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Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6)
Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6)
Annabeth Albert | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) by Annabeth Albert
Tight Quarters is the sixth book in the Out of Uniform series, and if M/M Romance mixed in with a Military scenario does it for you, then you really need to check out this series.

In this book, we reunite with Bacon (and yep, that is his real name!). He is none too happy because he has been stuck with babysitting duty for an embedded journalist, one he actually admires and knows is gay. Bacon himself is Pan, and I loved him for it. Now, Bacon has a history, and is a SEAL. Bryant is a gay journalist. Whatever could go wrong?

This is a book of two halves - the first part being with Spencer embedded and them both fighting their attraction. The second is when Spencer is no longer in the team, and they give up fighting. I honestly can't tell you which half I prefer! For differing reasons, both parts are fantastic, and definitely make up the whole.

With stories that need to be written, but jobs that need to be protected, these two face a horrible decision that left me crossing my fingers and hoping for a happy ending. No knowledge of the American Military is needed as Ms. Albert gives out enough information for it all to make sense, without disclosing any secrets.

I keep thinking to myself that this series can't go on for much longer. How many different military stories can one author do? And then Ms. Albert comes out with something new, something refreshing and unique that makes me fall in love with her characters all over again. How many is too many? I don't have the answer to that, but I do know I definitely need more in this series. Absolutely and highly recommended by me.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
28 Days Later (2002)
28 Days Later (2002)
2002 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Verdict: Modern Zombie Gem

 

Story: 28 Days Later starts by showing a group of activists breaking into a laboratory where chimps are forced to watch some of the most gruesome sites in human history. This was designed to create pure rage and when the chimps are released an epidemic starts. 28 Days Later (title drop) we meet Jim (Murphy) who wakes up in a hospital, alone he searches looking for help but the hospital, streets and everywhere is empty. Wonder around the empty London Jim finds a church filled with infected that chase him before getting save by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris) who also fill in the blanks of what happened.

Jim finds out the harsh reality of the world now but meeting Frank (Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Burns) gives them a chance to go to a radio signal left by the military. The group soon find the military holding up in a mansion lead by Major Henry West (Eccleston) but not everything is as it seems.

28 Days Later brings the modern infected zombie film to life in one of the best story ideas we have seen. It is good to see a story that the infection can only be spread rather than you turn when you die which is big change to all we have seen. The journey itself is been there seen that but what we get is a revenge film with infected around once we meet the military. This shows us that the enemy could come from all direction and our characters are never going to be safe in the world now. This is easily one of the best zombie based films in recent years. (9/10)


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Actor Review

 

Cillian Murphy: Jim waking up alone in a hospital he wonders the empty city before being found by other survivors, with a group he heads to the military safe zone where he ends up having to fight to save the rest of his group from not only infected but the soldiers. Cillian gives a great performance and this put him on the map for bigger roles. (9/10)

 jim

Naomie Harris: Selena the nonsense survivor who takes no prisoners which we see from the moment her fellow survivor gets infected. Naomie gives a good performance showing that she was always going to be in bigger films. (8/10)

 

Brendan Gleeson: Frank caring father who has waited for support before taking his daughter to a radio signal he has been hearing. This character may only be a supporting character but his final moments are one of the most memorable turns in this genre history. Brendan does a good job in what is just a supporting performance. (8/10)

 

Christopher Eccleston: Major Henry West who is running the military unit that has been calling for the survivors but his motives are not what they seem. Christopher gives a good performance in the role. (7/10)

 

Support Cast: 28 Days Later doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast we have a couple of other survivors as well as the soldiers in the military unit. They all help as they show us what the characters are capable off.

 

Director Review: Danny Boyle – Danny does a great job directing this zombie classic that is easily one of the best in the genre. (9/10)

 

Horror: 28 Days Later uses plenty of horror elements with survival horror shinning through. (10/10)

Music: 28 Days Later uses brilliant scores to build the tension up through the scenes. (9/10)

Settings: 28 Days Later uses the settings really well to show how empty busy places could be when the world comes to an end. (9/10)
Special Effects: 28 Days Later uses great special effects with the infected creation. (9/10)

Suggestion: 28 Days Later is one to watch for every horror fan out there. (Horror Fans Watch)

 

Best Part: Suspense building.

Worst Part: Nothing

Action Scene Of The Film: Jim breaks into the mansion


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Kill Of The Film: Frank

Scariest Scene: Jim’s returns home

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel with talks of another always around.

Post Credits Scene: There is the alternative ending

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $82 Million

Budget: $8 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

Tagline: His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn’t.

Trivia: The scene where Jim and Selena celebrate with Frank and Hannah was shot on September 11, 2001. Danny Boyle said it felt extremely strange to shoot a celebratory scene on that particular day.

 

Overall: Brilliant Infected Film

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/14/28-days-later-2002/
  
On Solid Ground (On Solid Ground #1)
On Solid Ground (On Solid Ground #1)
Melissa Collins | 2015 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
On Solid Ground (On Solid Ground #1) by Melissa Collins
On Solid Ground is the first book in the On Solid Ground series. In this story, we meet Dax, a veteran suffering from PTSD, and Beck, a tattoo artist with his own history to contend with. When these two meet, the attraction is off the charts, but both of them have issues to deal with.

I loved this story, but did find bits of it annoying. I know every relationship deals with miscommunication, but these two really took the biscuit. Saying that though, I still loved them as a couple.

On Solid Ground was well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. The only thing that disrupted me was the story/characters themselves.

If you are in the mood for a Military M_M story with plenty of angst, then I can definitely recommend this one.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Disappeared in Books

May 25, 2019  
The Disappeared
The Disappeared
Amy Lord | 2019 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dystopian Britain
Set in the near future, Britain has become a one party, military controlled state, where reading the wrong book could mean that you are ‘disappeared’.

The Authorisation Bureau we’re responsible for the disappearance of Clara’s father, a university English lecturer, and she is determined to pick up where he left off. Along with her History professor boyfriend, they decide to teach a select group of students about the past and the books that they are now forbidden to read. But things do not go as planned. Clara has some protection, as her stepfather is a ‘high up’ interrogator with the Authorisation Bureau, but this can only go so far to protect her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark tale of an alternate UK. It was rather violent in places, but it’s message was ultimately that of hope. My only complaint (which isn’t really a complaint) is that we could have done with more from the resistance organisation, Lumiere. I would have loved to have read more about them.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to the author, Amy Lord, for reading along and answering questions.
  
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Michael Korda recommended Tunes of Glory (1960) in Movies (curated)

 
Tunes of Glory (1960)
Tunes of Glory (1960)
1960 | International, Classics, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"A fierce elegy to Britain’s past glories, this is a film to see again and again, if only because of Alec Guinness’s bold and vivid portrait of a rapidly tarnishing military hero. I am attached to it because I spent some of my two years’ service in the Royal Air Force at the Joint Services School for Linguists in Bodmin, Cornwall, not only with Navy and Royal Marines types but with soldiers from the endless list of British Army regiments, each with its fiercely prized individual identity, history, peculiarities of uniform, and traditions. No soldiers were more clanny or inbred than those of the fabled Scottish (kilted) Highland regiments, like the Black Watch, the Argyll & Sutherlands, or the Cameronians. The regiment in Tunes of Glory is like one of those, a small, enclosed world, and in it the rivalry between the brash and heroic young colonel and his replacement leads to a sad and messy tragedy. It is one of those brilliant “little” films that almost reaches greatness, and it remains, along with The Hill and Zulu, one of the iconic films about the British Army."

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Lindsay (1706 KP) rated The Lost Pulse in Books

Dec 19, 2019  
The Lost Pulse
The Lost Pulse
J.K. Kelly | 2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, we are back with this time travel of a book. This one was a bit more less entertaining. It was still worth reading and receiving. We get back to traveling back in time. Only now we are mostly in the modern time.

If you are into terrorism what would you do if you could go back in time and stop maybe without changing history? We see what happens when something happens that happens to kill a member of the special team? Was it his fault? This make a decision seems to affect a member that not in the military when her brother is killed?

What happens to Michelle Jackson once her brother is killed? When JJ and the president cant not go back and save him? There seems to be a regret that JJ has? What is it?

We seem to follow Michelle a bit more and also end up in Italy for a few missions. What missions they do go on. Will they help or hurt their BOTM options? Will their be something of nature that the members to need to learn.

What happens to the pulses and if they can get more or not. The author does it once again with this book. What happens to JJ and his wife Michelle? The President seems more involved. What will happen with him? I will want to know how this continues. There are twists an turns though out the book. This is really good for science fiction fans and along with time travel fans. Are you into history, well this book take you on journey back in time as well.
  
Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk (2017)
2017 | Action, History, War
Wish it focused on the importance of this historic event
I might be an anomaly here, but sadly I didn't find Christopher Nolan's blockbuster as good as it should have been, and actually am fairly disappointed. The battle at Dunkirk is one of the most catastrophic moments in British military history, essentially British soldiers were completely out of their depth, with little backing and resources, and it was the tipping point in which Britain was very likely to lose the war - if it wasn't for a costly strategic mistake by the Germans to show leniency. It was then that Winston Churchill made his renowned speech, "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" - which we saw a glimpse of in the last scene.

Unfortunately none of this was apparent in the film, and as much as I love Nolan as a director, he seems to have concentrated too much on the cinematography rather than the importance of this event. No doubt, visually it was as beautiful as some of his previous work such as Interstellar, and the acting was subtle, yet stirring. As per usual, Mark Rylance stands out as the most understated and refined actor - but it was an all-round great cast. It's watchable, but it doesn't really show the true magnitude and significance of this period.
  
Thirteen Days (2000)
Thirteen Days (2000)
2000 | Drama, History, Thriller
7
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Verdict: History Lesson

Story: Thirteen Days starts like a normal day in the Kennedy administration, his assistant Kenny O’Donnell (Costner) joins the President John F Kennedy (Greenwood), his brother Robert F Kennedy (Culp) and advisers from every side for an emergency meeting.
The meeting is called to discuss the appearance of nuclear warheads in Cuba, believing Russia are moving to a closer position which could destroy large parts of America in minutes. What follows in Kenny trying to help JFK make the smartest decision, despite how many different people are advising with multiply options, all leading to one of the most intense stand offs in military history.

Thoughts on Thirteen Days

Characters – Kenny O’Donnell is the assistant advisor to the President, he gives him advice which would see him make decisions which would support the image of the President and the country instead of agree with the fast track answers which would see America go to war, he is the man that people turn to if they are not prepared to challenge the President’s decisions. President John F Kennedy is the man in the middle of the situation, the man that needs to make the final decision after taking on all the advice from his experts, he wants to remain in control of the situation to the best of his ability. Robert F Kennedy is one of the men advising his brother, he knows how John thinks and knows how the help him make the right decisions to remain calm and in control. We do have plenty of different advisors who are trying to offer a plan to what could make this stand off end quicker.
Performances – Kevin Costner is always entertaining to watch in a political movie, this is no different as he plays the pivot to everything going on. Bruce Greenwood as the President is great to watch through the film, with the whole cast looking like they would have been the people they are playing.
Story – The story here follows the events around the Cuba Mission Crisis, from the point of view of the Americans. This does break down to be a political thriller that does keep us on edge as we see all the potential ideas that were thrown out which could have seen the world in a different place if different outcomes had been used, while this is a 2 hour story, we only focus on the different ideas, which is interesting to see. Each person could have their own agenda which could show the mindset of the public during the events. We could have more intense moments, but it just doesn’t really do that much more, which doesn’t display just how dangerous the event could have been.
History – This is a big historical moment and it does show how the people in power were put on panic station when the events started to unfold.
Settings – The film uses the political settings for the most part, which does show us just how the people stayed together through the events of the crisis.

Scene of the Movie – Putting the Admiral in his place.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have had more intense sequences.
Final Thoughts – This is an interesting look at one of the biggest stand offs in modern history, we do see how it could have gone very differently and how everything unfolded.

Overall: Interesting look at history.
  
A Long Petal of the Sea
A Long Petal of the Sea
Isabel Allende | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My first, and not my last, Isabel Allende book!
A Long Petal of the Sea is my first foray into the books of Isabel Allende, and after reading this, it most certainly wont be my last.

This is the sweeping historical story of the Dalmau family, their role in the Spanish Civil War, their escape in to France (which was horrific), and their journey to Chile as refugees on the ship ‘Winnipeg’ arranged by the poet Pablo Neruda.

It’s a devastating and yet heartwarming look at humanity and it’s ability to endure. I hadn’t known about the concentration-style camps that the French forced the Spanish refugees in to after Franco and his right wing party won the Civil War. It looks as though people have always been able to destroy one another in inhuman ways (this is no surprise to me, by the way). We see more of the use of concentration camps in Chile after the military coup.

The main characters, Victor and Roser Dalmau continue to see Chile as their home, over and above Spain. They show us that home is where your friends, family and community are - and that you can make this home anywhere.

This book really is a joy to read. I’ve learnt so much of the history of this time, as well as having the pleasure of just reading a great story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for my copy of this book to read.
  
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
1966 | Classics, Drama, War
7
7.4 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
This film-maker was unknown to me entirely before I decided to watch this film. In fact, I had only heard of the film itself quite recently from seeing it mentioned as one of the best films in the genre as a commentary on political insurgency and civil unrest. It is so well regarded that even the US military used it to prepare troops for entering Iraq. The main actors are largely unknown and many of the supporting cast and extras are not actors at all. The camera is allowed to wander and wobble, and such is the feel of random chaos at times you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a documentary. Nominated for 3 Oscars, and faultless in achieving its goal of humanising both sides of an argument, you can see the influence on Oliver Stone and Paul Greengrass, to name but two better known directors with a political edge.

It’s not a film I would feel the need to go back to, unless demonstrating to someone how to make something staged feel entirely real. I admire this film very much, but wouldn’t exactly call it entertaining or even rewarding as a story. Its purpose is to reinforce the tragedy of a people facing oppression and to realise the lengths both sides will go to in protecting their ideals and relative freedoms. The excellent hand held photography and score by the always inspirational Ennio Moricone are other reasons to watch it. As a history lesson of North Africa post WWII it also has a lot to offer.