Smashbomb

Auroracub (2 KP) rated Shades Children in Books

Dec 4, 2018

Shades Children

Garth Nix | 2007 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

10

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Narrative, premise, characters (0 more)

Harrowing yet perfect

Without spoilers it is hard to review really but this novel is one of the best narratives I have ever read. The apocalyptic premise is more intense than many available and the idea behind it is just horrific enough to stay with me since I first read it. The characters are well rounded and built to become emotional ties to the reader and the novel although apocalyptic is filled with hope of a brighter future. I understand it to be a young person's novel however I feel that in many cases the depth may be lost on the young and the premise may be a little intense but I have recommended it to everyone I know and will continue to do so.

Kudos

Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Mandy (2018) in Movies

Dec 16, 2018

Mandy (2018)

2018 | Action, Thriller

3

7.3

(25 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Nothing (0 more)

Everything (0 more)

Bad

This movie was hard to get through. It's a revenge movie that takes place in the eighties(ok), was made within the last year(it's 2018!), but everything about it screams 70s. The acting(so bad), cinematography, the storyline. Even the animated sequences. It had some violent scenes that looked straight out of a 70s movie as well. I don't expect perfection, but it's 2018, even a low budget film can be done well. They tried to use lighting effects to make it seem more "visual", but again, felt straight out of a 70s flick. The soundtrack was decent enough... for a 70s horror film. Anyway, I guess I just expect(hope for?) better from a movie these days. Sorry, this inne is not worth a watch.

Kudos

Andy K (10821 KP) Dec 16, 2018

I think this is my favorite film of 2018!

Kudos

David McK (3364 KP) rated Dawnthief (Chronicles of the Raven, #1) in Books

Jan 30, 2019

This is pretty much what I would term your standard high-fantasy fiction: high fantasy as opposed to, say, urban fantasy, as it involves Dragons (albeit only at the very beginning, and then more-or-less forgotten about), Elves and Magic amongst other genre staples.

The Raven of the sub-title ('Chronicles of the Raven', remember!) are a group of mercenaries who, at the beginning of the novel, have lived and fought together for years. At the end of one contract, they are hired by a former enemy, before events start overtaking them and they find themselves as amongst the last hope for their land, which is descending into war ...

I found this to be an OK read: not the best of such-like books I've ever read; nor the worst.

Kudos

Sam (228 KP) rated Titans - Season 1 in TV

Aug 17, 2019

Titans - Season 1

2018 | Action, Crime, Drama

9

8.2

(10 Ratings)

TV Season Rating

Well Developed Characters (4 more)

Captivating Plot

Wonderful Backstories

Gorgeous Soundtrack

Surprisingly Dark

Everything I Could Hope For

As someone who grew up watching the beloved cartoon, Teen Titans, as well as an avid reader of the comic series, Titans and Teen Titans, a lot was riding against this TV show. However, I was truly surprised by how much I loved this series from the first episode. I've always adored the DC universe for their dark plotlines and backstories they give to the characters. I was thankful to see that they carried this same darkness into this television show. This paired with the talented way they showed the growth of the characters throughout the season was all done beautifully. I could not have possibly asked for more and look forward to the second season!

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Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4) in Books

Dec 30, 2019

All right, so the high school crap was taken care of. Kate was being a passive-aggressive douchecanoe and Curran was being the stereotypically boring alpha male and they called each other out on it, which is awesome.

I really don't want to give away the plot because it's a doozy. I loved this book and the only real complaint I have is Kate's internalized misogyny. I'm referring to the "slut" and "bimbo" comments. Come on, Kate! The only bimbo is Curran!

I also really enjoyed the Frienship between Andrea and Kate and hope it's explored more in the next book. It's really nice to see female leads in UF who like and respect their fellow women and don't think they're evil whores out to steal their man.

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David McK (3364 KP) rated Star Wars vol 10: The Escape in Books

Jun 30, 2019

This is 'Bridging' Star Wars tale, collecting issues numbers 56-61 of the main Star Wars line, set after the events of 'Hope Dies' but before The Empire Strikes Back.

Scattered across the galaxy following their defeat by the Empire (and betrayal by Queen Trios of Shu-Torun), this finds Luke, Leia and Han stranded on a planet cut off for the outside world, with only limited communication and contact with that galaxy (so not quite like being stranded on Earth!).

Cue an increasing impatient Luke looking for ways off the planet while also falling for his host's daughter, Han and Leia growing increasingly close, and a little bit of Wild West thrown in before (eventually) they are tracked down by The Empire and make their escape once more ...

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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Bringing Out the Dead (1999) in Movies

Nov 8, 2019 (Updated Nov 9, 2019)

Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

1999 | Drama, Mystery

7

6.7

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Bringing Out The Cage

Bring Out The Dead- is a very underrated movie with a great cast and directed by one of the all time greatest directors- Martin Scorsese.

The Plot: After a disheartening and haunting career wears him down, New York City paramedic Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage) begins to collapse under the strain of saving lives and witnessing deaths. Through the course of a few nights, three co-workers (John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore) accompany Pierce as he grasps for sanity and pushes to be fired. Before Pierce falls off the edge, he still has a hope when he forms a friendship with a victim's daughter (Patricia Arquette).

Its delusional, its paranoid, its suspenseful, its thrilling and overall its a good movie.

Highly recordmend watching this movie.

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Claire Lavin (2 KP) rated A Friend Like Ben in Books

Jan 4, 2020

A Friend Like Ben

Julia Romp | 2010 | Biography, Fiction & Poetry

10

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A warm tale that made you feel good (0 more)

A real page turner

From the beginning of the book you are hooked. Such a warm well wrote book by julia romp telling the tale of life living with an autistic son . Her thoughts and feeling about the lack of communication and love she desperately wants.
Then one day ben a stray cat turns up on the doorstep and there whole world changes.
The story goes through some magical moments where you are left smiling and you dont want to put the book down.
One day while they are on holiday ben goes missing. The story runs through the whole heartache and mystery surrounding the missing cat.
You will find the ending adorable though.
Hope you enjoy the book just as much as I did

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Barry Newman (204 KP) rated Maps to the Stars (2015) in Movies

Feb 9, 2020

Another recent effort from David Cronenberg that isn’t a patch on his earlier work but is thankfully a slight improvement over the atrocious ‘Cosmopolis’. This one at least actually has some semblance of a plot but is still one hell of a struggle to get through. It attempts to be a satire of Hollywood and the horrible , shallow and disgusting people in the industry told through the means of a thoroughly twisted family dynamic . The characters are all completely unlikeable and I know that’s kind of the point but the film just irritated me and frequently bordered on pretentious . I didn’t care about anyone and frankly couldn’t wait for the film to end. I really hope Cronenberg goes back to horror and sci-fi and doesn’t make anymore films like this.‬

Kudos

Ollie SB (2279 KP) shared own list

Apr 8, 2020

Hey Smashbombers!
I hope you are all well and finding ways to keep yourself entertained at this difficult time.
This could help, I have put together a list of 10 top games that have great online multiplayer experiences. I think these games are a great way of keeping in contact with your friends, whilst having some fun at the same time!
If you've played any of these games, drop me a comment to let me know what you thought.
Or if you have any suggestions to add to the list let me know!
I've played most of these games so if you have any questions about them don't hesitate to ask me! (Although @Imogen SB is our resident Animal Crossing expert)
Stay Safe & Happy Reviewing!
Ollie.