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Pompeii (2014)
Pompeii (2014)
2014 | Action, Drama, Mystery
6
6.1 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The disaster movie has always been a genre guaranteed to create incredible box-office returns. If you look at Roland Emmerich’s impressive blockbuster hit 2012, which grossed over $750million, it is clear that destroying well-known landmarks = bums on seats.

However since 2012‘s 2009 release the genre has fallen into a dormant state. Nevertheless, four years later Paul W.S. Anderson attempts to reawaken this box-office behemoth with his take on the tragic true events at Pompeii, but does the film succeed in its task?

Partially is the short answer. Anderson’s first film since 2012’s disaster Resident Evil: Retribution is as cheesy as a Dairylea triangle, but it also has some stunning special effects to give it some life.

Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington stars as Milo, a slave captured by the Romans after they wiped out his entire family. He is taken to a gloriously recreated Pompeii and immediately sets his sights on the very beautiful Lady Cassia, played by a rather dull Emily Browning, who just so happens to be the daughter of the city ruler, Severus. I’m sure you can guess the plot…

What ensues is a cheesy mess of terrible acting and stilted dialogue that jars with the period nature of the film. Only the knowing of what is to come from Mt Vesuvius, which is beautifully rendered in CGI, stops the film from grinding to a halt.

Kiefer Sutherland dons a downright ridiculous English accent for the role of Senator Corvus, the chief antagonist in the film. He is on business in Pompeii to see if trade can be established and investment can be agreed with the great city of Rome – though this plot point gets lost along the way.

Another issue is the true story which Pompeii is based on. The great tale of tragedy and mother nature showing her ruthless side is one we all know – but all we really want to see is the mountain going boom. Unfortunately we must wait whilst Anderson tries his best to make us care about the characters with their sickly back-stories, for which he fails in breathtaking fashion.

Finally after nearly an hour of what feels like a poor-mans Gladiator we are treat to a stunning spectacle, as Mt Vesuvius explodes in rip-roaring style. As the mountain blows and the fireballs rage Anderson once again tries to get us interested in the paper-thin story, thankfully not pushing too hard this time, and he lets the special effects take over.

Historical accuracy is, surprisingly, very good. According to the director, Pompeii was faithfully recreated for the film with aerial shots of the city as it stands today topped up with CGI to show the thriving metropolis we see in the film.

Unfortunately, scientific accuracy takes a back-seat for the sake of high drama, which is the case with many films of this nature. The iconic pyroclastic flow, attributed to killing the majority of Pompeii’s inhabitants due to its huge speed and massive temperatures is slowed right down to ensure the film can last another ten minutes or so – though this is perhaps to be expected.

Overall, Paul W.S. Anderson has created a film which certainly looks the part, but is lacking in so many other areas. Kiefer Sutherland’s villain is completely upstaged by the constant shots of the volcano, which are almost pantomime like in their ‘it’s behind you’ staging, and the rest of the cast are wooden and not particularly likeable.

However, what it lacks in story and acting finesse it makes up in the beautiful special effects and engaging cinematography. It’s worth a watch just to see Pompeii get obliterated – which is probably not a very nice thing to say at all.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/03/pompeii-3d-review/
  
Onitama
Onitama
2014 | Abstract Strategy, Ancient
Who knew that a game, whose loose translation in English is “Ogre Ball” or “Demon Spirit, ” could pack such a 2-player punch, have a checkersesque simplicity, but also the depth in strategy that can be found only in its inspired creation. PPG encourages you to try, what we find to be anyway, the most inspiring Chess spin-off since Chess itself. If you are like us, you are super busy with everyday life and just can’t seem to find the chance to learn how to play the age old classic quintessential board game. Well, get your pawns ready because Onitama will suck you in, and 3 games later, you’ll still have another half hour free to play!

DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T

While at first glance, Onitama seems to be another little guy trying its darndest to bring down the classic giant. However, this is where the genius of this game really kicks in. It doesn’t try to take down the giant, but yet streamlines it in a way you would never expect. Onitama brilliantly finds a way to keep the grandeur and thick strategy you would expect from Chess, but eliminates the amount of time needed to craft your next move. Okay, so how is this possible you ask!? Well, in Onitama, you are provided 2 cards on each turn that include a set of possible paths that ANY pawn on the board can take. Seems limiting at first right? That’s the beauty. It’s not. You will be planning your moves quite quickly as the card you just used will trade hands around the table once played. So while a certain card may be your absolute best move in that moment, it may also be the key to your opponent winning the game if you pass it to them. Enter strategic bliss! While you don’t have to remember which way the Knight moves again, you do need to think on your feet potentially 2-3 turns ahead so that you don’t play into your opponent’s plans to victory!

A few other glowing graces this board game includes is its low price point, high quality cards, components (playmat included!), and visually beautiful artwork inside and out. While not imperative to the gameplay of Onitama, you will love the clever naming of the potential move cards. The shape of the move on the card plays a certain role in its naming. E.X. a longer squiggle type move on a card might have the name of “Snake.” Or, a card with the name “Dragon” let’s you leap across the board numerous spaces at a time as if in flight to exert your winged dominance.

We here at Purple Phoenix Games really love Onitama; it’s one of our highest rated 2-player board games! While it can act as a quick filler game between other heavier board games, it can also be played numerous times one after another without the loss of fun or strategic opportunities. I personally cannot think of a time I have ever sat down and played Onitama just once. This game keeps you coming back for more. We hope you will consider picking up a copy soon! As I write this, there are already a few expansions out there or in the works. Check back soon for some exciting updates to this already great board game! Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a calculated 19 / 24.

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/onitama-review/
  
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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Shatter Me in Books

Apr 27, 2018  
Shatter Me
Shatter Me
Tahereh Mafi | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.4 (23 Ratings)
Book Rating
Shatter Me is one of those books that will stick with me forever. I may even re-read it just because I enjoyed it so much! I mean, I never re-read books! But I may very well re-read this one! It's one that I can pick up the next one after not having read it for a year, and I can jump right back in because I remember it all. I can't wait until the next book comes out! Oh my gosh! Why on earth did I wait so long to read it? Oh yeah. College.

The writing was magnificent (man has it been a long time since I've been able to say that). It was interesting, and different, and felt like a free flowing train of thought instead of conscious sentences or pages from a diary. It was beautiful and poetic, and full of metaphors about nature and beauty and pain that were so honest and true that I couldn't figure out why I hadn't thought them up myself first. Sometimes there would be a phrase that Juliette thought to herself that was true but she refused to admit to thinking, and it would be crossed out. (like that ^). I really liked this, because it showed what she was really thinking, but it also showed what kind of person she wanted to be.

The plot was fantastic. It never stopped moving forward. There were brief times of rest in the thriller aspect of the story, but the tension itself never went away, and there were no dead plot fillers thrown in.

I really liked Juliette. She wants to be strong, but after a long life of being emotionally abused, she's a weak broken pitiful creature who just wants to be loved and nurtured back to health. She will do anything to be on good terms with someone she loves. She's dying to be touched, but she knows she can't be because she'll kill whoever touches her. And she doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to help people and comfort them, but she knows she'll kill them. What a horrible place to be in!

I won't say too much about her love interest, Adam, but I will say he is so going on my list of favorite literary crushes. He is hott stuff. And because of that, I'm going to put my recommendation as ages 16+. If you can't read Hush Hush or Hourglass, I'd hold off on this one for a while…

Content/recommendation: Some hot kissing scenes, and I'm seeing a potential for more in the later books. Ages 16+
  
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Moby recommended Station to Station by David Bowie in Music (curated)

 
Station to Station by David Bowie
Station to Station by David Bowie
1976 | Pop
8.8 (6 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is his Los Angeles album, and what's funny about that is it's one of his most European records. On the 'Station To Station' song he even sings "the European cannon is here", and it's ironic that he recorded it in the Hollywood hills while doing tons and tons of cocaine. It's odd when you talk about these really iconic artists, whether it's Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones, there's always that debate about which is their best album, and usually there's some degree of consensus. With David Bowie most of my music cognoscenti friends will go with Low, but for me Station To Station is the weirdest, most subtly strong David Bowie album. It doesn't have the ambient beauty of Heroes or Low, but it's almost as if he was trying to make a conventional record, but it ends up sounding even stranger because it's trying to be conventional. And that's why I picked it. In a way it reminded me of some of the Roxy Music albums being made around this time, like Manifesto in that was these very strange artists trying to be a little more normal and ending up making something even more disconcertingly odd. How he could make this amazing record when he was constantly out of his mind on cocaine, and also the courage of having the first song on the record nine and a half minutes long, but the music on 'Station To Station' doesn't even get going for the first few minutes. When I was growing up Bowie really had this otherworldly mystique. There was so many different David Bowies, there was glam Bowie, European Bowie, then later on there was dance album Bowie. There was an assumption that whatever he was doing was phenomenal because he was David Bowie. To be a celebrity name-dropper one thing that amazed me was that I lived across the street from David Bowie for a while in New York and we had BBQs together, we went on tour together, and one of my most treasured memories, if I'm on my death bed this might be the thing that I think of. One morning David Bowie came over to my apartment and we were sitting on my couch at 10 in the morning drinking tea, and I played 'Heroes' on acoustic guitar and he sung along. Even if I end up getting married, having children and a family life, my favourite memory will be playing 'Heroes' on acoustic guitar with David Bowie."

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Everything to Nothing
Everything to Nothing
Mark Henthorne | 2012 | Contemporary, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Everything to Nothing follows the story of three young women and the paths their lives take after one fateful night when they each end up with a man. The repercussions of the events lead by turns to each of them losing everything they had, even if they had nothing or everything to start with.

Sarah is at college and struggling to cope with an absent father and an alcoholic mother. She escapes from this life by clubbing and sex until the night in question when she is introduced to the highs available from hard drugs.

Michelle is at college with Sarah and they sometimes meet out clubbing. Michelle is looking for a man who likes her for who she is rather than what she looks like. Could Simon be that man?

Sally is Michelle's best friend. She is also the daughter of a billionaire businessman and lives a life full of servants, fast cars and designer clothes. She has it all except a man who is not interested in her because of her money.

This story is a real rollercoaster of a book. It did take a while to get going and introduce the characters, taking it time to fill in their personalities and circumstances but this is time well spent for later. Of the three Michelle is necessarily less well developed since there is no specific hook to her storyline beyond her association with both of the others. All the characters are well drawn with a sense of realism, even for Sally who lives a lifestyle entirely outside of the experience of 99.99% of the population. They have their flaws but this a real strength and the various dalliances and romances are painted very well and are not in any way forced.

The emotions the story evokes run the whole gamut. Laugh out loud humour at the antics of David's gran; wanting to shake Sarah out of her clearly stupid and self destructive decisions, down to the very harrowing end of the book.

And that ending is the most powerful part of the book and will stay with you for a long time. This is not a morality tale where bad things only happen to bad people and the good guys ride off into the sunset. Bad things can happen to good people and often for little or no reason and the complete deconstruction of the worlds around the three women in final act, although requiring some suspension of belief at some of the coincidences and circumstances, is shocking. And then becomes even more shocking with every page. You have been warned!

The book is not perfect; it is a little slow at times and the 'flashback' sections when the characters are introduced I felt could have been covered with a couple of paragraphs rather than pages of close description of the events as they happened. And occasionally the prose is a little clumsy when trying to express some fine or complex point about a character. But overall this is definitely worth a read. But only if you don't like happy endings.

Note: This book is rated Adult due to frequent and detailed descriptions of sexual acts and drug use
  
The Festival (2018)
The Festival (2018)
2018 | Comedy
Jemaine Clement (0 more)
Fairly enjoyable comedy
The Festival is directed by Iain Morris, who co-created and wrote The Inbetweeners show and subsequent movies. It feels just like another Inbetweeners movie too, especially as star Joe Thomas plays what appears to be an exact copy of his Inbetweeners character Simon, pining for his girlfriend and obsessing over her throughout the movie. The result is a fairly likeable and enjoyable comedy, still a lot better than most movie comedies these days, and with some laugh out loud moments. But, you can't help comparing it to The Inbetweeners and, unfortunately, it's just nowhere near as good as that.

In The Festival, Joe Thomas plays Nick, preparing to graduate and soon to head off to a festival with best friend Shane and girlfriend Caitlin. After a cringe-worthy ejaculation gag involving his mother, getting dumped by Caitlin and having a breakdown on stage at his graduation ceremony, Nick becomes depressed and it's up to Shane to try and drag him along to the festival and moveon with life. On the train to the festival they meet up with Amy, who's also on her way to the festival, and when they do finally get there they end up camping right next to ex-girlfriend Caitlin and her friends.

Your level of enjoyment throughout The Festival is going to vary depending on how you feel about festivals as a whole. If you're like Nick for much of the movie, then you're going to share his discomfort with the mud, the toilets and the cramped camping arrangements, laughing at him and his frustrations with it all ("I just want to go home and have a nice shower and a poo!"). If you're a festival goer yourself then you'll revel in the whole experience lived out on screen, as the movie was actually filmed during a real festival. Along the way there's drink, drugs, druids(!) and nudity for Nick to endure as he hopes to get back with Caitlin, and then later on a blue smurf girl who he hooks up with for a one night stand.

The supporting cast are all fairly funny, particularly Hammed Animashaun and Claudia O'Doherty as friends Shane and Amy. But, it's the brilliant Jemaine Clement as Shanes stepdad who manages to steal every single scene he's in and is just hilarious. Sadly though he's not in it as much as he should be.
  
Lost Without You - Single by Teasley
Lost Without You - Single by Teasley
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Teasley is an LA-based singer-songwriter who was raised in Oakland, California. Not too long ago, he released a danceable pop tune, entitled, “Lost Without You”, produced by Buchanan Westover.

“I don’t wanna leave too soon ‘cause I’m lost without you. I don’t wanna seem too rude when I’m leaving town. Hoping I come back to find out that you miss me too. And you’re not upset, screaming out loud, ‘I been so lost without you’.” – lyrics

‘Lost Without You’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who thinks about a special woman in his life while on a one-way flight to Brooklyn.

Even though he’s successful and making money, he doesn’t want to spend it alone because he feels like he owes her something, since they started out with nothing.
But things have changed between them and he’s been so lost without her. Later, he admits that if she’s gone, then he won’t live on.

What he really wants is one more dance before he lets go completely. Hopefully, he can get her to stay on the phone long enough to convince her that their relationship doesn’t have to end.

“I wrote this song reflecting on the relationships that have fallen to the wayside in the process of chasing something bigger than myself. So much time is spent on self-improvement that I’ve had to give up most late nights at the club with friends and love interests. I’m hopeful that I will continue to attract everything that is meant for me and that’s what this track speaks too. Hope.” – Teasley

Teasley draws inspiration from the chill coastal lifestyle. Whether on the beach or in the gym, he strives to embody a laid-back California vibe.

Not too long ago, the bubbly crooner released his debut EP, entitled, “Feeling Better”, co-produced by EDM trio Cheat Codes.

The project featured “Hit It”, which reached over 1 million streams online. Also, the accompanying music video was sponsored by Red Bull and reached the top 10 on MTV dance charts.

‘Lost Without You’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and summer-inspired instrumentation flavored with a dance-floor friendly pop aroma. Also, the likable tune will be featured on Teasley’s upcoming project, entitled, “Pineapple Juice”.