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David McK (3233 KP) rated Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in Movies
Jan 3, 2022 (Updated Dec 24, 2023)
There's a famous (and controversial) Marvel comic run called 'One Last Day', where - following his self-unmasking during the previous 'Civil War' run - Peter Parker ends up making a deal with Mephisto (Marvel's version of the devil) that everybody would forget his true identity, following Aunt May being shot by an assassin.
Sound at all familiar?
Yes, it's used as the building blocks for this movie, where Peter's identity ahs been revealed to the world by Mysterio during the end-credits of the previous movie ('Far from Home'), with a knock-on effect on friends and family.
Instead of Mephisto, however, Peter seeks help from Doctor Strange, who agrees (for reasons) to cast a spell in order that everyone would forget who Peter was - a spell that goes awry, and that leads to characters from the previous non-MCU iterations of the Spider-Man films finally joining the MCU. Some of those characters are more effectively scary here than they were previously ...
This is maybe a little bit slow getting started, with plenty of nods and Easter Eggs throughout (including FEAST, where Aunt May works) to both the comics, games, and previous Spider-Man movies, and ends with, effectively, the character of Spider-Man being reset: no longer part of The Avengers; no longer with MJ, Aunt May, Ned or even 'Happy' Hogan knowing his identity, back to being your 'friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man'.
Sound at all familiar?
Yes, it's used as the building blocks for this movie, where Peter's identity ahs been revealed to the world by Mysterio during the end-credits of the previous movie ('Far from Home'), with a knock-on effect on friends and family.
Instead of Mephisto, however, Peter seeks help from Doctor Strange, who agrees (for reasons) to cast a spell in order that everyone would forget who Peter was - a spell that goes awry, and that leads to characters from the previous non-MCU iterations of the Spider-Man films finally joining the MCU. Some of those characters are more effectively scary here than they were previously ...
This is maybe a little bit slow getting started, with plenty of nods and Easter Eggs throughout (including FEAST, where Aunt May works) to both the comics, games, and previous Spider-Man movies, and ends with, effectively, the character of Spider-Man being reset: no longer part of The Avengers; no longer with MJ, Aunt May, Ned or even 'Happy' Hogan knowing his identity, back to being your 'friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man'.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Woman of God in Books
May 10, 2018
Brigid Fitzgerald is a doctor in South Sudan. She sees devastation every day, but her faith in God keeps her going. When tragedy falls on Brigid over and over again, her faith will be tested. Will she be able to find the purpose God has for her, or will she lose faith before that?
The story starts 20 years in the future on an Easter Sunday. I was reading the book around the same time, so it all seemed to fit in well together. Brigid is getting reading for Sunday morning mass at church. While in Rome, her good friend and reporter Zach is sitting outside of the Vatican waiting to hear who the new pope will be. Then the whole story rewinds and takes us back to where Brigid got her start as a young doctor working in the Sudan. Time after time, something tragic happens to Brigid and every time it does, she "hears" God. Throughout the course of the story she looses a boyfriend, 2 husbands and a child. To anyone that would tear them away from God, but it only draws Brigid closer. So close in fact that she becomes and ordained priest herself. Getting to meet the current pope and have his blessing upon her and her family.
With her unwavering faith, will it be enough to make her the first female pope?
This book was quite different from other things I have read by Patterson. It was an add to my quest to read James Patterson stand alones this year.
The story starts 20 years in the future on an Easter Sunday. I was reading the book around the same time, so it all seemed to fit in well together. Brigid is getting reading for Sunday morning mass at church. While in Rome, her good friend and reporter Zach is sitting outside of the Vatican waiting to hear who the new pope will be. Then the whole story rewinds and takes us back to where Brigid got her start as a young doctor working in the Sudan. Time after time, something tragic happens to Brigid and every time it does, she "hears" God. Throughout the course of the story she looses a boyfriend, 2 husbands and a child. To anyone that would tear them away from God, but it only draws Brigid closer. So close in fact that she becomes and ordained priest herself. Getting to meet the current pope and have his blessing upon her and her family.
With her unwavering faith, will it be enough to make her the first female pope?
This book was quite different from other things I have read by Patterson. It was an add to my quest to read James Patterson stand alones this year.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Dead Space in Video Games
Oct 21, 2019
Rachel is Dead
Contains spoilers, click to show
This game, is so great. The plot, the setting, the psychological, the horror, the twist, the ending. Lets talk about it...
The Plot: it puts the player in control of an engineer named Isaac Clarke who fights Necromorphs, monstrous reanimated human corpses, aboard an interstellar mining ship, the USG Ishimura.
The player controls Isaac Clarke, a ship systems engineer who must fight his way through a mining starship infested with an alien scourge. The crew has been slaughtered, and their corpses reanimated into creatures known as "Necromorphs". Various types of Necromorphs appear throughout the game, each with different abilities and requiring different tactics to defeat.
The game has a strong science fiction atmosphere and is set in a spacecraft. It is also set way in the future.
Lets talk about the twist:
This was nothing more than another hallucination from Isaac. He’s gone mad, and in his mind, has somehow turned Nicole into one of them. The real Nicole is still dead.
Finally take the first letter from each mission to reveal a secret message… and it spells out Rachel is Dead, which is a intreating easter egg, that comes true. No one really thought about that, until years laters. To take the first letter from each mission and spell it out.
It is a great twist and when you find out, later on in the game, like close to the end, you are surpised.
I highly reccordmend this game, it is great and horrorfying.
The Plot: it puts the player in control of an engineer named Isaac Clarke who fights Necromorphs, monstrous reanimated human corpses, aboard an interstellar mining ship, the USG Ishimura.
The player controls Isaac Clarke, a ship systems engineer who must fight his way through a mining starship infested with an alien scourge. The crew has been slaughtered, and their corpses reanimated into creatures known as "Necromorphs". Various types of Necromorphs appear throughout the game, each with different abilities and requiring different tactics to defeat.
The game has a strong science fiction atmosphere and is set in a spacecraft. It is also set way in the future.
Lets talk about the twist:
This was nothing more than another hallucination from Isaac. He’s gone mad, and in his mind, has somehow turned Nicole into one of them. The real Nicole is still dead.
Finally take the first letter from each mission to reveal a secret message… and it spells out Rachel is Dead, which is a intreating easter egg, that comes true. No one really thought about that, until years laters. To take the first letter from each mission and spell it out.
It is a great twist and when you find out, later on in the game, like close to the end, you are surpised.
I highly reccordmend this game, it is great and horrorfying.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated The Decorator Who Knew Too Much in Books
Mar 19, 2022
Did Madison Find a Dead Body?
It’s been seven months since we last saw Madison, and she’s been enjoying her new relationship with Hudson James. When he suggestions they take a working vacation to Palm Springs to help his brother-in-law with a project he has going on there, she accepts. However, their first day there, Madison spots a dead body below the surface of the river that runs near the project site. By the time the police show up, the body is gone. The delays to the project and the suspicion that Madison just imagined what she said she saw begin to make the trip stressful. How can Madison prove she was right?
As I expected, I was caught up in Madison’s latest adventure once I opened the book. The stakes are soon personal, and I loved watching how everything unfolded. The climax was suspenseful and answered all of our questions. We do get some updates on someone back in Dallas, but the focus is, naturally, on Madison and Hudson for this book. The rest of the characters are just as sharp. The Doris Day movie that inspired this title was the only one I had watched before starting to read this series, and I enjoyed picking up on the Easter eggs from the film in this book. Not that you need to be familiar with the film to enjoy this story. If you are looking for a creative series that will keep you glued to the page, this is the series for you.
As I expected, I was caught up in Madison’s latest adventure once I opened the book. The stakes are soon personal, and I loved watching how everything unfolded. The climax was suspenseful and answered all of our questions. We do get some updates on someone back in Dallas, but the focus is, naturally, on Madison and Hudson for this book. The rest of the characters are just as sharp. The Doris Day movie that inspired this title was the only one I had watched before starting to read this series, and I enjoyed picking up on the Easter eggs from the film in this book. Not that you need to be familiar with the film to enjoy this story. If you are looking for a creative series that will keep you glued to the page, this is the series for you.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated A Perilous Pal in Books
Jul 6, 2022
Bucket List of Suspicion
Emma Westlake is thrilled to have a new client for her new A Friend for Hire business. Kim Felder’s kids have moved out, and her husband has left her, leaving Kim as loose ends. Together, Emma and Kim start a list of things that Kim would like to explore, but Kim adds a few suggestions of how to get back at her ex. They are intended as a joke, but when he is murdered that night, the police consider them evidence that Kim killed him. Emma may have just met Kim, but she is certainly that Kim is innocent. Can she prove it?
Since the first book set up the premise of the series, this book was able to jump right into the story. We move forward at a steady pace, and my interest never lagged until we reached the logical climax. Most of the characters from the first book are back. I did find the same irritants from the first here again as a result, but they were minor since I love all the characters overall. I even laughed a few times at their interactions, and I loved seeing their storylines advance. I’m curious where they will go next. I also appreciate the realistic way that Emma’s new romantic relationship progressed here. Fans of Laura’s other books will enjoy the Easter Eggs she’s worked into the book. This book really is like a warm hug. It’s fun, mysterious and refreshing. If that is what you are looking for, you’ll enjoy it.
Since the first book set up the premise of the series, this book was able to jump right into the story. We move forward at a steady pace, and my interest never lagged until we reached the logical climax. Most of the characters from the first book are back. I did find the same irritants from the first here again as a result, but they were minor since I love all the characters overall. I even laughed a few times at their interactions, and I loved seeing their storylines advance. I’m curious where they will go next. I also appreciate the realistic way that Emma’s new romantic relationship progressed here. Fans of Laura’s other books will enjoy the Easter Eggs she’s worked into the book. This book really is like a warm hug. It’s fun, mysterious and refreshing. If that is what you are looking for, you’ll enjoy it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Missing Link (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
This really isn't a bad little film, it has its fun and implausible action, and you come away with a message of friendship for everyone to ponder on. It's obviously great Easter holiday fodder and it won't bore the parents, which is always half the battle with kids films.
Susan is the last of his kind and desperately wants to find the fabled yeti who he believes to be his distant cousins. He enlists Sir Lionel Frost to help him on his quest after reading about his escapades in finding long lost creatures.
It's a pretty star-studded cast with Zach Galifianakis and Hugh Jackman leading it up. There will be a lot of other voices you recognise, but for the most part they stay in the background.
Both of our leading men are really well cast and give their characters a much needed boost. They get some humour in various places, but I didn't feel like the script was fantastic overall.
Where Lionel and Susan were well cast, Adeline Fortnight really missed the spot for me. From the design of the character to that accent, whose origin was kind of non-descript, I couldn't help wondering why the role went to Zoe Saldana and not Salma Hayek.
Stephen Fry makes a wonderful bad guy. I've always loved his voicework this thankfully did not break that trend and he added some oomph to the proceedings.
The last cast member I want to mention is Emma Thompson as The Elder. I think she suffered the most with the script, "The people we don't want here are leaving! Force them to stay!" I'm sure that line was meant to be amusing, and it definitely could have been, but the way it wasn't backed up with anything to come across that way. She was woefully underused and her scenes were wholly inadequate for such a great talent.
I had to stop and weep for humanity a little, there are some comments on the internet where it appears that people don't get that this is stop-motion animation, with a few saying it all looked too simple. I cannot fault the work that was put into this, it's wonderfully done, even if I'm not a fan of the strangely pointed features. There's a brief glimpse in the trailer of a barroom brawl, look out for the whole scene in the film because it is probably the most impressive piece of work.
Despite my quibbles, this is genuinely a pleasant film to watch and I don't think many people will get to the end and grumble that they've wasted their time. I just worry that it's not quite good enough to be well remembered, it's in danger of being one of those films that makes me go "oh yeah, I remember that one, it's really good."
What you should do
If you're in need of an Easter activity then it's worth the trip to the cinema, and it's certainly worth catching when it's released for home viewing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
There's nothing in the film I'd particularly like to take home, but I wouldn't mind some of the patience and dedication that those animators must have to produce such wonderfully smooth motion.
Susan is the last of his kind and desperately wants to find the fabled yeti who he believes to be his distant cousins. He enlists Sir Lionel Frost to help him on his quest after reading about his escapades in finding long lost creatures.
It's a pretty star-studded cast with Zach Galifianakis and Hugh Jackman leading it up. There will be a lot of other voices you recognise, but for the most part they stay in the background.
Both of our leading men are really well cast and give their characters a much needed boost. They get some humour in various places, but I didn't feel like the script was fantastic overall.
Where Lionel and Susan were well cast, Adeline Fortnight really missed the spot for me. From the design of the character to that accent, whose origin was kind of non-descript, I couldn't help wondering why the role went to Zoe Saldana and not Salma Hayek.
Stephen Fry makes a wonderful bad guy. I've always loved his voicework this thankfully did not break that trend and he added some oomph to the proceedings.
The last cast member I want to mention is Emma Thompson as The Elder. I think she suffered the most with the script, "The people we don't want here are leaving! Force them to stay!" I'm sure that line was meant to be amusing, and it definitely could have been, but the way it wasn't backed up with anything to come across that way. She was woefully underused and her scenes were wholly inadequate for such a great talent.
I had to stop and weep for humanity a little, there are some comments on the internet where it appears that people don't get that this is stop-motion animation, with a few saying it all looked too simple. I cannot fault the work that was put into this, it's wonderfully done, even if I'm not a fan of the strangely pointed features. There's a brief glimpse in the trailer of a barroom brawl, look out for the whole scene in the film because it is probably the most impressive piece of work.
Despite my quibbles, this is genuinely a pleasant film to watch and I don't think many people will get to the end and grumble that they've wasted their time. I just worry that it's not quite good enough to be well remembered, it's in danger of being one of those films that makes me go "oh yeah, I remember that one, it's really good."
What you should do
If you're in need of an Easter activity then it's worth the trip to the cinema, and it's certainly worth catching when it's released for home viewing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
There's nothing in the film I'd particularly like to take home, but I wouldn't mind some of the patience and dedication that those animators must have to produce such wonderfully smooth motion.
Leila (5 KP) rated Black Mirror in TV
Feb 3, 2019 (Updated Feb 3, 2019)
If you're looking for a mini-movie that will leave you wondering if technology is really worth the risk, this series is jam-packed full of them.
Each episode is a standalone, a great concept allowing each story to be told in entirety unconstrained by time requirements or character involvement. Episodes range from an hour and a half to just forty minutes, but no episode feels lacking and no episode feels too "fluffed"; you may leave wanting more but never unsatisfied.
Episode one of season one isn't for everyone and I urge you to look past it and discover those episodes that are for you. There are a wide variety of topics covered and some are cruder than others but never just to be crude, it is always with a purpose. Same goes for any violence or language, all is with a purpose and doesn't seem gratuitous. The "Playtest" episode is probably the most jump-scare frightening, but even then, not without purpose, serving a crucial part in how the story unfolds.
While you don't have to watch them in order, I do recommend you wait to watch "Black Museum" until you have watch all of the first four seasons, in order to get the most of the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the episode. You will also find that there are some episodes that will casually mention things from previous episodes, or have a recurring song you can't help but remember from a previous story. It's these little details that make Black Mirror a great anthology, with a story for everyone just waiting to be told.
Each episode is a standalone, a great concept allowing each story to be told in entirety unconstrained by time requirements or character involvement. Episodes range from an hour and a half to just forty minutes, but no episode feels lacking and no episode feels too "fluffed"; you may leave wanting more but never unsatisfied.
Episode one of season one isn't for everyone and I urge you to look past it and discover those episodes that are for you. There are a wide variety of topics covered and some are cruder than others but never just to be crude, it is always with a purpose. Same goes for any violence or language, all is with a purpose and doesn't seem gratuitous. The "Playtest" episode is probably the most jump-scare frightening, but even then, not without purpose, serving a crucial part in how the story unfolds.
While you don't have to watch them in order, I do recommend you wait to watch "Black Museum" until you have watch all of the first four seasons, in order to get the most of the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the episode. You will also find that there are some episodes that will casually mention things from previous episodes, or have a recurring song you can't help but remember from a previous story. It's these little details that make Black Mirror a great anthology, with a story for everyone just waiting to be told.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Day Of The Accident in Books
Dec 6, 2018
Full review can be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
When Maggie wakes up from a coma, her whole life has changed. The nurse tells her that she has been in an accident, her little daughter is dead, and her husband sold the house and left her.
Maggie doesn’t remember a thing.
With no home, no family, and no memory, she has to find a way and discover what happened that day.
A thriller that will uncover the greatest of secrets everyone could have. A nail-biter, this one, I tell you.
The character of Maggie was so well formed, that love between a mother and her little daughter is expressed in such a lovely and caring way. A book that will be definitely hard to read for all the parents out there, but a very good one.
I especially loved the part with the letters – it was such a unique way to present …
… present what?
I am not telling you. Go and read it, duhh!
The scenes are so vivid and realistic and the little Virginia Woolf Easter eggs thrown across the pages of this book were so precious. Thrilling story and plot that keeps you on your toes. I haven’t read anything this good in a while!
If you are looking for a book to keep you up at night – this is the one.
If you are looking for the great plot twist – there isn’t only one plot twist…
I highly recommend it to all of the mystery lovers that are reading my review.
A masterpiece.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Maggie wakes up from a coma, her whole life has changed. The nurse tells her that she has been in an accident, her little daughter is dead, and her husband sold the house and left her.
Maggie doesn’t remember a thing.
With no home, no family, and no memory, she has to find a way and discover what happened that day.
A thriller that will uncover the greatest of secrets everyone could have. A nail-biter, this one, I tell you.
The character of Maggie was so well formed, that love between a mother and her little daughter is expressed in such a lovely and caring way. A book that will be definitely hard to read for all the parents out there, but a very good one.
I especially loved the part with the letters – it was such a unique way to present …
… present what?
I am not telling you. Go and read it, duhh!
The scenes are so vivid and realistic and the little Virginia Woolf Easter eggs thrown across the pages of this book were so precious. Thrilling story and plot that keeps you on your toes. I haven’t read anything this good in a while!
If you are looking for a book to keep you up at night – this is the one.
If you are looking for the great plot twist – there isn’t only one plot twist…
I highly recommend it to all of the mystery lovers that are reading my review.
A masterpiece.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gordon Gano recommended track Do You Love Me by Heartbreakers in L.A.M.F. by Heartbreakers in Music (curated)
7.0
Album
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.
I might have to take back my negative ramblings about 3D briefly for this one. I was cursing under my breath when I saw the showing go up in the listings. You know my general feelings about the pointless format.
While I'm in no way converted, and out of choice I will always pick a 2D showing, this one was good. But I'm inclined to put that down to the video game nature of much of the film. I would note though that the film was clearer and more crisp to watch. Possibly this is down to the equipment used in the screens, as this was a different one to Tomb Raider which was decidedly fuzzy.
I didn't know anything about this film before going into it. Many people had told me that the book was difficult to read, and potentially that much of it might translate badly to the screen. I'm inclined to think that this film knocked its book out of the park judging by the crowd's reaction.
Most of the time, and compared to many of my friends, I consider myself to be a bit of a nerd. Even so, there were still a lot of references that completely passed me by on this one. It's a perfect film for the nostalgic nerd. At so many points I found myself smiling from memories of something as I saw it on the screen.
I might have to take back my negative ramblings about 3D briefly for this one. I was cursing under my breath when I saw the showing go up in the listings. You know my general feelings about the pointless format.
While I'm in no way converted, and out of choice I will always pick a 2D showing, this one was good. But I'm inclined to put that down to the video game nature of much of the film. I would note though that the film was clearer and more crisp to watch. Possibly this is down to the equipment used in the screens, as this was a different one to Tomb Raider which was decidedly fuzzy.
I didn't know anything about this film before going into it. Many people had told me that the book was difficult to read, and potentially that much of it might translate badly to the screen. I'm inclined to think that this film knocked its book out of the park judging by the crowd's reaction.
Most of the time, and compared to many of my friends, I consider myself to be a bit of a nerd. Even so, there were still a lot of references that completely passed me by on this one. It's a perfect film for the nostalgic nerd. At so many points I found myself smiling from memories of something as I saw it on the screen.