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Faster by Samantha Fish
7.5
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Album
Samantha Fish has received practically every accolade a contemporary blues...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Quantum of Solace (2008) in Movies
Mar 1, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Twenty-second Bond film was initially greeted like an outbreak of flatulence in a crowded train, but with the benefit of a few years it has become clear it's not quite as bad as all that. The first proper sequel in Bond history sees the commander in pursuit of the mysterious Quantum syndicate, a hunt that takes him to the Caribbean, Europe, and South America.
Still a very untypical Bond film, with an austere, bleak mood; likely to feature prominently in pub quizzes as the answer to the questions 'which is the shortest Bond movie?' and 'in which film do Bond and the Bond girl not actually do it?' You can see the influence of the Bourne series in the attempt to turn Bond into a more edgy, self-doubting figure, and the general distrust of security agencies as a whole; but these things are not really the stuff of a good Bond film, and nor is a plot revolving around a plan to topple the government of a country most viewers would struggle to find on a map.
Competently-staged fights and chases, particularly the final set-piece, but most of the jokes fall flat and, well, it's just not really fun enough to really work as a piece of Bond. Commendable attempt though, and not actively painful to watch.
Still a very untypical Bond film, with an austere, bleak mood; likely to feature prominently in pub quizzes as the answer to the questions 'which is the shortest Bond movie?' and 'in which film do Bond and the Bond girl not actually do it?' You can see the influence of the Bourne series in the attempt to turn Bond into a more edgy, self-doubting figure, and the general distrust of security agencies as a whole; but these things are not really the stuff of a good Bond film, and nor is a plot revolving around a plan to topple the government of a country most viewers would struggle to find on a map.
Competently-staged fights and chases, particularly the final set-piece, but most of the jokes fall flat and, well, it's just not really fun enough to really work as a piece of Bond. Commendable attempt though, and not actively painful to watch.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace, #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Bruce Dern: An Unrepentant Memoir
Book
One of Hollywood's biggest personalities, Bruce Dern is not afraid to say what he thinks. He has...
Splat!: The Madness and Magnificence of the World's Most Dangerous Sports
Book
What kind of person risks their life for their sport? And more to the point, why? Intrepid author...
The Squirrel That Dreamt of Madness
7.0
Rate It
Book
What do you do when the voice in your head is telling you to walk out of your job and follow your...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Titan A.E. (2000) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Design-wise nothing short of extraordinary, the blend of astounding nu-age CGI and trademark Bluth animation should by no means work but it ends up looking like heaven. Definitely also helps that this has exactly 0% fat to it and rides on one fun, kinetic wave from start to finish that's full of rapturous action sequences and endlessly creative visuals. That being said, outside of a couple nice turns the story is total copy-and-paste sci-fi template - but I digress, I guess it's still serviceable for this type of thing but this is just *begging* to have some depth injected into its potentially thought-provoking story. What kills this from greatness for me is how chained it is to the era it was made in; granted it still could have turned out much worse but the fakey-sounding, faux-edgy soundtrack sucks so much shit (sans a couple okay song choices [thx Powerman 5000]) that it single-handedly knocks the whole rating down a half star, and the totally repellent "tude" that was required in all of these mid-late 90s/early 2000s kids' films makes me want to rip my hair out. I suppose you can write this in with ππͺπ―π’π ππ’π―π΅π’π΄πΊ: ππ©π¦ ππ±πͺπ³πͺπ΅π΄ ππͺπ΅π©πͺπ― for flawed early-aughts orgasmically animated sci-fi bombs that I'm still a total softie for. Gets pretty gnarly sometimes, too.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Blood Machines (2019) in Movies
Aug 15, 2020
Blood Machines is essentially a glorified music video for French synthwave outfit Carpenter Brut. That's not something that automatically de-credits the project of course, and sci-fi fans will undoubtedly get a kick out of it.
Aesthetically, Blood Machines looks pretty stunning. The entire 50 minute runtime is bursting with colour, and is visually impressive. The settings are truly otherworldly.
The screenplay and to a certain extent the plot, take a backseat. The dialogue is frequently silly (possibly intentional) and doesn't really offer much - I actually think it could have benefited from no dialogue at all - but the makers hope to distract from this with naked women adorning upside down crucifixes across their torsos. Nothing like a bit of nudity mixed with anti-religious symbolism to fill up the "edgy" quota after all.
I actually saw Carpenter Brut at Arctangent in 2019, completely unaware of who they were, and honestly had a great time. Their music is heavily inspired by 80s movies, and the visuals they use in their live performances reflect that. Here, their music adds to the experience of Blood Machines in spades, and a big part of why I enjoyed it.
If you have an hour to kill and like Sci-Fi, then I would encourage you to check out Blood Machines. It's not revolutionary but it's entertaining enough for what it's is.
Aesthetically, Blood Machines looks pretty stunning. The entire 50 minute runtime is bursting with colour, and is visually impressive. The settings are truly otherworldly.
The screenplay and to a certain extent the plot, take a backseat. The dialogue is frequently silly (possibly intentional) and doesn't really offer much - I actually think it could have benefited from no dialogue at all - but the makers hope to distract from this with naked women adorning upside down crucifixes across their torsos. Nothing like a bit of nudity mixed with anti-religious symbolism to fill up the "edgy" quota after all.
I actually saw Carpenter Brut at Arctangent in 2019, completely unaware of who they were, and honestly had a great time. Their music is heavily inspired by 80s movies, and the visuals they use in their live performances reflect that. Here, their music adds to the experience of Blood Machines in spades, and a big part of why I enjoyed it.
If you have an hour to kill and like Sci-Fi, then I would encourage you to check out Blood Machines. It's not revolutionary but it's entertaining enough for what it's is.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2554 KP) rated Pearls Gone Wild in Books
Nov 23, 2021
Retail at Christmas is Killer
Itβs the week before Christmas, and Samantha Kidd is looking forward to a relaxing week off from work and the return of her boyfriend from Italy. Thatβs before her friend, Cat, calls upset. Cat is eight months pregnant, but her husband just announced he needs some space. Things get even worse when Cat and Samantha interrupt a burglary at Catβs boutique only to discover her husbandβs body behind the counter. Can Samantha figure out what is going on?
If you are familiar with the series, youβll know what to expect here. We get another plot with plenty of surprises to keep us engaged the entire time. I did feel the resolution left a few things out, but it was a minor issue overall. The characters, both new and returning, are fantastic. There is some humor in the book, but it mixes well with the more serious elements, and we get some nice growth in Samantha. This book is a little edgy for a cozy, but itβs nothing too bad. Christmas is more in the background than in some cozies set during the season. Both of these are worth nothing only in passing. If you are as behind on this series as I am, you are in for a treat when you pick up this book.
If you are familiar with the series, youβll know what to expect here. We get another plot with plenty of surprises to keep us engaged the entire time. I did feel the resolution left a few things out, but it was a minor issue overall. The characters, both new and returning, are fantastic. There is some humor in the book, but it mixes well with the more serious elements, and we get some nice growth in Samantha. This book is a little edgy for a cozy, but itβs nothing too bad. Christmas is more in the background than in some cozies set during the season. Both of these are worth nothing only in passing. If you are as behind on this series as I am, you are in for a treat when you pick up this book.
Hunted By Proxy: A Lawyer On The Run (Proxy Legal Thriller Series Book 2)
Book
Can attorney Quinton Bell hang on to his new life, as he hides in plain sight, in this...
Legal Thriller