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The finale to B.K. Greenwood's 'The Last Roman' trilogy, bringing to a close (?) the story of the immortals Marcus, Isabella and Thomas first started in Exile, and continued in Abyss.

AS before, this is a mix of Highlander meets Jason Bourne (as I read a advert put it), jumping between the 'then' (pieces of the last 2000 years of history) and 'now', as Doyle and Thomas get nearer and nearer to triggering their end-game of the Apocalypse.

Yes, that Apocalypse.

So we've moved even further away from the initial set-up, more and more into the territory that came into prominence towards the end of Exile and more into the realms of the Supernatural (is that even the right word for it?).

Not, I want to make it clear, that that is any way a detriment to the work - I just want to be clear, from the outset, that that is the type of work you will be reading.

I did find this to be better than Abyss, but maybe not quite as good as Exile. I've also hear (read) that there are prequels stories - and, with a range of 2000 years, quite a scope of history for those to be set in - so, while I may read those I'm currently unsure whether I would purchase them or utilise Kindle Unlimited (if they are on that).
  
Hell or High Water (2016)
Hell or High Water (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
Classic
Two brothers rob banks in west Texas to pay off overdue loans before their family home is foreclosed on.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
From the first scene in the beginning with Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine), I knew I was going to like the two brothers. One’s a loose cannon while the other is more level-headed and calculated. They argue like typical brothers because they are so different and their interactions remind you of typical sibling hate/love. As a viewer, their personalities worked so well for me because you realize both were needed throughout the movie. Sometimes you needed cool, other times crazy was definitely needed to get the two out of a rough scrape.

I also enjoyed Jeff Bridges character playing the role of Sheriff Marcus, the area’s dedicated peacemaker. He speaks with a quick drawl straight out of an Eastwood western. He is overly truthful to a hilarious extent. He is on his way to retirement and feels like catching Tanner and Toby could be his last bit of peace.

Cinematography/Visuals: 9

Conflict: 7
While there truly are some impactful intense moments that help drive the narrative, Hell Or High Water is more drama than it is an action film. You do get a fair share of bank robberies, car chases, and shootouts. It just would have been nice if they had showed a bit more of that. Some of the parts that dragged on a bit would have served well with a bit more conflict.

Genre: 8
A powerful story about family helping family. Time will tell, but I think it’s a story that will keep its power years from now. The storytelling and direction is just as strong as any of my all-time favorites. Hell Or High Water packs a potent punch.

Memorability: 8

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
The bank robbery genre has been done and redone, but not quite like this. From its setting to the backdrop of the plot, this movie paves its own way within a crowded and successful genre. It succeeds with memorable dialogue and making every single scene count towards a definitive end.

Resolution: 10
The final scene features a conversation between Marcus and Toby. It’s hands-down the most memorable scene in the entire film as you get to see how this chain of events has ultimately affected both characters. They have both gained and lost and both face ghosts that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. It’s a scene that stuck with me long after I watched it.

Overall: 92
Set against a sprawling, yet compacted west Texas, Hell Or High Water gives you everything you look for in a movie. Memorable scenes abound keeping the movie entertaining and fresh. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a classic.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Exorcist - Season 1 in TV

Oct 30, 2017 (Updated Oct 30, 2017)  
The Exorcist  - Season 1
The Exorcist - Season 1
2016 | Horror
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
The issue with remakes is that it tries too hard to connect itself to the original while putting its own stamp as something new. This is no different.

Here we see a young woman becoming possessed with a demon said to be the same as the one before. But it has spread and gathered followers across Chicago. The priests involved include Father Tomas, flawed by temptations and questioning his faith, and Father Marcus, a known exorcist, who feels guilty about the death of one of his charges. So it's a similar setup as before, but their backstories are explored in detail unlike the first film.

The whole possession culminates up to a bigger conspiracy - a plot to kill the Pope visiting the city. There is a twist in between which reveals the connection between the film and the series.

While it's an easy watch, and the make up on the woman while possessed is pretty graphic, it finishes quite quickly all in the last episode. The build up takes a while, you have to get to the third episode for it to start getting interesting. And to be honest some of the episodes in between were quite boring and tried too hard to be dramatic. The most important part of the film was the subtletly of the story and the series is the opposite. Overall, watchable but not if you keep comparing it to the film which was a masterpiece.
  
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Lee Nightingales (73 KP) Aug 9, 2019

The show never positioned itself as a remake. It's set in the same universe and the timelines interlink, but it's not a remake.

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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) Aug 10, 2019

It's still no reason to recycle a plotline.

MW
Most Wanted
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Christine Nelson has wanted nothing more than to be a mother. When she and her husband, Marcus have trouble conceiving, they use a sperm donor in order to have their child. Soon after Christine finds out she's pregnant, a news story comes on about a serial killer who is killing nurses. The killer looks a lot like their sperm donor and Christine will not rest until she finds out the truth. Traveling from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, she uses all her available resources to find out who the father of her child is no matter what her husband thinks.

Lisa Scottoline writes a book that is almost impossible to put down. Gripping from start to finish, <u>Most Wanted</u> sends you on a roller coaster ride that you never want to get off of. Zachary Jeffcoat is the name of the sperm donor. Everyone on the east coast knows him right now as the Nurse Killer. He claims he is innocent and Christine wants to believe him for no other reason than she doesn't want to be carrying a baby that could turn out to be a serial killer, can you imagine?

When Christine decides to visit Jeffcoat in prison, her husband thinks she is making a big mistake. But like all mothers, protecting her child is her number one priority and she will not rest until she knows if she is carrying a possible serial killer or not.