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KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Vampyr in Video Games
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
Narrative is often surprising and gripping. (1 more)
I would play a sequel.
Graphics are terrible. (2 more)
Atrocious controls.
An absolute bore most of the time.
No bite, no good.
I saw Vampyr advertised a long time ago at several game conferences, with the promise of a complete Vampire experience, never seen before in video games. Already, I was salivating. Vampyr looked fantastic in its early stages. Combat looked fluid and balanced, the protagonist looked interesting enough to keep the story flowing, and Gothic London looked bloody beautiful. Where did it all go wrong?
Vampyr is a mess, from its clunky controls to its basic, bland combat. The game in it's current state is unfixable, starting with the graphics. How did any developer think this game looked ready to play? London's gloomy, black hearted environment is so breathtaking at times it feels like a support character. Thank god as theres no other interesting ones around. Character animations are abysmal, so much so they look around ten years old. Whats even more strange is the trailer released a while back shows a different game altogether. That one looked brilliant, which makes me wonder if downgrades were made.
Vampyr is such a mixed bag of narrative vs gameplay. The game of a doctor who is turned into a vampire is often so gripping in premise, especially at the start and end, that I would honestly like to know where this story will go. Should it have a sequel?
Absolutely not.
Gameplay is frankly the worst aspect of Vampyr. Jonathan Reid feels awful to control, even robotic at times. Combat is just as cyborb-ish. Yes, there are some interesting components to keep the fighting fresh, but it all feels like a chore rather than anything fun. As a vampire, making some awful decisions to feed his hunger should bring a moral dilemma to the gamer, but you couldn't care less. And that is what completely pins everything together with Vampyr.
I just didn't care.
Vampyr is a mess, from its clunky controls to its basic, bland combat. The game in it's current state is unfixable, starting with the graphics. How did any developer think this game looked ready to play? London's gloomy, black hearted environment is so breathtaking at times it feels like a support character. Thank god as theres no other interesting ones around. Character animations are abysmal, so much so they look around ten years old. Whats even more strange is the trailer released a while back shows a different game altogether. That one looked brilliant, which makes me wonder if downgrades were made.
Vampyr is such a mixed bag of narrative vs gameplay. The game of a doctor who is turned into a vampire is often so gripping in premise, especially at the start and end, that I would honestly like to know where this story will go. Should it have a sequel?
Absolutely not.
Gameplay is frankly the worst aspect of Vampyr. Jonathan Reid feels awful to control, even robotic at times. Combat is just as cyborb-ish. Yes, there are some interesting components to keep the fighting fresh, but it all feels like a chore rather than anything fun. As a vampire, making some awful decisions to feed his hunger should bring a moral dilemma to the gamer, but you couldn't care less. And that is what completely pins everything together with Vampyr.
I just didn't care.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Love Wedding Repeat (2020) in Movies
Aug 16, 2020
Movie marketing departments, please repeat after me: "I will not mislead the audience with my blurb for the film."
Jack has to juggle with dramas at his sister's wedding to make sure a troublemaker doesn't ruin the whole day.
Love Wedding Repeat looks very much like every other romcom out there but its saving grace appeared to be an interesting cast and the fun alternate timelines we'd see as promised in the blurb... but don't get your hopes up on that last part. I rewatched the trailers to try and find out where I got the wrong end of the stick about this and I found it was only mildly implied, in fact, it's the synopsis that outright tells you "alternate versions of the same day".
What's given to us feels more like an accident, like they filmed heavy and then realised they were running out of time and needed to cram it in. The "alternate versions" are more of a footnote on the film and a wasted opportunity. You could have run the Groundhog Day-esque scenarios or had the comedy rewind sound and gone back to the beginning of the scene... but the comedy alternatives are really nowhere to be seen.
The lack of comedy doesn't stop there, for the most part the script isn't a great success, I don't think I even laughed once. It tries to rely on quite an aggressive humour (that might not make sense to you, but it does in my head!) and everything feels very forced.
A good cast can sometimes redeem those moments that don't land on the page but the majority of the characters are just forgettable. No one is particularly likeable and that was a real drawback when you add it onto all the other drawbacks.
Love Wedding Repeat feels terribly balanced, had any of the elements been even slightly better it could have made this more watchable, but alas, they weren't, so it wasn't. Simple as.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/08/love-wedding-repeat-movie-review.html
Jack has to juggle with dramas at his sister's wedding to make sure a troublemaker doesn't ruin the whole day.
Love Wedding Repeat looks very much like every other romcom out there but its saving grace appeared to be an interesting cast and the fun alternate timelines we'd see as promised in the blurb... but don't get your hopes up on that last part. I rewatched the trailers to try and find out where I got the wrong end of the stick about this and I found it was only mildly implied, in fact, it's the synopsis that outright tells you "alternate versions of the same day".
What's given to us feels more like an accident, like they filmed heavy and then realised they were running out of time and needed to cram it in. The "alternate versions" are more of a footnote on the film and a wasted opportunity. You could have run the Groundhog Day-esque scenarios or had the comedy rewind sound and gone back to the beginning of the scene... but the comedy alternatives are really nowhere to be seen.
The lack of comedy doesn't stop there, for the most part the script isn't a great success, I don't think I even laughed once. It tries to rely on quite an aggressive humour (that might not make sense to you, but it does in my head!) and everything feels very forced.
A good cast can sometimes redeem those moments that don't land on the page but the majority of the characters are just forgettable. No one is particularly likeable and that was a real drawback when you add it onto all the other drawbacks.
Love Wedding Repeat feels terribly balanced, had any of the elements been even slightly better it could have made this more watchable, but alas, they weren't, so it wasn't. Simple as.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/08/love-wedding-repeat-movie-review.html
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Scream (2022) in Movies
Jan 16, 2022
Creepy telephone calls, a will-they-won't-they romance between Gale Weathers and Deputy Dewey, a killer that falls over a lot, on-the-nose meta dialogue, and copious amounts of stabbing and blood, can only mean one thing - Scream is back and dammit, it feels good.
The key to the quality of the franchises 5th entry is balance. For a start, it tickles that nostalgia button just the right amount. It's certainly a chronological sequel to all of the 4 movies that came before, but it mainly serves as a love letter to the first. Saying too much could be considered as spoilers, so all I'll say is, the obvious call backs to the original don't feel forced, and make sense in a narrative manner. It doesn't feel like a cash grab. It feels like a film made by fans, for the fans.
Another noticeable balance is found in the characters. With a new Ghostface comes a new set of doomed teenagers. They're just about tolerable enough, but are well written, and aren't over reliant on the legacy characters to get by. Seeing Sidney Prescott, Gale, and Dewey all back together again is, of course, a delight, like a warm embrace from an old friend, but they're utilised in a precise manner. They don't stifle the new cast but their presence is unmistakably notable throughout.
The horror is well realised. Scream is a whole bag of fun, but is also suitably tense. The violence on display is quite brutal and unflinching. Ghostface once again feels menacing and threatening, and the mystery of their identity ticks along until the final moments. Like all of these movies, the reveal is a "I knew it!" moment before realising that you could have said that about anyone. Everybody is a suspect after all.
Radio Silence have done a cracking job of bringing a beloved horror series back to the big screen. I've seen plenty of people saying that Wes Craven would be proud, and I completely agree. Long live Scream.
The key to the quality of the franchises 5th entry is balance. For a start, it tickles that nostalgia button just the right amount. It's certainly a chronological sequel to all of the 4 movies that came before, but it mainly serves as a love letter to the first. Saying too much could be considered as spoilers, so all I'll say is, the obvious call backs to the original don't feel forced, and make sense in a narrative manner. It doesn't feel like a cash grab. It feels like a film made by fans, for the fans.
Another noticeable balance is found in the characters. With a new Ghostface comes a new set of doomed teenagers. They're just about tolerable enough, but are well written, and aren't over reliant on the legacy characters to get by. Seeing Sidney Prescott, Gale, and Dewey all back together again is, of course, a delight, like a warm embrace from an old friend, but they're utilised in a precise manner. They don't stifle the new cast but their presence is unmistakably notable throughout.
The horror is well realised. Scream is a whole bag of fun, but is also suitably tense. The violence on display is quite brutal and unflinching. Ghostface once again feels menacing and threatening, and the mystery of their identity ticks along until the final moments. Like all of these movies, the reveal is a "I knew it!" moment before realising that you could have said that about anyone. Everybody is a suspect after all.
Radio Silence have done a cracking job of bringing a beloved horror series back to the big screen. I've seen plenty of people saying that Wes Craven would be proud, and I completely agree. Long live Scream.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Death on the Nile (2022) in Movies
Feb 15, 2022
To start with, there's only so much you can hate on an Agatha Christie adaption. The film could be torrid tripe, but there's still a particular brand of intrigue which always comes with one of her whodunits. This latest re-telling of Death on the Nile just about scrapes by, mainly thanks to its second half, and that aforementioned Christie narrative, but sadly, not much else.
There's glimpses of something good there. Kenneth Branagh can be hit or miss as far as I'm concerned. For every Belfast (soaringly wonderful) there's an Artemis Fowl (what I imagine a lobotomy feels like). This is somewhere in the middle. There are moments of promise sprinkled here and there, but they struggle to break through all the bloated hot air that is draped over everything.
All of the characters are ridiculous. I get that's part of it, but it just falls flat here. It's hard to enjoy comic relief when everyone is comic relief. Gal Gadot seems like she is half-arsing every line. Russell Brand feels jarringly out of place. I traditionally enjoy French & Saunders but they also feel alien in every scene they're in. I know this shouldn't really impact my view, but Armie Hammer look like he just wants to eat everyone he talks to. Even the usually reliable Annette Benning comes across completely disinterested. There's no chemistry anywhere, and it all just feels a bit odd. Branagh is pretty great as Poirot to his credit. He just about holds proceedings together along with Sophie Okonedo, and they both manage to inject some charisma when things become arduous, which is farily regularly.
A bit of a misfire then, but not a complete disaster. I can firmly file Death on the Nile under "films I don't really like, but would probably watch again if it was on TV, or maybe on Christmas day at my Mums house".
There's glimpses of something good there. Kenneth Branagh can be hit or miss as far as I'm concerned. For every Belfast (soaringly wonderful) there's an Artemis Fowl (what I imagine a lobotomy feels like). This is somewhere in the middle. There are moments of promise sprinkled here and there, but they struggle to break through all the bloated hot air that is draped over everything.
All of the characters are ridiculous. I get that's part of it, but it just falls flat here. It's hard to enjoy comic relief when everyone is comic relief. Gal Gadot seems like she is half-arsing every line. Russell Brand feels jarringly out of place. I traditionally enjoy French & Saunders but they also feel alien in every scene they're in. I know this shouldn't really impact my view, but Armie Hammer look like he just wants to eat everyone he talks to. Even the usually reliable Annette Benning comes across completely disinterested. There's no chemistry anywhere, and it all just feels a bit odd. Branagh is pretty great as Poirot to his credit. He just about holds proceedings together along with Sophie Okonedo, and they both manage to inject some charisma when things become arduous, which is farily regularly.
A bit of a misfire then, but not a complete disaster. I can firmly file Death on the Nile under "films I don't really like, but would probably watch again if it was on TV, or maybe on Christmas day at my Mums house".
Agro-Industrial Wastes as Feedstock for Enzyme Production: Apply and Exploit the Emerging and Valuable Use Options of Waste Biomass
Gurpreet Singh Dhillon and Surinder Kaur
Book
Agro-industrial Wastes as Feedstock for Enzyme Production: Apply and Exploit the Emerging and...
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Artemis in Books
Feb 17, 2018
The setting (2 more)
World building
Jazz (sometimes)
The plot (2 more)
Dialogue
Jazz (sometimes)
Following on from the excellent The Martian, Andy Weir delivers another space bound science fiction story, but this one sadly comes up short.
Artemis isn't a bad book and there's plenty of things to enjoy here. The moon based setting complete with it's changes in gravity and Kenyan set up make for an interesting read. There's a ton I want to know about Artemis and Weir does a great job in bringing this place to life. But it feels like there could have been more explored here and it's like the surface is only just being scratched.
With his central character, Jazz, we basically have another version of the lead from The Martian. The same wise cracks are there, but whereas with Mark Watney the wise cracking feels natural- here it feels forced. It doesn't help that Weir decided to write this from the perspective of Jazz, a Muslim woman. Some of the worst aspects of the book are based on that decision. Some of the dialogue here is appalling- embarrassing even. There were many moments I just groaned at how childish some of the things he makes Jazz say are. This doesn't feel like a woman talking. Instead it feels like what it is- a man trying to write as a woman but failing. Which is a shame as Jazz is an interesting character and one I could at times enjoy spending time with- other times though I couldn't stand her. Characters are a problem across the whole story really. Side characters feel under developed and there wasn't really anyone that I could single out as a highlight- none of them felt natural.
There's issues with the story itself too. This is essentially a heist story, but the heist is actually the least interesting part of Artemis. Rarely did I find myself invested in what was going on and this actually got worse as things went on. The first half of Artemis did a good job at setting things up, it's just a shame that as the story started building towards a climax- it lost momentum at the exact moment it should be gaining it.
Also, the science talk. Weir loves science, that's obvious. But here it at times feels like he is showing off to prove how much he knows. I don't actually think he was, but I quickly started to faze out when he went into details about how something works as it came so hot on the heels of a previous explanation of something else. I'm also so bored of welding now that I don't want to ever hear the word again.
I feel like I'm being a tad harsh here by focusing on the negatives. I do want to stress this book isn't bad. I may have got bored and frustrated on occasion I did however for the most part enjoy it. As I said Artemis is a great place and the city is one that I would love to have him explore in future installments. And while Jazz and a lot of the things she said did irritate me, there were flashes of brilliance with the character. I think personally I would like a second book to focus on someone new, but if Weir could sort the dialogue and some of her more annoying traits out- I'd happily spend more time with her.
Artemis isn't a bad book and there's plenty of things to enjoy here. The moon based setting complete with it's changes in gravity and Kenyan set up make for an interesting read. There's a ton I want to know about Artemis and Weir does a great job in bringing this place to life. But it feels like there could have been more explored here and it's like the surface is only just being scratched.
With his central character, Jazz, we basically have another version of the lead from The Martian. The same wise cracks are there, but whereas with Mark Watney the wise cracking feels natural- here it feels forced. It doesn't help that Weir decided to write this from the perspective of Jazz, a Muslim woman. Some of the worst aspects of the book are based on that decision. Some of the dialogue here is appalling- embarrassing even. There were many moments I just groaned at how childish some of the things he makes Jazz say are. This doesn't feel like a woman talking. Instead it feels like what it is- a man trying to write as a woman but failing. Which is a shame as Jazz is an interesting character and one I could at times enjoy spending time with- other times though I couldn't stand her. Characters are a problem across the whole story really. Side characters feel under developed and there wasn't really anyone that I could single out as a highlight- none of them felt natural.
There's issues with the story itself too. This is essentially a heist story, but the heist is actually the least interesting part of Artemis. Rarely did I find myself invested in what was going on and this actually got worse as things went on. The first half of Artemis did a good job at setting things up, it's just a shame that as the story started building towards a climax- it lost momentum at the exact moment it should be gaining it.
Also, the science talk. Weir loves science, that's obvious. But here it at times feels like he is showing off to prove how much he knows. I don't actually think he was, but I quickly started to faze out when he went into details about how something works as it came so hot on the heels of a previous explanation of something else. I'm also so bored of welding now that I don't want to ever hear the word again.
I feel like I'm being a tad harsh here by focusing on the negatives. I do want to stress this book isn't bad. I may have got bored and frustrated on occasion I did however for the most part enjoy it. As I said Artemis is a great place and the city is one that I would love to have him explore in future installments. And while Jazz and a lot of the things she said did irritate me, there were flashes of brilliance with the character. I think personally I would like a second book to focus on someone new, but if Weir could sort the dialogue and some of her more annoying traits out- I'd happily spend more time with her.
Merissa (13765 KP) rated Smoke & Mirrors (THIRDS #7) in Books
Jun 27, 2017
Smoke & Mirrors (THIRDS #7) by Charlie Cochet
O.M.G.!!! If you are going to read Smoke and Mirrors, and you've followed the series so far, then be prepared for an emotional ride. Seriously, I think I have shed more tears during this part of the story than for any other instalment! The feels, people, the feels! Sloane and Dex have had a tumultuous relationship but things seem to have calmed down. Unfortunately, you know that with all the secrets that are coming out, that things will definitely rock the boat.
This book is simply amazing, with classic Dexisms throughout (I loved his conversation with Hudson!), but at the same time, absolutely heartbreaking. This book holds the answers to some questions that Dex hadn't even allowed himself to ask. Time moves on, but hurt can remain. So many things I want to talk about, but I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone else, so instead, I will just say that this book is simply outstanding, and I loved every moment - even if my eyes are now red-rimmed!
Exceedingly well written once again, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Definitely recommended by me, as well a box of tissues! If you're anything like me, you're going to need them!
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is simply amazing, with classic Dexisms throughout (I loved his conversation with Hudson!), but at the same time, absolutely heartbreaking. This book holds the answers to some questions that Dex hadn't even allowed himself to ask. Time moves on, but hurt can remain. So many things I want to talk about, but I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone else, so instead, I will just say that this book is simply outstanding, and I loved every moment - even if my eyes are now red-rimmed!
Exceedingly well written once again, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Definitely recommended by me, as well a box of tissues! If you're anything like me, you're going to need them!
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dutch (59 KP) rated Experimemtal Film in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Experiments in film
When Lois Cairns stumbles upon a mystery that points towards a lost chapter in Canadian film history she jumps at the chance to make a name for herself and revive a career as a film critic that has long been on the slide.
Enlisting the help of a former student she becomes embroiled in the tale of Lady Midday and the tragic Whitcombe family.
The first part of the book very much focuses on Lois, her husband Simon, their autistic son Clark and her mother Lee with whom she has a strained relationship. Lois has seen her career fail, her health is not far behind and she feels guilty at the inability to love her son the way she feels she should.
As the story of Lady Midday unfolds she finds herself sucked into a story much darker and terrifying than she ever could have imagined.
Experimental Film is what I would call a gentle ghost story with the majority of the book focussed on Lois and her family and the struggles she must overcome to maintain her health, her project and ultimately her son.
I enjoyed the story but would not call it a horror story but rather a character focused tale with a subtle dash of the supernatural and a book worth seeking out.
Enlisting the help of a former student she becomes embroiled in the tale of Lady Midday and the tragic Whitcombe family.
The first part of the book very much focuses on Lois, her husband Simon, their autistic son Clark and her mother Lee with whom she has a strained relationship. Lois has seen her career fail, her health is not far behind and she feels guilty at the inability to love her son the way she feels she should.
As the story of Lady Midday unfolds she finds herself sucked into a story much darker and terrifying than she ever could have imagined.
Experimental Film is what I would call a gentle ghost story with the majority of the book focussed on Lois and her family and the struggles she must overcome to maintain her health, her project and ultimately her son.
I enjoyed the story but would not call it a horror story but rather a character focused tale with a subtle dash of the supernatural and a book worth seeking out.