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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Hocus Pocus (1993) in Movies
Mar 16, 2021
A full-tilt ball, I tend to be averse to anything ruminating with *this* much untamed theater kid energy - but Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and of-fucking-course Bette Midler are 110% off the chain. I admit that the odious 90s stereotypes in this are hard to stomach, but I miss when Disney's live action allowed for such sublime scenery-chewing like this trio of perfect performances instead of Will Smith and some dude tepidly talking about jelly for what feels like an hour. I hate to be that guy, but something this lively just couldn't be recreated from the company today; Kenny Ortega's knack for brilliant practical effects and super impressive CGI for the time today is replaced by plastic visuals and flat soundstages where any sense of fun all but evaporates. Make no mistake, this is still not much more than pure fluff at the end of the day - but Lord it's such a blast. One of the few millennial-worship films I can fully understand the hype for, a delightful cross between šš©š¦ ššŖšµš¤š©š¦š“ š°š§ šš¢š“šµšøšŖš¤š¬ and "The Three Stooges". It's also consistently funny. "I Put A Spell On You" is a bop, and maybe I'm just getting old but the stuff at the end had me genuinely choked up.
Heather & Cornelius Lindsey
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Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today with The Lindseys Heather challenges teens, young adults and...
Faery: Legends Of Avalon
6.5
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Faery: Legends of Avalon is a turn-based role playing game packed with a unique atmosphere and...
Faery Legends of Avalon Turn-based Action RPG medieval Rpg
Buddy Complex
8.2
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When ordinary high school student Aoba Watase is suddenly targeted by a giant robot known as a...
Mecha Time Travel
Blood Truth (Black Dagger Legacy, #4)
8.0
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Book
As a trainee in the Black Dagger Brotherhood's program, Boone has triumphed as a soldier and now...
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Epic of Helinthia in Books
Apr 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this. Epic of Helinthia is a play on the Greek myths, using the usual Gods and Goddesses with the addition of a āyoungerā Goddess: Helinthia.
The humans of Helinthiaās island are caught in the crossfire when other Gods (namely Hera) decide to teach her a lesson. Of course the humans are just pawns to be played with.
I liked the action (fights, chases, lion attacks (I know!!)), the interference of other Gods/ Goddesses (Artemis and Apollo in particular) in order to help their favourite humans, and the fact that you could never be quite sure who you could trust.
The writing is immersive - the scenes are well set, the characters are both easy to live and hate, as well as empathise with.
It felt as though a lot of research had gone into the culture of the time as well as the mythology surrounding it, and it was rather violent and bloody on occasion (these were violent times!).
Iām so glad that I enjoyed this, as I have the next instalment all set to go from BookSirens - the Oracle of Helinthia is set to be out very soon (and my review will be up as soon as Iāve read it!).
The humans of Helinthiaās island are caught in the crossfire when other Gods (namely Hera) decide to teach her a lesson. Of course the humans are just pawns to be played with.
I liked the action (fights, chases, lion attacks (I know!!)), the interference of other Gods/ Goddesses (Artemis and Apollo in particular) in order to help their favourite humans, and the fact that you could never be quite sure who you could trust.
The writing is immersive - the scenes are well set, the characters are both easy to live and hate, as well as empathise with.
It felt as though a lot of research had gone into the culture of the time as well as the mythology surrounding it, and it was rather violent and bloody on occasion (these were violent times!).
Iām so glad that I enjoyed this, as I have the next instalment all set to go from BookSirens - the Oracle of Helinthia is set to be out very soon (and my review will be up as soon as Iāve read it!).
Magelight
8.0
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Fleeing her sheltered life, a noblewoman must trust a warrior, a forester, and a thief to unlock her...
Action & Adventure Fantasy Romance
Merissa (14222 KP) rated Blood Flame (Flame #1) in Books
Apr 15, 2023
In the first of a new series, we enter the world of the alters - where those that have gone through a paranormal change have to live. Their lives are irrevocably changed in more ways than one. To go back to the human world, you need a passport!
Connor and Iris are both obsessed with each other but neither will act upon it as they are 'enemies'. Vampires and Witches are basically distrustful of each other and with good reason. This doesn't stop the feelings that they are both fighting though. Circumstances push them together when it becomes clear that they are both being played and their lives are at stake.
This is a fast-paced and action-packed book that will delight and titillate! I loved the relationship that grew between Connor and Iris, even with the darkness that enveloped them both. The levels of trust go up as they spend more time with each other and learn the secrets of their past.
An excellent start to a new series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Aug 21, 2015
Connor and Iris are both obsessed with each other but neither will act upon it as they are 'enemies'. Vampires and Witches are basically distrustful of each other and with good reason. This doesn't stop the feelings that they are both fighting though. Circumstances push them together when it becomes clear that they are both being played and their lives are at stake.
This is a fast-paced and action-packed book that will delight and titillate! I loved the relationship that grew between Connor and Iris, even with the darkness that enveloped them both. The levels of trust go up as they spend more time with each other and learn the secrets of their past.
An excellent start to a new series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Aug 21, 2015
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Kingdom (2019) in Movies
Aug 12, 2019
Action sequences. (2 more)
The Mountain Tribe.
Zuo Ci.
134-minute duration feels like a marathon. (1 more)
Drags a lot in its first half.
I havenāt read any of the 55 volumes (and counting) of Yasuhisa Haraās Kingdom manga or watched any of the 77 episodes of the anime adapted by animation studio Pierrot (Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Tokyo Ghoul among many others). To make matters worse, I havenāt seen any of the films by director and co-screenwriter Shinsuke Sato (the two live-action Gantz films, Death Note: Light Up the New World, the live-action Bleach film for Netflix). Iām going into Kingdom completely blind and I have no idea if that makes the viewing experience any better or worse.
In 255 B.C., Kingdom revolves around the quick-tempered and charge-headfirst-into-battle-without-thinking Xin (Kento Yamazaki) that dreams of being the greatest general of the Qin Kingdom. Thereās other stuff going on; a bloody 500 year war between the seven states of China, Xinās best friend Piao (RyĆ“ Yoshizawa) being enlisted by the King only to turn around and be killed, and King Yin Zheng being a splitting image of Piao, but nothing is emphasized or screamed louder than Xinās desire to become the greatest general China has ever known.
Kingdom feels like itās about 45 minutes too long for its own good. The first hour seems to drag as blood spraying into the air every now and then isnāt enough to keep you fully intrigued. The manga is an exaggerated recounting of Zheng actually becoming king in 221 B.C. during the Warring States period and eventually unifying China while the characters are loosely based on actual historical figures. The action adventure film attempts to portray Xin and Piao as worthy and capable swordsman because they clunked stick swords together 10,000 times in an empty field throughout their childhood and teenage years.
The film tries to compensate for its slow first hour with a more eventful second half, but it doesnāt totally succeed. Yang Duan He (Masami Nagasawa) and her mountain tribe are pretty awesome. Their masks remind you of something straight out of Princess Mononoke and youāll be trying your hardest not to compare Yang Duan He to Xena: Warrior Princess. Thereās this competition for the throne that gets a little complicated. Zhengās brother Cheng Jiao (Kanata Hongo) is nasty and heartless and basically a human version of Salacious Crumb sitting on an even more elaborate version of Jabba the Huttās dais. Zheng and Jiao have the same father, but different mothers; Jiaoās is of royal blood and Zhengās is a dancer or, in other words, a commoner. Jiao viewed peasantry as being bone deep; it isnāt something that can ever go away.
The main theme of Kingdom sounds like a direct ripoff of the main Guardians of the Galaxy theme, which is kind of brain-numbing. The prosthetics in the film are questionable with Li Dian, the original slave owner of Xin and Piao, having this awkwardly orange colored face, inhumanly puffy cheeks, stringy facial hair, and the ugliest facial expressions imaginable. After Xin joins up with Zheng, a girl in a bushy owl costume named He Liao Diao (Kanna Hasimoto) is mostly only around to take everyone to the mountains later. The chemistry Xin, Zheng, and Diao have is reminiscent of what Mugen, Jin, and Foo have in Samurai Champloo. Another observation is that Xin is basically Goku with Vegetaās short-fuse temper; he lives to fight and eat, heās dumber than a bag of rocks, and he canāt identify a woman when sheās standing directly in front of him.
Cheng Jiaoās go-to henchman, former general and current hitman for hire Zuo Ci (Tak Sakaguchi) may be the filmās coolest character. He doesnāt care about anybody, tells Xin that all dreams are BS, and is a part of what is arguably the best action sequence in the film. Meanwhile, General Wang Yi (Takao Ohsawa), the most renowned general in all of China and the guy with the status Xin plans on taking in the future, is a bit overrated. He mostly just parades his weird and pointy facial hair around and swings his giant sword as if it wonāt remind us of Guts from Berserk.
All in all, Kingdom is a decent action adventure that just takes a while to really get going. The performances arenāt totally satisfying with Kento Yamazaki hamming it up on more than occasion and taking the brainless dolt with a huge mouth thing to uncomfortable levels. The story isnāt exactly hard to follow, but it does feel like itās trying to be more convoluted than it needs to be. You donāt feel any sort of attachment to any of the characters and any sort of twist can be seen long before the reveal. Kingdom is just an okay way to spend two hours that is probably a justifiable rental on a day when you have nothing better to do, but is not worth paying full price to own.
In 255 B.C., Kingdom revolves around the quick-tempered and charge-headfirst-into-battle-without-thinking Xin (Kento Yamazaki) that dreams of being the greatest general of the Qin Kingdom. Thereās other stuff going on; a bloody 500 year war between the seven states of China, Xinās best friend Piao (RyĆ“ Yoshizawa) being enlisted by the King only to turn around and be killed, and King Yin Zheng being a splitting image of Piao, but nothing is emphasized or screamed louder than Xinās desire to become the greatest general China has ever known.
Kingdom feels like itās about 45 minutes too long for its own good. The first hour seems to drag as blood spraying into the air every now and then isnāt enough to keep you fully intrigued. The manga is an exaggerated recounting of Zheng actually becoming king in 221 B.C. during the Warring States period and eventually unifying China while the characters are loosely based on actual historical figures. The action adventure film attempts to portray Xin and Piao as worthy and capable swordsman because they clunked stick swords together 10,000 times in an empty field throughout their childhood and teenage years.
The film tries to compensate for its slow first hour with a more eventful second half, but it doesnāt totally succeed. Yang Duan He (Masami Nagasawa) and her mountain tribe are pretty awesome. Their masks remind you of something straight out of Princess Mononoke and youāll be trying your hardest not to compare Yang Duan He to Xena: Warrior Princess. Thereās this competition for the throne that gets a little complicated. Zhengās brother Cheng Jiao (Kanata Hongo) is nasty and heartless and basically a human version of Salacious Crumb sitting on an even more elaborate version of Jabba the Huttās dais. Zheng and Jiao have the same father, but different mothers; Jiaoās is of royal blood and Zhengās is a dancer or, in other words, a commoner. Jiao viewed peasantry as being bone deep; it isnāt something that can ever go away.
The main theme of Kingdom sounds like a direct ripoff of the main Guardians of the Galaxy theme, which is kind of brain-numbing. The prosthetics in the film are questionable with Li Dian, the original slave owner of Xin and Piao, having this awkwardly orange colored face, inhumanly puffy cheeks, stringy facial hair, and the ugliest facial expressions imaginable. After Xin joins up with Zheng, a girl in a bushy owl costume named He Liao Diao (Kanna Hasimoto) is mostly only around to take everyone to the mountains later. The chemistry Xin, Zheng, and Diao have is reminiscent of what Mugen, Jin, and Foo have in Samurai Champloo. Another observation is that Xin is basically Goku with Vegetaās short-fuse temper; he lives to fight and eat, heās dumber than a bag of rocks, and he canāt identify a woman when sheās standing directly in front of him.
Cheng Jiaoās go-to henchman, former general and current hitman for hire Zuo Ci (Tak Sakaguchi) may be the filmās coolest character. He doesnāt care about anybody, tells Xin that all dreams are BS, and is a part of what is arguably the best action sequence in the film. Meanwhile, General Wang Yi (Takao Ohsawa), the most renowned general in all of China and the guy with the status Xin plans on taking in the future, is a bit overrated. He mostly just parades his weird and pointy facial hair around and swings his giant sword as if it wonāt remind us of Guts from Berserk.
All in all, Kingdom is a decent action adventure that just takes a while to really get going. The performances arenāt totally satisfying with Kento Yamazaki hamming it up on more than occasion and taking the brainless dolt with a huge mouth thing to uncomfortable levels. The story isnāt exactly hard to follow, but it does feel like itās trying to be more convoluted than it needs to be. You donāt feel any sort of attachment to any of the characters and any sort of twist can be seen long before the reveal. Kingdom is just an okay way to spend two hours that is probably a justifiable rental on a day when you have nothing better to do, but is not worth paying full price to own.
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