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Ross (3284 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Aug 7, 2018
A rushed DC version of Infinity Wars
This film just missed the mark on so many different aspects. It had high ambitions but just let itself down pretty much everywhere. It felt like a panicked, rushed answer to Infinity Wars, but without taking the time to embed the characters and storyline first. I thought with hits like The Flash and Arrow TV series the DC world may have been fighting back against Marvel's dominance, but I guess for every "Arrow" there is a "Legends of Tomorrow" cheese-fest.
The CGI is truly awful. Massive, expensive battle scenes looked clunky and dated. Steppenwolf is so badly animated as to be ludicrous, especially noticeable as he looks like one of Thanos' minions (I genuinely think you'd see better animated facial movements in mid-noughties PS games). And lets not overlook the dodgy attempt at using CGI to remove Henry Cavill's moustache (some scenes had to be re-shot after he had already started filming Mission Impossible and his moustache had to be removed by CGI!).
I had no feelings towards any of the characters. Whereas the new Spiderman was an immediate hit in Civil War, here The Flash is just annoying and his chirpy geekiness does not contrast well with Batfleck's grumpiness. Cyborg was totally redundant except to solve a plot point. And Aquaman did nothing of note and was not likeable at all.
This should have been a big-hitting blockbuster with edge-of-the-seat tension, laugh-out-loud banter and head-scratching plot twists (and any more hyphenated adjectives I can think of), instead it was a mediocre action film with none of the character of the DC universe on show.
The CGI is truly awful. Massive, expensive battle scenes looked clunky and dated. Steppenwolf is so badly animated as to be ludicrous, especially noticeable as he looks like one of Thanos' minions (I genuinely think you'd see better animated facial movements in mid-noughties PS games). And lets not overlook the dodgy attempt at using CGI to remove Henry Cavill's moustache (some scenes had to be re-shot after he had already started filming Mission Impossible and his moustache had to be removed by CGI!).
I had no feelings towards any of the characters. Whereas the new Spiderman was an immediate hit in Civil War, here The Flash is just annoying and his chirpy geekiness does not contrast well with Batfleck's grumpiness. Cyborg was totally redundant except to solve a plot point. And Aquaman did nothing of note and was not likeable at all.
This should have been a big-hitting blockbuster with edge-of-the-seat tension, laugh-out-loud banter and head-scratching plot twists (and any more hyphenated adjectives I can think of), instead it was a mediocre action film with none of the character of the DC universe on show.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Simple Favor in Books
Oct 9, 2018
Ridiculous, irritating and quite dull
This is one of the few books I’ve read after watching the film, and one where I think the film is actually better (if not by much!).
Firstly, the film and the book follow vaguely similar plots although with a few minor differences but a massively different ending. For me, the differences don’t really have much effect on my feelings towards the book, although I do think the book ending is terrible and whilst not as far fetched as the film ending, it is still completely implausible. The whole plot really is just a bit silly and doesn’t make much sense. The other major issue with this book is that all characters are completely unlikeable. Stephanie was irritating in the film but is even more so in the book, mainly because the writing style used in her blog posts is so basic, childish and annoying. Emily however was fairly charismatic in the film and likeable to a point, but in this none of her charm comes through. And Sean is entirely forgettable in the book and you don’t feel any emotions towards him whatsoever.
The biggest issue I had with this book is the use of the word “moms”. I apologise profusely to my fellow Smashbombers hailing from the USA, but I cannot stand the word “moms” - both in spelling and pronunciation. And not only is this word used a lot in this book, it is vastly overused to the point where it was making me cringe. I know that Stephanie as a character is meant to make you cringe, but for me this was just far too much to the point where I almost stopped reading. A book that makes you grind your teeth in frustration is not one I’d recommend reading.
Firstly, the film and the book follow vaguely similar plots although with a few minor differences but a massively different ending. For me, the differences don’t really have much effect on my feelings towards the book, although I do think the book ending is terrible and whilst not as far fetched as the film ending, it is still completely implausible. The whole plot really is just a bit silly and doesn’t make much sense. The other major issue with this book is that all characters are completely unlikeable. Stephanie was irritating in the film but is even more so in the book, mainly because the writing style used in her blog posts is so basic, childish and annoying. Emily however was fairly charismatic in the film and likeable to a point, but in this none of her charm comes through. And Sean is entirely forgettable in the book and you don’t feel any emotions towards him whatsoever.
The biggest issue I had with this book is the use of the word “moms”. I apologise profusely to my fellow Smashbombers hailing from the USA, but I cannot stand the word “moms” - both in spelling and pronunciation. And not only is this word used a lot in this book, it is vastly overused to the point where it was making me cringe. I know that Stephanie as a character is meant to make you cringe, but for me this was just far too much to the point where I almost stopped reading. A book that makes you grind your teeth in frustration is not one I’d recommend reading.
Merissa (13398 KP) rated The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery #1) in Books
Oct 19, 2018
The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery #1) by Nya Rawlyns
The Eagle and the Fox is the first book in the Snowy Range Mystery series.
The story is about two adult males, a young girl, and her secret boyfriend. The two adult men, Josiah and Marcus, have known each other for years, but only to 'grunt' to each other as they pass by in the store that Marcus owns. Pet is the young girl that Marcus keeps an eye on, like an adopted uncle. He took her on to save her, but you'll need to read the book to find out what he was saving her from! And Kit is her secret boyfriend, a mysterious figure that we don't actually learn much about.
Once Josiah and Marcus start talking, things move at a pretty pace for them. Not only do they have their feelings for each other to contend with, but they also have the problems with Pet, plus the trouble in town that is happening.
I found this book to be very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow. The characters are well rounded and well suited to the story. This story is a definite mix of romance and mystery. It defies being in just one genre. It is finished off for this story, but the ending is definitely left open for it to continue. Looking forward to book two to see where it will go next.
If you like a bit of mystery with your romance, then I can definitely recommend this book/series.
* 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!
The story is about two adult males, a young girl, and her secret boyfriend. The two adult men, Josiah and Marcus, have known each other for years, but only to 'grunt' to each other as they pass by in the store that Marcus owns. Pet is the young girl that Marcus keeps an eye on, like an adopted uncle. He took her on to save her, but you'll need to read the book to find out what he was saving her from! And Kit is her secret boyfriend, a mysterious figure that we don't actually learn much about.
Once Josiah and Marcus start talking, things move at a pretty pace for them. Not only do they have their feelings for each other to contend with, but they also have the problems with Pet, plus the trouble in town that is happening.
I found this book to be very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow. The characters are well rounded and well suited to the story. This story is a definite mix of romance and mystery. It defies being in just one genre. It is finished off for this story, but the ending is definitely left open for it to continue. Looking forward to book two to see where it will go next.
If you like a bit of mystery with your romance, then I can definitely recommend this book/series.
* 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!
Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Movie Novelization in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I watched the film quite a while ago and must say that I don't remember a great deal about it, just that it was weird, wacky, out there and pretty difficult to follow. I had no idea there was a book, so when I found it at the library I followed my faith that the book is always better than the film and decided to borrow it. Now, I really enjoyed this! Straight after I finished the book the film was on TV (weird...I had no idea) so I compared. Others may find it weird as the film and book are pretty much the same but I enjoyed the book so much more, I connected to the characters more and I found it easier to follow. At first glance this may seem like your average 'been done before' horror novel but that's far from the truth....this is original. Although a little slow to start it soon picked up to a nice fast pace with twists and turns and plenty of gore! It's not the best horror I've read but I still enjoyed it very much. There's just one thing I do have to mention and it's totally my own personal feelings but I have minor OCD and so the constant ending of sentences in the middle made me have twitchy face. I know the incomplete sentences were used for effect but it just didn't work for me, I like my sentences completed more often than not and it just happened too many times that it started to affect my enjoyment. Apart from that this is a really good horror novel and I would recommend it to all horror fans.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture in Books
Nov 23, 2018
This is an important book.
This is such an important book. Most of the contributions are from women who have experienced sexual assault, but there are contributions from men, and trans women as well. Some are terrible, life changing stories, some are stories of numerous occurrences that chip away at the writers self confidence and feelings of safety. Actually, the upshot is that a vast majority of women do not feel safe anymore.
As I began reading this, I thought that I was one of the lucky that had never experienced any of these things, but as I read on, I realised that I actually had. I think that the cat-calling, touching and looks are something that we don't so much expect as that we are just used to them. The fact that in my younger years I was very outspoken and told someone who touched me to keep their hands to themselves, or told a commenter to keep their mouths shut, probably meant that I was more lucky than effective when they backed down or apologised. And I also think that British culture was very different 20 years ago, as was I.
What saddens me, is that the people who should really read this probably won't. And if they do, they'll probably brush it off as women who exaggerate or are out to attack men, are men haters. But these are all genuine experiences. This isn't fiction. It's heart breaking, raw and something that shouldn't have any place in our modern world. I've never understood the need of some people to control, manipulate and hurt others, but I think I'm probably naive. Or hopeful, perhaps. Somehow, we need to stop this cycle of abuse and hurt, and until then, stories like this will continue.
As I began reading this, I thought that I was one of the lucky that had never experienced any of these things, but as I read on, I realised that I actually had. I think that the cat-calling, touching and looks are something that we don't so much expect as that we are just used to them. The fact that in my younger years I was very outspoken and told someone who touched me to keep their hands to themselves, or told a commenter to keep their mouths shut, probably meant that I was more lucky than effective when they backed down or apologised. And I also think that British culture was very different 20 years ago, as was I.
What saddens me, is that the people who should really read this probably won't. And if they do, they'll probably brush it off as women who exaggerate or are out to attack men, are men haters. But these are all genuine experiences. This isn't fiction. It's heart breaking, raw and something that shouldn't have any place in our modern world. I've never understood the need of some people to control, manipulate and hurt others, but I think I'm probably naive. Or hopeful, perhaps. Somehow, we need to stop this cycle of abuse and hurt, and until then, stories like this will continue.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Big Stone Gap (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Wise County, Virginia in 1978. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd), owner of the town pharmacy, director of the town’s outdoor drama. Ave having lived in Big Stone Gap all her life, is perfectly content in her place as the town spinster. Adriana Trigiani, the author of the book “Big Stone Gap” brings the little town with the big heart to the silver screen as the Director and Screenwriter.
We are taken by the hand from the opening scene where we Fleeta Mullins (Whoopi Goldberg) her acerbic assistant at the pharmacy; Ida Lou Wade (Jenna Elfman) best friend and Town Librarian; Theodore Tipton (John Benjamin Hickey) the school band director, star of the outdoor drama and Spec Broadwater (Anthony La Paglia) the town lawyer. These people are the pillars that help hold Ave up as her life gets upended with loss and challenges plus the awkward two-step of a courtship with Jack MacChesney (Patrick Wilson) whom she has known since childhood.
This film centers on relationships. The love of a mother and the secret that changes Ave’s path, the best friends on your side through thick and thin; the love that is timeless and enduring. Ashley Judd is exceptional, conveying to us what Ave’s feelings. Whoopi Goldberg delivering lines that are gems full of comedic punches; Jenna Elfman and Patrick Wilson(as Lyle Makin) giving a chaotic wedding scene with such physical humor that I wish could have gone on much longer.
This film is a Adriana Trigiani’s love story to the people of Big Stone Gap. The phenomenal ensemble of actors hook us in by charming us with comedy and warmth throughout the story, inviting the audience to be part of their town.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/09/big-stone-gap/
We are taken by the hand from the opening scene where we Fleeta Mullins (Whoopi Goldberg) her acerbic assistant at the pharmacy; Ida Lou Wade (Jenna Elfman) best friend and Town Librarian; Theodore Tipton (John Benjamin Hickey) the school band director, star of the outdoor drama and Spec Broadwater (Anthony La Paglia) the town lawyer. These people are the pillars that help hold Ave up as her life gets upended with loss and challenges plus the awkward two-step of a courtship with Jack MacChesney (Patrick Wilson) whom she has known since childhood.
This film centers on relationships. The love of a mother and the secret that changes Ave’s path, the best friends on your side through thick and thin; the love that is timeless and enduring. Ashley Judd is exceptional, conveying to us what Ave’s feelings. Whoopi Goldberg delivering lines that are gems full of comedic punches; Jenna Elfman and Patrick Wilson(as Lyle Makin) giving a chaotic wedding scene with such physical humor that I wish could have gone on much longer.
This film is a Adriana Trigiani’s love story to the people of Big Stone Gap. The phenomenal ensemble of actors hook us in by charming us with comedy and warmth throughout the story, inviting the audience to be part of their town.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/09/big-stone-gap/
Debbiereadsbook (1554 KP) rated Becoming Magic (Sleight of Hand #5) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
Not really one for me :-(
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I'm jumping straight in here, because this is one of those reviews that is going to be difficult to write!
Overall, I liked this book. Mostly.
It's reasonably well written, from both Carole and Connor's points of view, so that was good. I didn't see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
It just didn't grab me! I found myself wanting more, from Connor, about that break up with his ex-co-star. From Carole about what happened all those years ago in Hollywood. From them both, about each other, their feelings. . . . I. . . . just . . . .
Wanted MORE!!!! And I can't word just WHAT I wanted, and that's why this is a hard review to write, cos I cannot, for the life of me, find the right words, and you know how much that PAINS me!
It does deal with some difficult topics: being drugged and a sexual assault. It deals with these in a sensitive manner, but needs to be mentioned. I also found the assault story arc a little bit too much like what's going in the the REAL Hollywood right now, with the growing list of high powered Hollywood men being accused of various assaults. Maybe that's where the author got the inspiration from, I dunno, but I found it a little too much like it, you know??
This is book 5 in the Sleight of Hand series, and I have not read the others. I did not feel I was missing anything, by not reading them And although Sabrina and Walter (book4) play a huge part here, I didn't feel I HAD to have read their story before this one.
So, I'm sorry, but not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I'm jumping straight in here, because this is one of those reviews that is going to be difficult to write!
Overall, I liked this book. Mostly.
It's reasonably well written, from both Carole and Connor's points of view, so that was good. I didn't see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
It just didn't grab me! I found myself wanting more, from Connor, about that break up with his ex-co-star. From Carole about what happened all those years ago in Hollywood. From them both, about each other, their feelings. . . . I. . . . just . . . .
Wanted MORE!!!! And I can't word just WHAT I wanted, and that's why this is a hard review to write, cos I cannot, for the life of me, find the right words, and you know how much that PAINS me!
It does deal with some difficult topics: being drugged and a sexual assault. It deals with these in a sensitive manner, but needs to be mentioned. I also found the assault story arc a little bit too much like what's going in the the REAL Hollywood right now, with the growing list of high powered Hollywood men being accused of various assaults. Maybe that's where the author got the inspiration from, I dunno, but I found it a little too much like it, you know??
This is book 5 in the Sleight of Hand series, and I have not read the others. I did not feel I was missing anything, by not reading them And although Sabrina and Walter (book4) play a huge part here, I didn't feel I HAD to have read their story before this one.
So, I'm sorry, but not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated A Warm Place to Call Home (a demon's story) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The minute I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved Frederick, his candor, his character, and just the way he looks at his story. Frederick is an absolutely amazing character, he knows he has faults but doesn't try to hide them from you. Instead, he comes running right into your face waving them at you. He is blatantly obvious when it comes to his feelings in regards to certain things, people, and places. He knows he's wrong, but he doesn't feel the need to constantly apologize for the way he feels. Frederick is an absolutely refreshing character, and nothing that I expected when I started reading this book.
I was thinking it would be another typical run of the mill demon story with paranormal twists and turns. However, Siemsen and his amazing ability to weave pure writing gold out of thin air is absolutely remarkable. My attention was grabbed from word one. I laughed with Frederick, I cried with Frederick, and in the end I cried for Frederick. I think no matter who reads this book at one point in time or another you can't help but to really connect with Frederick on some level. There were many points during the story that I could completely understand how he felt the way he did, and what brought him to that point. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know! I just can't seem to gush enough about it. I can't wait to read more work by Siemsen, he's now been added to my favorite author list.
Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and words above are my honest opinion. ***This book is not intended for young adults! ***
I was thinking it would be another typical run of the mill demon story with paranormal twists and turns. However, Siemsen and his amazing ability to weave pure writing gold out of thin air is absolutely remarkable. My attention was grabbed from word one. I laughed with Frederick, I cried with Frederick, and in the end I cried for Frederick. I think no matter who reads this book at one point in time or another you can't help but to really connect with Frederick on some level. There were many points during the story that I could completely understand how he felt the way he did, and what brought him to that point. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know! I just can't seem to gush enough about it. I can't wait to read more work by Siemsen, he's now been added to my favorite author list.
Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and words above are my honest opinion. ***This book is not intended for young adults! ***
After-all-this-time? (11 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why - Season 1 in TV
Dec 30, 2018 (Updated Dec 30, 2018)
Very gripping (3 more)
Thought provoking
Emotional
Relatable cast
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was gripped from episode 1 of 13 Reasons. The cast of young actors and actresses are brilliant, and they made it a really gripping show.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Sin Undone (Demonica #5) in Books
Nov 18, 2019
This one is Sin's - Sinead! - story, Lore(n)'s sister and the only female Seminus demon in existence.
We get to know her a lot more in this one and I feel sorry for a lot of the crap she went through. She tries to be this strong woman who can deal with everything but she doesn't want to be. So thank God for Con - who we met in Lore's book, Ecstasy Unveiled - and who Sin had sex with.
As a dhampire, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, Con is immune to the werewolf shifter virus which Sin unwittingly started in the last book and a great candidate to help start a vaccine against it by using his blood. The only downside to it is that as a dhampire, Con is susceptible to blood addiction if he drinks from the same donor too often yet he needs to keep drinking Sin's blood to fuel his resistance.
Feelings start to emerge beyond their physical attraction as the two are forced to spend so much time together and get to know each other. How he demands that she feel things instead of letting her body do it's physical pain release by bleeding. They'd both been through so much in their long lives and they deserved happiness.
They had a few ups and downs in this. Con had responsibilities within the shifter and dhampire communities and Sin was donating blood and trying to help those infected by the virus before they died and also to her assassin den.
And then let's not forget that last chapter! How cute was that with Lore? I've really fallen for this extended family. They all deserve happiness and I'm really glad they've all found it.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
We get to know her a lot more in this one and I feel sorry for a lot of the crap she went through. She tries to be this strong woman who can deal with everything but she doesn't want to be. So thank God for Con - who we met in Lore's book, Ecstasy Unveiled - and who Sin had sex with.
As a dhampire, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, Con is immune to the werewolf shifter virus which Sin unwittingly started in the last book and a great candidate to help start a vaccine against it by using his blood. The only downside to it is that as a dhampire, Con is susceptible to blood addiction if he drinks from the same donor too often yet he needs to keep drinking Sin's blood to fuel his resistance.
Feelings start to emerge beyond their physical attraction as the two are forced to spend so much time together and get to know each other. How he demands that she feel things instead of letting her body do it's physical pain release by bleeding. They'd both been through so much in their long lives and they deserved happiness.
They had a few ups and downs in this. Con had responsibilities within the shifter and dhampire communities and Sin was donating blood and trying to help those infected by the virus before they died and also to her assassin den.
And then let's not forget that last chapter! How cute was that with Lore? I've really fallen for this extended family. They all deserve happiness and I'm really glad they've all found it.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.