Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (4595)

Content

156Reviews (7 KP) rated Extra Ordinary (2019) in Movies

May 1, 2020 (Updated May 1, 2020)

Extra Ordinary (2019)

2019 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

6.5

(2 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Ghosts, hell demons, possessed animals, sex, a car chase, people exploding, ware-wolves (Kind of), Extra Ordinary has it all. Is it some kind of Hollywood blockbuster staring Benedict Cumberbatch? No, it's a small independent Irish comedy staring little known actors, and Will Forte of course.

The film begins by introducing us to Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins), a very single driving instructor in a small town who has a “Talent”. She can talk to Ghosts. After the death of her father when she was a child, Rose no longer uses these talents though. She spends her days teaching the locals how to drive, and her evenings with no trousers on, eating microwavable meals for one and ignoring messages on her phone from people asking for supernatural help. That is until she gets a call from Martin Martin, who is being haunted by his dead ex-wife, and her journey back to the exorcism business begins.

What this film does best is keep the ordinary and the supernatural events very grounded. Instead of screaming angry spirits howling in the night they see messages like “You must pay ..... The car tax” or “Dog has worms”. The dead don't stick around to terrorise, they are here to make sure we're doing the recycling properly, or donating enough money to charity. Even Christian Winter (Will Forte) the satanist pop-star dubbed “One hit Winter” seems like an every-day man, doing the ironing and making cups of tea between sacrifices and demon summoning.

As the films big-bad, Will Forte does a decent job of keeping the film flowing, even if it is almost identical to his Last man on Earth performance. It's Rose and Martins relationship that really pulls the film forward. After Martins Daughter starts floating in mid-air, he reaches out to Rose for help. Directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman succeed in making Rose and Martins journey through the mysterious, humorous yet believable, a will they-won't they without the cheesiness.

Overall this is a very funny, well made film, not afraid to take the time from driving the plot to include some great, if possibly unnecessary scenes, Christian Winter's driving lesson is a particular highlight. Everybody involved has done an excellent job making a great film. It's absurd, it's funny, it's weird, it's well worth a watch.

Kudos

Debbiereadsbook (1647 KP) rated I've Got This (Joy Universe #1) in Books

Feb 24, 2020

I've Got This (Joy Universe #1)

Louisa Masters | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

too stinking cute and warm and fuzzies!

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book has been edited and tightened up, following being released from the previous publisher.

I enjoyed this, I really did!

I will admit, I had an old copy that I started to read ages ago, but never finished it. Something IS different about this copy to that, but I have no idea what!

It’s a warm and fuzzies, too stinking cute kinda book that just wiles away a couple hours, and you can forget about the laundry and the cleaning, and just fall into the Joy Universe!

I must admit, at first, for some reason, I thought that the Joy Universe was an ADULT place to be, you know? And I couldn’t place dancers in that world, not for the life of me! But all becomes clear when Derek starts to do his thing, dealing with a murder on site and an attack of food poisoning that decimates his dance troop!

Derek is a big ole teddy bear, that has a work smile I would be so proud of, but I loved that Trav can see right through that false smile, that work face Derek puts on. Loved that Trav could bring a real smile out of him, just by looking his way.

I understood Trav’s. . .not hatred, more a strong dislike of the image Derek puts across. When explained why he has that reaction, it makes a lot more sense.

The murder thing takes a twist, and I didn’t see it going that way. So I liked that.

Some sexy on screen time, some not. Some deep emotional bits, some a much lighter feeling comes at you. Just enough of everything, to make it interesting.

I liked this book, a LOT. But for one thing.

First person, present tense AND both Derek and Trav have a say. Maybe that’s why I didn’t finish it before, but I’ve made a decision to give a book a couple of chapters, even if it IS written in my least favourite way, and I’m glad I did.

Not a difficult or hard read, just what I needed at this point in time 😊

4 good solid stars

**same worded will appear elsewhere**