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Awix (3310 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies

Mar 26, 2019 (Updated Mar 26, 2019)  
Us (2019)
Us (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
Dingbat horror movie from him what made Get Out. A nice middle-class family goes on holiday to their beach house, but soon disturbing memories are a-stirring and their evil doppelgangers are blocking up the driveway.

One is often tempted to wonder what inspired a particular film. In this case I would hazard a guess it was somebody giving Jordan Peele $20 million and him vaguely remembering a nightmare he had the previous week, which (lacking any other ideas) he turned into a script. Being terrorised in your home by a brutish double is a great idea, but difficult to get a full-length movie out of, which may be why the film largely abandons logic and plausibility in its second half in favour of the fractured reality of a bad dream.

That said, I enjoyed the sheer madness of the escalating storyline even though I didn't honestly find it that scary. Some great performances and some good jokes along the way, but it feels more like an experiment in pushing narrative boundaries than a serious attempt at a horror movie. Nutty but fun.
  
Rise to Nobility
Rise to Nobility
2018 | City Building, Dice Game, Economic, Fantasy
Solo mode - play by yourself with various challenges (3 more)
Complex but not confusing
Aim of the game easy to grasp and fun
Beautiful Artwork
Can take a little while to set up (10 - 15 mins) (0 more)
Exceptional game that can be play solo as well as a group
I purchased/funded this game on Kickstarter and it's now one of my all time top 5 games I like to play. Even my wife loves it and it's the only game she requests to play. The gameplay has many elements to it allowing the you to stick with a favourite strategy or change it as you go along to best you chances of winning. The game is fun and has you always thinking of you next move. One big selling point for me my the solo mode where you can play the game by yourself (when you fancy it) and it does not disappoint. Solo mode plays exactly the same as the group mode except for giving you a challenge to achieve by the end of the game. I think this game is great and would bring hours of enjoyment to any keen gamer.
  
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The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) Apr 30, 2019

Keep the reviews coming, I got Kudos to give and they go to Board Game Reviews...

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Stampy ;) (90 KP) Apr 30, 2019

Shall do.. thank you very much :)

The Accidental Baker
The Accidental Baker
Clare London | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Accidental Baker by Clare London
The Accidental Baker is more like a collection of short stories that all a common theme - Easter, and Donnie's chocolate. Each chapter involves a different couple, and how they meet. ALL of the stories are sweet, some characters are lovely, some (sorry Henry) I really didn't take to.

This was well-written and excellently paced - each story giving just what it needed to work. Personally, I would love to see this progress into their own stories, just so I got more information about each couple. Maybe if I knew more about Henry, he wouldn't grate on me so much. I understood his back story, what we got, but it just didn't do it for me.

A thoroughly enjoyable, quick, seasonal read - absolutely perfect for your coffee break, or when you just have time for a few pages! Just one chapter, and you get a complete story. Definitely recommended.

* 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!
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Spartacus (1960) in Movies

May 19, 2019 (Updated May 19, 2019)  
Spartacus (1960)
Spartacus (1960)
1960 | Adventure, History, War
Kubrick famously disowned the historical epic he took on as work-for-hire, but almost any other director would and should have been proud of the result. Based on a true story (albeit very loosely), Spartacus the slave (Douglas) is sold to a gladiator trainer, leads his fellow inmates in a revolt, and resolves to free every slave in Italy; ruthless autocrat Crassus (Olivier) scents the chance to exploit the crisis for his own political ends.

Slightly disjointed in its structure: the opening act in the gladiator school barely puts a foot wrong (the fight between Douglas and Woody Strode is exceptional), but then the story splits between the story of the growing slave army, which is hokey and sentimental, and that of the political games in Rome, which features a bunch of great actors giving terrific performances. Usual epic spectacle, but a very atypical downbeat ending: the film works very hard to give Spartacus a moral victory, but it's hard not to see this as a conclusion as bleak as that of any of the films that Kubrick actually admitted to. Stirring entertainment anyway; they don't make 'em like this any more.
  
Their Little Secret
Their Little Secret
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
She says she's an ordinary mother.
He knows a liar when he sees one.
Sarah thinks of herself as a normal single mum. It's what she wants others to think of her. But the truth is, she needs something new, something thrilling.
Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is investigating a woman's suicide, convinced she was driven to do it by a man who preys on vulnerable women.
A man who is about to change Sarah's life.

Their little secret is actually book 16 featuring Detective Tom Thorne,
This story begins with a suicide. A woman throws herself under a train because she was conned. Although this is not a murder, Thorne still feels the need to investigate. Those around him do not understand but go along with him. Consequently, they have DNA information that links to an actual murder.
This story is told from the viewpoint of two characters and it has loads of twists and turns.
Loved the plot and again so very well written.
I adore the character of Thorne and of course all the supporting ones that reappear.
Highly Recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
  
The Perfection (2019)
The Perfection (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The performances, the story & the effects. (0 more)
The very last scene...sort of (0 more)
Chello there!
I love stumbling on little treats like this. Had heard nothing about, hadn't seen the trailer, read the blurb and thought why not - and I'm glad I did. Story starts with a former chello child prodigy who had given up chances of fame etc to take care of her sick mother. When her mother dies she returns to her old life and meets her schools new prodigy and the quickly form a friendship and decide to go on a trip together. What follows is a cracking story of love, betrayal, abuse, jealousy & revenge done really really well with some good gore and plenty of twists. The only down I had was the very last scene so it left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Without giving too much away the scene itself is really good but I thought 'oh my God that's cool, that's even cooler - but wait - why wud they do that?'. But apart from that its amazingly good and totally worth a watch!
  
TR
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Just for reference - I will not be giving anything away in my review. Don;t wanna spoil it for all you potential readers. What I will say is: Wow.

As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.

Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.

Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.

Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.

Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3
  
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Lindsay (1717 KP) rated Mr. Waldorf Travels to the Mysterious China in Books

Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)  
Mr. Waldorf Travels to the Mysterious China
Mr. Waldorf Travels to the Mysterious China
Beth Ann Stifflemire | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a great book for young readers. This is good for parents to help struggling readers with this book. It teaches about the places round the USA and the World. This one gets you to explore China. If your family or children are into animals, this is a good book for them.

The pictures are done wonderfully. The author will get readers engaged with this set of books. I got the four books that are out for this series. Your children will learn about the country China. The author does wonderful giving you different things in this book. The way the author has Mr. Waldorf travel in this book makes it quite run and enjoyable. You learn about China most popular bear that live there. You also learn about China landmarks along the way. The picture are down wonderfully and can entertain you that way as well.

This is good for adventurous children. The pup in the book whose name is Mr. Waldorf seems to lose this reading glasses. Your children will laugh and learn at the same time. To me the age is good for children as young as age 3 to beginner readers.
  
Robbie Jordan is keeping her restaurant open on a Saturday night for a special welcome home party for Erica Shermer. However, not everyone is thrilled that Erica is back, as Robbie sees when Erica fights with several of the guests. Still, she’s surprised when she comes down the next morning to find Erica dead in the restaurant. What was Erica doing back at the restaurant? And who killed her?

I fell in love with these characters when I read the first in the series, so it was great to be back spending time with them again. The new characters are just as fun and make wonderful suspects. One item introduced as part of the plot was left open, but I can easily see it being resolved in a future book. The main mystery of who killed Erica is well done, giving us a steady dose of clues and suspects until we reach the logical and suspenseful end.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-review-grilled-for-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
The Collector (2009)
The Collector (2009)
2009 | Horror, Mystery
8
7.4 (16 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Awesome effects (2 more)
Good jump scares
Wickedly bad killer
Smart Slasher... you get a gold star
Now, my wonderful Hackers. I bring to you a review of a film that has stuck with me for almost 10 years. Filled with some of the most devious, treacherous and disturbing psychopathic behaviour I have ever bore witness too...
The Collector tells the story of down on his luck burglar Arkin. Played by Josh Stewart perfectly, as he makes you feel empathy for his every action.
Without giving too much away. Arkin breaks into his employers house and finds a house of horrors behind every locked and unlocked door he finds.
There are two reasons he's doing what he's doing..
 One is to rescue his daughters mother from some loan sharks... reason two..
 The little girl hiding from the Collector in the house.
This movie both disturbed and disgusted me. Two things I look forward to in a good horror movie...
So, all my Horror Hackers, don't miss out on this piece of horror brilliance. It's to be paid tribute to in the highest regard.
The sequel.... Not so much....