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lurkykitty (3 KP) rated The Fowl Twins in Books

Mar 26, 2020  
The Fowl Twins
The Fowl Twins
Eoin Colfer | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fun, fast-paced and funny
have never read the original Artemis Fowl books but now I absolutely intend to. The Fowl Twins is highly enjoyable, even if, like me, you have never read the Artemis books. The action is fast-paced and grabs the reader right away. The personalities of the twins are very different and highly engaging. There is a constant funny banter between them. There are a lot of moving parts: a villainous nobleman, a nasty nun, a fairy who is called a pixel (pixie/elf hybrid) and a small but highly destructive troll. Artemis also plays an advisor role from outer space. I really liked Lazuli, the Pixel. The action, pacing and clever gadgets remind me of the James Bond stories, but this book is age appropriate, of course. It seems that Mr. Colfer is a very imaginative fellow.
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies

Jul 5, 2020 (Updated Jul 5, 2020)  
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
If it ain't broke and all that
Reviewed in one sentence -
There's a bit where Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson full on anime punches an ostrich. 6/10





To elaborate slightly - Jumanji: The Next Level isn't quite as fun as it's predecessor, mainly because it's pretty much a strikingly similar re-tread.
It's still a lot of fun with some imaginative set pieces, mostly decent effects, and a strong cast - Karen Gillan once again shows off just how much star quality she has.
It's fairly forgettable, but it's feel good. Kevin Hart spends half the film doing a hauntingly accurate impression of Danny Glover which never stops being amusing, and by the time the films increasingly absurd climax comes around, it's clear that you would have to be a bit of a Grinch to not take something positive away.
  
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1)
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1)
Miranda Grant | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emma is running around after her sister trying to sort things out to meet her in Europe, however, things do not run as smoothly as she would like and she finds herself dragged into a world she never knew existed, as well as falling in love and trying to save her twin sister from the clutches of an evil vampire.


I love Miranda's writing she is so imaginative and her stories just tend to flow. There are always seems to be the right amount of drama, love, action, fighting and dialogue between all of the characters involved.


This book seems to have a lot of sexual content but it's not crude it's written in a protective way almost.


If you love vampires, magic, gods/goddesses, and fighting for your life I would recommend reading this book it's fantastic!
  
How to Stop Time
How to Stop Time
Matt Haig | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
6
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
A little glib, better as a young adult novel
Matt Haig's novel, soon to be a motion picture with Benedict Cumberbatch, has had rave reviews, yet I feel I'm in the minority in saying it fell short of expectations.

Following Tom Hazard, an unusual protagonist with a rare condition which has made him live for centuries, has been searching for his daughter ever since he was forced to leave her. Describing major events in history, Hazard continues to change his identity in order to survive becoming a history teacher as his current persona. All the while being controlled by the mysterious Hendricks. Is it better to live for a short while with love, or for eternity alone?

While the story is imaginative, the characters are underdeveloped and the constant time change is inconsistent. The plot may be a little too juvenile for me, not really to my taste. Enjoy the film.
  
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David McK (3248 KP) rated Shieldwall in Books

Jan 30, 2019  
S
Shieldwall
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was actually one of those novels that came up under the 'frequently bought with...' sections in Amazon, although at the time I did not purchase it there. Rather, I picked it up a short while later in my local Bargain Books, for something like £2. I was hoping to enjoy it, as I (generally) do like this type of fiction and as some of the critics quotations on the back of the book were good, but I have to say: I think that they (and, in particular, Kate Saunders from The Times who calls it 'exciting, gripping and imaginative') must have been reading a different novel from me - I found this, truth be told, to actually be a bit of a chore to read.

Doubt I'll be picking up the sequels (this is, apparently, the first in a planned trilogy), even for £2!
  
Fog of Love
Fog of Love
2017 | Bluff, Card Game, Deduction
Unique (1 more)
Fun
Low replayability (0 more)
This is unlike any other game we play, it involves a bit of roleplay and gives you the chance to create some ridiculous characters, so we have had a lot of fun with it. I really like the tutorial element to this game as it allows you to play through it immediately - as someone who usually loses the will to live halfway though being told the rules, it is a breath of fresh air just being able to get on with things. The same scenario cards do start popping up after a couple of replays, which is to be expected, but if you're imaginative and getting into different characters each time then it might not be too much of a problem.
Some reviewers advise against playing this with a spouse, but happily our marriage has (so far) been able to withstand playing Fog of Love.
  
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Austin Garrick recommended House (1986) in Movies (curated)

 
House (1986)
House (1986)
1986 | Comedy, Horror

"Seeing House for the first time is probably my fondest film-watching experience of the past couple of years. I’m drawn to the idea of creative purity, something House emanates in a way no other horror film I’ve ever seen does. That’s if you can even call it a horror film (the director himself doesn’t). Obayashi found his own moviemaking solution to Picasso’s lifelong goal of creating like a child: sourcing ideas for the script from his ten-year-old daughter. The result is a heartful, imaginative, creepy, weird, and wonderful dream come to life. It’s sort of like John Hughes, Miyazaki, Evil Dead 2–era Sam Raimi, and bizarre 1970s children’s TV rolled into one. The score in its more sincere moments is also incredible. I’m still in the totally infatuated honeymoon stage with this one, recommending it to people any chance I get."

Source
  
Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
1967 | Folk
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This would be from when I did 'Sisters Of Mercy' for the film Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man. I was so happy to be given that song. I love Leonard Cohen; I've always loved him, grew up around that music. He is the most extraordinary lyricist, but he, as well, creates such a mood with his music. It's like nothing else. He belongs in my life as a writer and as a singer. I suppose this record, again, it's actually quite similar to Joni Mitchell; not brilliantly imaginative on my part to begin with, but just every single song is a classic. I've read bits and pieces of his poetry and he's an extraordinary poet. It's poignant, and there's humour, coupled with the pathos. He's a poet, he's an extraordinary writer and singer and beautiful man, and, what can I say? Is that enough?"

Source
  
Before I Go to Sleep
Before I Go to Sleep
S.J. Watson | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
For the first 290-odd pages I was going to give it a 2 or 3 star because although she'd been remembering new things every day with the help of her diary entries, I can't say that much story altering things had happened to Christine.

But then those last 80 pages or so! Those 80 pages certainly made it four star worthy for me. Was not quite expecting that to be the truth of it but it certainly made it exciting after some of the quite repetitive things that happened in the book.

I knew something was a little iffy somewhere, I just wasn't expecting <b>that!</b> I wish I could go into more detail but it would totally ruin the story for those of you wanting to read it so I'll have to be very vague I'm afraid.

Very imaginative and really good for a debut story!
  
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
1988 | Horror
For me, ANOES 4-6 have always been a big step down to the pretty solid original trilogy. The Dream Master is of course the first of these three entries, and it's marred by sloppy writing, forced character development, and Freddy turning into a full blown one-liner machine, an aspect of the series that I know a lot of people love, but personally, I prefer Krueger when he's being a terrifying bastard.
It's not all bad though. The practical effects on show are pretty damn great, the kill sequences are imaginative, and I enjoy the commited narrative connections to Dream Warriors.
A far cry from the best in the series, but also, nowhere near the worst.

Side note, the bit where the dude sits up in his coffin and shouts "Helloooo Baaabbeehhh!" is dumb, but low key hilarious and I enjoy it every time.