
Saving Zoë (2019)
Movie Watch
It's been a year since her older sister's murder, and Echo is still far from being completely...

Alternating Current (Brannon Boys)
Book
One broken air-conditioner. One record-breaking heat wave. One repair job gone right. Kyle’s...

Bill Nighy recommended Bringing Up Baby (1938) in Movies (curated)

Debbiereadsbook (1421 KP) rated Silent Partner (Fox Hollow Zodiac #3) in Books
Jul 27, 2024
This is book 3 in the Fox Hollow Zodiac series, and I have NOT read books 1, Huntsman and book 2, Again. Somethings were missing for me, mostly about the Fox Institute and what it was there for, but since Riley spends very little time there, and what HE was doing there was explained, I let it ride. I think I might go back and read books 1 and 2, though. Not because I need to, but because I want to know about Liam/Russ and Noah/Drew and their stories. They play a part here.
Riley runs from his abusive ex, and finds himself a study subject in The Fox Institute, since Riley is psychically silent: no one can read his mind. Which is great, but Brandon is a psychic! And a moose. There is immediate attraction, but Riley is scared. His ex might show up and ruin everything.
I liked the fact that Brandon doesn't get that "MINE" moment, when he meets Riley. Yes, he is attracted, but only the MOOSE half of Brandon calls for his mate. Brandon the MAN doesn't quite feel it. He does, in the end, but not at the beginning. I liked that Riley was wary enough of Brandon as a psychic to question him, but the fact that his moose makes him feel safe surprises Riley. I liked that fact that they got to know each other, before acting on the attraction.
I liked Brandon's group of friends and the support he gets from them. I liked that they took Riley in, once they were a couple.
I struggled a bit with the fact that Riley's ex just turned up: there was no build up to that. The ex was talked about, and then he appears. Could have done with more on that but said ex does get his just desserts!
All in all, I liked this a lot. I'll go back and read the first two books, just as soon as I can.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere

Never Alone: Ki Edition
Games and Education
App
A worldwide App Store Editors’ Choice. “Stunningly poignant - and quite brilliant. 10/10.” -...

Speed Racer (2008)
Movie Watch
Born to race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless....

Mad Politics: Keeping Your Sanity in a World Gone Crazy
Book
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different...

Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The New Mutants (2020) in Movies
Aug 29, 2020
You see The New Mutants isn't an X-men film, it's set in the (fox? maybe) X-men universe but it's not superheros'/mutants vs other mutants/robots/government, even thought there is a bit of mutants vs baddies.
It is a 'genesis' story, unlike the X-men films, we are seeing the creation of a new team. Like the X-Men films it starts with a new mutant meeting other Mutants.
The 'new mutant' to the New Mutants is Danielle Moonstar, a native American who's reserve and family are destroyed by a tornado leaving her as the only survivor. Danielle wakes up in a hospital to be told of her lose and that the only reason she survived was because she was mutant and she is now in a hospital where she can learn how to use her powers and then she is introduced to the patients/mutants who are at the hospital.
The mutant roster is the New Mutants of the 80's & 90's comics (minus one or two) and the film has a very 80's feel to it.
The New Mutants has a slow start and almost has a 'Breakfast club with powers' feel to it, you have a group of teens who have been placed together and are unable to leave. They sit around and talk about their past and fight and make friends and kiss and fight their worst nightmares and, suddenly your no longer watching 'The Breakfast Club with powers' but 'Nightmare on Elm street 3: the dream warriors, with powers' (Yes I know the kids in Elm Street 3 get powers for a bit but this is different). The Mutants have to team up to fight all sorts of nasties from their pasts, become one cohesive team and find out who is creating the nightmares.
The New Mutants pulls off the 80's teen movie style well but some of the CGI seems a bit off.
Even with the 80's feel we don't actually know when the film is set, the T.V's in the hospital are often showing 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (the series) so that would imply that it's at least late 90's and the X-Men are mentioned although they are referred to as heroes which doesn't seem to fit elsewhere in the fox universe.
And this, of course is the biggest problem with the film (and it's not the
films fault), New Mutants was started as a Fox film, as part of their X-Men universe but then it got delayed and then fox got brought out by Disney and the film got delayed again (and many thought it would never to see light day.) Then it got released but, the Disney Marvel cinematic Universe doesn't (yet) have mutants (because they were owned by fox ) so it doesn't fit in with any of the Disney films or, as it was finished by Disney it doesn't fit with any X-Men film and so is floating in the strange limbo shared with Legion and the Gifted.
As a stand alone film it is ok however, as Disney had time to re edit it, it makes you wonder why it has been left open, The New Mutants are formed and ready to see what else life can throw at them, is this how mutants are going to be introduce to the Disney-verse or are we just going to be left hanging.

Laura (6 KP) rated The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2332 KP) rated The Job (Fox and O'Hare, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
As always, this book is fast paced and fun with humor to keep things light and danger to keep the pages turning. The characters are getting better, but they could still be stronger. Still, I had so much fun reading this book.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-job-by-janet-evanovich-and.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.