Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (4152)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated First Love (2019) in Movies

Sep 3, 2021  
First Love (2019)
First Love (2019)
2019 | Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
7
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
By Miike's own admission this was an attempt at a more mainstream film than a freakish, madcap craftsman like himself is used to - and it definitely shows given that the first two thirds play like a customary 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 clone, albeit a sturdy and attractive one at that. But then that last third hits and it's A-fucking-class Miike antics. I think what's more impressive than this still being awesome even in spite of a been-there-done-that "plan goes wrong and continues to go more and more wrong" plot (which on their own tend to struggle to support their momentum with any sort of narrative pull) is that this is something like his 96th film as director and there's still such a clear vision even with elements as familiar as these, such firm attention on each performance/shot/idea. At this point the dude could be forgiven for sleepwalking on this one for the paycheck then continuing on business as usual, but he refuses to succumb to anything less than sickly memorable full commitment. Plus if you're going to go commercial, there are a lot worse routes to travel than Yakuza slapstick.
  
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2652 KP) rated I’ll Bee Home for Christmas in Books

Dec 24, 2024  
I’ll Bee Home for Christmas
I’ll Bee Home for Christmas
Cathy Wiley | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder is Never Sweet, Especially at Christmas
It’s the second week of December, and former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood is heading to Oklahoma to be a judge at a honey festival. Her camera man’s sister, Emily, is organizing it. Jackie arrives a little early and is helping Emily tend to her bee hives when they stumble on the body of Emily’s ex-husband. While the police are quick to look at Emily as their prime suspect, Jackie uncovers plenty of others with motive. Can she figure out what really happened?

It was fun to get a Christmas themed entry in this series, and the nods to the season were fun. I did feel like the food themed got in the way of the mystery a bit, leading to some rushed elements in the book. However, there are still some interesting twists and a logical climax. We also get some great development for the characters and the arcs that we’ve been following. The fun and laughs from the earlier books are present again here. And we have lots of honey themed recipes at the end to make your moth water. Fans will enjoy this sweet entry in the series.
  
40x40

ClareR (6256 KP) rated Hunger and Thirst in Books

Apr 6, 2026  
Hunger and Thirst
Hunger and Thirst
Claire Fuller | 2026 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Horror
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s no lie when I say that Claire Fuller is a writing chameleon - every book I’ve read has been a different genre. I’ve loved them all, as well.
Ursula has been in the care system, moving from one foster home and children’s home to another since she was 8 years old. We meet her as she starts her independent life in a halfway house, and a new job in an art school post room. She moves from the halfway house to a squat with a work colleague, and this is where it starts to get really uncomfortable. There’s a really menacing air to The Underwood, and that, along with Ursula’s traumatic childhood, really ramps up the tension.
In the present day, a documentary maker uncovers what she believes is the truth about that summer, and the adult Ursula, known as Uschi, realises that the past can never stay hidden.
I love a slow burn, and it really added to the menace and tension. There were some seriously scary elements, made worse by the fact that you never really see what you’re scared of (my favourite!). The contrast of Ursula’s friends home and The Underwood exacerbated the looming threat.