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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) in Movies
Mar 3, 2019
Dated but still a fun ride
The Jules Verne classic novel of adventure and mayhem comes to life on the big screen in glorious CinemaScope!
Follow a scientist, his assistant, a beautiful widow and others as they decent into the depths of the Earth itself to see what lies beneath. They encounter all sorts of pitfalls including treacherous caves, salt mines and giant lizards along the way.
Will they make it out alive?
Unfortunately, there is the 1950s version of the views of the female race on display which I was not a fan of. If you can get past that, the acting and story are interesting enough as you watch the posse go along their way.
The sets, music and art direction are well done considering this film's age, and if you can look past some of the cheesy elements it really is quite the adventure ride of a film.
Follow a scientist, his assistant, a beautiful widow and others as they decent into the depths of the Earth itself to see what lies beneath. They encounter all sorts of pitfalls including treacherous caves, salt mines and giant lizards along the way.
Will they make it out alive?
Unfortunately, there is the 1950s version of the views of the female race on display which I was not a fan of. If you can get past that, the acting and story are interesting enough as you watch the posse go along their way.
The sets, music and art direction are well done considering this film's age, and if you can look past some of the cheesy elements it really is quite the adventure ride of a film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) (2018) in Movies
Mar 12, 2019 (Updated Mar 12, 2019)
Spanish-language Euro-drama from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is about as odd a fish as you might expect. Family wedding is going well until Penelope Cruz's daughter is kidnapped; much stressed is placed on everyone involved and their relationships, causing secrets to bubble to the surface in an unwelcome (to say the least) manner.
The thriller elements are definitely a bit of a red herring, as for much of the film the plight of the missing girl seems to get rather forgotten about while everyone sits or stands around articulating their personal baggage and unfinished emotional business. It does get a bit slow and talky (I believe I dozed off for a few moments), but the performances are meaty, involving ones with Cruz and Bardem showing every bit of their star quality and acting ability. Too well-scripted to really qualify as a melodrama, but certainly slices itself a thick slab of theatrical ham; performances make it a worthwhile watch.
The thriller elements are definitely a bit of a red herring, as for much of the film the plight of the missing girl seems to get rather forgotten about while everyone sits or stands around articulating their personal baggage and unfinished emotional business. It does get a bit slow and talky (I believe I dozed off for a few moments), but the performances are meaty, involving ones with Cruz and Bardem showing every bit of their star quality and acting ability. Too well-scripted to really qualify as a melodrama, but certainly slices itself a thick slab of theatrical ham; performances make it a worthwhile watch.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) in Movies
May 6, 2019
Decent Wayne western
When four brothers return to their home town to attend their mother's funeral, they soon discover her estate was not as they remember and the circumstances around the death of their father warrants further investigation.
The bad guys eventually present themselves and the good guys are arrested for causing trouble with the local law.
Getting to love Wayne more and more the more films of his I have watched. I can see now how he had such a commanding screen presence which still endures so many years later.
It was great to some some of my other favorites actors including George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper in supporting roles. Also, I didn't think Dean Martin could pull off a western role while staying sober, so he was a pleasant surprise also.
Overall the movie delivers the mostly standard OLD West movie elements including some great shootout scenes which makes it easy to recommend.
The bad guys eventually present themselves and the good guys are arrested for causing trouble with the local law.
Getting to love Wayne more and more the more films of his I have watched. I can see now how he had such a commanding screen presence which still endures so many years later.
It was great to some some of my other favorites actors including George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper in supporting roles. Also, I didn't think Dean Martin could pull off a western role while staying sober, so he was a pleasant surprise also.
Overall the movie delivers the mostly standard OLD West movie elements including some great shootout scenes which makes it easy to recommend.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Potions (ft. JT Roach) - Single by Slander in Music
Jun 6, 2019
SLANDER (Derek & Scott) is a duo based in Los Angeles and Said the Sky is a native of Colorado. Not too long ago, they released a music video for their emo-dance tune, entitled, “Potions”, featuring indie-folk singer-songwriter JT Roach.
‘Potion’ tells a heartbreaking story of love and loss about a young guy who encounters a female who he desires to be with.
Apparently, he never met anyone quite like her before, and never felt the way that he’s feeling right now. Later, he admits that he would take potions and cross oceans for her love.
‘Potion’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and modern dance elements.
SLANDER built a mint name for themselves through jaw-dropping original productions and massive collaborations.
Not too long ago, they added “label heads” to their resume, and turned their popular Gud Vibrations brand into an official record label with NGHTMRE.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/slander-said-the-sky-potions-jt-roach/
‘Potion’ tells a heartbreaking story of love and loss about a young guy who encounters a female who he desires to be with.
Apparently, he never met anyone quite like her before, and never felt the way that he’s feeling right now. Later, he admits that he would take potions and cross oceans for her love.
‘Potion’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and modern dance elements.
SLANDER built a mint name for themselves through jaw-dropping original productions and massive collaborations.
Not too long ago, they added “label heads” to their resume, and turned their popular Gud Vibrations brand into an official record label with NGHTMRE.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/slander-said-the-sky-potions-jt-roach/
Kyera (8 KP) rated Golden Son in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Golden Son takes place more than a year after Red Rising. Darrow has left the Academy, formed bonds with new people and has a new role in society. It was a little confusing to be thrown into the story with all those new elements because it made me feel like I had missed a book. I had to keep piecing together what happened and who these new characters were. Once it became more natural, the book was much more enjoyable to read.
The second book has just as much (if not more) deception, death, and destruction as the first, and thats saying something. It is full of action, betrayal, hope, and horror that leaves you on the edge of your seat and tears your emotions apart as you read the final pages you just need to immediately start the finale. Highly recommended, but read Red Rising prior to this as it would make absolutely no sense without it.
The second book has just as much (if not more) deception, death, and destruction as the first, and thats saying something. It is full of action, betrayal, hope, and horror that leaves you on the edge of your seat and tears your emotions apart as you read the final pages you just need to immediately start the finale. Highly recommended, but read Red Rising prior to this as it would make absolutely no sense without it.
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Terraforming Mars in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Terraforming Mars review: Turn the “Red Planet” green with this amazing board game
But to find the fun, you have to give Terraforming Mars a chance—and the game does itself few favors when it comes to table appeal.
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2377 KP) rated The Silence of the Library (Cat in the Stacks, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie Harris is helping put together a display about the various teen detectives for the Athena Public Library. Since he’s a fan of the little known Veronica Thane series, he’s hoping to highlight it. He’s delighted to learn that the author lives nearby and is willing to make a rare appearance during that time. But news that she will be there brings out some obsessed fans, and a murder quickly follows. Can Charlie figure out what happened?
As a fan of teen detectives myself, I found this book a lot of fun. The mystery was strong with a few elements from the teen detective genre thrown in for good measure, which added to the plot. We didn’t see quite as much of the supporting cast as usual, but the new characters more than made up for it, and Diesel, Charlie’s cat, is as charming as ever.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-silence-of-library-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As a fan of teen detectives myself, I found this book a lot of fun. The mystery was strong with a few elements from the teen detective genre thrown in for good measure, which added to the plot. We didn’t see quite as much of the supporting cast as usual, but the new characters more than made up for it, and Diesel, Charlie’s cat, is as charming as ever.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-silence-of-library-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Terminator Genisys (2015) in Movies
Mar 15, 2018
Auction-prize Terminator movie appears to have been made by dyslexics, but that's the least of its worries. A film of two unequal halves: opening section, in which the events of the 1984 movie are cheerfully revisited and rewritten, has a sort of demented energy which makes it rather watchable. The rest of it, in which the action inexplicably shifts to a near future where the nascent Skynet is some kind of app or Windows update, is essentially incoherent cobblers.
Film is not just incoherent, but openly and knowingly incoherent, with elements of backstory and actual plot left unexplained, presumably to be revisited in a future sequel. Action and acting is okay; makes relatively little use of Arnie, all things considered. Hits all the right buttons to keep fans of the series from rising up in a violent revolt (though it's possibly a near thing); it will probably simply bore, confuse, or repel anyone unfamiliar with the earlier movies.
Film is not just incoherent, but openly and knowingly incoherent, with elements of backstory and actual plot left unexplained, presumably to be revisited in a future sequel. Action and acting is okay; makes relatively little use of Arnie, all things considered. Hits all the right buttons to keep fans of the series from rising up in a violent revolt (though it's possibly a near thing); it will probably simply bore, confuse, or repel anyone unfamiliar with the earlier movies.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Buried Giant in Books
Mar 15, 2018
If you want a book that will leave you thinking, without forgetting to keep you entertained, you should pick this up. Telling the story of an elderly couple in post-Arthurian England who set off on foot to meet their estranged son in his village, it uses a slew of fantasy elements to make us question if it is really worth remembering everything or if we are better off letting some things be forgotten. Also touching on themes of love, age, and death, there are a lot of heady ideas thrown into the mix. With the portions of the countryside the book takes place in being shrouded in a mist that causes rather extreme forgetfulness, pretty much everyone winds up being at least somewhat unreliable. The writing is superb, the characters quite engaging, and the main plot reminiscent of a classic fairy tale but for adults. This is a book to be savored and a story I will likely cherish for some time to come.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Scars of Dracula (1970) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018 (Updated Feb 25, 2018)
Hammer's sixth film with Dracula in the title was supposed to reboot the series from scratch, with a new actor in the title role; distributors insisted on Christopher Lee being brought back, which explains both the opening sequence in which Dracula is (somewhat bafflingly) resurrected, and the general sense of resignation in Lee's performance.
Script rambles, attempts to inject more gore and sex into the Hammer Dracula formula; director Baker doesn't seem to be really up for it, somehow. Some elements from the original novel reappear, also a few from previous Hammer Draculas. Patrick Troughton (looking like Liam Gallagher's granddad) is good value as Dracula's long-suffering handyman Klove. Some of the younger cast would go on to have decent careers; nothing to suggest that here, though. The rubber bat puppet from this film would go on to have no career whatsoever, which is not at all surprising. All really kind of perfunctory and mechanical.
Script rambles, attempts to inject more gore and sex into the Hammer Dracula formula; director Baker doesn't seem to be really up for it, somehow. Some elements from the original novel reappear, also a few from previous Hammer Draculas. Patrick Troughton (looking like Liam Gallagher's granddad) is good value as Dracula's long-suffering handyman Klove. Some of the younger cast would go on to have decent careers; nothing to suggest that here, though. The rubber bat puppet from this film would go on to have no career whatsoever, which is not at all surprising. All really kind of perfunctory and mechanical.