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MissCagey (2652 KP) rated Common Murder in Books
Oct 18, 2017
Milleen (47 KP) rated Nine Perfect Strangers in Books
Nov 14, 2018
Liane Moriarty’s Australian backdrop is ‘Tranquillum House’, a remote health retreat that promises total transformation. Each of the nine strangers has some reason for attempting to unload some mental baggage and relaxing away from the modern world. They relinquish their mobile phones and laptops, cutting themselves off from the outside. A different kind of therapy is administered by the austere manager and what unravels is an unusual twist on Moriarty’s narrative, yet it’s totally entertaining. There’s a level of chaos and farce, mixed with darker elements that make this a compelling read. Not at all like the famous, ‘Big, Little Lies’ but more ‘Truly, Madly, Guilty’ in its delivery. Available in hardback now, paperback in April 2019.
Good survival horror
Absolutely loved this book. I think what i liked most is the fact of when its written and when its based. With it being late 1970's there are no computers, internet or mobile phones to help people. Its brilliantly written and you really get a feel for the hopelessness and terror that people would have felt. Good story and excellent character development. What stood out is though there is a main character, he never comes across as angelic or a person that is going to save the world, like a super hero. He is just a man with a daughter who he would do anything to save, and i mean anything :)
Andy Walker (4868 KP) rated Dead Island (2018) in Movies
Apr 18, 2019
Shot in 2010 on an iPhone 4s.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Set on a secluded island with no cell phone service, 17 year old twins, Kelsey & Devon, who are aspiring film makers are forced to move there just before their senior year. They decide to film everything as their phone are otherwise useless. Then masked killers show up and torment the family throughout the night.
It is basically a found footage film, but filmed entire on mobile phones. To be honest I found a lot of the jerky shots and continual movement both off putting and annoying, when they did have static shots they were far too long and not interesting enough. The last fifteen minutes or so of the film are not bad but by then I'd lost a bit of interest. There is some pretty shocking acting as well.
Not really a good film, but deserving of a "good" Mark purely for the novelty of the filming medium.
It is basically a found footage film, but filmed entire on mobile phones. To be honest I found a lot of the jerky shots and continual movement both off putting and annoying, when they did have static shots they were far too long and not interesting enough. The last fifteen minutes or so of the film are not bad but by then I'd lost a bit of interest. There is some pretty shocking acting as well.
Not really a good film, but deserving of a "good" Mark purely for the novelty of the filming medium.
Charlotte (184 KP) rated Dagger Hill in Books
Sep 10, 2021
Silent hill for teenagers....Creepy and pretty terrifying.
The potential to be made into a film is definitely lurking there.
The four main characters, teenagers on the threshold of their senior year, are interesting and quirky. Each has a different personality that gels well with the others but doesn't then blend into one boring entity.
Set in 1989, a time before the internet and mobile phones (as we know them now and the actual ability to carry one) Dagger Hill has a small town charm. A charm that contrasts against the awful things that happen there.
This is at least a young adult read with themes of horror and violence. It could easily sit on a shelf with books written by such greats as King and Laymon. It's the kind of book that crawls into your thoughts when you least expect it and creates vivid scenes in your mind.
@Merissa
The potential to be made into a film is definitely lurking there.
The four main characters, teenagers on the threshold of their senior year, are interesting and quirky. Each has a different personality that gels well with the others but doesn't then blend into one boring entity.
Set in 1989, a time before the internet and mobile phones (as we know them now and the actual ability to carry one) Dagger Hill has a small town charm. A charm that contrasts against the awful things that happen there.
This is at least a young adult read with themes of horror and violence. It could easily sit on a shelf with books written by such greats as King and Laymon. It's the kind of book that crawls into your thoughts when you least expect it and creates vivid scenes in your mind.
@Merissa
David McK (3185 KP) rated Only You Can Save Mankind (Johnny Maxwell #1) in Books
Feb 20, 2022
"After all, joysticks don't have 'Don't Fire' buttons on them ..."
Only You Can Save Mankind!
Why me?
If not you, who else?
I first read this not long after it was published, back in the early-to-mid 1990s, at which time I was exactly it's target audience being in my mid teens myself.
By that point, I had already discovered Terry Pratchett's wonderful Discworld novels, but hadn't read many - any? - of his non-Discworld books.
That changed when I read this, which would go on to become the first in his so-called Johnny Maxwell series (comprising this, Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb).
Reading this now (in the early 2020s), it still holds up remarkably well, even if it is noticeable how much society has changed: mobile phones weren't really a thing back in the 90s, personal computers were relatively new, the Gulf War was still ongoing ...
Why me?
If not you, who else?
I first read this not long after it was published, back in the early-to-mid 1990s, at which time I was exactly it's target audience being in my mid teens myself.
By that point, I had already discovered Terry Pratchett's wonderful Discworld novels, but hadn't read many - any? - of his non-Discworld books.
That changed when I read this, which would go on to become the first in his so-called Johnny Maxwell series (comprising this, Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb).
Reading this now (in the early 2020s), it still holds up remarkably well, even if it is noticeable how much society has changed: mobile phones weren't really a thing back in the 90s, personal computers were relatively new, the Gulf War was still ongoing ...
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019
Hilariously Self-Aware
Zombie-comedies are the only kind of zombie movies I enjoy, and this was no exception.
Bill Murray (who was previously in Zombieland), and Adam Driver are the main characters, as cops in a small town (maybe in NY?), and their chemistry is deadpan and hilarious. Driver mentions multiple times throughout the film that 'This is going to end badly', finally Murray's character asks him why he keeps saying that. Driver's character responds that he read the entire script. Murray proceeds to call Jim Jarmusch an a-hole, since he didn't get the whole script. I about died of laughter over that.
Tilda Swinton's character is completely whack-a-doo, and cuts off zombies' heads with ease with a samurai sword. Because, as everyone knows, kill the head.
The entire movie is absurdist, and the humor might not be for everyone. It's gotten really bad reviews from a lot of critics, so I may be in the minority. Chloë Sevigny's character was the only one that completely annoyed me.
It's ultimately an homage to zombie films and, of course, an allegory of modern times, with people being absorbed in their mobile phones, unaware of the real world around them.
Bill Murray (who was previously in Zombieland), and Adam Driver are the main characters, as cops in a small town (maybe in NY?), and their chemistry is deadpan and hilarious. Driver mentions multiple times throughout the film that 'This is going to end badly', finally Murray's character asks him why he keeps saying that. Driver's character responds that he read the entire script. Murray proceeds to call Jim Jarmusch an a-hole, since he didn't get the whole script. I about died of laughter over that.
Tilda Swinton's character is completely whack-a-doo, and cuts off zombies' heads with ease with a samurai sword. Because, as everyone knows, kill the head.
The entire movie is absurdist, and the humor might not be for everyone. It's gotten really bad reviews from a lot of critics, so I may be in the minority. Chloë Sevigny's character was the only one that completely annoyed me.
It's ultimately an homage to zombie films and, of course, an allegory of modern times, with people being absorbed in their mobile phones, unaware of the real world around them.
Merissa (11643 KP) rated Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1) by Shelby Rhodes
Adrian's Bodyguard is the first book in the Vampires of Vadin series, and we start off with the vampire King himself, nearly 10,000-year-old Adrian. He survives an assassination attempt, and is more concerned about the hole in the wall, than his safety. Others are more concerned though, and he ends up with a bodyguard that he wants, but doesn't want! Xavier does his best to be professional around Adrian, but the tension between them just makes things hotter. Plus the fact, Xavier can't quite control his impulses to wind Adrian up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mixture of contemporary and other-realm magic. They have cars, not run on fossil fuels, obviously!, and mobile phones, but magic is also an everyday act. The two joining together was great to read, and I loved it. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I loved the dynamic between our two main characters. So many characters I would love to hear about now, first and foremost Asher and Kaiden!!!
Absolutely recommended by me.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* 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!
I thoroughly enjoyed this mixture of contemporary and other-realm magic. They have cars, not run on fossil fuels, obviously!, and mobile phones, but magic is also an everyday act. The two joining together was great to read, and I loved it. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I loved the dynamic between our two main characters. So many characters I would love to hear about now, first and foremost Asher and Kaiden!!!
Absolutely recommended by me.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* 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!
Gaz Coombes recommended Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno in Music (curated)
JT (287 KP) rated Robot & Frank (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Frank (Frank Langella) is slowing drifting into dementia, although his stiff upper lip and stubbornness refuse him to believe that there is anything wrong. His children fight to offer help despite an ongoing sense of resentment that they have to. When his son Hunter presents Frank with a robot butler designed to look after him he finds another more profitable use for it.
The portrayal of old age in any film can be depressing. We’re all going to end up that way at some point in our lives whether we like it or not. The only control we have is do we go quietly or kicking and screaming. The robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) is not given a name but his calming presence and dry underlying humour make him a perfect compliment for Frank’s brash and rather direct old timer.
Frank’s hidden past was as a jewel thief, spending most of his early life inside made it clear that he was not a good father to either of his children, and he’s been divorced from his wife for some time. It’s a beautifully written script set near enough in the future that it still is in keeping with present day surroundings – uniquely different mobile phones and voice activated Skype chat seem to be the more futuristic of the technologies, robots aside.
As their relationship develops the bond between them becomes closer. It feels very much like a real life Wall-E, Frank relaxes to become dependant on the Robot. It’s a solid film with great central performances with controlled and light hearted direction. The plot is wayward at times but it holds well for the duration.
The portrayal of old age in any film can be depressing. We’re all going to end up that way at some point in our lives whether we like it or not. The only control we have is do we go quietly or kicking and screaming. The robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) is not given a name but his calming presence and dry underlying humour make him a perfect compliment for Frank’s brash and rather direct old timer.
Frank’s hidden past was as a jewel thief, spending most of his early life inside made it clear that he was not a good father to either of his children, and he’s been divorced from his wife for some time. It’s a beautifully written script set near enough in the future that it still is in keeping with present day surroundings – uniquely different mobile phones and voice activated Skype chat seem to be the more futuristic of the technologies, robots aside.
As their relationship develops the bond between them becomes closer. It feels very much like a real life Wall-E, Frank relaxes to become dependant on the Robot. It’s a solid film with great central performances with controlled and light hearted direction. The plot is wayward at times but it holds well for the duration.