Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (30)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2265 KP) rated The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies in Books

Jan 4, 2024  
The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies
The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies
Laura Levine | 2010 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Star Crash
Jaine is visiting her parents in Florida for the holiday. In between watching her cat being spoiled rotten and her dad try to get his horrid gold Christmas tree set up, Jaine attends the community's Christmas play. At the end, the leading man is supposed to float off the stage, but instead he falls to his death. Considering he was a horrid womanizer, the suspects are plentiful. But who actually wanted him dead?

Outside of e-mail exchanges in every book, this is the first time we've met Jaine's parents, and I got quite a hoot out of meeting them. The series is comic in nature, and that comedy continues here. The plot kept me guessing until the end. The story was mostly populated with people we haven't met before, but they all seemed real enough to make me care about the outcome.

Do note that this is a novella, originally about 100 pages. Keep that in mind when you sit down to read it.

Also note that this was originally published in the anthology Gingerbread Cookie Murder, so check that you haven’t read it already.

But if you haven’t picked up this story yet, you are in for a treat when you do.
  
40x40

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019  
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
2013 | Action, Comedy
7
5.8 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
In 2009, writer/director by Tommy Wirkola gained a cult following with his Zombie splatter film “Dead Snow”. Hollywood took notice and he was awarded with a larger budget and bigger stars for his follow up film “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”. The film chronicles the fairytale brother and sister duo after they escaped the gingerbread house and started hunting down witches. Originally supposed to be released in 2012, the film was pushed back to a January 2013 release in hopes of generating more buzz on Jeremy Renner’s rising star. When the film was complete, Renner had yet to appear in last year’s films “The Avengers” and “The Bourne Legacy”. A good strategy, if the standard TV trailers did not make this movie look worse than it actually is.

I have to be honest. I went into this movie expecting it to be terrible. Personally I do not have much faith in Renner (Hansel) as a leading man. I know he is somewhat hot right now but to me he is best as a supporting role. I also have only seen Gemma Arterton (Gretel) in “Clash of the Titans” (2010) where she was nothing more than a pretty face in that lack luster film. Perhaps it was because of such low expectations that together they worked. They were both “bad ass” as the brother sister bounty hunters. Not spectacular performances or anything but easily entertaining and likeable performances.

The story follows the duo as they attempt to hunt down some missing children form a small village that is troubled by witches. Famke Janssen (Taken 2) leads the supporting cast as Leader of the witches who is trying to cast a spell that will make the witches stronger than ever. The three clash it out and that is basically the story.

From a stylistic standpoint fans of Wirkola’s films will not be disappointed. The dark and grim fairytale world he creates is charming and helps us fall into the fantasy. Furthermore this film has several gruesome scenes that are shockingly comical in the way they are over the top. At no point do they feel unnecessary for shock value, but rather they happen in a way that seems normal and plausible in the world we are shown on film. Additionally the pacing of this film is fast. There was not a dull moment as the 88 minute run time is one action or story driven transition to the next. Together these aspects help the film feel fun, lighthearted and surprisingly entertaining. Also the 3D effects help the film and do not seem distracting.

The finished product accomplishes something that other fast paced ridiculous action flicks do not. It keeps it simple. Tommy Wirkola shows his talent by keeping various stylistic factors and pacing together in a way that makes the simplistic story complete. Often times in films like this there comes a point where your suspended disbelief is tested beyond its limits. But that is not the case here. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters delivers an entertaining fast paced movie that the TV previews do not to justice. If you are a fan of zombies, vampires, witches or any other supernatural type characters then you will not want to miss this film.