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The Nowhere Man
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That rare thing, a sequel which is better than the original, The Nowhere Man is a thrilling,...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Uninvited in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Rambo: Last Blood (2019) in Movies
Nov 5, 2019
The film is an incredibly short 90 minutes long, not just for the fact it's 90 minutes but it ramps up the action so fast that you get to the end in what seems like record speed. Don't expect to be here for the storyline, while it has the makings of an excellent base it's clear that they really wanted a blood spurting mess of action... and in that respect this was a massive success.
Had I not see any of the other films before this I think I would still get a sense of the character but I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the trauma behind it all. You can tell he's got some kind of combat background and from the fact he's built himself a warren of tunnels and makes his own weapons you know there's something major in the backstory.
It could be a stand alone movie as it is but it probably would have been a better one with some more character work.
Everyone plays to their character well and the sheer volume of violence they all manage to bring to the screen with mostly fitting reactions is incredible. The amount of extra characters is something to behold and I particularly liked the way the gang comes together when Rambo goes hunting for them.
We're introduced to Carmen who is on her own hunt like Rambo, sadly she is a little underused and is mainly a way to get Rambo out of trouble so he can get to the next part of the film. Her story is summed up pretty quickly and this could easily have been developed into a bigger part.
Stallone... What do you want me to say? He's here to kick ass in the only way Stallone can. He does the crazed thing really well and I liked the way his parental instincts kicked, but there isn't a whole lot of acting to deal with in this really.
I want to avoid spoilers but there are a couple of emotional scenes that are done quite well and make a nice contrast with the "all hell breaks loose" action.
Let's just get to that action, shall we? Rambo basically Home Alones the shit out of his property. I'm honestly surprised that there wasn't the inclusion of some Wile E. Coyote traps to get a bit of everything in there. I enjoyed the montage of him kitting the place out, it really worked and built the anticipation of what was to come.
If there's one thing I knew before seeing this film it's that nothing was going to be subtle and the way he gets the gangs attention for the finale really threw subtle out the window. Sometimes you just need ridiculous violence, this was pretty ridiculous.
Full review originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/rambo-last-blood-movie-review.html
Had I not see any of the other films before this I think I would still get a sense of the character but I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the trauma behind it all. You can tell he's got some kind of combat background and from the fact he's built himself a warren of tunnels and makes his own weapons you know there's something major in the backstory.
It could be a stand alone movie as it is but it probably would have been a better one with some more character work.
Everyone plays to their character well and the sheer volume of violence they all manage to bring to the screen with mostly fitting reactions is incredible. The amount of extra characters is something to behold and I particularly liked the way the gang comes together when Rambo goes hunting for them.
We're introduced to Carmen who is on her own hunt like Rambo, sadly she is a little underused and is mainly a way to get Rambo out of trouble so he can get to the next part of the film. Her story is summed up pretty quickly and this could easily have been developed into a bigger part.
Stallone... What do you want me to say? He's here to kick ass in the only way Stallone can. He does the crazed thing really well and I liked the way his parental instincts kicked, but there isn't a whole lot of acting to deal with in this really.
I want to avoid spoilers but there are a couple of emotional scenes that are done quite well and make a nice contrast with the "all hell breaks loose" action.
Let's just get to that action, shall we? Rambo basically Home Alones the shit out of his property. I'm honestly surprised that there wasn't the inclusion of some Wile E. Coyote traps to get a bit of everything in there. I enjoyed the montage of him kitting the place out, it really worked and built the anticipation of what was to come.
If there's one thing I knew before seeing this film it's that nothing was going to be subtle and the way he gets the gangs attention for the finale really threw subtle out the window. Sometimes you just need ridiculous violence, this was pretty ridiculous.
Full review originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/rambo-last-blood-movie-review.html
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Stronger Than Hope (Chesapeake Days #1) in Books
Mar 11, 2022
so much with the warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have to say, I think that Ms McIntyre's MM books are coming on in leaps and bounds! They've all been good but they get better and better!
I try really hard NOT to read other people's reviews before I read a book: I got burned once and will never do it again. I will, however, read them before I write mine. Mostly to see if what they thought and if I thought the same. The general consensus for this book is this:
It's a really sweet book, with most wanting to punch Linc in the face a time or two. And I have to say, I feel exactly the same!
Linc is self-sabotaging his life. He loved his wife, he really did, but dealing with a 6-year-old, his job and his grief is pulling him under. He's a bad bet in anyone's book, he thinks. Nate, on the other hand, thinks he's no good cos he won't settle. But he WANTS to settle, just not for the sake of it, you know? They really are polar opposites, but so well suited!
Linc grew on me, though, and I really did wanna wrap him up in cotton wool a time or two! He needed a hug!
The book deals with grief, Linc lost his wife in child birth. It is handled sensitively, making the point that there is no time line for your grief, it's up to you when you want to move on. Living in a small town is difficult at the best of times, but in this matter? making Linc want to run away. And it's that fact the most that he should have conveyed to Nate, once they decided they were a thing. That he wanted to run, but NOT from Nate.
It's an emotional read, a steamy read and a well-handled difficult read. It's full of the warm and fuzzies and is too stinking cute and I loved it!
Linc's friends, Nico and Jer, need a story, please, Ms McIntyre! I'll grovel if need be!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I have to say, I think that Ms McIntyre's MM books are coming on in leaps and bounds! They've all been good but they get better and better!
I try really hard NOT to read other people's reviews before I read a book: I got burned once and will never do it again. I will, however, read them before I write mine. Mostly to see if what they thought and if I thought the same. The general consensus for this book is this:
It's a really sweet book, with most wanting to punch Linc in the face a time or two. And I have to say, I feel exactly the same!
Linc is self-sabotaging his life. He loved his wife, he really did, but dealing with a 6-year-old, his job and his grief is pulling him under. He's a bad bet in anyone's book, he thinks. Nate, on the other hand, thinks he's no good cos he won't settle. But he WANTS to settle, just not for the sake of it, you know? They really are polar opposites, but so well suited!
Linc grew on me, though, and I really did wanna wrap him up in cotton wool a time or two! He needed a hug!
The book deals with grief, Linc lost his wife in child birth. It is handled sensitively, making the point that there is no time line for your grief, it's up to you when you want to move on. Living in a small town is difficult at the best of times, but in this matter? making Linc want to run away. And it's that fact the most that he should have conveyed to Nate, once they decided they were a thing. That he wanted to run, but NOT from Nate.
It's an emotional read, a steamy read and a well-handled difficult read. It's full of the warm and fuzzies and is too stinking cute and I loved it!
Linc's friends, Nico and Jer, need a story, please, Ms McIntyre! I'll grovel if need be!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Mothergamer (1536 KP) rated Tales of Vesperia in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I finally got done playing Tales Of Vesperia, but I'm not completely done. There's an extra dungeon you can play through at the end of the game if you do a specific side quest during the regular game play through. I've never played a Tales Of game that I didn't like yet and this one was no exception.
I genuinely liked the main character Yuri because he's not a perfect hero. He isn't purely good, but he's not necessarily evil either. It's a matter of he's had to make the hard decisions that others around him are not willing to make, but in the end he's always stayed true to himself and his ideals. I think a lot of the reason why that scenario worked is because of the story line with Yuri's best friend Flynn. Flynn is the other side of the coin, walking a different path, but ultimately the goal to try and make the world a better place is similar.
The idea of blastia technology is interesting and they do explain how it came to be and what it is used for as the game and story progress. It also explains the reasons behind how the empire that controls it came to exist which I thought that the developers did a pretty good job of intertwining with the main story line.
You meet more characters along the way on this adventure and they all have pretty decent back stories. I myself liked Raven's and Judith's in particular. There are of course, the usual skits during game play, but they never get tedious. In fact, some of them are amusing with jokes that are actually funny and add a little more depth to the story and the characters themselves. The anime cut scenes are very well done and great to watch. The musical soundtrack not only is beautiful, but fits well with the various battles and pivotal plot points throughout the story.
There are one or two boss battles that can be a little frustrating because of certain mystic artes attacks, but once you get through them you feel a sense of accomplishment for having won. Of course, if you get too frustrated you do have the option of changing the difficulty level to easy without being penalized for it which is a nice perk. With a myriad of fun extra side quests like getting cafe costumes for all the characters or the cute disguise costumes for the female characters in your party, you get a pleasant break from level grinding and the main story. Overall, the game is a good time and fun to play. Even level grinding in this particular RPG is enjoyable because of a decent battle system, and beautifully designed scenery and enemies. Now, I'm going to get back to playing this extra dungeon I've won. As for all of you, I suggest you pick up Tales Of Vesperia for the Xbox 360 and give it a try. I am sure you will have as much fun as I did playing it.
I genuinely liked the main character Yuri because he's not a perfect hero. He isn't purely good, but he's not necessarily evil either. It's a matter of he's had to make the hard decisions that others around him are not willing to make, but in the end he's always stayed true to himself and his ideals. I think a lot of the reason why that scenario worked is because of the story line with Yuri's best friend Flynn. Flynn is the other side of the coin, walking a different path, but ultimately the goal to try and make the world a better place is similar.
The idea of blastia technology is interesting and they do explain how it came to be and what it is used for as the game and story progress. It also explains the reasons behind how the empire that controls it came to exist which I thought that the developers did a pretty good job of intertwining with the main story line.
You meet more characters along the way on this adventure and they all have pretty decent back stories. I myself liked Raven's and Judith's in particular. There are of course, the usual skits during game play, but they never get tedious. In fact, some of them are amusing with jokes that are actually funny and add a little more depth to the story and the characters themselves. The anime cut scenes are very well done and great to watch. The musical soundtrack not only is beautiful, but fits well with the various battles and pivotal plot points throughout the story.
There are one or two boss battles that can be a little frustrating because of certain mystic artes attacks, but once you get through them you feel a sense of accomplishment for having won. Of course, if you get too frustrated you do have the option of changing the difficulty level to easy without being penalized for it which is a nice perk. With a myriad of fun extra side quests like getting cafe costumes for all the characters or the cute disguise costumes for the female characters in your party, you get a pleasant break from level grinding and the main story. Overall, the game is a good time and fun to play. Even level grinding in this particular RPG is enjoyable because of a decent battle system, and beautifully designed scenery and enemies. Now, I'm going to get back to playing this extra dungeon I've won. As for all of you, I suggest you pick up Tales Of Vesperia for the Xbox 360 and give it a try. I am sure you will have as much fun as I did playing it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Jojo Rabbit (2019) in Movies
Jan 11, 2020
If you asked me why I skipped seeing this one twice before it's UK release I wouldn't be able to give you a proper answer. I guess I just didn't fancy it, and the second time Odeon outdid Cineworld with a really early Parasite screening so that felt like the sensible choice instead.
Jojo wants to be a good German, but as he's about to go off to a Nazi Youth Camp he worries about how he'll do. Luckily he has a friend to help him through it, Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer is always with him in spirit.
Recovering at home after an accident Jojo discovers that he's not alone in the house. He discovers Elsa hiding in a wall space upstairs, hidden by his mother. Jojo is torn, he should report her to the authorities but that could be bad news for him and his mother.
I was genuinely surprised about who was turning up to see this. There were a lot of family groups and groups of teenagers. It shouldn't really shock me, everyone has their own interests in a wide variety of things, but I wasn't expecting to see such young people coming to see it.
By far my favourite thing about this film was Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf, a little bitter with his situation and begrudgingly training the kids for the battles ahead, he's making the best of a bad situation. He's funny, and more importantly, glorious in battle. From the ridiculous to a surprisingly moving scene at the end, he was the performance of the whole film for me.
Child actors have their ups and downs, some have the knack right out of the gate but I didn't really get that from Roman Griffin Davis or Archie Yates. Both got some good moments out of the script but their delivery and the consistency of the characters didn't carry through it as a whole.
Thomasin McKenzie however brought a little something extra to her role of Elsa. I didn't mind her slightly more serious parts in this but it was difficult to get much more out of it when so much revolved around her and Jojo in scenes together. I don't like "awkward" and some of the scenes are *shudder*.
I can't really talk about the film without talking about Taika Waititi as Hitler. I found him quite amusing to begin with but when the character started to change as Jojo did I felt it was a little over the top.
Dramatic moments pop up when you really aren't expecting them, two in particular stuck with me afterwards. One, as I mentioned, with Sam Rockwell and the other with Scarlett Johansson. Rockwell's was a complete surprise, but ScarJo's, though unexpected, was overplayed a lot in the build up.
Jojo Rabbit is a very odd film, I didn't know what to expect at all really and the final result left me no wiser. Entertaining yes, but not something I would have to see again.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/jojo-rabbit-movie-review.html
Jojo wants to be a good German, but as he's about to go off to a Nazi Youth Camp he worries about how he'll do. Luckily he has a friend to help him through it, Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer is always with him in spirit.
Recovering at home after an accident Jojo discovers that he's not alone in the house. He discovers Elsa hiding in a wall space upstairs, hidden by his mother. Jojo is torn, he should report her to the authorities but that could be bad news for him and his mother.
I was genuinely surprised about who was turning up to see this. There were a lot of family groups and groups of teenagers. It shouldn't really shock me, everyone has their own interests in a wide variety of things, but I wasn't expecting to see such young people coming to see it.
By far my favourite thing about this film was Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf, a little bitter with his situation and begrudgingly training the kids for the battles ahead, he's making the best of a bad situation. He's funny, and more importantly, glorious in battle. From the ridiculous to a surprisingly moving scene at the end, he was the performance of the whole film for me.
Child actors have their ups and downs, some have the knack right out of the gate but I didn't really get that from Roman Griffin Davis or Archie Yates. Both got some good moments out of the script but their delivery and the consistency of the characters didn't carry through it as a whole.
Thomasin McKenzie however brought a little something extra to her role of Elsa. I didn't mind her slightly more serious parts in this but it was difficult to get much more out of it when so much revolved around her and Jojo in scenes together. I don't like "awkward" and some of the scenes are *shudder*.
I can't really talk about the film without talking about Taika Waititi as Hitler. I found him quite amusing to begin with but when the character started to change as Jojo did I felt it was a little over the top.
Dramatic moments pop up when you really aren't expecting them, two in particular stuck with me afterwards. One, as I mentioned, with Sam Rockwell and the other with Scarlett Johansson. Rockwell's was a complete surprise, but ScarJo's, though unexpected, was overplayed a lot in the build up.
Jojo Rabbit is a very odd film, I didn't know what to expect at all really and the final result left me no wiser. Entertaining yes, but not something I would have to see again.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/jojo-rabbit-movie-review.html
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Robin Hood (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
At this point I feel like I've grown u with definitive versions of Robin Hood. Kevin Costner will always be a front runner, and Disney's foxified version brings a smile to my face every time. I was also lucky to have been shown Robin Hood Men In Tights when I was younger and will always appreciate Cary Elwes' rendition. Errol Flynn will always be the high point for class in the role. There's always that one we don't talk about... Russell Crowe, I'm looking at you. We probably should consider the small screen as well, after all should we be excluding Robin from Madi Marian and Her Merry Men?
After the one we don't talk about I had fairly low expectations for this. Did we really need to reboot this icon?
The answer is evidently a resounding yes. No one is more surprised about this than I am. He's still not the best Robin (sorry... Rob) but he's an excellent modern adaptation for those who don't want to go old school with their viewing.
Taron Egerton doesn't quite have the on-screen presence of a lord, he's something or a whipper-snapper in Robin terms. He'd be much more at home in an episode of Arrow. Watch out, Roy. In fact that would be my guess of what happened in the pitching of this one. "Arrow is basically Robin Hood, shall we just do that?"
Ben Mendelsohn proved himself to be an excellent villain in Ready Player One, and he's brought himself back to that high with the Sheriff of Nottingham. Cruel and egotistical he makes an easy focus for everyone's revolutionary efforts.
Friar Tuck... hmm. Tim Minchin was an interesting choice. My main issue is that he basically seems to have played it as Bill Bailey. That was something that stuck out from the very first time we saw him and from that point on all I could think was that they might as well have got Bill Bailey to do it.
I had hoped that like the trailer the film would feature some modern music as well as what turned out to be some very atmospheric background ensemble. Sadly not though. Maybe it's just me pining back to A Knight's Tale.
Round of applause for the cinematography. Everything flowed really well and that opening scene of war (which you can see some of in the trailer above) really drew you in. In fact, the whole scene felt very much more modern than bows and arrows and was a striking moment in the film.
If cinematography is at the top, the writing is somewhere near the bottom. Generally it was passable and I didn't really notice it. That sounds odd, but you know what I mean, sometimes it is just there and doesn't really leave a mark. Every now and then you'd get a curve ball of a line that made me recoil and stopped my enjoyment of the film. Speeches that should have had power in the words didn't, there was no feeling of being roused to action like so many great films are able to do.
As a final comment... why must you mess with the naturally accepted order of characters?
What you should do
Go for the action, not the script. It's quite impressive on the big screen and Jamie Foxx's John holds some quiet moments of humour that are worth seeing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would quite like John's ability to heal and not die. That seems like a massively impressive part of his character.
After the one we don't talk about I had fairly low expectations for this. Did we really need to reboot this icon?
The answer is evidently a resounding yes. No one is more surprised about this than I am. He's still not the best Robin (sorry... Rob) but he's an excellent modern adaptation for those who don't want to go old school with their viewing.
Taron Egerton doesn't quite have the on-screen presence of a lord, he's something or a whipper-snapper in Robin terms. He'd be much more at home in an episode of Arrow. Watch out, Roy. In fact that would be my guess of what happened in the pitching of this one. "Arrow is basically Robin Hood, shall we just do that?"
Ben Mendelsohn proved himself to be an excellent villain in Ready Player One, and he's brought himself back to that high with the Sheriff of Nottingham. Cruel and egotistical he makes an easy focus for everyone's revolutionary efforts.
Friar Tuck... hmm. Tim Minchin was an interesting choice. My main issue is that he basically seems to have played it as Bill Bailey. That was something that stuck out from the very first time we saw him and from that point on all I could think was that they might as well have got Bill Bailey to do it.
I had hoped that like the trailer the film would feature some modern music as well as what turned out to be some very atmospheric background ensemble. Sadly not though. Maybe it's just me pining back to A Knight's Tale.
Round of applause for the cinematography. Everything flowed really well and that opening scene of war (which you can see some of in the trailer above) really drew you in. In fact, the whole scene felt very much more modern than bows and arrows and was a striking moment in the film.
If cinematography is at the top, the writing is somewhere near the bottom. Generally it was passable and I didn't really notice it. That sounds odd, but you know what I mean, sometimes it is just there and doesn't really leave a mark. Every now and then you'd get a curve ball of a line that made me recoil and stopped my enjoyment of the film. Speeches that should have had power in the words didn't, there was no feeling of being roused to action like so many great films are able to do.
As a final comment... why must you mess with the naturally accepted order of characters?
What you should do
Go for the action, not the script. It's quite impressive on the big screen and Jamie Foxx's John holds some quiet moments of humour that are worth seeing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would quite like John's ability to heal and not die. That seems like a massively impressive part of his character.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Darkest Touch (Lords of the Underworld #11) in Books
Jan 12, 2021
I read the first six or so of these books back to back years ago and got to really like this group of friends. I've read the odd book in the series since then and this has been on my shelf for over a year now.
This one starts with Torin accidentally killing a fellow prisoner, Mari, after she touched him and him trying to bring her back. Keeleycael, a fellow prisoner and the Red Queen, was Mari's friend and tells Torin she will kill him for taking her friends life after she escapes. They both manage to escape the prison not long after and the ruthlessness they both show in killing the evil creatures that roam outside the castle helps the burning desire they feel for each other flare to life.
Can I say I really enjoyed this!
I'd forgotten a lot of the banter between the Lords and Torin was equal parts fun and tortured. I loved his attitude when they were going through the different realms. He was protective, sarcastic and permanently turned on. Add in that he's the Keeper of Disease and can't keep his hands off Keeley half the time and, well, you can imagine what ends up happening.
Keeley was a little unhinged at the start of this having been locked up in her prison for centuries as she plotted her escape but after they escape she chilled out a lot and I loved her - sort of - one track mind in regards to Torin. She wanted him and was determined to seduce him.
I was also really into a side story in this: Cameo and Lazarus! And of course William (the ever randy) and his thing for Gilly. I am so interested in seeing where those go - so I went straight off to Amazon and ordered paperbacks of books 12-14!
Reading this has made me remember how much I enjoy these books an I cannot wait to read more them.
This one starts with Torin accidentally killing a fellow prisoner, Mari, after she touched him and him trying to bring her back. Keeleycael, a fellow prisoner and the Red Queen, was Mari's friend and tells Torin she will kill him for taking her friends life after she escapes. They both manage to escape the prison not long after and the ruthlessness they both show in killing the evil creatures that roam outside the castle helps the burning desire they feel for each other flare to life.
Can I say I really enjoyed this!
I'd forgotten a lot of the banter between the Lords and Torin was equal parts fun and tortured. I loved his attitude when they were going through the different realms. He was protective, sarcastic and permanently turned on. Add in that he's the Keeper of Disease and can't keep his hands off Keeley half the time and, well, you can imagine what ends up happening.
Keeley was a little unhinged at the start of this having been locked up in her prison for centuries as she plotted her escape but after they escape she chilled out a lot and I loved her - sort of - one track mind in regards to Torin. She wanted him and was determined to seduce him.
I was also really into a side story in this: Cameo and Lazarus! And of course William (the ever randy) and his thing for Gilly. I am so interested in seeing where those go - so I went straight off to Amazon and ordered paperbacks of books 12-14!
Reading this has made me remember how much I enjoy these books an I cannot wait to read more them.
Ronyell (38 KP) rated The Babysitter (2017) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020
The Babysitter From Hell!
Wow! I'm actually surprised that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did! At first, I thought that I wasn't going to like this movie because the premise sounded ridiculous. But once I watched this movie, I was quite impressed by how funny and scary this film was! I really loved the performances of all the actors and actresses in this film as they really got into their roles and they made the movie so entertaining to watch! I especially loved the performances from Samara Weaving as Bee and Robbie Amell as Max as they were the most entertaining characters in the movie! I loved the way that Robbie Amell made Max into such a comical character, despite the fact that he's an ax-crazy killer. I also enjoyed Samara Weaving's performance as Bee as she made Bee so friendly yet deadly at the same time. I also liked the fact that the movie had a nice balance between comedy and horror as there were many scenes that were quite intense. But at the same time, I was laughing out loud at how over the top the actors' performances were.
The main issue that I had with this film was that I felt that the characters weren't that well developed as I don't know anything about their backstories. The characters that I was the most curious about were Bee and her friends as their motivations to perform human sacrifices seem a little flat to me because I don't know much about their backgrounds and how they even know about performing sacrifices to have their wishes come true.
Overall, "The Babysitter" may seem like a silly horror comedy film, but it is definitely entertaining to watch because of how over the top the characters' antics are. And I loved the way that this film turned many horror tropes on its head and made a pretty entertaining movie out of it!
The main issue that I had with this film was that I felt that the characters weren't that well developed as I don't know anything about their backstories. The characters that I was the most curious about were Bee and her friends as their motivations to perform human sacrifices seem a little flat to me because I don't know much about their backgrounds and how they even know about performing sacrifices to have their wishes come true.
Overall, "The Babysitter" may seem like a silly horror comedy film, but it is definitely entertaining to watch because of how over the top the characters' antics are. And I loved the way that this film turned many horror tropes on its head and made a pretty entertaining movie out of it!
Wild, creepy & a little stressful
When Joe Lynch and his young son, William, spot his wife's car while out driving, they decide to surprise her. Instead they see his wife, Melissa, fighting with a friend, Ben. Joe knows he should help Melissa, but when he goes to confront Ben, it goes horribly wrong. The two fight and after Ben hits him, Joe pushes him back and Ben falls and hits his head. At the same time, his son has an asthma attack--and realizing he doesn't have William's inhaler--Joe has to make a choice: race home for the inhaler or stay and make sure Ben is okay. He chooses his son, setting off a chain of crazy events that will forever alter the course of his life.
"I put the car in gear. Made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would change my life. 'Let's go and surprise Mummy.'"
This was an odd book that messes with your head as much as all the insane events seem to do to Joe's. It got off to a slow start for me, and I almost didn't keep reading, but I have a terrible time putting any book in a "DNF" pile, and of course, this one picked up and got pretty exciting about halfway through. (This only adds to my inability to ever not finish a book.)
The main shtick with this one is sort of an unreliable narrator/unreliable plot, as you really don't know who or what to believe as you read. Hence the title, obviously. As it all happens we have Joe, who sort of bumbles along, our hapless narrator, who seems to think he's in control, but really, just no. Poor guy, he's certainly not the brightest--just this clueless guy whom I had a tough time rooting for, hence my inability to really get into the book.
Yes, most of the cast of characters around him are lying to him in some fashion, but still. After Joe leaves Ben in the parking garage to save William, he finds some weird and cryptic posts on his Facebook page, because (of course) he lost his (unlocked) cell phone during his altercation with (obviously tech-savvy) Ben who runs (wait for it) a technology firm. Then Melissa reveals to him that the wealthy Ben has been pining after her for ages, despite that fact that Ben's wife, Beth, is Melissa's best friend. Things unravel from there. I'll admit that they don't necessarily happen predictably, but they do happen in a crazy fashion, so be prepared to suspend a lot of your disbelief.
The book is kind of wild, a little creepy, and there's a good twist at the end, which bumped my rating up a half bomb. This wasn't a particularly fun read for me--it sort of stressed me out--and I didn't really like any of the characters, but once it picked it up, it was at least interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
"I put the car in gear. Made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would change my life. 'Let's go and surprise Mummy.'"
This was an odd book that messes with your head as much as all the insane events seem to do to Joe's. It got off to a slow start for me, and I almost didn't keep reading, but I have a terrible time putting any book in a "DNF" pile, and of course, this one picked up and got pretty exciting about halfway through. (This only adds to my inability to ever not finish a book.)
The main shtick with this one is sort of an unreliable narrator/unreliable plot, as you really don't know who or what to believe as you read. Hence the title, obviously. As it all happens we have Joe, who sort of bumbles along, our hapless narrator, who seems to think he's in control, but really, just no. Poor guy, he's certainly not the brightest--just this clueless guy whom I had a tough time rooting for, hence my inability to really get into the book.
Yes, most of the cast of characters around him are lying to him in some fashion, but still. After Joe leaves Ben in the parking garage to save William, he finds some weird and cryptic posts on his Facebook page, because (of course) he lost his (unlocked) cell phone during his altercation with (obviously tech-savvy) Ben who runs (wait for it) a technology firm. Then Melissa reveals to him that the wealthy Ben has been pining after her for ages, despite that fact that Ben's wife, Beth, is Melissa's best friend. Things unravel from there. I'll admit that they don't necessarily happen predictably, but they do happen in a crazy fashion, so be prepared to suspend a lot of your disbelief.
The book is kind of wild, a little creepy, and there's a good twist at the end, which bumped my rating up a half bomb. This wasn't a particularly fun read for me--it sort of stressed me out--and I didn't really like any of the characters, but once it picked it up, it was at least interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).