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The Woman Downstairs
Book
Can you ever really know your neighbours? When human remains are found in a ground floor flat,...
David McK (3425 KP) rated The King's Man (2021) in Movies
Feb 12, 2022
Much delayed by the pandemic (roughly 2 years), this is the third Kingsman film, abandoning the modern-day setting of the first and second for a World War One era prequel.
Which proves to be a good move, injecting a spot of interest into the movie - I, for one, struggled with the second entry - and allowing a mishmash of history and fact to play out on screen.
This also has a shocking moment about roughly 2/3rds of the way through, during the period of the movie in the trenches that almost feels like it belongs to a different film altogether.
It also has an absolutely bonkers fight scene involving Rasputin: it's a pity, I feel, that he does not have a larger role than he does!
Which proves to be a good move, injecting a spot of interest into the movie - I, for one, struggled with the second entry - and allowing a mishmash of history and fact to play out on screen.
This also has a shocking moment about roughly 2/3rds of the way through, during the period of the movie in the trenches that almost feels like it belongs to a different film altogether.
It also has an absolutely bonkers fight scene involving Rasputin: it's a pity, I feel, that he does not have a larger role than he does!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Bay (2012) in Movies
Apr 27, 2022
I've never been the biggest fan of the found footage sub genre (there are of course some notable exceptions!) but there's something about The Bay that really gets under my skin. The documentary style provides a strong sense of realism, and the footage shown captures the panic of an outbreak with eerie accuracy, and with recent real world events, it's all feels a bit too familiar, especially when negligence from people in charge is thrown into the mix.
The way the town descends into panic is executed in a truly disturbing way. The gore is seldom but hard hitting. The resulting film is one that makes me question both swimming and drinking tap water ever again, because those parasites are real, and absolutely fuck that.
The way the town descends into panic is executed in a truly disturbing way. The gore is seldom but hard hitting. The resulting film is one that makes me question both swimming and drinking tap water ever again, because those parasites are real, and absolutely fuck that.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Hellraiser: Deader (2005) in Movies
Apr 27, 2022
Not gonna lie, I spent a lot of this film completely zoned out, I was that bored. The seventh installment in the Hellraiser series has some decent ideas, and a few creepy moments here and there, but it's not enough to raise Deader above the extreme monotony presented. All of the dialogue is typical mid 00s edgelord tripe, and it's just all round difficult to focus on as a result.
It's not all bad - Kari Wuhwer is a likable enough protagonist, and the closing 5 minutes are gloriously Hellraiser-esque, but it's ultimately another sequel that feels like a completely different project with Pinhead thrown in at the last minute to sell more copies. Still more enjoyable that Hellseeker though. It's the little victories.
It's not all bad - Kari Wuhwer is a likable enough protagonist, and the closing 5 minutes are gloriously Hellraiser-esque, but it's ultimately another sequel that feels like a completely different project with Pinhead thrown in at the last minute to sell more copies. Still more enjoyable that Hellseeker though. It's the little victories.
Hope (Indigo Dreams #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Perfection. Beauty. Pain. For Indigo Stevens there’s no such thing as weakness or privacy at the...
Young Adult Contemporary
Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated It’s a Wonderful Life in Books
Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)
Book Review | It's a Wonderful by Julia Williams
Before I opened the book I was amazed by the beautiful cover. I loved I received this right before the Christmas holidays.
This book is set from 3 characters point of view Beth, Beth’s Sister Lou, and Beth’s Husband Daniel.
Beth as everything she wants a perfect life, perfect job and a perfect husband and 2 children, Sam and Megan. But not everything is perfect as Beth doesn’t feel that her husband Daniel doesn’t support her job picture-book artist. But when she is struggling to get the ideas flowing and she doesn’t get along with her editor Vanessa. Vanessa brings in help has the new art director and old flame of Beth called Jack Stevens. When she sees him she is transported back to when they were in college and she starts to contemplate if she was still with Jack what her life would be like, she can’t get Jack out her mind. Will Beth be tempted to have an affair with Jack? When he tells her that he made mistake in the past.
While Beth is struggling to get inspiration on her book and her mind is on Jack her husband is struggling with his new job as a head teacher for a school want needs help as they had bad results from Ofsted. Daniel is struggling to balance school and handle his children he hardly sees as they have grown up, Sam keeps getting drunk hanging out with his friends and doesn’t care about his GCSE’s and Megan is also hanging out with the wrong people. He just wants a better life with them than he did with his father. Daniel’s father Reggie comes back into his life trying to build bridges but he doesn’t want anything to do with him. But Reggie wants to see his grandchildren. So when Sam and Megan meet him they want him to be back in their dad’s life and Sam starts to bond and they have a lot in common as they both creative and love music. This is where it breaks the family apart as Sam, Megan and Beth want Daniel to hear his dad out and see why he left him when he was younger. You see Daniel’s past and how he feels toward his dad and he wants to build bridges with his dad but he's scared that he will walk out of all their lives. Will he forgive his dad and find out what truly happened and why he left?
Beth’s sister Lou is going through a bad patch in her life and her also as a big secret from her family. She just feels that her family especially her mum and dad wouldn’t like that she feels attraction to other women. She feels that she's the black sheep of the family as Beth is the ‘perfect’ one and their brother Ged is the ‘golden’ boy and never does anything wrong. She's going through a break up from her Girlfriend Jo as she felt that their relationship was one way as Jo never had time for her. Lou also lost her job so she had to move back in with her mum and dad. But when she moved in she notices something wrong with their mum and dad. It turned out that their dad was having an affair with women from an art class. Lou felt her life and her parent's lives are falling apart. You feel sorry for her as you want her to have a happy life. Will their parents accept that she feels more attractive to women?
As you can see the book is based around Christmas and being with their family but everything seems perfect on the outside but once you get reading into the book you see that be careful what you wish for.
This book was a heartwarming book and I can’t wait to read more of Julia Williams books. She really grabbed me into their world and it shows me that all families aren’t perfect. I felt their mum is like mine as my mum always plans in advance for Christmas.
I will make sure to purchase more of her books as she grabbed me from the first page and it made me feel all warm inside.
Thanks, Julia x
This book is set from 3 characters point of view Beth, Beth’s Sister Lou, and Beth’s Husband Daniel.
Beth as everything she wants a perfect life, perfect job and a perfect husband and 2 children, Sam and Megan. But not everything is perfect as Beth doesn’t feel that her husband Daniel doesn’t support her job picture-book artist. But when she is struggling to get the ideas flowing and she doesn’t get along with her editor Vanessa. Vanessa brings in help has the new art director and old flame of Beth called Jack Stevens. When she sees him she is transported back to when they were in college and she starts to contemplate if she was still with Jack what her life would be like, she can’t get Jack out her mind. Will Beth be tempted to have an affair with Jack? When he tells her that he made mistake in the past.
While Beth is struggling to get inspiration on her book and her mind is on Jack her husband is struggling with his new job as a head teacher for a school want needs help as they had bad results from Ofsted. Daniel is struggling to balance school and handle his children he hardly sees as they have grown up, Sam keeps getting drunk hanging out with his friends and doesn’t care about his GCSE’s and Megan is also hanging out with the wrong people. He just wants a better life with them than he did with his father. Daniel’s father Reggie comes back into his life trying to build bridges but he doesn’t want anything to do with him. But Reggie wants to see his grandchildren. So when Sam and Megan meet him they want him to be back in their dad’s life and Sam starts to bond and they have a lot in common as they both creative and love music. This is where it breaks the family apart as Sam, Megan and Beth want Daniel to hear his dad out and see why he left him when he was younger. You see Daniel’s past and how he feels toward his dad and he wants to build bridges with his dad but he's scared that he will walk out of all their lives. Will he forgive his dad and find out what truly happened and why he left?
Beth’s sister Lou is going through a bad patch in her life and her also as a big secret from her family. She just feels that her family especially her mum and dad wouldn’t like that she feels attraction to other women. She feels that she's the black sheep of the family as Beth is the ‘perfect’ one and their brother Ged is the ‘golden’ boy and never does anything wrong. She's going through a break up from her Girlfriend Jo as she felt that their relationship was one way as Jo never had time for her. Lou also lost her job so she had to move back in with her mum and dad. But when she moved in she notices something wrong with their mum and dad. It turned out that their dad was having an affair with women from an art class. Lou felt her life and her parent's lives are falling apart. You feel sorry for her as you want her to have a happy life. Will their parents accept that she feels more attractive to women?
As you can see the book is based around Christmas and being with their family but everything seems perfect on the outside but once you get reading into the book you see that be careful what you wish for.
This book was a heartwarming book and I can’t wait to read more of Julia Williams books. She really grabbed me into their world and it shows me that all families aren’t perfect. I felt their mum is like mine as my mum always plans in advance for Christmas.
I will make sure to purchase more of her books as she grabbed me from the first page and it made me feel all warm inside.
Thanks, Julia x
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Looking for Alaska in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Book-Review-Banner-15.png"/>;
Miles is moving to Alabama to attend a boarding school. And while he is a quiet boy that happens to remember famous people's last words, he is also looking to stay out of trouble. He meets, incidentally, the most troublesome people that are about to change his life forever.
<b><i>''So, I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bun, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.''</i></b>
One of these people is Alaska Young, and believe me when I say, she is trouble. She is also clever and beautiful, but most of all screwed up, and she steals Miles's heart straight away.
''Looking for Alaska'' reminded me so much of ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''. There was definitely the same vibe of boy goes to new school, boy is quiet, boy meets loud friends and boy falls in love.
And even though I got really annoyed at the beginning due to the fact that Miles barely talks to his friends and does whatever he is told to do, his character does develop throughout the book and he manages to find his voice and his purpose which I believe made this book way more meaningful.
<b><i>''That is the fear. I have lost something important, and I cannot find it, and I need it. It is fear like if someone lost his glasses and went to the glasses store and they told him that the world had run out of glasses and he would just have to do without.''</i></b>
On the subject of his feelings towards Alaska, the love he feels, it is very hard to actually notice the big impact she has on Miles. Yes, we might agree that she didn't really care about him as we would've wanted her to do. She didn't have big feelings for him, but she did have an enormous influence on him. While she was there thinking about her boyfriend, Miles was constantly thinking about her, memorising every opinion she has, learning all her favourite book titles, listening to all of her stories and always wondering whether she maybe, just maybe feels at least a fraction of what he feels for her. And while Alaska might not be aware, Miles will still carry all his emotions in his heart. Even if they have never been returned back.
<b><i>''What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of blinding pain feels particularly instantaneous.''</i></b>
The book perfectly captures a young person's way of thinking and a young person's perception of feelings, actions, and responsibility into the unfair thing we call life. I recommend it to all of you!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Book-Review-Banner-15.png"/>;
Miles is moving to Alabama to attend a boarding school. And while he is a quiet boy that happens to remember famous people's last words, he is also looking to stay out of trouble. He meets, incidentally, the most troublesome people that are about to change his life forever.
<b><i>''So, I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bun, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.''</i></b>
One of these people is Alaska Young, and believe me when I say, she is trouble. She is also clever and beautiful, but most of all screwed up, and she steals Miles's heart straight away.
''Looking for Alaska'' reminded me so much of ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''. There was definitely the same vibe of boy goes to new school, boy is quiet, boy meets loud friends and boy falls in love.
And even though I got really annoyed at the beginning due to the fact that Miles barely talks to his friends and does whatever he is told to do, his character does develop throughout the book and he manages to find his voice and his purpose which I believe made this book way more meaningful.
<b><i>''That is the fear. I have lost something important, and I cannot find it, and I need it. It is fear like if someone lost his glasses and went to the glasses store and they told him that the world had run out of glasses and he would just have to do without.''</i></b>
On the subject of his feelings towards Alaska, the love he feels, it is very hard to actually notice the big impact she has on Miles. Yes, we might agree that she didn't really care about him as we would've wanted her to do. She didn't have big feelings for him, but she did have an enormous influence on him. While she was there thinking about her boyfriend, Miles was constantly thinking about her, memorising every opinion she has, learning all her favourite book titles, listening to all of her stories and always wondering whether she maybe, just maybe feels at least a fraction of what he feels for her. And while Alaska might not be aware, Miles will still carry all his emotions in his heart. Even if they have never been returned back.
<b><i>''What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of blinding pain feels particularly instantaneous.''</i></b>
The book perfectly captures a young person's way of thinking and a young person's perception of feelings, actions, and responsibility into the unfair thing we call life. I recommend it to all of you!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Resident Evil 3 (Remake) in Video Games
Apr 10, 2020
Nemesis. Oh, Nemesis. (1 more)
An action focused plot works more for Jill's experience in Racoon City.
Unbelievably short campaign. (2 more)
Cut corners for both the narrative and Nemesis.
Feels like downloadable content for RE2.
Nemesis of their own making.
RE3 is an enigma. After last years remake for RE2, I think the bar was set very high for RE3 to be on par, if not even better due to the introduction of the ultimate weapon in Nemesis. And although the action is amped up significantly, the horror is still here in buckets. So, this is another Resident Evil classic, revamped from the ground up, a classic for the current generation, right?
No, not in the slightest.
RE3 feels rushed, as if Capcom listened to fans begging for their next slice of nostalgia, and wanted to capitalise on the success of RE2. While RE2 felt like a continuous flow of Leon/Claire's story, RE3 feels like segments, all separated within cutscenes. This is more evident when you keep flitting between Jill and Carlos, both of whom don't have as much charisma or emotional weight as Claire or Leon. The opening is a blast of adrenaline and bullets, all contained within the beautifully burning remains of Racoon City. There is just enough exploration, puzzles and zombies to keep you satisfied. That is until Nemesis enters the game. As soon as the indestructible behemoth appears for a second time, the cat and mouse chase begins. Reminiscent of Mr X but on steroids, he simply never lets up, constantly on your back, looking to kill Jill whatever it takes. It's utterly relentless, thrilling, heart-pounding. This section was everything I expected RE3 to be.
Then everything collapsed under sections of nothing more than point and shoot. I know, this is RE, but the fear feels drained from the experience. Nemesis himself becomes a background character, simply added to the story just for boss battles. His pursuit of Jill doesn't feel spontaneous, but scripted, exactly the opposite of Mr X. The realisation of how disappointed I felt towards RE3 was when I discovered sections of the game were simply reused from RE2. The creativity that went into RE2 was so meticulous, crafted and positioned for the players experience. When I entered the Police Station with Carlos, a mass onslaught of zombies gathered in one section, only meant for me to rain bullets upon them. And this is the issue with the entire experience. Its nothing more than a five hour storm of sections of shooting monsters.
I do hate this game though. RE3 is fun, and anything remotely like last years experience I will play and enjoy. The story of Jill's residency in Racoon City being turned upside down over the space of a few days is excellent, and the new sections are all well fleshed out and great to explore, especially Racoon City and the Hospital. Its extremely short, and for a full retail price I think its absolutely scandalous, but there's so much replay value here.
If I had to end the review here, I want to end it on a message solely centred at Capcom. Why, in the name of God did you focus your time on the multiplayer mode, Resistance, rather than properly making RE3 a full experience? The past tells you Resident Evil doesn't work well mixed with multiplayer. For as much fun I had within my four hours and thirty two minute playthrough, this game is nothing more than DLC for RE2. And that hurts.
No, not in the slightest.
RE3 feels rushed, as if Capcom listened to fans begging for their next slice of nostalgia, and wanted to capitalise on the success of RE2. While RE2 felt like a continuous flow of Leon/Claire's story, RE3 feels like segments, all separated within cutscenes. This is more evident when you keep flitting between Jill and Carlos, both of whom don't have as much charisma or emotional weight as Claire or Leon. The opening is a blast of adrenaline and bullets, all contained within the beautifully burning remains of Racoon City. There is just enough exploration, puzzles and zombies to keep you satisfied. That is until Nemesis enters the game. As soon as the indestructible behemoth appears for a second time, the cat and mouse chase begins. Reminiscent of Mr X but on steroids, he simply never lets up, constantly on your back, looking to kill Jill whatever it takes. It's utterly relentless, thrilling, heart-pounding. This section was everything I expected RE3 to be.
Then everything collapsed under sections of nothing more than point and shoot. I know, this is RE, but the fear feels drained from the experience. Nemesis himself becomes a background character, simply added to the story just for boss battles. His pursuit of Jill doesn't feel spontaneous, but scripted, exactly the opposite of Mr X. The realisation of how disappointed I felt towards RE3 was when I discovered sections of the game were simply reused from RE2. The creativity that went into RE2 was so meticulous, crafted and positioned for the players experience. When I entered the Police Station with Carlos, a mass onslaught of zombies gathered in one section, only meant for me to rain bullets upon them. And this is the issue with the entire experience. Its nothing more than a five hour storm of sections of shooting monsters.
I do hate this game though. RE3 is fun, and anything remotely like last years experience I will play and enjoy. The story of Jill's residency in Racoon City being turned upside down over the space of a few days is excellent, and the new sections are all well fleshed out and great to explore, especially Racoon City and the Hospital. Its extremely short, and for a full retail price I think its absolutely scandalous, but there's so much replay value here.
If I had to end the review here, I want to end it on a message solely centred at Capcom. Why, in the name of God did you focus your time on the multiplayer mode, Resistance, rather than properly making RE3 a full experience? The past tells you Resident Evil doesn't work well mixed with multiplayer. For as much fun I had within my four hours and thirty two minute playthrough, this game is nothing more than DLC for RE2. And that hurts.
Leila (5 KP) rated Black Mirror in TV
Feb 3, 2019 (Updated Feb 3, 2019)
If you're looking for a mini-movie that will leave you wondering if technology is really worth the risk, this series is jam-packed full of them.
Each episode is a standalone, a great concept allowing each story to be told in entirety unconstrained by time requirements or character involvement. Episodes range from an hour and a half to just forty minutes, but no episode feels lacking and no episode feels too "fluffed"; you may leave wanting more but never unsatisfied.
Episode one of season one isn't for everyone and I urge you to look past it and discover those episodes that are for you. There are a wide variety of topics covered and some are cruder than others but never just to be crude, it is always with a purpose. Same goes for any violence or language, all is with a purpose and doesn't seem gratuitous. The "Playtest" episode is probably the most jump-scare frightening, but even then, not without purpose, serving a crucial part in how the story unfolds.
While you don't have to watch them in order, I do recommend you wait to watch "Black Museum" until you have watch all of the first four seasons, in order to get the most of the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the episode. You will also find that there are some episodes that will casually mention things from previous episodes, or have a recurring song you can't help but remember from a previous story. It's these little details that make Black Mirror a great anthology, with a story for everyone just waiting to be told.
Each episode is a standalone, a great concept allowing each story to be told in entirety unconstrained by time requirements or character involvement. Episodes range from an hour and a half to just forty minutes, but no episode feels lacking and no episode feels too "fluffed"; you may leave wanting more but never unsatisfied.
Episode one of season one isn't for everyone and I urge you to look past it and discover those episodes that are for you. There are a wide variety of topics covered and some are cruder than others but never just to be crude, it is always with a purpose. Same goes for any violence or language, all is with a purpose and doesn't seem gratuitous. The "Playtest" episode is probably the most jump-scare frightening, but even then, not without purpose, serving a crucial part in how the story unfolds.
While you don't have to watch them in order, I do recommend you wait to watch "Black Museum" until you have watch all of the first four seasons, in order to get the most of the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the episode. You will also find that there are some episodes that will casually mention things from previous episodes, or have a recurring song you can't help but remember from a previous story. It's these little details that make Black Mirror a great anthology, with a story for everyone just waiting to be told.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated The Name of the Wind in Books
May 30, 2019
<i>The Name of the Wind</i> is a great start to a promising series. The world of Temerant feels rich and full and unpacking the histories it holds feels like it could go on forever. Sometimes I can get a bit weary of ubermensch protagonists, but Kvothe, despite being a virtuoso lute player, a prodigy arcanist, and a deft actor to boot, doesn't ever come off as invincible. He's relatable, likable, and awkward at times, in the most lovable way possible.
I don't consider myself a high fantasy fan. I generally tend to prefer a more grounded world, even just loosely, to the limitless possibilities of magic. But I <b>love</b> the way it's presented here. I love how physical Temerant's magic is. There's a tangibility to it. Not only does it require physical material, but it inflicts a physical toll on the caster. There are real consequences to it, and it relies more on quick thinking and an alchemy-like knowledge over spell memorization and gestures.
One of the only things I can hold against the author is how many times we, the reader, simply "can't understand." Never been poor? You can't understand. Not a musician? Can't understand. If you've never been in a dark cave, if you've never seen Denna, if you've never been on stage. It's a very lazy way to explain something. <i>Make us understand.</i> It's why we read. So we can reach outside of our own experiences. I can only hope he moves past his crutches in the next book because I'm really enjoying Kvothe's story.
I don't consider myself a high fantasy fan. I generally tend to prefer a more grounded world, even just loosely, to the limitless possibilities of magic. But I <b>love</b> the way it's presented here. I love how physical Temerant's magic is. There's a tangibility to it. Not only does it require physical material, but it inflicts a physical toll on the caster. There are real consequences to it, and it relies more on quick thinking and an alchemy-like knowledge over spell memorization and gestures.
One of the only things I can hold against the author is how many times we, the reader, simply "can't understand." Never been poor? You can't understand. Not a musician? Can't understand. If you've never been in a dark cave, if you've never seen Denna, if you've never been on stage. It's a very lazy way to explain something. <i>Make us understand.</i> It's why we read. So we can reach outside of our own experiences. I can only hope he moves past his crutches in the next book because I'm really enjoying Kvothe's story.