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Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Spelled (The Storymakers, #1) in Books
Jul 16, 2018
Oh Pix this went wrong
All Dorthea ever wanted was to be free from responsibilities, free from her mother, and free from the curse. She wanted to be able to leave the Emerald Palace without everyone thinking she would turn into a wicked creature. She wanted to be able to make her own choices about the future. She mostly wanted to matter to her mother more than being the queen.
In a fit of selfish anger Dorthea attempts to make her desires come true when she uses a gift she received earlier to make a wish where she doesn't have to live up to parents' ideas, where she doesn't have to marry a prince, and everything is not how it is; however, the wishing star is cursed and it backfires tremendously. Everything is turned upside down. Magic doesn't work quite right anymore. What should be isn't and what isn't is. Her parents are gone. Her home is destroyed. She's stuck with a snarky servant, Rexi, and her betrothed, Kota, has turned into a chimera. Worst of all, Griz the Gray Witch is hunting her down.
So, Dorthea sets out to fix what she has done. The problem is knowing who she can and cannot trust. Oh, and trying to travel through the lands when the rules no longer exist. Can she or her friends survive? Are those who appear to have her best interest at heart people she can trust? Or is it those she would have previously looked down on the ones she needs to be put her life into?
Schow has a new take on fairy tales in Spelled in a world where Storymakers have written what shall and shall not be. Princess will find their Princes. The villains will always lose in the end. Yet she has made them better with her characters from well known tales we grew up with to new ones all of which bring to life the story she's written. Best of all it is filled with sass, wit, and cleverness to keep the pages turning while trying to see if Dorthea will make it to the end as the hero, dead, or wicked.
Forget what you know about Grimm and get ready for this book.
In a fit of selfish anger Dorthea attempts to make her desires come true when she uses a gift she received earlier to make a wish where she doesn't have to live up to parents' ideas, where she doesn't have to marry a prince, and everything is not how it is; however, the wishing star is cursed and it backfires tremendously. Everything is turned upside down. Magic doesn't work quite right anymore. What should be isn't and what isn't is. Her parents are gone. Her home is destroyed. She's stuck with a snarky servant, Rexi, and her betrothed, Kota, has turned into a chimera. Worst of all, Griz the Gray Witch is hunting her down.
So, Dorthea sets out to fix what she has done. The problem is knowing who she can and cannot trust. Oh, and trying to travel through the lands when the rules no longer exist. Can she or her friends survive? Are those who appear to have her best interest at heart people she can trust? Or is it those she would have previously looked down on the ones she needs to be put her life into?
Schow has a new take on fairy tales in Spelled in a world where Storymakers have written what shall and shall not be. Princess will find their Princes. The villains will always lose in the end. Yet she has made them better with her characters from well known tales we grew up with to new ones all of which bring to life the story she's written. Best of all it is filled with sass, wit, and cleverness to keep the pages turning while trying to see if Dorthea will make it to the end as the hero, dead, or wicked.
Forget what you know about Grimm and get ready for this book.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated On the Prowl (Alpha & Omega, #0.5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The first story, Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, is an off-shoot of her Mercy Thompson series. This story focuses on a much-abused female werewolf in Chicago, Anna. The Merrick's son, Charles, comes to end the abuse and inadvertedly rescues her when he discovers that she is a rare Omega werewolf. Despite the short length of the story, Briggs still writes an exceptional story with unique characters and an intriguing plot. I look forward to reading the next full-length book in this new series, Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1).
The second story, Inhuman by Eileen Wilks, takes place in the middle of her Lupi series, but focuses on a woman, Kai, who can see thoughts. She has a secret relationship with her neighbor Nathan, who is not human, and this developments into some interesting events when he strives to protect her from a killer. Though this story ended with a "to be continued," I am intrigued enough that I want the next book, Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4).
The third story, Buying Trouble by Karen Chance, features a minor character in the Dorina Basarab series, Claire. Claire believes she is a "null," a person that nullifies magic within a certain radius. When she discovers that she is to be sold like a slave, a very sexy Lord of the Fey decides to rescue her. The chemistry between Claire and him is far beyond magnetic and has some very interesting consequences for Claire. I was a bit disappointed that Claire does not get any full-length novels, as her story has great potential.
The final story, Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny, is heavy in erotic material and light on plot. The story takes someplace in the middle of the Monere series and resembles Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series in many ways. Though Bishop's writing is superior, there is some uniqueness to this series, such as the use of moon imagery. I may check out the first novel, Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1).
I like reading anthologies not only to get some extra morsels from my favorite authors, but also to be introduced to new authors without having to commit to an entire full-length novel. While Briggs story was certainly the best of the bunch, the other stories were good reads, and I was glad to be introduced to their styles and stories.
The second story, Inhuman by Eileen Wilks, takes place in the middle of her Lupi series, but focuses on a woman, Kai, who can see thoughts. She has a secret relationship with her neighbor Nathan, who is not human, and this developments into some interesting events when he strives to protect her from a killer. Though this story ended with a "to be continued," I am intrigued enough that I want the next book, Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4).
The third story, Buying Trouble by Karen Chance, features a minor character in the Dorina Basarab series, Claire. Claire believes she is a "null," a person that nullifies magic within a certain radius. When she discovers that she is to be sold like a slave, a very sexy Lord of the Fey decides to rescue her. The chemistry between Claire and him is far beyond magnetic and has some very interesting consequences for Claire. I was a bit disappointed that Claire does not get any full-length novels, as her story has great potential.
The final story, Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny, is heavy in erotic material and light on plot. The story takes someplace in the middle of the Monere series and resembles Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series in many ways. Though Bishop's writing is superior, there is some uniqueness to this series, such as the use of moon imagery. I may check out the first novel, Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1).
I like reading anthologies not only to get some extra morsels from my favorite authors, but also to be introduced to new authors without having to commit to an entire full-length novel. While Briggs story was certainly the best of the bunch, the other stories were good reads, and I was glad to be introduced to their styles and stories.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hunter Killer (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
The Hunt for Red October. Crimson Tide. Das Boot. These are the some of the greatest submarine movies ever made. Hunter Killer is not on that list.
That’s not to say that this movie isn’t entertaining. Gerard Butler appears alongside a surprisingly well stocked cast including Academy award winner Gary Oldman, Emmy winner Michael Nyqvist, Common and Linda Cardellini to create a gripping experience that is high action and suspense throughout the entire film. But where it excels in action it falls short in story and character development.
The action begins right off the bat; and within 5 minutes of the opening credits two submarines are destroyed and the world is on the brink of World War 3. Commander Joe Glass (Butler), despite never having captained a submarine before, is field promoted into command of the USS Arkansas, considered a Hunter Killer submarine, and sent to investigate the missing subs. During the course of his investigation, he discovers that not all is what it seems. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral John Fisk (Common) and NSA Agent Jayne Norquist (Cardellini) are at the Pentagon with some issues of their own. Using a Navy Seal recon team, they’ve discovered that a Russian military coup is in progress and the only way to prevent a war is to rescue the captive Russian president. In the end, all three teams need to work together in order to steer the two countries away from being driven into a nuclear confrontation by a rogue Russian defense minister
To its credit, this movie is what it is. Pure, driven action with few breaks and absolutely no subplots or side stories. Despite there being three main teams within the film (the submarine, the recon team and the Pentagon team) all three are focused on the same objective and there is very little deviation from their respective missions. There’s no accompanying love story or unshown historical conflict between two characters. There’s not even much in terms of character development beyond the typical “old crew learns to trust new and unproven leader”. This is as close to a pure action movie as you’re going to get. Every single line, scene and character is used to further an explosion in some way or another.
This is the first big project for director Donovan Marsh who, prior to this, hasn’t had anything close to this quality of cast or this kind of budget. Hunter Killer has actually been tossed around the studios for a number of years with other notable directors including Tony Scott (Crimson Tide) and Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) previously attached to the script. While it would have been exciting to see what either of those two could have done with this film, Marsh does manage to keep things alive by maintaining that constant stream of action and suspense. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be able to elevate the picture above that basic level. Despite an all-star cast who performed excellently, the movie remains essentially one-dimensional.
If you’re looking for a tense (Crimson Tide), intelligent (Hunt for Red October) submarine movie that looks a little more like a political thriller and a little less like an advertisement for the Navy, then this movie is not for you. However, if you’re in need of a bit more action and a lot less subtext, then Hunter Killer makes for a great night out full of explosions, amusing jokes and better acting than the dialogue really deserved.
That’s not to say that this movie isn’t entertaining. Gerard Butler appears alongside a surprisingly well stocked cast including Academy award winner Gary Oldman, Emmy winner Michael Nyqvist, Common and Linda Cardellini to create a gripping experience that is high action and suspense throughout the entire film. But where it excels in action it falls short in story and character development.
The action begins right off the bat; and within 5 minutes of the opening credits two submarines are destroyed and the world is on the brink of World War 3. Commander Joe Glass (Butler), despite never having captained a submarine before, is field promoted into command of the USS Arkansas, considered a Hunter Killer submarine, and sent to investigate the missing subs. During the course of his investigation, he discovers that not all is what it seems. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral John Fisk (Common) and NSA Agent Jayne Norquist (Cardellini) are at the Pentagon with some issues of their own. Using a Navy Seal recon team, they’ve discovered that a Russian military coup is in progress and the only way to prevent a war is to rescue the captive Russian president. In the end, all three teams need to work together in order to steer the two countries away from being driven into a nuclear confrontation by a rogue Russian defense minister
To its credit, this movie is what it is. Pure, driven action with few breaks and absolutely no subplots or side stories. Despite there being three main teams within the film (the submarine, the recon team and the Pentagon team) all three are focused on the same objective and there is very little deviation from their respective missions. There’s no accompanying love story or unshown historical conflict between two characters. There’s not even much in terms of character development beyond the typical “old crew learns to trust new and unproven leader”. This is as close to a pure action movie as you’re going to get. Every single line, scene and character is used to further an explosion in some way or another.
This is the first big project for director Donovan Marsh who, prior to this, hasn’t had anything close to this quality of cast or this kind of budget. Hunter Killer has actually been tossed around the studios for a number of years with other notable directors including Tony Scott (Crimson Tide) and Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) previously attached to the script. While it would have been exciting to see what either of those two could have done with this film, Marsh does manage to keep things alive by maintaining that constant stream of action and suspense. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be able to elevate the picture above that basic level. Despite an all-star cast who performed excellently, the movie remains essentially one-dimensional.
If you’re looking for a tense (Crimson Tide), intelligent (Hunt for Red October) submarine movie that looks a little more like a political thriller and a little less like an advertisement for the Navy, then this movie is not for you. However, if you’re in need of a bit more action and a lot less subtext, then Hunter Killer makes for a great night out full of explosions, amusing jokes and better acting than the dialogue really deserved.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Haunted Mansion (2003) in Movies
Jul 28, 2023
Welcome Foolish Mortals to the latest adaptation of the popular Disney attraction as Haunted Mansion has materialized for audiences to enjoy.
This time around the film follows a single mother named Gabbie (RosarioDawson), and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon).
The family has moved into an abandoned mansion near New Orleans as they look to start over but find that their new abode is haunted.
Despite their best efforts to flee, the ghosts force them to return to the
mansion and they seek help in the form of a Priest named Father Kent (Owen Wilson), and Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) who has been reduced to doing Ghost Tours following a personal tragedy that saw his lofty skills and career vanish in the aftermath.
When the help finds themselves able to leave the mansion without an
otherworldly escort, they bring in a Medium named Harriet (Tiffany
Haddish) and in time the mysterious Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis).
It is learned that a dangerous ghost is striking fear into the other 999
haunts that inhabit the locale and should he collect his 1000th soul, he
will unleash a new level of terror on the world.
Things become even more complicated with a local professor named Bruce (Danny DeVito) arrives and creates a new Wild Card to the situation.
The movie does a great job of capturing the look and tone of the
attraction as one of the great joys was seeing things ranging from the
pictures to stretching room and other factors big and small from the
attraction portrayed on the big screen.
The cast is great and works well with one another but the movie does take
some time getting ramped up and I did find it dragging in various places.
The audience laughed frequently but for me many of the jokes did not work which I attributed to the focus being on a a younger audience as I found them more amusing than funny.
The FX in the film are solid and Jared Leto’s character is so well done
you cannot recognize him as he has disappeared so deeply into the
character aided by some great visual work.
As a big fan of the attraction it was nice to see a much better take on
the source material than previous efforts.
In the end despite the flaws, there is enough happy nostalgia to keep fans
entertained and hopefully the audience will want to visit the mansion enough that a new franchise is on the way.
3 stars out of 5
This time around the film follows a single mother named Gabbie (RosarioDawson), and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon).
The family has moved into an abandoned mansion near New Orleans as they look to start over but find that their new abode is haunted.
Despite their best efforts to flee, the ghosts force them to return to the
mansion and they seek help in the form of a Priest named Father Kent (Owen Wilson), and Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) who has been reduced to doing Ghost Tours following a personal tragedy that saw his lofty skills and career vanish in the aftermath.
When the help finds themselves able to leave the mansion without an
otherworldly escort, they bring in a Medium named Harriet (Tiffany
Haddish) and in time the mysterious Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis).
It is learned that a dangerous ghost is striking fear into the other 999
haunts that inhabit the locale and should he collect his 1000th soul, he
will unleash a new level of terror on the world.
Things become even more complicated with a local professor named Bruce (Danny DeVito) arrives and creates a new Wild Card to the situation.
The movie does a great job of capturing the look and tone of the
attraction as one of the great joys was seeing things ranging from the
pictures to stretching room and other factors big and small from the
attraction portrayed on the big screen.
The cast is great and works well with one another but the movie does take
some time getting ramped up and I did find it dragging in various places.
The audience laughed frequently but for me many of the jokes did not work which I attributed to the focus being on a a younger audience as I found them more amusing than funny.
The FX in the film are solid and Jared Leto’s character is so well done
you cannot recognize him as he has disappeared so deeply into the
character aided by some great visual work.
As a big fan of the attraction it was nice to see a much better take on
the source material than previous efforts.
In the end despite the flaws, there is enough happy nostalgia to keep fans
entertained and hopefully the audience will want to visit the mansion enough that a new franchise is on the way.
3 stars out of 5
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Futurama: Bender's Game (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
The third of the straight to DVD Futurama movies, “Futurama: Bender’s Game” has arrived and continues the winning formula of the television series and two previous films.
This time the film starts out as a standard episode rather than continue the events of the past film. In true Futurama style, there are references to past characters and pop culture gags throughout. The early focus of the story is on the Dark Matter fuel shortage that is controlled by the greedy Mom and her corporation. Mom insists that prices are way up so she has to charge more for the precious starship fuel, but avoids any questions related to her record profits related to the ever rising fuel prices.
With the rising fuel costs the Planetary Express Office, is put on a very strict flight schedule that causes havoc amongst the crew. Fry (Billy West), still drifts aimlessly about life, Amy (Lauren Tom) is as shallow as ever and Leela (Katey Sagal), has an ager issue and is outfitted with a shock collar that jolts her whenever she loses her temper.
Bender (John Di Maggio), has a larger issue as he spots some of the staff children and their friends playing Dungeons and Dragons and wants to be a part of the action. It is learned that robots were not built for imagination so when Bender takes up the game and becomes the entity Titanius, he soon has a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy. Combine this with Leela’s entry of the Planet Express ship into a Demo Derby and you get a premise ripe with laughter.
The story shifts into high gear when Professor Farnsworth (Billy West), decides to use his anti-backwards crystal to end his old flame Moms hold on the fuel industry. The Crew make a startling discovery as they battle mom, and thanks to the power of the crystal and Bender, find themselves in a strange medieval world where each of them has new identities in this alternate universe.
In a race against time, the Planet Express staff must not only survive the alternate universe, but defeat Mom and her plans for universal domination.
With sharp picture and sound, this is a very enjoyable new adventure for fans.
There are loads of extras which include deleted scenes, commentaries, and a look at the next film “Into The Wild Green Yonder”.
All in all a welcome and satisfying film that should delight fans and help keep us happy until the new film arrives next year.
This time the film starts out as a standard episode rather than continue the events of the past film. In true Futurama style, there are references to past characters and pop culture gags throughout. The early focus of the story is on the Dark Matter fuel shortage that is controlled by the greedy Mom and her corporation. Mom insists that prices are way up so she has to charge more for the precious starship fuel, but avoids any questions related to her record profits related to the ever rising fuel prices.
With the rising fuel costs the Planetary Express Office, is put on a very strict flight schedule that causes havoc amongst the crew. Fry (Billy West), still drifts aimlessly about life, Amy (Lauren Tom) is as shallow as ever and Leela (Katey Sagal), has an ager issue and is outfitted with a shock collar that jolts her whenever she loses her temper.
Bender (John Di Maggio), has a larger issue as he spots some of the staff children and their friends playing Dungeons and Dragons and wants to be a part of the action. It is learned that robots were not built for imagination so when Bender takes up the game and becomes the entity Titanius, he soon has a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy. Combine this with Leela’s entry of the Planet Express ship into a Demo Derby and you get a premise ripe with laughter.
The story shifts into high gear when Professor Farnsworth (Billy West), decides to use his anti-backwards crystal to end his old flame Moms hold on the fuel industry. The Crew make a startling discovery as they battle mom, and thanks to the power of the crystal and Bender, find themselves in a strange medieval world where each of them has new identities in this alternate universe.
In a race against time, the Planet Express staff must not only survive the alternate universe, but defeat Mom and her plans for universal domination.
With sharp picture and sound, this is a very enjoyable new adventure for fans.
There are loads of extras which include deleted scenes, commentaries, and a look at the next film “Into The Wild Green Yonder”.
All in all a welcome and satisfying film that should delight fans and help keep us happy until the new film arrives next year.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Creeper Dance in Books
Dec 18, 2018
DEATH
The (Grim) Reaper is a legend among humankind. They avoid my gaze, my touch or even mentioning my name in case it makes the speaker of it a target for my unwelcome attention...there's even a rumour around town that I'm Death's lover!
This supernatural suspense story soon reveals, Reaper's not male as tradition has it, but a bad ass, smart mouthed female, who is half vampire and half werewolf! She inhabits an alternative reality world. Other characters have weird names that bear no relation to their species or origins, but even so, they all live together in a land where all the houses are, (by law) uniform in size and style - again no giveaway to the residents' identities.
This novella (only 140 pages long), has a shockingly crucial cliff-hanger, it's my advice to buy all 3 books to discover the story-line's ending. An interesting idea for a plot, though am not quite sure when/how it will end. If you enjoy the Anita Blake series this is akin to it.
(Novella 2 is The Silent Song).
This supernatural suspense story soon reveals, Reaper's not male as tradition has it, but a bad ass, smart mouthed female, who is half vampire and half werewolf! She inhabits an alternative reality world. Other characters have weird names that bear no relation to their species or origins, but even so, they all live together in a land where all the houses are, (by law) uniform in size and style - again no giveaway to the residents' identities.
This novella (only 140 pages long), has a shockingly crucial cliff-hanger, it's my advice to buy all 3 books to discover the story-line's ending. An interesting idea for a plot, though am not quite sure when/how it will end. If you enjoy the Anita Blake series this is akin to it.
(Novella 2 is The Silent Song).
The Girl, The Gold Tooth, and Everything: A Novel
3.5
Rate It
Book
Mina Clark is losing her mind-or maybe it's already gone. She isn't quite sure. Feeling displaced in...
Judy Greer recommended Tootsie (1982) in Movies (curated)
Translate Me - Live Translator
Productivity and Reference
App
Translate Me is a simple yet powerful tool to translate text, speech and even to have real-time...
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Romanov in Books
Jun 6, 2019
^^ The Romanovs are an ancient family of vampires, to which Anna belongs, but after the death of her father, they are now in hiding for their own protection. When she meets a lad, Eric, college student and human, their bond is so strong they fall in love hard. Yes, it’s literally love at first sight. But unbeknown to Eric, danger is close, always watching and threatening to pounce from the shadows. Can Anna protect the ones she loves, when someone or something is out to eradicate the Romanov family and all those that stand in their way?
^^ This is written from different points of view, which allows us to see this intriguing story from several angles. At the end of every chapter there’s a sense of something lurking in the shadows, watching, following, and it could attack at any time. Whilst this added to the suspense and made for great foreshadowing, it was drawn out over a lot of pages, and felt a little repetitive at times.
^^ What I loved about this was the ‘new adult’ romance theme of which gave way to a large proportion of this book. With danger lurking around every corner, Anna soon discovers that she had to look out for not only her own family, but protect her beau, Eric, too. There is also an unusual shape-shifting, supernatural element to this tale, both of which I found added different levels to this modern vampire story. It’s not all as straightforward, as it might – at first – seem.
^^ This story feels like the beginning of a much larger tale, since we are introduced to a lot of characters and different families, all living their lives as they know how. It reminded me of a soap opera, where we watch the lives of many families unravel before our very eyes. An unknown danger is making every effort to thwart the Romanov’s survival, but is Anna strong enough to overcome this evil?
Overall: Samaire Provost has created an atmospheric vampire story with a difference, in that the creatures within are not your standard monsters and their world consists of different rules and ideals. That alone is quite refreshing in this vampire story. Saying that, this is not just a book about vampires, it’s about families, feuds, survival of the fittest and how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. I found it an enjoyable, clever read and it should appeal to readers of vampire fiction who like something a little different from the norm.
^^ This is written from different points of view, which allows us to see this intriguing story from several angles. At the end of every chapter there’s a sense of something lurking in the shadows, watching, following, and it could attack at any time. Whilst this added to the suspense and made for great foreshadowing, it was drawn out over a lot of pages, and felt a little repetitive at times.
^^ What I loved about this was the ‘new adult’ romance theme of which gave way to a large proportion of this book. With danger lurking around every corner, Anna soon discovers that she had to look out for not only her own family, but protect her beau, Eric, too. There is also an unusual shape-shifting, supernatural element to this tale, both of which I found added different levels to this modern vampire story. It’s not all as straightforward, as it might – at first – seem.
^^ This story feels like the beginning of a much larger tale, since we are introduced to a lot of characters and different families, all living their lives as they know how. It reminded me of a soap opera, where we watch the lives of many families unravel before our very eyes. An unknown danger is making every effort to thwart the Romanov’s survival, but is Anna strong enough to overcome this evil?
Overall: Samaire Provost has created an atmospheric vampire story with a difference, in that the creatures within are not your standard monsters and their world consists of different rules and ideals. That alone is quite refreshing in this vampire story. Saying that, this is not just a book about vampires, it’s about families, feuds, survival of the fittest and how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. I found it an enjoyable, clever read and it should appeal to readers of vampire fiction who like something a little different from the norm.