Search
Search results
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Guess Who in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew.
One murder; one room; 5 suspects. Now there’s a promising description for an intense read!
The story begins when central character, Morgan Shephard wakes up handcuffed in what appears to be a hotel room in London. Morgan is a resident detective for a daytime reality TV programme. With him there’s a lawyer, an actress, a teenager, a coffee shop worker, and a hotel cleaner. They find a dead body in the bath - the body of Morgan’s therapist. A message from a masked man appears on the TV screen explaining that Morgan has 3 hours to identify the murderer or the hotel will be blown up.
The characters find that they cannot escape the room. Morgan runs quick interviews with the suspects and finds that they all have links to the victim, but not as strong as his own. Before the 3 hours is up, while Morgan is searching the air ducts, the one suspect accuses another and proceeds to stab him to death. Morgan becomes fairly sure that he knows who murdered his therapist and calls the name out moments before the 3 hours are up. Then nothing happens so he calls out the names of all the suspects. An explosion is then heard by all, but everything remains as it was – there was no explosion. They then discover that they are not at all where they thought they were.
The chapters on Morgan’s current settings are spliced with chapters from other points in Morgan’s life with special emphasis on his solving of a murder which made him famous at age 11, and the reader discovers who has had the longest vendetta against Morgan, and the chapters slowly spell out why.
But this does little to address the reasoning behind the presence of the others in the room, until a further 2 vendettas are revealed.
I enjoyed the book and the story behind the masked man’s murderous hatred, but what I didn’t like was that the general premise of the book wasn’t lived up to. The 3 hours before the “explosion” was up at the 50% mark of the book, and the 5 suspects in the room all have incredibly weak links to the murder victim. I also think that more story could have been made around the lawyer whose big case Morgan was somehow embroiled in which was to take to trial that very day.
I found elements of the book too unrealistic, with extensive effort to bring the plotting to fruition, 1 completely needless and unnecessary victim, and an actual willing murder victim. Also Morgan’s drink and drug dependency did nothing to aid the story telling.
Although I was hoping for more from the book, the plot was indeed intense and I did have a good read.
One murder; one room; 5 suspects. Now there’s a promising description for an intense read!
The story begins when central character, Morgan Shephard wakes up handcuffed in what appears to be a hotel room in London. Morgan is a resident detective for a daytime reality TV programme. With him there’s a lawyer, an actress, a teenager, a coffee shop worker, and a hotel cleaner. They find a dead body in the bath - the body of Morgan’s therapist. A message from a masked man appears on the TV screen explaining that Morgan has 3 hours to identify the murderer or the hotel will be blown up.
The characters find that they cannot escape the room. Morgan runs quick interviews with the suspects and finds that they all have links to the victim, but not as strong as his own. Before the 3 hours is up, while Morgan is searching the air ducts, the one suspect accuses another and proceeds to stab him to death. Morgan becomes fairly sure that he knows who murdered his therapist and calls the name out moments before the 3 hours are up. Then nothing happens so he calls out the names of all the suspects. An explosion is then heard by all, but everything remains as it was – there was no explosion. They then discover that they are not at all where they thought they were.
The chapters on Morgan’s current settings are spliced with chapters from other points in Morgan’s life with special emphasis on his solving of a murder which made him famous at age 11, and the reader discovers who has had the longest vendetta against Morgan, and the chapters slowly spell out why.
But this does little to address the reasoning behind the presence of the others in the room, until a further 2 vendettas are revealed.
I enjoyed the book and the story behind the masked man’s murderous hatred, but what I didn’t like was that the general premise of the book wasn’t lived up to. The 3 hours before the “explosion” was up at the 50% mark of the book, and the 5 suspects in the room all have incredibly weak links to the murder victim. I also think that more story could have been made around the lawyer whose big case Morgan was somehow embroiled in which was to take to trial that very day.
I found elements of the book too unrealistic, with extensive effort to bring the plotting to fruition, 1 completely needless and unnecessary victim, and an actual willing murder victim. Also Morgan’s drink and drug dependency did nothing to aid the story telling.
Although I was hoping for more from the book, the plot was indeed intense and I did have a good read.
Carma (21 KP) rated Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone, #2) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis is a Wildstone series book and of course another great one from this author. I loved the format of this book, and I really dont think Ive seen it before, of each page having an interaction between Lanie and her anxiety.
Lanie (Delaney) Jacobs is 30, starting a new job 2 ½ hours away from her old life and leaving everything behind (including her anxiety) for 2 months. Unfortunately her anxiety decides to come along for the ride. Lanie just lost her husband and what she finds out about her husband after his death would send anyone packing for a quick getaway. She agrees to take on a temporary job helping a family business re-brand their business and quickly finds herself in the middle of a real Walton family family.
Mark Capriotti is as rough and rugged as they come. He is an ex military man, an assistant sheriff, but at the end of the day, this tough guys heart has long been captured by his twin daughters. Having to move back home with his family to be a single dad to his girls was the last thing he ever thought would happen. He is grateful to have his mom, 2 sisters, uncles and more to pick up the slack of helping to care for Samantha and Sierra. He never wants to fall in love again, and isnt that just what happens.
With a back story for Lanie that comes out piece by piece and secondary characters to help push it along, this story was really well told. My only gripe about this entire book was the abrupt ending. I dont know if it was due to reading on an ereader that it felt more abrupt but it stopped and I was feeling like I missed some pages. As I said above I loved the anxiety quotes on each page, how many of us have those same thoughts on a daily or weekly basis. I loved how this family came together and stayed together through thick and thin. Being sarcastic myself, I enjoyed Mias sarcastic humor most of all. Even Uncle Jack, though sometimes behaving like a overgrown frat boy, had insightful wisdom to share with anyone who asked (or even those who didnt).
Overall this story was well written for each character both main or secondary. I enjoyed following along on their journey of escape, attraction, hiding, and eventually not fighting the feelings. I received an advance copy of this novel without any expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own (whether you like them or not ha).
Lanie (Delaney) Jacobs is 30, starting a new job 2 ½ hours away from her old life and leaving everything behind (including her anxiety) for 2 months. Unfortunately her anxiety decides to come along for the ride. Lanie just lost her husband and what she finds out about her husband after his death would send anyone packing for a quick getaway. She agrees to take on a temporary job helping a family business re-brand their business and quickly finds herself in the middle of a real Walton family family.
Mark Capriotti is as rough and rugged as they come. He is an ex military man, an assistant sheriff, but at the end of the day, this tough guys heart has long been captured by his twin daughters. Having to move back home with his family to be a single dad to his girls was the last thing he ever thought would happen. He is grateful to have his mom, 2 sisters, uncles and more to pick up the slack of helping to care for Samantha and Sierra. He never wants to fall in love again, and isnt that just what happens.
With a back story for Lanie that comes out piece by piece and secondary characters to help push it along, this story was really well told. My only gripe about this entire book was the abrupt ending. I dont know if it was due to reading on an ereader that it felt more abrupt but it stopped and I was feeling like I missed some pages. As I said above I loved the anxiety quotes on each page, how many of us have those same thoughts on a daily or weekly basis. I loved how this family came together and stayed together through thick and thin. Being sarcastic myself, I enjoyed Mias sarcastic humor most of all. Even Uncle Jack, though sometimes behaving like a overgrown frat boy, had insightful wisdom to share with anyone who asked (or even those who didnt).
Overall this story was well written for each character both main or secondary. I enjoyed following along on their journey of escape, attraction, hiding, and eventually not fighting the feelings. I received an advance copy of this novel without any expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own (whether you like them or not ha).
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Bring Me Home in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Eminence Hill (2019) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – Noah is the leader of a religious group, he takes it into his own hands to play judge jury and executioner in his community and doesn’t take to lightly towards the Tullis Gang coming into his territory. Royce Tullis is the leader of the gang with his love Gretchen, they have been targeting jurors who sentenced his brother to death and now finishing their killing spree, they look to escape, only they both find themselves questioning their actions while being held captive by Noah. Quincy is the lawman that is trying to track down the Tullis Gang, he is uses his gun skills when needed and can read a person through any conversation.
Performances – Barry Corbin does bring his character to life in this film to change the tone of what we had seen. Clint James and Dominique Swain are both strong as the outlaw figures, not being full blown crazy evil like members of their gang. Owen Conway is the star of the show with his calm calculated character.
Story – The story here follows an US Marshall tracking down a group of outlaws, who have fallen into the hands of a religion community that want to make them pay for their sins. We do follow three different sides of the stories unfold, we get the outlaws planning their escape, they have US Marshall planning his way of capturing them and the religious group wanting to stay out of world’s view. We do get to see each side develop and with secrets behind certain ones being held back long enough. We do get to see just how every does feel like a chapter in a Red Dead Redemption chapter, where the outlaws meet a random group which will be the problem they need to overcome, while avoiding a fate coming for them.
Western – The western side of the film is well designed, showing us the outlaws, bounty hunter and strange groups that could have been built up not knowing too much more outside their comfort zones.
Settings – The settings are well crafted sets for the town, while the open plains represent the world in the era the film would be set in.
Scene of the Movie – Noah’s dinner offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have spent more time on the Royce hunting down jurors.
Final Thoughts – This is a western that plays everything out well, without being as edgy as the subject matter wants to be, the religious group could have gone a lot darker, with plenty of signs of this, while the Marshall is the most interesting characters of the whole cast.
Overall: Western by the book.
Performances – Barry Corbin does bring his character to life in this film to change the tone of what we had seen. Clint James and Dominique Swain are both strong as the outlaw figures, not being full blown crazy evil like members of their gang. Owen Conway is the star of the show with his calm calculated character.
Story – The story here follows an US Marshall tracking down a group of outlaws, who have fallen into the hands of a religion community that want to make them pay for their sins. We do follow three different sides of the stories unfold, we get the outlaws planning their escape, they have US Marshall planning his way of capturing them and the religious group wanting to stay out of world’s view. We do get to see each side develop and with secrets behind certain ones being held back long enough. We do get to see just how every does feel like a chapter in a Red Dead Redemption chapter, where the outlaws meet a random group which will be the problem they need to overcome, while avoiding a fate coming for them.
Western – The western side of the film is well designed, showing us the outlaws, bounty hunter and strange groups that could have been built up not knowing too much more outside their comfort zones.
Settings – The settings are well crafted sets for the town, while the open plains represent the world in the era the film would be set in.
Scene of the Movie – Noah’s dinner offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have spent more time on the Royce hunting down jurors.
Final Thoughts – This is a western that plays everything out well, without being as edgy as the subject matter wants to be, the religious group could have gone a lot darker, with plenty of signs of this, while the Marshall is the most interesting characters of the whole cast.
Overall: Western by the book.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Running with the Devil (2019) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – Noah is the leader of a religious group, he takes it into his own hands to play judge jury and executioner in his community and doesn’t take to lightly towards the Tullis Gang coming into his territory. Royce Tullis is the leader of the gang with his love Gretchen, they have been targeting jurors who sentenced his brother to death and now finishing their killing spree, they look to escape, only they both find themselves questioning their actions while being held captive by Noah. Quincy is the lawman that is trying to track down the Tullis Gang, he is uses his gun skills when needed and can read a person through any conversation.
Performances – Barry Corbin does bring his character to life in this film to change the tone of what we had seen. Clint James and Dominique Swain are both strong as the outlaw figures, not being full blown crazy evil like members of their gang. Owen Conway is the star of the show with his calm calculated character.
Story – The story here follows an US Marshall tracking down a group of outlaws, who have fallen into the hands of a religion community that want to make them pay for their sins. We do follow three different sides of the stories unfold, we get the outlaws planning their escape, they have US Marshall planning his way of capturing them and the religious group wanting to stay out of world’s view. We do get to see each side develop and with secrets behind certain ones being held back long enough. We do get to see just how every does feel like a chapter in a Red Dead Redemption chapter, where the outlaws meet a random group which will be the problem they need to overcome, while avoiding a fate coming for them.
Western – The western side of the film is well designed, showing us the outlaws, bounty hunter and strange groups that could have been built up not knowing too much more outside their comfort zones.
Settings – The settings are well crafted sets for the town, while the open plains represent the world in the era the film would be set in.
Scene of the Movie – Noah’s dinner offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have spent more time on the Royce hunting down jurors.
Final Thoughts – This is a western that plays everything out well, without being as edgy as the subject matter wants to be, the religious group could have gone a lot darker, with plenty of signs of this, while the Marshall is the most interesting characters of the whole cast.
Overall: Western by the book.
Performances – Barry Corbin does bring his character to life in this film to change the tone of what we had seen. Clint James and Dominique Swain are both strong as the outlaw figures, not being full blown crazy evil like members of their gang. Owen Conway is the star of the show with his calm calculated character.
Story – The story here follows an US Marshall tracking down a group of outlaws, who have fallen into the hands of a religion community that want to make them pay for their sins. We do follow three different sides of the stories unfold, we get the outlaws planning their escape, they have US Marshall planning his way of capturing them and the religious group wanting to stay out of world’s view. We do get to see each side develop and with secrets behind certain ones being held back long enough. We do get to see just how every does feel like a chapter in a Red Dead Redemption chapter, where the outlaws meet a random group which will be the problem they need to overcome, while avoiding a fate coming for them.
Western – The western side of the film is well designed, showing us the outlaws, bounty hunter and strange groups that could have been built up not knowing too much more outside their comfort zones.
Settings – The settings are well crafted sets for the town, while the open plains represent the world in the era the film would be set in.
Scene of the Movie – Noah’s dinner offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have spent more time on the Royce hunting down jurors.
Final Thoughts – This is a western that plays everything out well, without being as edgy as the subject matter wants to be, the religious group could have gone a lot darker, with plenty of signs of this, while the Marshall is the most interesting characters of the whole cast.
Overall: Western by the book.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated The Book of Eli (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
In a post apocalyptic future, a loan man travels the desolate roads on a solitary quest. The man known only as Eli (Denzel Washington), has been travelling west for decades on a mission of faith after receiving what he believes to be a mission of divine origin.
The solitary life of Eli is interrupted now and then by bandits that roam the lands causing death and mayhem to all those unfortunate enough to cross their path.
This often ends very badly for the bandits as Eli is highly skilled at defending himself with all manner of weapons, especially a very large knife.
It is his deadly skills that lands Eli on the radar of as local dictator named Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who desires to add Eli to his army as he plans to restore society under his rule. The town Eli finds himself in is the first in a planned series of towns that Carnegie plans to rule, and a man with the knowledge and skill of Eli is simply too good to let get away.
In an attempt to entice Eli into his service, Carnegie provides Eli with food, water, shelter, and women. When Eli is presented with the lovely Solara (Mila Kunis), he refuses to take advantage of her and instead leads her in a prayer before sharing his food with her.
This kind act touches Solara who recites the mysterious words of the prayer to her mother in an attempt to learn the meaning of what Eli was saying. Carnegie discovers what Eli has said, and learns of a book in Eli’s possession that he has been guarding for many years.
Carnegie is obsessed with obtaining the book as he sees this as the missing piece to his planned empire and will stop at nothing to obtain it.
What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse as Carnegie and his minions are in hot pursuit of Eli and Solara as the future of humanity rests in the balance.
“The Book of Eli” is a winning mix of action and story that cleverly balances the two so that one side never overshadows the other.
The film is driven by the strong performances of Oldman and Washington as well as the simple yet strong message of faith and determination.
Both lead characters have a mystery to them that is never fully explored as the audience is given only what we need to know about each character for the purpose of the story.
The most surprising thing about the film was the strong and inspirational message it contained that may be too strong for some, but to me was not only inspiring but unexpected in a Hollywood film.
In the end, the strong cast, good action, and story makes this a film worth seeing and a pleasant surprise.
The solitary life of Eli is interrupted now and then by bandits that roam the lands causing death and mayhem to all those unfortunate enough to cross their path.
This often ends very badly for the bandits as Eli is highly skilled at defending himself with all manner of weapons, especially a very large knife.
It is his deadly skills that lands Eli on the radar of as local dictator named Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who desires to add Eli to his army as he plans to restore society under his rule. The town Eli finds himself in is the first in a planned series of towns that Carnegie plans to rule, and a man with the knowledge and skill of Eli is simply too good to let get away.
In an attempt to entice Eli into his service, Carnegie provides Eli with food, water, shelter, and women. When Eli is presented with the lovely Solara (Mila Kunis), he refuses to take advantage of her and instead leads her in a prayer before sharing his food with her.
This kind act touches Solara who recites the mysterious words of the prayer to her mother in an attempt to learn the meaning of what Eli was saying. Carnegie discovers what Eli has said, and learns of a book in Eli’s possession that he has been guarding for many years.
Carnegie is obsessed with obtaining the book as he sees this as the missing piece to his planned empire and will stop at nothing to obtain it.
What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse as Carnegie and his minions are in hot pursuit of Eli and Solara as the future of humanity rests in the balance.
“The Book of Eli” is a winning mix of action and story that cleverly balances the two so that one side never overshadows the other.
The film is driven by the strong performances of Oldman and Washington as well as the simple yet strong message of faith and determination.
Both lead characters have a mystery to them that is never fully explored as the audience is given only what we need to know about each character for the purpose of the story.
The most surprising thing about the film was the strong and inspirational message it contained that may be too strong for some, but to me was not only inspiring but unexpected in a Hollywood film.
In the end, the strong cast, good action, and story makes this a film worth seeing and a pleasant surprise.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) in Movies
Dec 13, 2019
Sleepaway Hell Camp 1993
Since its Friday the 13th today, im going to review, the one that couldnt have the Friday the 13th title because new line couldnt have the title. The one that teased Freddy vs. Jason at the end of the movie, and then didnt happen for anethor 10 years. The one that was the ninth one. This one continued teenagers being teenagers. The one with Jason being blowed up in the beginning and transfering his soul from people to people, wait what??? Why???
The Plot: After being blown away by a team of FBI agents, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) needs to find a way to overcome certain death. When his bloodied remains are sent to the morgue, his heart, still intact, is able to hypnotize a coroner and take over his body. After brutally dispatching a couple of FBI agents, he heads back to his favorite stomping grounds: Crystal Lake. Jason commences another teen massacre while a bounty hunter (Steven Williams) discovers the only way to kill him.
Tony Todd auditioned for the role of Creighton Duke, which went to Steven Williams. He should of been in it.
In November 2017, Adam Marcus revealed that an overlooked plot-point of the movie is that Jason Voorhees is actually connected to the Evil Dead franchise. The filmmaker stated, “Pamela Voorhees makes a deal with the devil by reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son. It’s not like I could tell New Line my plan to include The Evil Dead, because they don’t own The Evil Dead. So it had to be an Easter egg, and I did focus on it…there’s a whole scene that includes the book, and I hoped people would get it and could figure out that’s what I’m up to. So yes, in my opinion, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. He’s one of The Evil Dead.”
Marcus revealed Creighton Duke's intended backstory, "A teenage Creighton was out on Crystal Lake with his girlfriend. Jason capsized their small boat and pulled the girl down into the lake. Creighton tried to save her but could not. She was never seen again. Creighton vowed revenge and from that moment on he spent his life in the study and pursuit of Jason. He became a bounty hunter just to fund his work in taking down his nemesis.
Im not sure why this movie excist, but it does. A question is unanswered is how did Jason go from a kid at the end of part 8 to a full adlut in this one. Also how did Jason get back to Crystal Lake from Manhattan? Question that will not have a answer too.
Its still entertaining kind-of, its still a popcorn horror film kind-of. Its Jason Goes to Hell.
The Plot: After being blown away by a team of FBI agents, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) needs to find a way to overcome certain death. When his bloodied remains are sent to the morgue, his heart, still intact, is able to hypnotize a coroner and take over his body. After brutally dispatching a couple of FBI agents, he heads back to his favorite stomping grounds: Crystal Lake. Jason commences another teen massacre while a bounty hunter (Steven Williams) discovers the only way to kill him.
Tony Todd auditioned for the role of Creighton Duke, which went to Steven Williams. He should of been in it.
In November 2017, Adam Marcus revealed that an overlooked plot-point of the movie is that Jason Voorhees is actually connected to the Evil Dead franchise. The filmmaker stated, “Pamela Voorhees makes a deal with the devil by reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son. It’s not like I could tell New Line my plan to include The Evil Dead, because they don’t own The Evil Dead. So it had to be an Easter egg, and I did focus on it…there’s a whole scene that includes the book, and I hoped people would get it and could figure out that’s what I’m up to. So yes, in my opinion, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. He’s one of The Evil Dead.”
Marcus revealed Creighton Duke's intended backstory, "A teenage Creighton was out on Crystal Lake with his girlfriend. Jason capsized their small boat and pulled the girl down into the lake. Creighton tried to save her but could not. She was never seen again. Creighton vowed revenge and from that moment on he spent his life in the study and pursuit of Jason. He became a bounty hunter just to fund his work in taking down his nemesis.
Im not sure why this movie excist, but it does. A question is unanswered is how did Jason go from a kid at the end of part 8 to a full adlut in this one. Also how did Jason get back to Crystal Lake from Manhattan? Question that will not have a answer too.
Its still entertaining kind-of, its still a popcorn horror film kind-of. Its Jason Goes to Hell.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated A Good Neighborhood in Books
Mar 26, 2020
Oak Knoll is a close-knit multiracial neighborhood in North Carolina where everyone looks out for one another. Valerie Alston-Holt, a professor and single mother, has raised her biracial son, Xavier, there since he was small. Their calm life changes, however, when the Whitman family moves in next door. First they raze the current house and build a "Mcmansion," whose very existence threatens the health of Valerie's beloved historic oak tree. Brad Whitman is a local celebrity, known for his charisma and commercials for his company, Whitman HVAC. His wife, Julia, has long escaped her trailer park days and is now raising her daughters Julia and Lily in a privilege she once dreamed of. But soon the Alston-Holts and Whitmans find them themselves fighting over the oak tree's well-being and then, the budding romance between Julia and Xavier.
"An upscale new house in a simple old neighborhood. A girl on a chaise beside a swimming pool, who wants to be left alone. We begin our story here, in the minutes before the small event that will change everything."
This book took my heart and spit it right out again. Oh my goodness. It's a different, beautiful, and absolutely heartbreaking read. We're told from the very beginning--by our omniscient third person narrator--that something bad is going to happen. And yet, I lived in denial that this was true. I devoured this book in two halves. It's utterly engrossing, and the characters just pop off the pages. The teens, especially. Oh Juniper and Xavier. I will not easily forget either of you.
A Good Neighborhood tackles a host of timely topics, and it handles all of them deftly. Race, religion, sexism, feminism--none of these are exempt in the pages of this novel. We see whiteness as a symbolism for purity, and we watch as Juniper struggles with the set of values being pushed upon her by her mother and stepfather, including a "purity vow" to remain both a virgin and loyal to her future husband. And then there's Xavier, a talented musician, who has been raised by his strong mother after his father's death. She wants so much for her son to do anything, but yet lives in fear because he is biracial. Juniper, Xavier, and Valerie were such powerful characters.
I do not want to give much of the plot away, but I can tell you that this book is heartbreaking and beautiful. It will get you to think about racism and sexism. The strong themes of good versus evil are presented in such a unique and compelling manner. Adding the third-person piece just gives an extra piece to the story. This book is incredibly well-written and will stay with you for quite some time. 4.5 stars.
"An upscale new house in a simple old neighborhood. A girl on a chaise beside a swimming pool, who wants to be left alone. We begin our story here, in the minutes before the small event that will change everything."
This book took my heart and spit it right out again. Oh my goodness. It's a different, beautiful, and absolutely heartbreaking read. We're told from the very beginning--by our omniscient third person narrator--that something bad is going to happen. And yet, I lived in denial that this was true. I devoured this book in two halves. It's utterly engrossing, and the characters just pop off the pages. The teens, especially. Oh Juniper and Xavier. I will not easily forget either of you.
A Good Neighborhood tackles a host of timely topics, and it handles all of them deftly. Race, religion, sexism, feminism--none of these are exempt in the pages of this novel. We see whiteness as a symbolism for purity, and we watch as Juniper struggles with the set of values being pushed upon her by her mother and stepfather, including a "purity vow" to remain both a virgin and loyal to her future husband. And then there's Xavier, a talented musician, who has been raised by his strong mother after his father's death. She wants so much for her son to do anything, but yet lives in fear because he is biracial. Juniper, Xavier, and Valerie were such powerful characters.
I do not want to give much of the plot away, but I can tell you that this book is heartbreaking and beautiful. It will get you to think about racism and sexism. The strong themes of good versus evil are presented in such a unique and compelling manner. Adding the third-person piece just gives an extra piece to the story. This book is incredibly well-written and will stay with you for quite some time. 4.5 stars.
Joan of Arc: The Image of Female Heroism
Book
The fame of Joan of Arc began in her lifetime and, though it has dipped a little now and then, she...
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
9.0
Rate It
Book
Introduction by Gillian Flynn Afterword by Patton Oswalt "This is a one sit-down read. That's how...