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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) in Movies
Aug 23, 2019
Great Movie About Absolutely Nothing
Everybody Wants Some!! follows the lives of a group of college baseball players at a junior college in their days leading up to preseason training.
Acting: 10
This movie is largely a character piece and it wouldn’t work nearly as well without such great acting performances. There are no weak links here as each performance is memorable in its own way. The acting was so efficient, there were a handful of moments where it almost felt like you were watching a documentary as opposed to a fictional movie.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
No two players are alike in the movie, each of them bringing something different to the table. As the movie progresses from one act to the next, it is pure entertainment watching them react to different scenarios so differently. My favorite character on the team was Finnegan (Glen Powell). Charismatic and ever-changing, I love how he adapts to new situations and always had a go-with-the-flow attitude. Jay Niles cracked me up as well for his ridiculous intensity that you have to see to understand.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
You know a movie really gets to you visually when you find yourself saying, “Man, it would’ve been cool to live during that time period.” Everybody Wants Some!! captures the cool, fun feel of the 70’s on all fronts from one scene to the next. While the film doesn’t leave the town where it takes place, you’re entertained with a number of different setpieces that change the dynamic of the movie in their own way.
Conflict: 5
Definitely the weakest part of the movie. Nothing terrible really happens to the characters at the end of the day leaving no room for any kind of worry. It is amazing that the movie still works so well with so little conflict to keep you engaged.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
This movie reminded me of my college days and I’m probably not alone in this. It makes you remember younger days and having zero responsibility. It’s also a movie that doesn’t leave its replay value. Definitely a movie I could watch repeatedly.
Pace: 10
The movie proceeds in definable acts based around parties and it works in a loose structure kind of way. You never really know where the story is going until you get near the end and you realize it’s going absolutely nowhere. But that’s ok because the road to nowhere in this case is extremely fun and memorable.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 10
The movie ends just as chill as it started, very fitting for its overall lackadaisical tone. A little bit of perspective ties things on with a nice little bow before the movie bows out gracefully. Beyond satisfying.
Overall: 90
Everybody Wants Some!! is the perfect Exhibit A case of sometimes less is just more. The film is light-hearted, yet you’ll be having such a good time you’ll probably forget nothing substantial is actually happening. It’s a wonderful film that will give you something new each time you watch it.
Acting: 10
This movie is largely a character piece and it wouldn’t work nearly as well without such great acting performances. There are no weak links here as each performance is memorable in its own way. The acting was so efficient, there were a handful of moments where it almost felt like you were watching a documentary as opposed to a fictional movie.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
No two players are alike in the movie, each of them bringing something different to the table. As the movie progresses from one act to the next, it is pure entertainment watching them react to different scenarios so differently. My favorite character on the team was Finnegan (Glen Powell). Charismatic and ever-changing, I love how he adapts to new situations and always had a go-with-the-flow attitude. Jay Niles cracked me up as well for his ridiculous intensity that you have to see to understand.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
You know a movie really gets to you visually when you find yourself saying, “Man, it would’ve been cool to live during that time period.” Everybody Wants Some!! captures the cool, fun feel of the 70’s on all fronts from one scene to the next. While the film doesn’t leave the town where it takes place, you’re entertained with a number of different setpieces that change the dynamic of the movie in their own way.
Conflict: 5
Definitely the weakest part of the movie. Nothing terrible really happens to the characters at the end of the day leaving no room for any kind of worry. It is amazing that the movie still works so well with so little conflict to keep you engaged.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
This movie reminded me of my college days and I’m probably not alone in this. It makes you remember younger days and having zero responsibility. It’s also a movie that doesn’t leave its replay value. Definitely a movie I could watch repeatedly.
Pace: 10
The movie proceeds in definable acts based around parties and it works in a loose structure kind of way. You never really know where the story is going until you get near the end and you realize it’s going absolutely nowhere. But that’s ok because the road to nowhere in this case is extremely fun and memorable.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 10
The movie ends just as chill as it started, very fitting for its overall lackadaisical tone. A little bit of perspective ties things on with a nice little bow before the movie bows out gracefully. Beyond satisfying.
Overall: 90
Everybody Wants Some!! is the perfect Exhibit A case of sometimes less is just more. The film is light-hearted, yet you’ll be having such a good time you’ll probably forget nothing substantial is actually happening. It’s a wonderful film that will give you something new each time you watch it.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Camino Island in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Princeton University houses five valuable manuscripts--all the originals of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels. They are housed in the basement under a veil of security, but not enough to stop a band of clever thieves from breaking in and stealing them. This sets loose a chain of events and angers both the FBI, who is trying to track down the criminals, and the insurance company, as they are on the hook for $25 million unless the manuscripts are returned. Meanwhile, on touristy Camino Island, Bruce Cable runs a popular bookstore/coffee shop. Thanks to a lot of persistence and hard work, he's managed to keep it profitable even in the digital age. He's also a major backer of the many authors who come through his town on book tours. But few of those authors, or Bruce's patrons, know that Bruce keeps a vault in his shop housing a variety of rare books and manuscripts--some stolen. Finally, we turn to Mercer Mann--Mercer's just lost her teaching position, and she's three years overdue on delivering her next book to her publisher. She's also drowning in student loans. Mercer's approached by a beautiful and elegant woman who offers her a lot of money to get close to Bruce Cable and learn all about his web of secrets. Trouble, as you may guess, ensues.
I have a soft spot for Grisham, that's for sure. I fell in love with his first novels as a young teen, and I still love Darby Shaw, Gray Grantham, Mark Sway, Reverend Roy, and Reggie Love as if they were real people. Grisham and his family have a home in my town, and we claim him as one of our own. His books are often an easy escape, and CAMINO ISLAND falls into that category. Is it as memorable as [b:The Pelican Brief|32499|The Pelican Brief|John Grisham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389486877s/32499.jpg|490324] or [b:The Client|5359|The Client|John Grisham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388632222s/5359.jpg|137715]? No. Is it a fun diversion for a few days? Sure.
CAMINO ISLAND is a change from most of Grisham's legal thrillers--there are no lawyers or court room scenes here, just some tricky criminals, a heist, and the aftermath. You'll need to keep track of the various bad guys in the beginning, but once you get past that, it's an easy breezy read--much like the Florida setting where most of the novel is set. Mercer's a pleasant, albeit not very complicated protagonist, and Bruce Cable is a trip. It's also a detailed exploration into the world of rare books--something I knew little to nothing about.
Overall, this is fun, easy thriller. There are a few twists and turns along the way to keep you interested, and Grisham's characters are always enjoyable. The ending wraps up fairly quickly after all the build-up, so be prepared for that. Is it Grisham's best? No. But it will keep you entertained for a couple of days. 3.5 stars.
You can read my reviews of Grisham's novels GRAY MOUNTAIN <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707959-gray-mountain">here</a>; and ROGUE LAWYER <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387351-rogue-lawyer">here</a>;.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
I have a soft spot for Grisham, that's for sure. I fell in love with his first novels as a young teen, and I still love Darby Shaw, Gray Grantham, Mark Sway, Reverend Roy, and Reggie Love as if they were real people. Grisham and his family have a home in my town, and we claim him as one of our own. His books are often an easy escape, and CAMINO ISLAND falls into that category. Is it as memorable as [b:The Pelican Brief|32499|The Pelican Brief|John Grisham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389486877s/32499.jpg|490324] or [b:The Client|5359|The Client|John Grisham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388632222s/5359.jpg|137715]? No. Is it a fun diversion for a few days? Sure.
CAMINO ISLAND is a change from most of Grisham's legal thrillers--there are no lawyers or court room scenes here, just some tricky criminals, a heist, and the aftermath. You'll need to keep track of the various bad guys in the beginning, but once you get past that, it's an easy breezy read--much like the Florida setting where most of the novel is set. Mercer's a pleasant, albeit not very complicated protagonist, and Bruce Cable is a trip. It's also a detailed exploration into the world of rare books--something I knew little to nothing about.
Overall, this is fun, easy thriller. There are a few twists and turns along the way to keep you interested, and Grisham's characters are always enjoyable. The ending wraps up fairly quickly after all the build-up, so be prepared for that. Is it Grisham's best? No. But it will keep you entertained for a couple of days. 3.5 stars.
You can read my reviews of Grisham's novels GRAY MOUNTAIN <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707959-gray-mountain">here</a>; and ROGUE LAWYER <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387351-rogue-lawyer">here</a>;.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Darren (1599 KP) rated An Acceptable Loss (2018) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: An Acceptable Loss starts as Libby (Sumpter) takes a new job in education, her former career saw her working under the Vice President Rachel (Curtis) being part of a campaign known as ‘Total Victory’ which saw her career change. Libby’s new job shows how she doesn’t have any forms of communication and one of the students Martin (Tavassoli) has taken an extra interest in her life, following her around, spying her on her.
Rachel now being President sends her Chief of Staff Adrian (Hephner) and former lover of Libby to make sure she isn’t going to spill the beans on what happened in this case, all while Libby is trying to make sure she can just get on with her life.
Thoughts on An Acceptable Loss
Characters – Libby once worked for the Vice President on one of the most controversial projects in defence and dealing with potential terrorist against America, she has left this job because of what happened trying to find a new career in education, she wants to stay off the radar with how she lives, which sees her avoid her former colleagues and fellow members of the faculty. Rachel is the former Vice-President, now President who is trying to tie up the loose ends of operation Total Victory, this will see her challenge Libby on whether she will expose the truth of her actions. Martin is a student that has taken an interest in Libby following her around spying on her looking for some kind of answer. Adrian is the Chief of Staff and former lover of Libby’s, he has been assigned to keep Libby quiet.
Performances – Tika Sumpter does give us a strong performance, we do see how her guilt is controlling her life, while showing how she will do what she can to fix her mistake. Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film because every time she is on camera we seeing everything upped to the next level. Ben Tavassoli and Jeff Hepnher both complete the main cast and both do a solid enough role.
Story – The story follows a former staff worker for the Vice President and one of the major parts of a project which saw many people killed, she has moved on with her life away from politics, hoping to one day tell the truth against the now current President. This story is a heavy political set up which shows us just how they will do anything to cover up any secrets, the story does jump around between the two times and careers that Libby has which does just come and go way to often. The problem with this story comes from the fact this could have been a lot more intense because of the subject matter we are going into.
Thriller – The could be a thriller that is truly one of the most intense movies of the year, because the subject could have been showing bigger consequences instead of a couple of friendly conversations.
Settings – The film is set in the everyday location, it shows how easy it could be to get people coming after somebody who might hold a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Jamie Lee Curtis scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does become very predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a predictable thriller that does tackle a bigger subject matter that goes through cover ups, we are saved by Jamie Lee Curtis scene stealing performance.
Overall: Predictable, through entertaining.
Rachel now being President sends her Chief of Staff Adrian (Hephner) and former lover of Libby to make sure she isn’t going to spill the beans on what happened in this case, all while Libby is trying to make sure she can just get on with her life.
Thoughts on An Acceptable Loss
Characters – Libby once worked for the Vice President on one of the most controversial projects in defence and dealing with potential terrorist against America, she has left this job because of what happened trying to find a new career in education, she wants to stay off the radar with how she lives, which sees her avoid her former colleagues and fellow members of the faculty. Rachel is the former Vice-President, now President who is trying to tie up the loose ends of operation Total Victory, this will see her challenge Libby on whether she will expose the truth of her actions. Martin is a student that has taken an interest in Libby following her around spying on her looking for some kind of answer. Adrian is the Chief of Staff and former lover of Libby’s, he has been assigned to keep Libby quiet.
Performances – Tika Sumpter does give us a strong performance, we do see how her guilt is controlling her life, while showing how she will do what she can to fix her mistake. Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film because every time she is on camera we seeing everything upped to the next level. Ben Tavassoli and Jeff Hepnher both complete the main cast and both do a solid enough role.
Story – The story follows a former staff worker for the Vice President and one of the major parts of a project which saw many people killed, she has moved on with her life away from politics, hoping to one day tell the truth against the now current President. This story is a heavy political set up which shows us just how they will do anything to cover up any secrets, the story does jump around between the two times and careers that Libby has which does just come and go way to often. The problem with this story comes from the fact this could have been a lot more intense because of the subject matter we are going into.
Thriller – The could be a thriller that is truly one of the most intense movies of the year, because the subject could have been showing bigger consequences instead of a couple of friendly conversations.
Settings – The film is set in the everyday location, it shows how easy it could be to get people coming after somebody who might hold a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Jamie Lee Curtis scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does become very predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a predictable thriller that does tackle a bigger subject matter that goes through cover ups, we are saved by Jamie Lee Curtis scene stealing performance.
Overall: Predictable, through entertaining.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
The length of time it’s taken me to catch this one at the cinema belies my lukewarm interest in the material: I’m not a ‘fan boy’ for either Marvel or DC properties. As it turns out, writer/director David “Fury” Ayer’s Suicide Squad is just plain frustrating in cinematic terms.
The story concerns the efforts of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to assemble – for reasons that make almost zero sense! – the ‘worse of the worst’ out of US prisons to form a fighting force to combat the perceived threat of an “anti-Superman” villain that *might* appear in the future.
SUICIDE SQUAD
Viola Davis wondering Why? Just Why?
Among these super-villains are Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Harley is the girlfriend of The Joker (Jared Leto) and they would be a great match on Match.com since both are several sandwiches short of a picnic.
Waller assembles her motley crew. Unfortunately, another of the super-villains is June Moon aka “The Enchantress” (Cara Delevingne, her of the scary eyebrows) – an ancient God-like being that has possessed June and who has her/its own agenda that threatens the whole world.
So why is this movie so frustrating? Because for all its inane silliness the film does have its fair share of scenes that stick in the mind. I’ve seen comment that Jared Leto’s much-vaunted Joker is peripheral: a cameo only on screen for a few minutes. But I didn’t find that… or at least his scenes were sufficiently memorable to seem much more substantial. The madness portrayed here is truly quite disturbing and threatening. Many of Leto’s scenes – such as the one with The Joker lying on the floor surrounded by weapons – are artfully done.
Margot Robbie’s Quinn although extremely sexualized – which will not be to the liking of some, but appeal to many male viewers – adds enormous charisma to her role. Will Smith also does his best with the material he has to inject some emotional heft into the father/daughter sub-plot.
Unfortunately this is all done against a fractured and frankly nonsensical story with inconsistencies and loose ends too numerous to list. (Oh, OK, I’ll do a few):
A super-being dispatches armies and nukes from hundred of miles away, yet can’t swat a couple of inconvenient humans at 10 paces?
A large early part of the film is filled with backstories (which I don’t necessarily object to for context) but here they are done in an extremely patchy manner: a number of the characters are sketched out so lightly that they might as well be wearing the red Star Trek shirts!
Waller’s motivations (and certainly her sociopathic actions at some points in the plot) are nebulous and don’t bear scrutiny. Why exactly does she thing a ‘bloke who can shoot well’ can do diddly-squat against a super-being spewing gravity defying electrical displays on the other side of the city?
Is this really a ‘Dirty Dozen’? Many of the super-villains seem to be not so bad after all… you know… with consciences and everything…. (I’m sure you could find ten times worse down behind Southampton docks on a Friday night).
And while some of the cinematography (Roman Vasyanov, “Fury”) and lighting is memorable, there are some cinema basics (like dark subtitles on a dark background) that seem just plain careless.
With a huge BvS quotient of 0.7 this should really have been much better. To put it another way, you could have made ten of last week’s 4-Fad film “The Shallows” for the cost of this (and stuck a better ending on it with the change).
Memorable visuals, but not a memorable film.
The story concerns the efforts of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to assemble – for reasons that make almost zero sense! – the ‘worse of the worst’ out of US prisons to form a fighting force to combat the perceived threat of an “anti-Superman” villain that *might* appear in the future.
SUICIDE SQUAD
Viola Davis wondering Why? Just Why?
Among these super-villains are Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Harley is the girlfriend of The Joker (Jared Leto) and they would be a great match on Match.com since both are several sandwiches short of a picnic.
Waller assembles her motley crew. Unfortunately, another of the super-villains is June Moon aka “The Enchantress” (Cara Delevingne, her of the scary eyebrows) – an ancient God-like being that has possessed June and who has her/its own agenda that threatens the whole world.
So why is this movie so frustrating? Because for all its inane silliness the film does have its fair share of scenes that stick in the mind. I’ve seen comment that Jared Leto’s much-vaunted Joker is peripheral: a cameo only on screen for a few minutes. But I didn’t find that… or at least his scenes were sufficiently memorable to seem much more substantial. The madness portrayed here is truly quite disturbing and threatening. Many of Leto’s scenes – such as the one with The Joker lying on the floor surrounded by weapons – are artfully done.
Margot Robbie’s Quinn although extremely sexualized – which will not be to the liking of some, but appeal to many male viewers – adds enormous charisma to her role. Will Smith also does his best with the material he has to inject some emotional heft into the father/daughter sub-plot.
Unfortunately this is all done against a fractured and frankly nonsensical story with inconsistencies and loose ends too numerous to list. (Oh, OK, I’ll do a few):
A super-being dispatches armies and nukes from hundred of miles away, yet can’t swat a couple of inconvenient humans at 10 paces?
A large early part of the film is filled with backstories (which I don’t necessarily object to for context) but here they are done in an extremely patchy manner: a number of the characters are sketched out so lightly that they might as well be wearing the red Star Trek shirts!
Waller’s motivations (and certainly her sociopathic actions at some points in the plot) are nebulous and don’t bear scrutiny. Why exactly does she thing a ‘bloke who can shoot well’ can do diddly-squat against a super-being spewing gravity defying electrical displays on the other side of the city?
Is this really a ‘Dirty Dozen’? Many of the super-villains seem to be not so bad after all… you know… with consciences and everything…. (I’m sure you could find ten times worse down behind Southampton docks on a Friday night).
And while some of the cinematography (Roman Vasyanov, “Fury”) and lighting is memorable, there are some cinema basics (like dark subtitles on a dark background) that seem just plain careless.
With a huge BvS quotient of 0.7 this should really have been much better. To put it another way, you could have made ten of last week’s 4-Fad film “The Shallows” for the cost of this (and stuck a better ending on it with the change).
Memorable visuals, but not a memorable film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Vengeance in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 who are waiting patiently for the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, can put their skills to the test with the latest map pack DLC. The collection is named Vengeance and it offers four new multiplayer maps as well as a new Zombie campaigns for players aching for more of the wildly popular series.
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Reckoning (The Gates Legacy #4) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Oh my gosh! The Gates Legacy is back with an almighty bang, and boy was it good to catch up with the gang! Picking straight back up where we left off, Rohnert is nursing some severe issues regarding his mate's passing, Cyrus is intent on revenge for his torture, Issy just wants to be loved and the rest of the gang are trying to hold it all together like some magical glue. Throw some ancient, and very freaky, enemies into the mix for power and you have your full set to play with, and play is what Lorenz Font does so well.
The pace in this book is much more reminiscent of the earlier parts of the series. It's got a pull that as soon as it's got you hooked, you can't put it down. I've spent many nights reading way past my bedtime because I just needed to know what the characters were going to do next. As I've already mentioned, this book picks back up where we left off and it was like slipping back into your favourite pair of jeans. It' was familiar, yet there was another threat to follow - how Font finds so many enemies for the little rag tag band of heroes is beyond me, but it makes for very compelling reading!
Told mainly from the perspective of Cyrus and Issy, it was, as always with Font's writing, a delight to see so many POV's being used in the writing. It's like a lesson for aspiring writers on how to change POV's in a way that gives the reader so much information yet doesn't confuse them in the process. I adore her writing style, and this latest offering is no different in that. In fact, I probably like this one best of all, if only because, despite there being some hairy moments, Font managed to keep all of my favourites alive for a whole book!
The character development over the course of this story was also superb. Every character feels like they continue to grow, but none more so that Isidora. She is really coming into her own and holds the role of the lead heroine with the poise you'd expect of such a bloodline. She was an absolute joy to read and has secured her place within my favourite characters. Her relationship with Cyrus is probably one of the best developed and well told romances I've read in a while. It's believable, understandable thanks to their own troubled pasts and a fabulous pairing to read. I just hope Font leaves these two to enjoy a little happily ever after time, but I won't hold my breath knowing her penchant for throwing things in the air when they get settled!
The many twists and turns of the story also need a mention. When writing a series of this length and complexity it is very hard to keep it fresh, but Font never fails to deliver another twist or turn that leaves the reader reeling and wondering when that 18 wheeler truck or 2 ton bus hit them. It really is edge of the seat reading that leaves you needing more from the gang of vampires. I'm already on tenterhooks wondering how some of the loose ends will be tied up in the next book and I love that Font has left me thinking of her characters, even hours after finishing the book, because, let's face it, who doesn't like it when a book gets under your skin like that?
And so, I suppose I should wrap up and end my waffle. If you are new to the series, go back and read the others first. If you're an old hand returning for your next fix, you're going to love it. It's awesome, amazing, phenomenal and Font is right back on form with another 5 star thriller from the Gates crew. Buy it, I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
The pace in this book is much more reminiscent of the earlier parts of the series. It's got a pull that as soon as it's got you hooked, you can't put it down. I've spent many nights reading way past my bedtime because I just needed to know what the characters were going to do next. As I've already mentioned, this book picks back up where we left off and it was like slipping back into your favourite pair of jeans. It' was familiar, yet there was another threat to follow - how Font finds so many enemies for the little rag tag band of heroes is beyond me, but it makes for very compelling reading!
Told mainly from the perspective of Cyrus and Issy, it was, as always with Font's writing, a delight to see so many POV's being used in the writing. It's like a lesson for aspiring writers on how to change POV's in a way that gives the reader so much information yet doesn't confuse them in the process. I adore her writing style, and this latest offering is no different in that. In fact, I probably like this one best of all, if only because, despite there being some hairy moments, Font managed to keep all of my favourites alive for a whole book!
The character development over the course of this story was also superb. Every character feels like they continue to grow, but none more so that Isidora. She is really coming into her own and holds the role of the lead heroine with the poise you'd expect of such a bloodline. She was an absolute joy to read and has secured her place within my favourite characters. Her relationship with Cyrus is probably one of the best developed and well told romances I've read in a while. It's believable, understandable thanks to their own troubled pasts and a fabulous pairing to read. I just hope Font leaves these two to enjoy a little happily ever after time, but I won't hold my breath knowing her penchant for throwing things in the air when they get settled!
The many twists and turns of the story also need a mention. When writing a series of this length and complexity it is very hard to keep it fresh, but Font never fails to deliver another twist or turn that leaves the reader reeling and wondering when that 18 wheeler truck or 2 ton bus hit them. It really is edge of the seat reading that leaves you needing more from the gang of vampires. I'm already on tenterhooks wondering how some of the loose ends will be tied up in the next book and I love that Font has left me thinking of her characters, even hours after finishing the book, because, let's face it, who doesn't like it when a book gets under your skin like that?
And so, I suppose I should wrap up and end my waffle. If you are new to the series, go back and read the others first. If you're an old hand returning for your next fix, you're going to love it. It's awesome, amazing, phenomenal and Font is right back on form with another 5 star thriller from the Gates crew. Buy it, I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated The Big Trail (1930) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
“The Indians are my friends…” Breck Coleman – John Wayne
Not exactly a statement that would exemplify the Career of a man rightly or wrongly associated as being the Cowboy of the Cowboy and Indian movies. But there is no doubt that John Wayne was certainly one of the biggest western stars of cinema.
And The Big Trail is where it really begins for Wayne, but this 1930’s classic was a box office failure, coming not only at the dawn of sound film, but at the time of The Great Depression. It would be another decade by the time “The Duke” wold be born and John Wayne would take his crown as the western superstar which we all know today.
But The Big Trail, originally entitled The Oregon Trail, is not really a John Wayne vehicle. He was a relative unknown actor alongside stage talent, many of whom were drafted into Hollywood at this time simply because they could give a decent vocal performance, as many a silent star was falling, failing to adapt the talkies.
But again, sound is not the selling point of this movie. This was one of a handful of films which pioneered the 70mm film format, in this case, Fox Grandeur, or Grandeur 70. A none anamorphic widescreen format, which whilst not the first attempt, nor the first 70mm film format, it was the nearest to which would succeed later.
2oth Century Fox would change cinema in 1953 with the release of the first CinemaScope film, The Robe, a year after the debut of Cinerama, but Grandeur more closest resembles Todd AO, a format which is still technically used today though in a somewhat different way. The secret to CinemaScope’s later success was in many ways the reason for the failure of Grandeur and that was the fact that CinemaScope was an anamorphic process, screening the image from a regular 35mm film and expanding with the lens, therefore making it a lot cheaper to adapt existing projectors and auditoriums.
Grandeur on the other hand was a larger film format and required a complete upgrade to theatres and therefore, especially at the dawn of the depression era, was financially untenable. Only two theatres in the U.S. would ever show this film in its widescreen glory, with rest showing the alternate 35mm Academy version.
And this film, had SIX versions shot simultaneously, in four different languages, 35mm and 70mm, each requiring different takes with different cameras or casts. This was an incredible feet but one which would soon be reduced with the use of audio dubbing, subtitles and ability to pan and scan.
The problem with this film is simple. It has a loose plot but no real twists and turns. This is almost a documentary following the wagon train trail across the west as group of pioneers make their way to the better life and building the United States, or at least personifying the romantic version of it.
But the film’s pacing and visual style works best through the widescreen lens, a beautiful journey with the untamed west as backdrop, but this is not the the version that most people have seen. The majority only saw the 35mm version which is 20 minutes shorter, edited more quickly and simply doesn’t have the visual flare of the Grandeur version. And without this vast visual canvas, the thousands of extras and props are almost cut from the film, a film with now feels a bit pointless and bit wayward.
Starring an unknown, though despite his hammy acting, Wayne manages to hold his own, the pacing is rushed and the fact that this is an epic journey which we are embarking on with them is somewhat lost.
The widescreen version’s main failing is the sound, which is inferior and poorly mixed in comparison to the 35mm cut, which is crisper and louder, but sound was never going to this movie’s strength and it was still rudimentary at this point. But on a visual level, considering the age of the print, the cinematography is up there as being some of the best, with scale and dare I say, “grandeur” about it.
This is an interesting film to watch now, though unless you are a strong western fan, I would say that it will not thrill, though as a peace of cinematic history, it is littered with footnotes and it very watchable.
And The Big Trail is where it really begins for Wayne, but this 1930’s classic was a box office failure, coming not only at the dawn of sound film, but at the time of The Great Depression. It would be another decade by the time “The Duke” wold be born and John Wayne would take his crown as the western superstar which we all know today.
But The Big Trail, originally entitled The Oregon Trail, is not really a John Wayne vehicle. He was a relative unknown actor alongside stage talent, many of whom were drafted into Hollywood at this time simply because they could give a decent vocal performance, as many a silent star was falling, failing to adapt the talkies.
But again, sound is not the selling point of this movie. This was one of a handful of films which pioneered the 70mm film format, in this case, Fox Grandeur, or Grandeur 70. A none anamorphic widescreen format, which whilst not the first attempt, nor the first 70mm film format, it was the nearest to which would succeed later.
2oth Century Fox would change cinema in 1953 with the release of the first CinemaScope film, The Robe, a year after the debut of Cinerama, but Grandeur more closest resembles Todd AO, a format which is still technically used today though in a somewhat different way. The secret to CinemaScope’s later success was in many ways the reason for the failure of Grandeur and that was the fact that CinemaScope was an anamorphic process, screening the image from a regular 35mm film and expanding with the lens, therefore making it a lot cheaper to adapt existing projectors and auditoriums.
Grandeur on the other hand was a larger film format and required a complete upgrade to theatres and therefore, especially at the dawn of the depression era, was financially untenable. Only two theatres in the U.S. would ever show this film in its widescreen glory, with rest showing the alternate 35mm Academy version.
And this film, had SIX versions shot simultaneously, in four different languages, 35mm and 70mm, each requiring different takes with different cameras or casts. This was an incredible feet but one which would soon be reduced with the use of audio dubbing, subtitles and ability to pan and scan.
The problem with this film is simple. It has a loose plot but no real twists and turns. This is almost a documentary following the wagon train trail across the west as group of pioneers make their way to the better life and building the United States, or at least personifying the romantic version of it.
But the film’s pacing and visual style works best through the widescreen lens, a beautiful journey with the untamed west as backdrop, but this is not the the version that most people have seen. The majority only saw the 35mm version which is 20 minutes shorter, edited more quickly and simply doesn’t have the visual flare of the Grandeur version. And without this vast visual canvas, the thousands of extras and props are almost cut from the film, a film with now feels a bit pointless and bit wayward.
Starring an unknown, though despite his hammy acting, Wayne manages to hold his own, the pacing is rushed and the fact that this is an epic journey which we are embarking on with them is somewhat lost.
The widescreen version’s main failing is the sound, which is inferior and poorly mixed in comparison to the 35mm cut, which is crisper and louder, but sound was never going to this movie’s strength and it was still rudimentary at this point. But on a visual level, considering the age of the print, the cinematography is up there as being some of the best, with scale and dare I say, “grandeur” about it.
This is an interesting film to watch now, though unless you are a strong western fan, I would say that it will not thrill, though as a peace of cinematic history, it is littered with footnotes and it very watchable.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Dreamz in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Word Count: 12,470
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.54/5 stars
My rating: 3/5 stars
To be honest, I automatically started to dislike this book because “Dreams” is spelled with a Z. And while it was okay, it was not as good as it could have been.
Wunder has been dreaming about a man for as long as she can remember, always the same man. The dreams leave her aroused to no end at night. Unfortunately, this man doesn’t exist in her life, at least not yet. But her love life is nonexistent and thanks to her being half zombie, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Little does she know that her dream man exists and his name is Pete. Not only does he exist, but he’s been dreaming about her as well. Pete is also half zombie and lives in the next town over with his uncle. When he moves to Wunder’s town to recover from a huge zombie attack, will they finally get to meet in real life?
You can get this book for free on Smashwords.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it’s a cool story with some damn good world-building. The explanation behind a half zombie, half human is actually logical, or as logical as anything to do with zombies is. This also sets up a lot of potential plotlines for the other books in the series, all of them sounding interesting. And the Resilient Infected Police, or RIP, have a fantastic name.
Also, I can always appreciate a bad-ass girl who knows how to kick some ass, zombie or otherwise.
But learn to fricking edit.
Aside from the grammatical and punctuational atrocities that made my eyes widen in horror while I was reading this, there are so many strange things in this story that aren’t even rookie mistakes. This story is as loose as your post Taco Bell shit.
Never mind the crazy summaries and excessive telling instead of showing. I’ve seen that so many times by now, I’m almost immune to that. What I haven’t seen is a fucking tree fetish.
Yes, ladies and gents, you read that right. Either Wunder loves trees a little too much, or the author does. Why else would Wunder interrupt her retelling of a very hot and kinky sex dream to describe at length the tree she’s tied to, when she first saw it, and how beautiful she thinks it is.
Damn, Wunder, get back to how your sexy dream man is dominating you. I don’t have patience for this arousal-killing nature shit.
Also, A. R. Von got so distracted with setting the stage for future plot lines that she totally forgot to dazzle the reader with the current plot. There was an awful lot of talk about how Pete’s town attracts zombies a lot more than normal towns do, and about the life test they have to take every month to make sure the people aren’t dead, although I feel like the rotting flesh would give it away. (Also how does a person keep their zombie side secret when being blood tested monthly for proof of life? Asking for a friend).
But the current plot of restless RIP agents going to save a town from a hoard of zombies while having kinky dreams is sadly neglected. The exchange between Wunder and her friend feels more like a free write than a final draft and the epic battle is slow-paced and anti-climactic.
Then at the end, Pete asks his uncle about Wunder, and Pete is able to tell him all about Wunder’s famous reputation of being an all-around badass, which brings up the question: how does Pete, who lives with his uncle and works with his uncle in the RIP not know even a little bit about Wunder’s existence when his uncle is able to recognize her on sight and gush about how awesome she is?
But I do like Pete and Wunder. Wunder is a bad-ass and Pete is sexy as hell. The chemistry between them is great. While there’s only a promise of a love connection in this book, I do believe they have a very juicy love story ahead of them.
Unfortunately the story needs massive editing and the dialogue and action often feels forced. I’m tempted to read the next book in the series, just to see how the love story plays out, but I doubt I will because I have a feeling the other stories are as unedited as this one was. But if you still want to check it out, you can get it for free on Smashwords.
Word Count: 12,470
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.54/5 stars
My rating: 3/5 stars
To be honest, I automatically started to dislike this book because “Dreams” is spelled with a Z. And while it was okay, it was not as good as it could have been.
Wunder has been dreaming about a man for as long as she can remember, always the same man. The dreams leave her aroused to no end at night. Unfortunately, this man doesn’t exist in her life, at least not yet. But her love life is nonexistent and thanks to her being half zombie, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Little does she know that her dream man exists and his name is Pete. Not only does he exist, but he’s been dreaming about her as well. Pete is also half zombie and lives in the next town over with his uncle. When he moves to Wunder’s town to recover from a huge zombie attack, will they finally get to meet in real life?
You can get this book for free on Smashwords.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it’s a cool story with some damn good world-building. The explanation behind a half zombie, half human is actually logical, or as logical as anything to do with zombies is. This also sets up a lot of potential plotlines for the other books in the series, all of them sounding interesting. And the Resilient Infected Police, or RIP, have a fantastic name.
Also, I can always appreciate a bad-ass girl who knows how to kick some ass, zombie or otherwise.
But learn to fricking edit.
Aside from the grammatical and punctuational atrocities that made my eyes widen in horror while I was reading this, there are so many strange things in this story that aren’t even rookie mistakes. This story is as loose as your post Taco Bell shit.
Never mind the crazy summaries and excessive telling instead of showing. I’ve seen that so many times by now, I’m almost immune to that. What I haven’t seen is a fucking tree fetish.
Yes, ladies and gents, you read that right. Either Wunder loves trees a little too much, or the author does. Why else would Wunder interrupt her retelling of a very hot and kinky sex dream to describe at length the tree she’s tied to, when she first saw it, and how beautiful she thinks it is.
Damn, Wunder, get back to how your sexy dream man is dominating you. I don’t have patience for this arousal-killing nature shit.
Also, A. R. Von got so distracted with setting the stage for future plot lines that she totally forgot to dazzle the reader with the current plot. There was an awful lot of talk about how Pete’s town attracts zombies a lot more than normal towns do, and about the life test they have to take every month to make sure the people aren’t dead, although I feel like the rotting flesh would give it away. (Also how does a person keep their zombie side secret when being blood tested monthly for proof of life? Asking for a friend).
But the current plot of restless RIP agents going to save a town from a hoard of zombies while having kinky dreams is sadly neglected. The exchange between Wunder and her friend feels more like a free write than a final draft and the epic battle is slow-paced and anti-climactic.
Then at the end, Pete asks his uncle about Wunder, and Pete is able to tell him all about Wunder’s famous reputation of being an all-around badass, which brings up the question: how does Pete, who lives with his uncle and works with his uncle in the RIP not know even a little bit about Wunder’s existence when his uncle is able to recognize her on sight and gush about how awesome she is?
But I do like Pete and Wunder. Wunder is a bad-ass and Pete is sexy as hell. The chemistry between them is great. While there’s only a promise of a love connection in this book, I do believe they have a very juicy love story ahead of them.
Unfortunately the story needs massive editing and the dialogue and action often feels forced. I’m tempted to read the next book in the series, just to see how the love story plays out, but I doubt I will because I have a feeling the other stories are as unedited as this one was. But if you still want to check it out, you can get it for free on Smashwords.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Lonely Place to Die (2011) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Lonely Place to Die starts as we three climbers Rob (Newman), Ed (Speleers) and Alison (George) showing just how extreme their love for climber is when we see them avoid disaster following an accident. Returning to their holiday trip the friends meet up with fellow climbers Jenny (Magowan) and Alex (Sweeney) to prepare for the biggest climb of their trip.
Heading out on the next day of climbing the friends find a mysterious breathing pipe where they discover a young girl Anna (Boyd) locked in a hole in the ground. Deciding to do the right thing they split up to get help with Alison and Rob heading to Devil’s Drop to get to the village quicker while the rest take Anna for a safe place to wait for rescue.
When one of their own is killed the remaining friends find themselves being hunted down by Mr Kidd (Harris) & Mr Mcrae (McCole) who are after Anna, the friends have to use all their climbing and survival skills to escape this deadly situation.
A Lonely Place to Die is a thriller that goes on to keep the storyline twists coming, the idea of finding a girl trapped in the woods and being hunted down is an easy story and would easily have been enough but adding in the idea of kidnapping hand over works really well. This does mean the introduction too all of the original characters comes off almost pointless because most of them are just disposable but it does get saved with the final act tension. This is one I do feel people will enjoy and with this many twists it never actually gets confusing.
Actor Review
Melissa George: Allison is the experienced climber on a climbing holiday with friends, we see how she can handle herself in the extreme conditions early on but when we see her and her friends find a young girl in the middle of the forest she must find a way out of the mountain range to save the girl. Melissa is always a strong lead in film but I was never sure of her accent in this one.
Ed Speleers: Ed is the least experienced member of the friends that Allison has bought along on the trip, he is reckless but we see how he will do the right thing when needed. Ed is a solid supporting choice but lacks that final moment.
Sean Harris: Mr Kidd is one of the two men hunting the friends down, he is very psychotic as we see him happily watch people die. This is a very good villain because we see his greed and complete lack of care showing through. Sean is good in this role where we see just how twisted his character gets.
Karel Roden: Darko is dealing with Mr Kidd, he is a victim as it is Anna that has been kidnapped for a ransom. He has come prepared to get revenge on the people involved. Karel is good in this role as we see his change as we learn his real position in the situation.
Support Cast: A Lonely Place to Die has a good supporting cast that all do their jobs to make this an edge of your seat ride.
Director Review: Julian Gilbey –
Action: A Lonely Place to Die has a lot of survival action with chasing, climbing and gun fights happening.
Crime: A Lonely Place to Die puts us in the middle of the kidnapping so we actually feel like the one of the climbers stuck in the middle.
Thriller: A Lonely Place to Die keeps us on edge through the whole film as we wonder who will make it out alive.
Settings: A Lonely Place to Die has the first half in the middle of the Scottish Highlands with no means on communication while being chased really does work and the festival finale is a good close for the chaos.
Special Effects: A Lonely Place to Die has good effects when needed but isn’t a film that turns to them.
Suggestion: A Lonely Place to Die is one I think people should watch, I think it is intense thriller with nicely handled twists. (Watch)
Best Part: The twists.
Worst Part: A few loose ends at the end.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $4 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Out there, there’s nowhere to hide
Overall: Enjoyable thriller that keeps us on edge throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/08/06/melissa-george-weekend-a-lonely-place-to-die-2011/
Heading out on the next day of climbing the friends find a mysterious breathing pipe where they discover a young girl Anna (Boyd) locked in a hole in the ground. Deciding to do the right thing they split up to get help with Alison and Rob heading to Devil’s Drop to get to the village quicker while the rest take Anna for a safe place to wait for rescue.
When one of their own is killed the remaining friends find themselves being hunted down by Mr Kidd (Harris) & Mr Mcrae (McCole) who are after Anna, the friends have to use all their climbing and survival skills to escape this deadly situation.
A Lonely Place to Die is a thriller that goes on to keep the storyline twists coming, the idea of finding a girl trapped in the woods and being hunted down is an easy story and would easily have been enough but adding in the idea of kidnapping hand over works really well. This does mean the introduction too all of the original characters comes off almost pointless because most of them are just disposable but it does get saved with the final act tension. This is one I do feel people will enjoy and with this many twists it never actually gets confusing.
Actor Review
Melissa George: Allison is the experienced climber on a climbing holiday with friends, we see how she can handle herself in the extreme conditions early on but when we see her and her friends find a young girl in the middle of the forest she must find a way out of the mountain range to save the girl. Melissa is always a strong lead in film but I was never sure of her accent in this one.
Ed Speleers: Ed is the least experienced member of the friends that Allison has bought along on the trip, he is reckless but we see how he will do the right thing when needed. Ed is a solid supporting choice but lacks that final moment.
Sean Harris: Mr Kidd is one of the two men hunting the friends down, he is very psychotic as we see him happily watch people die. This is a very good villain because we see his greed and complete lack of care showing through. Sean is good in this role where we see just how twisted his character gets.
Karel Roden: Darko is dealing with Mr Kidd, he is a victim as it is Anna that has been kidnapped for a ransom. He has come prepared to get revenge on the people involved. Karel is good in this role as we see his change as we learn his real position in the situation.
Support Cast: A Lonely Place to Die has a good supporting cast that all do their jobs to make this an edge of your seat ride.
Director Review: Julian Gilbey –
Action: A Lonely Place to Die has a lot of survival action with chasing, climbing and gun fights happening.
Crime: A Lonely Place to Die puts us in the middle of the kidnapping so we actually feel like the one of the climbers stuck in the middle.
Thriller: A Lonely Place to Die keeps us on edge through the whole film as we wonder who will make it out alive.
Settings: A Lonely Place to Die has the first half in the middle of the Scottish Highlands with no means on communication while being chased really does work and the festival finale is a good close for the chaos.
Special Effects: A Lonely Place to Die has good effects when needed but isn’t a film that turns to them.
Suggestion: A Lonely Place to Die is one I think people should watch, I think it is intense thriller with nicely handled twists. (Watch)
Best Part: The twists.
Worst Part: A few loose ends at the end.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $4 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Out there, there’s nowhere to hide
Overall: Enjoyable thriller that keeps us on edge throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/08/06/melissa-george-weekend-a-lonely-place-to-die-2011/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Hit the Silk! in Tabletop Games
Mar 9, 2021
Ok here’s the deal. You and your buddies have gone in deep with the casino and they are out to ice you if you don’t pay up. You have secured the funds to repay your debts and have hijacked the plane needed to get back to settle up. There’s just one problem: there are 3-6 of you and only 2-5 parachutes on board this plummeting aircraft. With whom to ally and can you make it off the plane with enough parachutes and money to make this run worth it?
Hit the Silk! is a semi-cooperative game about hidden information, strong and weak alliances, bluffing, and negotiation in the skies where the plane WILL go down. Players will be trading information with others in order to figure out which players they will unite with and which they will deceive to win the game. Not all players can win, and some players may not even survive the flight. WHO DO YOU TRUST?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. For this preview I will be describing the Standard game mode. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the Altimeter board on the table and set the needle to the correct altitude per number of players. The card organizer board is setup near the Altimeter with the Flannel cards on the Laundry space, the draw deck on the left space, and the discard pile between the two. Four cards are randomly placed face-down onto the Lockbox space on the Altimeter board, and six cards are dealt to the players. They will choose four to keep and discard the other two. Place all remaining components on the table. A first player is chosen and the game is setup to begin!
On a turn a player may do any or all of the following: Change a card, Take actions, Trade with another player. To change a card the current player will choose one card from their hand, either discarding face-up to the discard pile or to the Laundry if it is a Flannel card, and then drawing a number of cards pertaining to the altitude level on the Altimeter board (the higher the plane the less cards can be drawn). The player chooses one card to keep and discards the others.
Many cards will be action cards, so during a turn the active player can use as many action cards as they wish. To take an action the player simply notes any altitude adjustments printed on the card, adjusts the Altimeter needle by that much, then plays the card for its action. Some action cards allow players to Steal cards from another player (blocked by a Knife card), Spy another player’s hand, Handcuff two players together (or a player to a briefcase of money), use Key cards to unlock Handcuffs or to pilfer one card from the Lockbox on the Altimeter board, Poison another player (cured with the Antidote card), kick a weapon out of a player’s hand by using a Kung Fu card, or blatantly attacking a player by using both a Pistol and a Bullet card. Players will take one wound from the first bullet and will be permanently slain by taking another bullet wound.
The final action that can be taken on a turn is trading with another player. This is a risky action to take as players are not bound by their verbal agreements. Therefore, a player may offer to trade a Bullet and a Knife in exchange for a $10,000 and a Key card. However, neither player is REQUIRED to trade these exact items during the trade, and alliances weaken over trade disputes.
Intermittently throughout the game, as altitude drops, players are given the task to vote whether to keep flying or to hit the silk (which means to jump out of the plane with a parachute in hand)! Should players vote by majority to continue playing the game keeps going as before. If the players vote by majority to hit the silk!, then all players with parachutes reach the ground safely and pool together their money in hopes of reaching the goal amount determined at the start of the game. Those who jump without a parachute sadly perish, but those who are able to stay on the plane without being handcuffed to a jumping player may attempt the very difficult task of landing the plane (which involves the dice shown, but I will let you discover the method on your own).
Should the landing party have gathered enough money to pay the debt, those players win! If the player lands the plane correctly they win! If a player dies, well, they lose.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components shown are probably going to look differently as the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I want to first applaud Escape Plan Board Games for their usage of “eco-conscious production.” The component materials we received are certainly unlike any I have felt or played with in the past. They feel different, and I assume it is due to this new eco-friendly material they are using. I also want to point out the art style of Hit the Silk! It is fabulous and definitely gives off that jetset vibe. I love it! I do hope the dice will be getting an upgrade in the final version, as stickered dice are rarely in style. I have not seen or heard of any plans for upgrades or final components, but I hope a nice eco-friendly upgrade option exists for this game.
So here’s the rub. I truly like this game quite a bit. I do have issues with player elimination games, personally, because for whatever reason I am always the first to be targeted for elimination. While it’s funny at first, I despise having to be left out of the rest of the game. That said, I still very much enjoy this game. Yes, I don’t like being targeted, but I am able to take one for the team, and then ask players to try a different strategy the next playthrough. Being able to make loose alliances and just break trades by giving the other player two Flannels instead of the Parachute and Key is just fun times. I enjoy the ever-decreasing altitude of the plane that stresses players to get things done quickly without having the needle dip too far for comfort. I like that a lot.
I wish the dice were used more in the game (at least in Standard mode), as I love nice chunky dice, but I can look past this because the rest of the gameplay is so solid. I still have yet to figure out the best way to use the Handcuffs, but the weapons and Kung Fu are just so ridiculous and amazing simultaneously that I like using them as soon as I get them in hand. So if you, like me, have a hole in your collection for a game taking place in the skies featuring a gang of casino-chased hoodlums, then I urge you to take a look at Hit the Silk! Just know that if you handcuff yourself to me, you can bet on me making some very inappropriate comments.
Hit the Silk! is a semi-cooperative game about hidden information, strong and weak alliances, bluffing, and negotiation in the skies where the plane WILL go down. Players will be trading information with others in order to figure out which players they will unite with and which they will deceive to win the game. Not all players can win, and some players may not even survive the flight. WHO DO YOU TRUST?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. For this preview I will be describing the Standard game mode. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the Altimeter board on the table and set the needle to the correct altitude per number of players. The card organizer board is setup near the Altimeter with the Flannel cards on the Laundry space, the draw deck on the left space, and the discard pile between the two. Four cards are randomly placed face-down onto the Lockbox space on the Altimeter board, and six cards are dealt to the players. They will choose four to keep and discard the other two. Place all remaining components on the table. A first player is chosen and the game is setup to begin!
On a turn a player may do any or all of the following: Change a card, Take actions, Trade with another player. To change a card the current player will choose one card from their hand, either discarding face-up to the discard pile or to the Laundry if it is a Flannel card, and then drawing a number of cards pertaining to the altitude level on the Altimeter board (the higher the plane the less cards can be drawn). The player chooses one card to keep and discards the others.
Many cards will be action cards, so during a turn the active player can use as many action cards as they wish. To take an action the player simply notes any altitude adjustments printed on the card, adjusts the Altimeter needle by that much, then plays the card for its action. Some action cards allow players to Steal cards from another player (blocked by a Knife card), Spy another player’s hand, Handcuff two players together (or a player to a briefcase of money), use Key cards to unlock Handcuffs or to pilfer one card from the Lockbox on the Altimeter board, Poison another player (cured with the Antidote card), kick a weapon out of a player’s hand by using a Kung Fu card, or blatantly attacking a player by using both a Pistol and a Bullet card. Players will take one wound from the first bullet and will be permanently slain by taking another bullet wound.
The final action that can be taken on a turn is trading with another player. This is a risky action to take as players are not bound by their verbal agreements. Therefore, a player may offer to trade a Bullet and a Knife in exchange for a $10,000 and a Key card. However, neither player is REQUIRED to trade these exact items during the trade, and alliances weaken over trade disputes.
Intermittently throughout the game, as altitude drops, players are given the task to vote whether to keep flying or to hit the silk (which means to jump out of the plane with a parachute in hand)! Should players vote by majority to continue playing the game keeps going as before. If the players vote by majority to hit the silk!, then all players with parachutes reach the ground safely and pool together their money in hopes of reaching the goal amount determined at the start of the game. Those who jump without a parachute sadly perish, but those who are able to stay on the plane without being handcuffed to a jumping player may attempt the very difficult task of landing the plane (which involves the dice shown, but I will let you discover the method on your own).
Should the landing party have gathered enough money to pay the debt, those players win! If the player lands the plane correctly they win! If a player dies, well, they lose.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components shown are probably going to look differently as the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I want to first applaud Escape Plan Board Games for their usage of “eco-conscious production.” The component materials we received are certainly unlike any I have felt or played with in the past. They feel different, and I assume it is due to this new eco-friendly material they are using. I also want to point out the art style of Hit the Silk! It is fabulous and definitely gives off that jetset vibe. I love it! I do hope the dice will be getting an upgrade in the final version, as stickered dice are rarely in style. I have not seen or heard of any plans for upgrades or final components, but I hope a nice eco-friendly upgrade option exists for this game.
So here’s the rub. I truly like this game quite a bit. I do have issues with player elimination games, personally, because for whatever reason I am always the first to be targeted for elimination. While it’s funny at first, I despise having to be left out of the rest of the game. That said, I still very much enjoy this game. Yes, I don’t like being targeted, but I am able to take one for the team, and then ask players to try a different strategy the next playthrough. Being able to make loose alliances and just break trades by giving the other player two Flannels instead of the Parachute and Key is just fun times. I enjoy the ever-decreasing altitude of the plane that stresses players to get things done quickly without having the needle dip too far for comfort. I like that a lot.
I wish the dice were used more in the game (at least in Standard mode), as I love nice chunky dice, but I can look past this because the rest of the gameplay is so solid. I still have yet to figure out the best way to use the Handcuffs, but the weapons and Kung Fu are just so ridiculous and amazing simultaneously that I like using them as soon as I get them in hand. So if you, like me, have a hole in your collection for a game taking place in the skies featuring a gang of casino-chased hoodlums, then I urge you to take a look at Hit the Silk! Just know that if you handcuff yourself to me, you can bet on me making some very inappropriate comments.
