those games that is highly underrated. It is a great game. It mixs horror with suspense with thrills with adventure and action.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville in Video Games
Oct 24, 2019
The latest game in the popular Plants Vs Zombies series has arrived with Plants Vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. The game continues the recent trend of the Third Person Shooter style of recent games vs the tactical strategy of the earlier games in the series.
Set in a vibrant and highly-detailed theme park; players go through various tutorial missions which provide instruction on everything from combat to customization as well as upgrades and all aspects necessary to survive the Zombie hordes.
The game cleverly divides gameplay between campaign and multiplayer by allowing players to use Launch Pads to access the Multiplay area of the park where you can battle with or against other online players.
The campaign is a fun and whimsical adventure where players have to do things such as increase their cool by gaining a new look in order to access a specific area.
Moving around a large open-world area complete with all sorts of characters, main, and side quests. From the Suburbs to the beach, and downtown, players will battle all kinds of dangerous and funny Zombies. There are the traditional ones, as well as ones who use traffic cones and window panes in order to block your attacks and absorb more damage. There are also more dangerous Zombies and players will be happy to see some old favorites like the Football Zombie.
Picking the right characters is key as I started with a Pea Shooter but upgraded to a large ear of corn that I dubbed “Colonel Corn” for my gameplay. There are other plants and customizations but I liked the rapid-fire attack that works better for me. There are also special abilities such as being able to flip a large distance which is key in avoiding combat and also firing a corn rocket to take out large hordes.
This is where the customization really shines as players can not only update their look and class; but also their abilities which is key to gaining the upper hand in the game.
Players who have been fans of the prior games in the series will see much to like in the game as the world is fun, visually appealing, and inviting and lots of fun to play.
The graphics and sound in the game are great and even after playing the previous games; this one blends old and new in a winning formula.
Set in a vibrant and highly-detailed theme park; players go through various tutorial missions which provide instruction on everything from combat to customization as well as upgrades and all aspects necessary to survive the Zombie hordes.
The game cleverly divides gameplay between campaign and multiplayer by allowing players to use Launch Pads to access the Multiplay area of the park where you can battle with or against other online players.
The campaign is a fun and whimsical adventure where players have to do things such as increase their cool by gaining a new look in order to access a specific area.
Moving around a large open-world area complete with all sorts of characters, main, and side quests. From the Suburbs to the beach, and downtown, players will battle all kinds of dangerous and funny Zombies. There are the traditional ones, as well as ones who use traffic cones and window panes in order to block your attacks and absorb more damage. There are also more dangerous Zombies and players will be happy to see some old favorites like the Football Zombie.
Picking the right characters is key as I started with a Pea Shooter but upgraded to a large ear of corn that I dubbed “Colonel Corn” for my gameplay. There are other plants and customizations but I liked the rapid-fire attack that works better for me. There are also special abilities such as being able to flip a large distance which is key in avoiding combat and also firing a corn rocket to take out large hordes.
This is where the customization really shines as players can not only update their look and class; but also their abilities which is key to gaining the upper hand in the game.
Players who have been fans of the prior games in the series will see much to like in the game as the world is fun, visually appealing, and inviting and lots of fun to play.
The graphics and sound in the game are great and even after playing the previous games; this one blends old and new in a winning formula.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 19, 2019 (Updated Jul 19, 2019)
If this is where the monarchy is headed Count me out!
Lion king 2019 is by far the worst of the Disney live action remakes & while newcomers/children will certainly love it many of the people that hold the original close to their hearts will leave wishing they had just stayed home with the far superior predecessor instead. Aladdin & The Lion King are two of the greatest animated feature films of all time & as I experienced them both in cinema on release they are very special to me. Now i loved the Aladdin remake & im not one for comparing these to the animated features but while I was watching this all i could think about was how much better the original is. While it looks absolutely gorgeous (until anything starts to move) the animation at times is so unnatural especially when animals are walking slowly that its constantly distracting & kills the illusion of these creatures being real. Voice work is bland/mediocre & delivered with almost no enthusiasm at all like the cast were more concerned with sounding different to the original than giving the characters charm & personality. Voices also dont feel connected to the characters like your watching a nature documentary thats been dubbed over. While Aladdin did its own thing & changed up the movie Lion King is practically & infuriatingly a scene for scene remake which would be ok if it had the charm, colour, grand scale, imagination, excitement, thrill, humour & emotional impact of the original but it doesnt. Songs are butchered/dull with seemingly no energy or spectacle to them at all feeling significantly toned down/grounded rather than fun & toe tapping (they have also ruined 'Be Prepared'). So whats new? theres new humour & yup you guessed it its really bad with awkward timing & dragged out jokes that just fall flat. I wanted so bad to love this movie but not even a scense of nostalgia kicked in either because the film is just soulless, unenthusiastic, boring, bland, lacking in excitement & magic. Kids will no doubt love it but for me its this years biggest let down. If it were a silent film with an epic score over the top it might of at least been unique/watchable & helped be bearable but as it is I just cant recomend seeing it. A big fat cash grab.
156Reviews (7 KP) rated Extra Ordinary (2019) in Movies
May 1, 2020 (Updated May 1, 2020)
Ghosts, hell demons, possessed animals, sex, a car chase, people exploding, ware-wolves (Kind of), Extra Ordinary has it all. Is it some kind of Hollywood blockbuster staring Benedict Cumberbatch? No, it's a small independent Irish comedy staring little known actors, and Will Forte of course.
The film begins by introducing us to Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins), a very single driving instructor in a small town who has a “Talent”. She can talk to Ghosts. After the death of her father when she was a child, Rose no longer uses these talents though. She spends her days teaching the locals how to drive, and her evenings with no trousers on, eating microwavable meals for one and ignoring messages on her phone from people asking for supernatural help. That is until she gets a call from Martin Martin, who is being haunted by his dead ex-wife, and her journey back to the exorcism business begins.
What this film does best is keep the ordinary and the supernatural events very grounded. Instead of screaming angry spirits howling in the night they see messages like “You must pay ..... The car tax” or “Dog has worms”. The dead don't stick around to terrorise, they are here to make sure we're doing the recycling properly, or donating enough money to charity. Even Christian Winter (Will Forte) the satanist pop-star dubbed “One hit Winter” seems like an every-day man, doing the ironing and making cups of tea between sacrifices and demon summoning.
As the films big-bad, Will Forte does a decent job of keeping the film flowing, even if it is almost identical to his Last man on Earth performance. It's Rose and Martins relationship that really pulls the film forward. After Martins Daughter starts floating in mid-air, he reaches out to Rose for help. Directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman succeed in making Rose and Martins journey through the mysterious, humorous yet believable, a will they-won't they without the cheesiness.
Overall this is a very funny, well made film, not afraid to take the time from driving the plot to include some great, if possibly unnecessary scenes, Christian Winter's driving lesson is a particular highlight. Everybody involved has done an excellent job making a great film. It's absurd, it's funny, it's weird, it's well worth a watch.
The film begins by introducing us to Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins), a very single driving instructor in a small town who has a “Talent”. She can talk to Ghosts. After the death of her father when she was a child, Rose no longer uses these talents though. She spends her days teaching the locals how to drive, and her evenings with no trousers on, eating microwavable meals for one and ignoring messages on her phone from people asking for supernatural help. That is until she gets a call from Martin Martin, who is being haunted by his dead ex-wife, and her journey back to the exorcism business begins.
What this film does best is keep the ordinary and the supernatural events very grounded. Instead of screaming angry spirits howling in the night they see messages like “You must pay ..... The car tax” or “Dog has worms”. The dead don't stick around to terrorise, they are here to make sure we're doing the recycling properly, or donating enough money to charity. Even Christian Winter (Will Forte) the satanist pop-star dubbed “One hit Winter” seems like an every-day man, doing the ironing and making cups of tea between sacrifices and demon summoning.
As the films big-bad, Will Forte does a decent job of keeping the film flowing, even if it is almost identical to his Last man on Earth performance. It's Rose and Martins relationship that really pulls the film forward. After Martins Daughter starts floating in mid-air, he reaches out to Rose for help. Directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman succeed in making Rose and Martins journey through the mysterious, humorous yet believable, a will they-won't they without the cheesiness.
Overall this is a very funny, well made film, not afraid to take the time from driving the plot to include some great, if possibly unnecessary scenes, Christian Winter's driving lesson is a particular highlight. Everybody involved has done an excellent job making a great film. It's absurd, it's funny, it's weird, it's well worth a watch.