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Bad Frank (2017)
Bad Frank (2017)
2017 |
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I love it when a movie can come completely out of nowhere and surprise this humble reviewer. Bad Frank is exactly that, A movie that on paper looks and sounds like most other Kidnap Revenge thrillers you may have seen over the years. But let me tell you that Bad Frank is far from some of the copy and paste garbage out there.

I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).

Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.

Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.

Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).



It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.

I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
  
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Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion
Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion
2020 | Adventure
YES! A Scooby-Doo game! AND it’s an escape room style game? I am so fired up to play this! This was my line of thinking as I received this game in the mail. Scooby-Doo is one of my favorite cartoon shows from my youth, and name a better episode than the Harlem Globetrotters episode. I’ll wait. So with a winning design team of Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim (of the excellent Belfort game) this should be a giant hit, right?

Like I mentioned, Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion is an escape room style board game with the tag of, “A Coded Chronicles Game.” This is a series of similar style games coming to us from the publisher using different IPs. This review will be lots different than our others because I do not wish to provide any spoilers, so I am eliminating my typical “messy components” shot at the end. I have also smudged the entire second photo so as not to give away anything. On to the review.

DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T

To setup, read the rulebook, and turn to the proper paragraph number in the starting booklet. Each Mystery, Inc. character (“the gang”) has their own booklet with paragraphs and instructions inside. If you have ever played a game like Tales of the Arabian Nights you will know the style. The entry in the booklet will instruct players how to setup the first map tile and set the stage for the plot of the game.

This game features gameplay with no “turns,” so any person may choose to control a character from the gang and have them take some action. The possible actions that can be taken by the gang are: Velma may Research something, Shaggy can Eat stuff, Daphne Uses things, Scoob Smells, and Fred Investigates. Each character is assigned a single-digit number to be combined with items on the map tiles to arrive at a four-digit paragraph number. Find the number in the respective booklet and read aloud to the rest of the players. If successful, more map tiles may be added, or other things (being vague on purpose).

Should the entry not exist or instruct you to otherwise, players will need to “eat a Scooby Snack” by crossing off or reducing the total number of Snacks each time. We used another publisher’s pin to move along the track at the end of the rulebook because I didn’t feel like finding a coin.

As players progress through the game they will be presented with several challenges to figure out together. Half way through the game is a break time between Chapters 1 & 2. We were able to play this game over two nights utilizing the break.


At the end of Chapter 2 the game ends. If the players can successfully solve the case, they win! Alternately, if playing with academics, the rulebook provides a scale of VPs corresponding to the number of Scooby Snacks remaining. Whichever end-game method is chosen, the game is over and can be passed along to another household or gamer friend. That’s right, this is a one-shot escape room game. Only cheaters would go through it a second time…
Components. I cannot speak about many of the components, but I will evaluate what you see in the above photo. The rulebook and subsequent character booklets are all fine, but are curved as a result of how they sit in the box. The box itself is a strange design that you do not see with many board games. It’s not at all bad, just different. The cards are good, the map tiles are thin cardstock, and I can’t really discuss the Secret Envelopes. My biggest gripe about the game is the character standees. They are a long strip of thin stock that is folded in half, then the ends flared to make an inverted T shape. I mean, it’s fine, but this game could have done with a plastic stand for a sturdier standee to fit inside, or even basic miniatures. These standees that are included fall over all the time and when touched, even a little, flop on the table like a “professional” soccer player.

The gameplay, however, is very cool and I enjoyed my playthrough quite a bit. I very much enjoy one-shot games and despise when they ask you to destroy different components. No thanks, says me. Luckily, Scooby-Doo is able to be reset and given or sold to another person. I like that.

I also really enjoyed exploring the Haunted Mansion and trying to outwit the different challenges the game presented. This is not a particularly super difficult game to master, but will certainly give players a couple of fun hours of play with a group of animated childhood friends. For the nostalgia alone I would suggest this one, but there is also a pretty darn good game here. I have zero experience with the other Coded Chronicles Game from The Op (using The Shining), so I don’t know if I would enjoy it or not, but I loved Scooby-Doo and I adored my time with him. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a meddling 12 / 18. If you are looking for a game you can circulate through your gamer friend network and enjoy the theme, then check out Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion. It is cute, fun, and gives the ol’ noggin a workout. Also, privately message or email me and let me know if you figured out the correct ending. I did not.
  
The Kraken's Queen (Grym Hollow #3)
The Kraken's Queen (Grym Hollow #3)
Tati B. Alvarez | 2025 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE KRAKEN'S QUEEN is the third full-length novel in the Grym Hollow series and I loved every word!

Erin has been through hell at the hands of someone who claimed they loved her, leaving her half dead - literally. Allarick has his queen but will she be able to cope?

You know what? I adored Allarick! He never doubted Erin personally and was in awe of her strength, even when she thought she had none. He supported and encouraged her from day one, respecting her boundaries and letting her set the pace. And Erin herself? She broke my heart! I was egging her on every step of the way, her small steps being celebrated by me just as much as Allarick! When she finally broke free of the chains of her past, it was amazing to see, as well as being spicy! 😁 The safety she found in Allarick and his tentacles was so well-written. After all, it wasn't tentacles that had hurt her!!!

You would think after seeing his two fellow kings and their brides, Allarick would have realised that trying to keep his new bride safe and protected just wasn't going to work. I mean, come on, dude! BUT it was for the right reasons, so I'll let him off!

As with every book by this author, it was well-written, well-paced, with amazing world- and character-building. Hot and spicy, tender and caring, it's all here. I know once I pick up a book by this author, I'm going nowhere until I've finished it! And what an ending! Did I have a satisfied smile on my face when I read the epilogue and found out what happened to James? Why, yes I did! And bring on the next book!!! I can't wait.

In case you haven't realised yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and the series! It would be better to read them in order but you could read them as standalone IF you wanted to miss out on the fabulousness of the others.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 13, 2025
  
Getting Over Jesse Franklin
Getting Over Jesse Franklin
Stephie Chapman | 2015 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A lovely romance with a touch of nostalgia. (0 more)
Couldn't put it down.
I am always a bit wary about reading anything written by someone I follow, and chat to, on twitter. What if I don’t enjoy it?

Totes awkward. Especially if I’ve told them I’m reading it. I worry that I’d have to leave twitter in case they ask me if I liked their book.

So, I’d been putting off reading Getting Over Jesse Franklin. But it’s on offer, free on Amazon right now, and when I saw that, I suddenly had a bad case of FOMO.

I had to read it because what if I was missing out on a good thing?

And I’m so glad that I did!

Just one chapter in I tweeted that I was hooked.

I walked around Asda, still reading, this evening, and I’m admitting nothing here but I might have served pot noodles for dinner because I could not put the book down.

If you’ve ever had a crush on a member of a band you’ll enjoy the trip down memory lane, if you’re a sucker for a romance you’ll love this one.

It’s not insta love, which so many stories are lately, it’s a romance that blossoms, at first, on the internet.

We’ve all been there haven’t we? Waiting, hoping, for a message to ping, almost afraid to look in case it doesn’t, feeling your heart stop for a moment when it does.

Let me tell you, I now have a major crush on Jesse Franklin!

Stephie writes so well, the story keeps moving, I loved the cast of characters, Cassie’s friends, family, colleagues, and of course Jessie’s family.

The story is told by Cassie and reads in such a way that it’s like a friend telling you a story over a bottle of wine and a slice – or two – of cake.

The descriptive writing is spot on, I could picture every scene perfectly.

At one point I wanted to grab Cassie by the shoulders, give her a firm shake and tell her not to do it, to slow down, but she did do it, and she broke my heart. There I was reminiscing about the posters I had on my wall as a teen, smiling because sometimes an online relationship can lead to love, my optimistic heart all a flutter, then boom! I found myself heartbroken in aisle 7 of my local Asda.

I absolutely loved this book! So much that I’m now going to buy the sequel, Jetplanes to Jupiter. I just hope I can put it down for long enough to cook a proper dinner tomorrow.

I wholeheartedly recommend Getting Over Jesse Franklin but read it at the weekend because you’ll get nothing done.
  
    iGrand Piano for iPad

    iGrand Piano for iPad

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    THE CONCERT QUALITY PIANO APP UPDATED FOR AUDIOBUS AND INTER-APP AUDIO WITH NEW EXPANSION PACK, EQ...

Rocked Hard
Rocked Hard
Morticia Knight | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Aubrey was a bit in-yer-face!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Jumping straight in here!

For the most part, really did enjoy this book by Ms Knight. I've read a lot of her BDSM books and really enjoy the way she spins her tales, so was intrigued to see how this would work.

It works, really well apart from one major issue I struggled with.

Aubrey, himself.

He is so totally in-yer-face, right from the start, with how much he cares for Bryan, loves him, even and I found him too much too soon. Granted, he doesn't let it all out to Bryan early, but WE get it. We get how much he wanted Bryan to write his memoirs. How much it was ONLY Bryan he wanted to write them, so he could get up close and personal with Bryan.

And he does get up close and personal, very VERY quickly. Aubrey and Bryan's relationship moves at rocket speed, partly because of Aubrey's in-yer-face-ness, and partly because Bryan is also a rocket launcher as far as Aubrey is concerned, and I did struggle to keep up with them!

I didn't get just what Chuck was doing, and why, til it all came out in the book. I knew it was be bad, but I wasn't expecting that. I did like how it took a single line from a song Aubrey wrote, to make Bryan see how much he really did love Aubrey, and he would forgive him pretty much anything.

Aubrey in-yer-face aside, I really did enjoy this. It's well told from both man's point of view, so we get all of Aubrey, but also all of Bryan and the internal wrangling he does about his feelings for Aubrey, both as his rock star idol, but also Aubrey the MAN. Because Bryan hasn't been with a man before and it's a huge shock to him to feel this way. But I liked that, while it WAS a shock, Bryan just ran with it, thinking, what the heck and let's see where this takes us.

So, all in all, a great read, just pipped off those 5 star because of the in-yer-face-ness.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
    EMS ALS Guide

    EMS ALS Guide

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    The original EMS Field Guide® from Informed Publishing—the trusted leader in emergency reference...

    BackTrax

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