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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) in Movies
Apr 1, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Let me start by saying that Godzilla Vs Kong is offensively entertaining when the two big bois are smacking the shit out of each other and generally wrecking entire cities, but whereas the first Godzilla had too little lizard action, and King of the Monsters arguably overcompensated, this time around, it's gone back to too little! The big smackdowns were fun, but they seemed done and dusted pretty quickly. It felt like they were lacking meat.
Especially when *SPOILERS* (worst kept secret in recent cinema memory) MechaGodzilla joins the fun near the end. He looks awesome, but again, it's over with pretty quick, and I wanted more dammit! Outside of the fighting, all of the scenes set in the Hollow Earth were pretty decent and interesting in their lore building.
Then there's of course the usual cast of forgettable human characters. Kaylee Hottle and Rebecca Hall are both great and hugely likable, but everyone else is just kind of there, and the plot criminally wastes Demián Bichir. I found there was once again way too much human drama, and none of it seemed at all important, and there was nowhere near enough development on offer to care one bit about them.
So what do we have then? Godzilla Vs Kong is definitely a shallow monster movie, but it's a hell of a lot of fun when it wants to be, with a fantastic music score (the reworked Godzilla theme slaps) and some truly stunning digital effects. The neon aesthetic in the Hong Kong scenes looks great, and the titular monsters look as good as ever. Better than KOTM, not as good as Skull Island, but still worth checking out for anyone who likes this particular sub genre.
On a final note - can't wait to see this properly when cinemas re-open!
Especially when *SPOILERS* (worst kept secret in recent cinema memory) MechaGodzilla joins the fun near the end. He looks awesome, but again, it's over with pretty quick, and I wanted more dammit! Outside of the fighting, all of the scenes set in the Hollow Earth were pretty decent and interesting in their lore building.
Then there's of course the usual cast of forgettable human characters. Kaylee Hottle and Rebecca Hall are both great and hugely likable, but everyone else is just kind of there, and the plot criminally wastes Demián Bichir. I found there was once again way too much human drama, and none of it seemed at all important, and there was nowhere near enough development on offer to care one bit about them.
So what do we have then? Godzilla Vs Kong is definitely a shallow monster movie, but it's a hell of a lot of fun when it wants to be, with a fantastic music score (the reworked Godzilla theme slaps) and some truly stunning digital effects. The neon aesthetic in the Hong Kong scenes looks great, and the titular monsters look as good as ever. Better than KOTM, not as good as Skull Island, but still worth checking out for anyone who likes this particular sub genre.
On a final note - can't wait to see this properly when cinemas re-open!
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Raiventon (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #2) in Books
Aug 9, 2021
RAIVENTON is the second book in the Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria series and we move onto Raina and Kevin. They have been married for years but don't have what you might call a conventional marriage!
Kevin has his team and is with them a lot of the time. During his absence, Raina has been striking out on her own, trying to get out from under her father's thumb. Unfortunately, her naivety brings about her downfall, with the not-so-nice Shield Guardian Enbrackon 'helping' her along.
Wow, this series just keeps getting better! I'm sorry Kat and Sean, but it's true! Whilst I loved your book, this one edges it. Maybe because I'm now used to this world. Maybe it's because I really, REALLY, don't like Enbrackon and loved him not getting his way. Maybe it's seeing Kevin and Raina fall in love and her finally being able to show her strengths. I don't know. All I do know is I read this book from beginning to end, losing myself in their world.
The intrigue continues and I am loving every word. Kevin, Mason, Sean, and Katria may be a team when they go on a mission, but they have a team already at home, and I am loving the additions to it with each story.
A fantastic story set in a world I am loving. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, or the series, and I really can't wait for book 3. Bring it on!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Kevin has his team and is with them a lot of the time. During his absence, Raina has been striking out on her own, trying to get out from under her father's thumb. Unfortunately, her naivety brings about her downfall, with the not-so-nice Shield Guardian Enbrackon 'helping' her along.
Wow, this series just keeps getting better! I'm sorry Kat and Sean, but it's true! Whilst I loved your book, this one edges it. Maybe because I'm now used to this world. Maybe it's because I really, REALLY, don't like Enbrackon and loved him not getting his way. Maybe it's seeing Kevin and Raina fall in love and her finally being able to show her strengths. I don't know. All I do know is I read this book from beginning to end, losing myself in their world.
The intrigue continues and I am loving every word. Kevin, Mason, Sean, and Katria may be a team when they go on a mission, but they have a team already at home, and I am loving the additions to it with each story.
A fantastic story set in a world I am loving. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, or the series, and I really can't wait for book 3. Bring it on!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Bai Ling recommended Red Corner (1997) in Movies (curated)
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters, #1) in Books
Jul 1, 2021
The idea of the book is fantastic, six sisters named after a constellation all adopted. None of them know where they came from, and when their father dies he gives each of them a clue - the coordinates of somewhere from their past and a quote written in Greek that should mean something to each of them.
This book follows the eldest sister Maia and her journey to find out who she is and where she came from. Her journey takes her to Brazil where she finds out who her real family are. A lot of the book focuses on her maternal great grandmother, her marriage and Christ the Redeemer being constructed. I found it quite disappointing that most of the book seemed to focus on her story and not Maia’s story, and that the part about Maia’s birth mother was quite rushed. The story about her great grandmother, Izabela, was interesting but could have been condensed quite a lot and didn’t need to be as long as it was.
I also found the writing quite clunky and it didn’t flow correctly in some parts, a bit like it had been translated from a different language and incorrectly.
It was fascinating learning about the construction of Christ the Redeemer and about Rio as it has always been on my bucket list of places to travel, but I felt that the book didn’t need to be quite as long as it was.
I am torn about whether I want to read on the rest of the books in the series, as I want to know what happens to the sisters and there are still some unanswered questions, but I don’t know if I could continue if the writing style doesn’t flow correctly still.
This book follows the eldest sister Maia and her journey to find out who she is and where she came from. Her journey takes her to Brazil where she finds out who her real family are. A lot of the book focuses on her maternal great grandmother, her marriage and Christ the Redeemer being constructed. I found it quite disappointing that most of the book seemed to focus on her story and not Maia’s story, and that the part about Maia’s birth mother was quite rushed. The story about her great grandmother, Izabela, was interesting but could have been condensed quite a lot and didn’t need to be as long as it was.
I also found the writing quite clunky and it didn’t flow correctly in some parts, a bit like it had been translated from a different language and incorrectly.
It was fascinating learning about the construction of Christ the Redeemer and about Rio as it has always been on my bucket list of places to travel, but I felt that the book didn’t need to be quite as long as it was.
I am torn about whether I want to read on the rest of the books in the series, as I want to know what happens to the sisters and there are still some unanswered questions, but I don’t know if I could continue if the writing style doesn’t flow correctly still.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021
80s horror is its own unique thing, and nothing quite encapsulates the era as well as A Nightmare On Elm Street. Another series that spawned a whole bunch of sequels, the original holds the crown, and still stands the test of time.
For one, iconic slasher villain Freddy Krueger is a scary motherfucker here. There are glimpses of the more comedic elements that would encompass his personality in later entries, but here, for the most part, he's a no nonsense, nasty SOB. Of course Robert Englund relishes in his role, and it's hard to see anyone else effectively filling his shoes.
Opposite Freddy is Nancy Thompson (a fantastic Heather Langenkamp), a well written and hugely likable final girl, a final girl who rivals Laurie Strode in the pantheon of horror protagonists.
The premise of ANOES is wonderfully simple. Don't fall asleep. This film scared the living shit out of me when I was a young teenager. Wes Craven was extremely successful in doing for sleep what Jaws did for swimming in the ocean. As an adult, it's less scary sure, but still makes me feel uneasy. This is thanks to a wonderfully creepy score by Charles Bernstein, and the of course, the incredibly executed, and imaginative kill scenes. The gory moments are paced out nicely, and hit hard when they arrive. The first kill in particular is a solid all timer, and then the infamous scene where Johnny Depp meets his demise is so otherworldly. It really drives home the near impossible odds that the good guys are facing.
ANOES is obviously a genre classic, and I personally think it just gets better with age. One of the all time greats, from one of the all time greats.
For one, iconic slasher villain Freddy Krueger is a scary motherfucker here. There are glimpses of the more comedic elements that would encompass his personality in later entries, but here, for the most part, he's a no nonsense, nasty SOB. Of course Robert Englund relishes in his role, and it's hard to see anyone else effectively filling his shoes.
Opposite Freddy is Nancy Thompson (a fantastic Heather Langenkamp), a well written and hugely likable final girl, a final girl who rivals Laurie Strode in the pantheon of horror protagonists.
The premise of ANOES is wonderfully simple. Don't fall asleep. This film scared the living shit out of me when I was a young teenager. Wes Craven was extremely successful in doing for sleep what Jaws did for swimming in the ocean. As an adult, it's less scary sure, but still makes me feel uneasy. This is thanks to a wonderfully creepy score by Charles Bernstein, and the of course, the incredibly executed, and imaginative kill scenes. The gory moments are paced out nicely, and hit hard when they arrive. The first kill in particular is a solid all timer, and then the infamous scene where Johnny Depp meets his demise is so otherworldly. It really drives home the near impossible odds that the good guys are facing.
ANOES is obviously a genre classic, and I personally think it just gets better with age. One of the all time greats, from one of the all time greats.
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Val (The Hawks #2) in Books
Jul 9, 2021
VAL is the second book in The Hawks series, and to get the most out of this story, I would recommend you read Tristan first. We start where Tristan finished - Val has been rescued but Alanna is still in the castle.
Val is... I would say disheartened but it's so much more than that. He's broken. He believes his brothers left him when he needed them the most. It didn't help when they started to believe the hype and lies told about Alanna, when he alone knew the truth. Of course, he could have opened his mouth, but then he wouldn't be the tortured hero.
Alanna is stronger than she realises. When you find out her back story and just what she went through? Horrible! I was really rooting for Alanna and Val to get together, but Ballanor is on their tail all the way. Val and Lanni have a slow-burn romance, which drove me insane, as I really wanted them to do the do, but it was all for a very good reason which I only figured out at the same time as the other characters! Loved that.
There are new characters introduced in this book, and Ramiel and Haniel are my favourites (so far!) I can't wait to see them in future books.
The pacing is smooth and the story is well maintained, both with Val and Lanni's individual story plus the overall arc. Oh, and if you thought Ballanor was bad, brace yourself. There's someone far worse!
A fantastic addition to the series and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Val is... I would say disheartened but it's so much more than that. He's broken. He believes his brothers left him when he needed them the most. It didn't help when they started to believe the hype and lies told about Alanna, when he alone knew the truth. Of course, he could have opened his mouth, but then he wouldn't be the tortured hero.
Alanna is stronger than she realises. When you find out her back story and just what she went through? Horrible! I was really rooting for Alanna and Val to get together, but Ballanor is on their tail all the way. Val and Lanni have a slow-burn romance, which drove me insane, as I really wanted them to do the do, but it was all for a very good reason which I only figured out at the same time as the other characters! Loved that.
There are new characters introduced in this book, and Ramiel and Haniel are my favourites (so far!) I can't wait to see them in future books.
The pacing is smooth and the story is well maintained, both with Val and Lanni's individual story plus the overall arc. Oh, and if you thought Ballanor was bad, brace yourself. There's someone far worse!
A fantastic addition to the series and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ed O'Brien recommended Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin in Music (curated)
ClareR (5726 KP) rated False Witness in Books
Jul 27, 2021
False Witness is a standalone thriller by Karin Slaughter, and what a fantastic read it is!
It’s set during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we can see the drastic effect it’s had on people’s everyday lives, as well as the working life of a Leigh, a lawyer.
When Leigh walks in to a meeting with a new client - a man accused of violently raping a woman - she doesn’t expect to see someone from her past. It’s a past that she doesn’t talk about, and has told no-one about in its entirety. Even her husband.
Trevor Tennant is the boy that Leigh and her sister, Callie, used to babysit, and now it seems that he has picked up some of the bad habits that his father had: violence against women for one thing. Except Buddy Waleski, Trevors father, also liked very young girls.
Somehow, Trevor has found out what happened between his father and the sisters on the night Buddy disappeared, and blackmails Leigh in order to get him off all charges. He sees the acts of his paedophile father as acceptable, that Callie enjoyed the abuse - in fact he doesn’t believe it was abuse at all. The entitlement is strong in this story - as well as a twisted view of life in general!
Callie is such a vulnerable character. As strong as her sister is, Callie hides behind heroin. It’s a life of existing and getting to the next fix. She’s a really caring person though: she loves animals and she repeatedly puts others before herself.
This is a really dark, high paced, intelligent novel, and it kept me riveted to the screen as I read it in instalments on The Pigeonhole. It was torture waiting for the next instalment, and I’d definitely recommend it!
It’s set during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we can see the drastic effect it’s had on people’s everyday lives, as well as the working life of a Leigh, a lawyer.
When Leigh walks in to a meeting with a new client - a man accused of violently raping a woman - she doesn’t expect to see someone from her past. It’s a past that she doesn’t talk about, and has told no-one about in its entirety. Even her husband.
Trevor Tennant is the boy that Leigh and her sister, Callie, used to babysit, and now it seems that he has picked up some of the bad habits that his father had: violence against women for one thing. Except Buddy Waleski, Trevors father, also liked very young girls.
Somehow, Trevor has found out what happened between his father and the sisters on the night Buddy disappeared, and blackmails Leigh in order to get him off all charges. He sees the acts of his paedophile father as acceptable, that Callie enjoyed the abuse - in fact he doesn’t believe it was abuse at all. The entitlement is strong in this story - as well as a twisted view of life in general!
Callie is such a vulnerable character. As strong as her sister is, Callie hides behind heroin. It’s a life of existing and getting to the next fix. She’s a really caring person though: she loves animals and she repeatedly puts others before herself.
This is a really dark, high paced, intelligent novel, and it kept me riveted to the screen as I read it in instalments on The Pigeonhole. It was torture waiting for the next instalment, and I’d definitely recommend it!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Sep 11, 2020
Fair play, Underwater doesn't fuck around - 2 minutes in and all hell starts breaking loose and shit hits the fan pretty relentlessly until the credits roll. It's clear that director William Eubank wants your attention from the beginning - unfortunately it doesn't quite stay like this throughout...
I actually enjoyed Underwater for the most part, it's just that somewhere in the middle, it really starts to drag a bit, and I'm not even quite sure why - there's always something going on but it just lost me a bit.
Fortunately, the up and down middle act is book-ended by a very strong and tense first act, and one hell of a final third - no spoilers here but holy fuck!!!
The ending 'reveal' honestly elevates Underwater to loftier heights.
It also benefits from a good cast. Kristen Stewart has really grown on me in recent years and she's a fantastic lead in this. Always a pleasure to have Jessica Henwick and John Gallagher Jr. onscreen as well.
As per usual, I couldn't really get on with T.J. Miller - there's just something about that dude that always feels a bit too try hard - people liked him in Deadpool and now he's just typecast as the comic relief - Underwater doesn't really need comic relief.
There are some genuinely tense moments here and there, and the Aliens vibes are prominent - it's of course a few tiers under Aliens, but the bottom of the sea feels just as empty and otherworldly as space, and the creature designs are suitably eerie. The low light levels cover up a lot of CGI, so it never looks too fake either, with the exception of a couple of dodgy gore effects.
Underwater is a decent enough sci-fi-horror thriller that suffer a bit from pacing issues, but a good watch for those of you who like movie monsters.
I actually enjoyed Underwater for the most part, it's just that somewhere in the middle, it really starts to drag a bit, and I'm not even quite sure why - there's always something going on but it just lost me a bit.
Fortunately, the up and down middle act is book-ended by a very strong and tense first act, and one hell of a final third - no spoilers here but holy fuck!!!
The ending 'reveal' honestly elevates Underwater to loftier heights.
It also benefits from a good cast. Kristen Stewart has really grown on me in recent years and she's a fantastic lead in this. Always a pleasure to have Jessica Henwick and John Gallagher Jr. onscreen as well.
As per usual, I couldn't really get on with T.J. Miller - there's just something about that dude that always feels a bit too try hard - people liked him in Deadpool and now he's just typecast as the comic relief - Underwater doesn't really need comic relief.
There are some genuinely tense moments here and there, and the Aliens vibes are prominent - it's of course a few tiers under Aliens, but the bottom of the sea feels just as empty and otherworldly as space, and the creature designs are suitably eerie. The low light levels cover up a lot of CGI, so it never looks too fake either, with the exception of a couple of dodgy gore effects.
Underwater is a decent enough sci-fi-horror thriller that suffer a bit from pacing issues, but a good watch for those of you who like movie monsters.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Avengers (2012) in Movies
Sep 17, 2020
The first Avengers movie is a real treat - it was at the time of the release and it is now. In 2012, the culmination of the first handful of MCU movies was just glorious, seeing all these heroes together for the first time. Now in 2020, we've become accustomed to that, spoilt by the more recent Infinity War and Endgame, it's easy to forget just how special Avengers is in it's comparative humbleness, especially for people who grew up reading these stories in comic books.
The main bulk of the cast, comprised of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo (in his first appearance as Bruce Banner/Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner all bounce off of each other so naturally. The balance of dramatic moments and back and forth humour on display laid the blueprint for many MCU films to come, most notably Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tom Hiddleston steps up his game from the first Thor film and gives us an instantly iconic villain in Loki, one that has only been rivalled since by Thanos in terms of character development and story.
The set pieces are fantastic as well, most memorably, the Hulk and Thor battle on the Helicarrier, and of course the huge and ridiculous final show down in Manhattan, and the CGI still looks great 8 years down the line. A big event movie such as this was only made possible by introducing the individual characters slowly over a number of years, and it's proof that patience pays off. A formula that Marvel Studios have since mastered.
I know that none of these films are The Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane, but fuck me, films like Avengers Assemble (it's UK title) are so stupidly entertaining, and everything a kid who grew up reading comics could possibly want.
The main bulk of the cast, comprised of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo (in his first appearance as Bruce Banner/Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner all bounce off of each other so naturally. The balance of dramatic moments and back and forth humour on display laid the blueprint for many MCU films to come, most notably Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tom Hiddleston steps up his game from the first Thor film and gives us an instantly iconic villain in Loki, one that has only been rivalled since by Thanos in terms of character development and story.
The set pieces are fantastic as well, most memorably, the Hulk and Thor battle on the Helicarrier, and of course the huge and ridiculous final show down in Manhattan, and the CGI still looks great 8 years down the line. A big event movie such as this was only made possible by introducing the individual characters slowly over a number of years, and it's proof that patience pays off. A formula that Marvel Studios have since mastered.
I know that none of these films are The Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane, but fuck me, films like Avengers Assemble (it's UK title) are so stupidly entertaining, and everything a kid who grew up reading comics could possibly want.