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Lee (2222 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
Apr 3, 2018 (Updated Apr 3, 2018)
Superb tension, great monster movie
We're on day 79 of what we assume is some kind of apocalyptic event. A general store is deserted, without power, and in a complete mess. A man and his wife (John Krasinski and off screen wife Emily Blunt) along with their 3 children, are quietly scavenging for drugs for one of the sick children, along with general supplies. They move quietly, carefully moving objects so as to not make a sound. They communicate only by sign language, and the youngest of the children is refused a battery operated rocket toy, because it will make a noise. The family quietly walk back home, and you begin to wonder what exactly could be so dangerous that it's wiped out most of humanity and left this family in fear, desperately trying to remain silent. We soon find out though, in one quick, and shocking moment.
Then we skip forward a few hundred days, joining the family once more in their home in the forest. We discover that the creatures responsible for the apocalypse are blind, with armoured skin and a superb sense of hearing which attracts them to their prey, and also explains why everyone is now being so quiet. The family walk about barefoot, still communicating in sign language and taking care not to make a sound with everything they do. It's very quiet, and very tense, which consequently amplifies every sneeze and every noisy rustle in the cinema I'm sitting in. Some of these idiots wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were in this movie!!
And then we discover that Emily Blunts character is pregnant! We see the family preparing a sound proof cot, in an underground room where the other children are also trying to make the walls soundproof. How on earth are they going to keep a baby from being heard?
Occasionally the creatures make an appearance. All teeth and claws, and genuinely scary as the family try and contain their terror to avoid making a sound. The first half of the movie follows this formula - prolonged periods of silent tension, followed by the odd burst of terror. It's extremely effective. So when the final third of the movie shifts towards more lengthy moments of monster action, with the separated family all having their own problems to overcome, it's hugely enjoyable edge of seat stuff. This really is a refreshingly smart horror movie.
Then we skip forward a few hundred days, joining the family once more in their home in the forest. We discover that the creatures responsible for the apocalypse are blind, with armoured skin and a superb sense of hearing which attracts them to their prey, and also explains why everyone is now being so quiet. The family walk about barefoot, still communicating in sign language and taking care not to make a sound with everything they do. It's very quiet, and very tense, which consequently amplifies every sneeze and every noisy rustle in the cinema I'm sitting in. Some of these idiots wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were in this movie!!
And then we discover that Emily Blunts character is pregnant! We see the family preparing a sound proof cot, in an underground room where the other children are also trying to make the walls soundproof. How on earth are they going to keep a baby from being heard?
Occasionally the creatures make an appearance. All teeth and claws, and genuinely scary as the family try and contain their terror to avoid making a sound. The first half of the movie follows this formula - prolonged periods of silent tension, followed by the odd burst of terror. It's extremely effective. So when the final third of the movie shifts towards more lengthy moments of monster action, with the separated family all having their own problems to overcome, it's hugely enjoyable edge of seat stuff. This really is a refreshingly smart horror movie.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Calling (Endgame #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The result of collaboration between James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton is this first book in a dystopian series, <i>Endgame: The Calling</i>. Twelve teenage descendants of ancient cultures from across the world have been trained to represent humanity in a game that will determine the future of the world. The only way to win is to discover three keys and be the last player left alive. These young people are not just playing for their own lives for if they die their entire family line will be wiped out.
<i>Endgame: The Calling</i> focuses on discovering the first key, Earth Key. After meeting each other in China, each of the twelve is given a clue to solve that will help lead them in the right direction. Although there can only be one winner, a couple of the player decide to help each other out, but is there really anyone who can be trusted?
<i>Endgame</i> reminds me of <i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins but on a much larger scale, and also a more adult version. The entire planet is the games’ arena, which does not bode well for a lot of the world’s inhabitants. That is one of the things I disliked about this book, the unnecessary deaths of innocents. There was a lot of gruesome murder, which admittedly is the point of <i>Endgame</i>, but some of it was uncalled-for.
I did not particularly care for the writing style and formatting of the text. It was often confusing to work out who was saying or doing what. Another thing I did not like was that there was not an obvious protagonist. It is hard to know whether there is a particular character we should be rooting for or whether they should all be regarded as equal.
For a science fiction, dystopian novel <i>Endgame</i> is an interesting idea, fast paced and full of action. Unfortunately the events, names and puzzles leave the reader feeling bewildered, and the gruesome scenes rather disgusted.
Overall I think this book would appeal to an audience who loves a lot of brutal action and solving things. It requires the reader to be able to think rather than sit back and enjoy. Personally, I am not bothered about reading the next in the series.
The result of collaboration between James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton is this first book in a dystopian series, <i>Endgame: The Calling</i>. Twelve teenage descendants of ancient cultures from across the world have been trained to represent humanity in a game that will determine the future of the world. The only way to win is to discover three keys and be the last player left alive. These young people are not just playing for their own lives for if they die their entire family line will be wiped out.
<i>Endgame: The Calling</i> focuses on discovering the first key, Earth Key. After meeting each other in China, each of the twelve is given a clue to solve that will help lead them in the right direction. Although there can only be one winner, a couple of the player decide to help each other out, but is there really anyone who can be trusted?
<i>Endgame</i> reminds me of <i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins but on a much larger scale, and also a more adult version. The entire planet is the games’ arena, which does not bode well for a lot of the world’s inhabitants. That is one of the things I disliked about this book, the unnecessary deaths of innocents. There was a lot of gruesome murder, which admittedly is the point of <i>Endgame</i>, but some of it was uncalled-for.
I did not particularly care for the writing style and formatting of the text. It was often confusing to work out who was saying or doing what. Another thing I did not like was that there was not an obvious protagonist. It is hard to know whether there is a particular character we should be rooting for or whether they should all be regarded as equal.
For a science fiction, dystopian novel <i>Endgame</i> is an interesting idea, fast paced and full of action. Unfortunately the events, names and puzzles leave the reader feeling bewildered, and the gruesome scenes rather disgusted.
Overall I think this book would appeal to an audience who loves a lot of brutal action and solving things. It requires the reader to be able to think rather than sit back and enjoy. Personally, I am not bothered about reading the next in the series.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Allegiant (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The third film in the popular “Divergent” series is here and will follow the pattern of recent book based films of splitting the finale into two films. In “The Divergent Series: Allegiant Part 1”, we catch up with Tris (Shailene Woodley), and Four (Theo James), shortly after the events of the previous film.
The wall has been opened and residents seek to leave the city and see what lies beyond. This is cut short when a power grab arises as Four’s mother is putting people on trial for supporting the last regime and executions or a common place as mob mentality has arisen.
Risking it all, Tris, Four, and a few companions make a daring brake and discover a wasteland beyond the wall before being taken in by a seemingly ideal community under the leadership of David (Jeff Daniels). It is learned that via sophisticated technology, they have watched Tris and the others as well as their society for ages as they were conducting a social experiment to undo evils of the previous world which lead to war.
Tris is highly prized as she is seen as genetically pure and David hopes to find out why and how so it can be replicated for the betterment of humanity. Naturally things are not always as they appear and before long, Tris, Four, and the others are forced to pick sides especially with a civil war brewing back at home.
The movie has some decent visuals but relies on the characters to carry the film. In many ways this is the downfall of the film as Woodley simply does not emote and James is very one-dimensional. Only Miles Teller and Jeff Daniels show any real or sustained emotion throughout the film.
There is also the matter of plot holes such as a society which amazing surveillance technology but they could not see a fairly obvious and common effort used during the finale of the film.
The movie is setting up the finale which hopefully will bring some advancement and satisfying closure to the series and characters. For now the film is a flawed but at times entertaining entry which should keep fans happy until the final film arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/03/18/divergent-series-allegiant-part-1/
The wall has been opened and residents seek to leave the city and see what lies beyond. This is cut short when a power grab arises as Four’s mother is putting people on trial for supporting the last regime and executions or a common place as mob mentality has arisen.
Risking it all, Tris, Four, and a few companions make a daring brake and discover a wasteland beyond the wall before being taken in by a seemingly ideal community under the leadership of David (Jeff Daniels). It is learned that via sophisticated technology, they have watched Tris and the others as well as their society for ages as they were conducting a social experiment to undo evils of the previous world which lead to war.
Tris is highly prized as she is seen as genetically pure and David hopes to find out why and how so it can be replicated for the betterment of humanity. Naturally things are not always as they appear and before long, Tris, Four, and the others are forced to pick sides especially with a civil war brewing back at home.
The movie has some decent visuals but relies on the characters to carry the film. In many ways this is the downfall of the film as Woodley simply does not emote and James is very one-dimensional. Only Miles Teller and Jeff Daniels show any real or sustained emotion throughout the film.
There is also the matter of plot holes such as a society which amazing surveillance technology but they could not see a fairly obvious and common effort used during the finale of the film.
The movie is setting up the finale which hopefully will bring some advancement and satisfying closure to the series and characters. For now the film is a flawed but at times entertaining entry which should keep fans happy until the final film arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/03/18/divergent-series-allegiant-part-1/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Sully (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
“The Miracle on the Hudson” is a story that many are acquainted with and many have forgotten in the seven years since the incredibly miraculous landing of US Airways flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. In Sully, Clint Eastwood brings the attention and focus back to this historic event in order to tell audiences about more than just a forced landing into the Hudson River.
Tom Hanks stars as Chester “Sully” Sullenberger reminding viewers how he can so easily represent a character on screen whether they are fictional or based off of real people. His portrayal of “Sully” demonstrates the varying issues surrounding the events the day of the landing and those that followed. When the events played themselves out in the public, it appeared very “cut and dry.” The film reveals the depth at which the pilots dealt with the stress of the publicity, the investigation, scrutiny, and the reality of facing one’s own mortality.
The story, although generally familiar, is engrossing in its presentation by Eastwood. The story is built in layers to where you get to feel the pain and fear that Sully experiences with this near death experience. We witness how he tries to cope with this situation and struggles with the realization that he accomplished the near impossible. The scenes are not over sensationalized. They are not trite. They allow for a true representation of what took place and all of the people affected by it. The film is an imaginative and thought provoking account of real events. Sully demonstrates to audiences the depth inherent with events, circumstances, and individuals.
“The Miracle on the Hudson” had reporters, investigators, and the general public consumed with numbers; 155 people on board, 208 seconds of total flight, altitude of 2818 ft, 2 engines lost to bird strike, a water temperature of 36 degrees, air temperature of 20 with a wind chill of -5, and 1 pilot who made the right decision that day. It is not the numbers that the film is concerned with, it is the people. Eastwood allows for their stories to be on display and demonstrate the reality that they all faced during the incident and the days that followed. The film is outstanding in displaying the humanity and chaos of the event.
Tom Hanks stars as Chester “Sully” Sullenberger reminding viewers how he can so easily represent a character on screen whether they are fictional or based off of real people. His portrayal of “Sully” demonstrates the varying issues surrounding the events the day of the landing and those that followed. When the events played themselves out in the public, it appeared very “cut and dry.” The film reveals the depth at which the pilots dealt with the stress of the publicity, the investigation, scrutiny, and the reality of facing one’s own mortality.
The story, although generally familiar, is engrossing in its presentation by Eastwood. The story is built in layers to where you get to feel the pain and fear that Sully experiences with this near death experience. We witness how he tries to cope with this situation and struggles with the realization that he accomplished the near impossible. The scenes are not over sensationalized. They are not trite. They allow for a true representation of what took place and all of the people affected by it. The film is an imaginative and thought provoking account of real events. Sully demonstrates to audiences the depth inherent with events, circumstances, and individuals.
“The Miracle on the Hudson” had reporters, investigators, and the general public consumed with numbers; 155 people on board, 208 seconds of total flight, altitude of 2818 ft, 2 engines lost to bird strike, a water temperature of 36 degrees, air temperature of 20 with a wind chill of -5, and 1 pilot who made the right decision that day. It is not the numbers that the film is concerned with, it is the people. Eastwood allows for their stories to be on display and demonstrate the reality that they all faced during the incident and the days that followed. The film is outstanding in displaying the humanity and chaos of the event.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Knight of The Dead II: Cavalry in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Knight of the Dead 2: Cavalry is author Ron Smorynski’s second book in this action-packed, zombie apocalypse book with a medieval twist. In the second book, Ronan and his family have found themselves a place to build up as their fortress and are ready to start bringing others into their midst. But as their little community grows, they find themselves faced with inner conflict as much as dealing with the danger the world has become. This conflict mainly arises from the fact that when it was just his family, Ronan shared the same beliefs as everyone else, they understood each other’s skills, and trusted each other completely, which is not the case with traumatized strangers. The book is a quick and easy read that is full of action-packed zombie fights and chases, interesting ways of surviving in an apocalyptic world, and sweet family moments. I would say that this book is best suited for those that love zombie, apocalypse, and Christian literature.
I really appreciated the small moments throughout the book that hold sweet moments of family. In a dark world, it is nice to see those moments of trying to keep a little innocence alive for young children, sharing love, the comradery of close friends, and the earnest desire to protect one another. What this book, and the series as a whole, are very strong in is the action. This does not just mean the actual fights but the interesting chases, the intense moments of sneaking through the city, searching for materials needed to survive, and trying to save others. I thought that the addition of new characters was great and through their eyes allowed us to learn even more about the central family. Especially when it came to dealing with conflict and trusting those around them. In this book, the family’s connection to God is strengthened and becomes a key aspect of their mental journeys and how they deal with the horror that surrounds them.
Smorynski has done an excellent job of creating an atmosphere in the series that feels possible. For both the physical shape of the world and the mental space of the characters, you can see this being a future for humanity despite the sci-fi premise. I found the book to be a fun read and look forward to reading the next installment in the series.
I really appreciated the small moments throughout the book that hold sweet moments of family. In a dark world, it is nice to see those moments of trying to keep a little innocence alive for young children, sharing love, the comradery of close friends, and the earnest desire to protect one another. What this book, and the series as a whole, are very strong in is the action. This does not just mean the actual fights but the interesting chases, the intense moments of sneaking through the city, searching for materials needed to survive, and trying to save others. I thought that the addition of new characters was great and through their eyes allowed us to learn even more about the central family. Especially when it came to dealing with conflict and trusting those around them. In this book, the family’s connection to God is strengthened and becomes a key aspect of their mental journeys and how they deal with the horror that surrounds them.
Smorynski has done an excellent job of creating an atmosphere in the series that feels possible. For both the physical shape of the world and the mental space of the characters, you can see this being a future for humanity despite the sci-fi premise. I found the book to be a fun read and look forward to reading the next installment in the series.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Fury (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
To start, let me say that I’m a sucker for a good war movie. Growing up as a military brat, I have a profound respect for our nation’s veterans and history, especially those from the “greatest generation.” With that said, I approached David Ayer’s Fury with a bit of hesitation, after all, how will Fury be able to differentiate itself from so many other films in the genre? I am happy to say that, while Fury doesn’t show us anything we have not really seen before, strong performances by its ensemble cast help carry this story of a tank crew into a solid film.
Brad Pitt delivers a stellar performance as Don “Wardaddy” Collier. He is a war hardened Sergeant who struggles to keep the few shreds of his humanity while preparing his new “green” typist who was assigned to his tank after one of their battle brothers has fallen. Pitt takes the young Pvt. Norman Ellision (Logan Lerman) under his command and works to make him into war hardened soldier. Pitt knows that by doing so he will not only to save the young man’s life, but probably the lives of the other men in his care. This ensemble cast shines with solid performances from Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal and Shia LaBeouf. I want to take a moment to highlight LaBeouf especially. He has gained tons of negative press in recent months for several reasons and the promotion of this film has shown little of LaBeouf thus far. No doubt to protect itself from the backlash in his public life. But if you decide to not go and see this film because of him, you will miss out on a strong more dramatic performance we really haven’t seen from him often and one that will remind audiences that he is a good actor.
This action in this film is methodical and someone slow and somewhat cartoonish thanks to tracers on the gun and cannon fire that makes it look like “Star Wars” at times, however the intensity is constantly building from the opening sequence through the climax of the movie. Even in the middle of the film where we are seemingly in a safe place, the intensity is continues to build as we are unsure just how humane these characters are. This intensity leads us to care about these characters and search for relief in the climatic conclusion.
Brad Pitt delivers a stellar performance as Don “Wardaddy” Collier. He is a war hardened Sergeant who struggles to keep the few shreds of his humanity while preparing his new “green” typist who was assigned to his tank after one of their battle brothers has fallen. Pitt takes the young Pvt. Norman Ellision (Logan Lerman) under his command and works to make him into war hardened soldier. Pitt knows that by doing so he will not only to save the young man’s life, but probably the lives of the other men in his care. This ensemble cast shines with solid performances from Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal and Shia LaBeouf. I want to take a moment to highlight LaBeouf especially. He has gained tons of negative press in recent months for several reasons and the promotion of this film has shown little of LaBeouf thus far. No doubt to protect itself from the backlash in his public life. But if you decide to not go and see this film because of him, you will miss out on a strong more dramatic performance we really haven’t seen from him often and one that will remind audiences that he is a good actor.
This action in this film is methodical and someone slow and somewhat cartoonish thanks to tracers on the gun and cannon fire that makes it look like “Star Wars” at times, however the intensity is constantly building from the opening sequence through the climax of the movie. Even in the middle of the film where we are seemingly in a safe place, the intensity is continues to build as we are unsure just how humane these characters are. This intensity leads us to care about these characters and search for relief in the climatic conclusion.
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated BlacKkKlansman (2018) in Movies
Sep 9, 2020
BlacKkKlansman just ticked all the right boxes for me. Spike Lee has created a piece that is moving, hilarious, horrific, poignant and something truly important.
John David Washington and Adam Driver are a winning leading pair, portraying Ron Stallworth and Flip Zimmerman respectively, two police officers from Colorado Springs who manage to infiltrate a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, in an attempt to foil a potentially fatal and racially charged attack, and it's all based on a quite incredible true story.
Washington and Driver are both fantastic, providing this movie with most of it's heart, humour and emotion.
Topher Grace is great as well, as David Duke, a top brass member of the KKK. He's so smarmy, and easy to dislike, much like his real life counter part. This applies to all the racist pieces of shit in this story actualy. The characters are all horrible, but the cast bring them to life in a disturbingly believable way.
The screenplay is nothing but tight from start to finish. It's very funny in places, and heart wrenching in others. A particular highlight is a speech spoken early on by black rights speaker Kwame Ture. It's a lengthy monologue that is so damn powerful. There are multiple scenes that strike hard throughout the runtime - another standout moment is the truly uncomfortable visuals of Ron Stallworth looking on in quiet despair as KKK members cheer loudly whilst watching The Birth of a Nation. Humanity can be extremely ugly, and although BlacKkKlansman veers towards comedy at times, Lee is sure to never stray too far from that fact.
Some of the criticism I've read of this movie are along the lines of "it has an agenda" and "it's being forced down the audiences throat". Well, yeah if course it has an agenda. It's dealing with a topic that shouldn't even exist in the first place, but it's certainly not being force fed. No one is forcing anybody to watch it, but I highly recommend that EVERYONE does watch it.
The inclusion of real life footage of protests in 2017 is a strong statement, it's a director publicly taking a stand for something he believes in. In 2020, these topics feel more important than ever.
BlacKkKlansman is an incredible movie, and nothing can change my mind about that.
John David Washington and Adam Driver are a winning leading pair, portraying Ron Stallworth and Flip Zimmerman respectively, two police officers from Colorado Springs who manage to infiltrate a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, in an attempt to foil a potentially fatal and racially charged attack, and it's all based on a quite incredible true story.
Washington and Driver are both fantastic, providing this movie with most of it's heart, humour and emotion.
Topher Grace is great as well, as David Duke, a top brass member of the KKK. He's so smarmy, and easy to dislike, much like his real life counter part. This applies to all the racist pieces of shit in this story actualy. The characters are all horrible, but the cast bring them to life in a disturbingly believable way.
The screenplay is nothing but tight from start to finish. It's very funny in places, and heart wrenching in others. A particular highlight is a speech spoken early on by black rights speaker Kwame Ture. It's a lengthy monologue that is so damn powerful. There are multiple scenes that strike hard throughout the runtime - another standout moment is the truly uncomfortable visuals of Ron Stallworth looking on in quiet despair as KKK members cheer loudly whilst watching The Birth of a Nation. Humanity can be extremely ugly, and although BlacKkKlansman veers towards comedy at times, Lee is sure to never stray too far from that fact.
Some of the criticism I've read of this movie are along the lines of "it has an agenda" and "it's being forced down the audiences throat". Well, yeah if course it has an agenda. It's dealing with a topic that shouldn't even exist in the first place, but it's certainly not being force fed. No one is forcing anybody to watch it, but I highly recommend that EVERYONE does watch it.
The inclusion of real life footage of protests in 2017 is a strong statement, it's a director publicly taking a stand for something he believes in. In 2020, these topics feel more important than ever.
BlacKkKlansman is an incredible movie, and nothing can change my mind about that.
Lee (2222 KP) Apr 5, 2018
Fran Donohoe (856 KP) Apr 16, 2018