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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
In the second installment of the Mortal Instruments series Clare weaves a tale of love and betrayal and I loved every second of it! This book picks up where the first left off...Clary's mother is still in a coma in a NY hospital. Clary is desperate to get her back, but she has been plunged headfirst into the world of Shadowhunters. Luke is still trying to protect her & Jace is still smolderingly sexy.
Valentine is still lurking in every shadow that surrounds Jace & Clary. He is slowly working his way into their lives. The climax of the book is a HUGE battle on Valentine's ship in the East River which pits some of the Clave against Valentine's demon army. Of course the consequences of the battle impact all involved, none as much as Simon, Clary, & Jace...a love triangle that may just outmatch that between Edward, Bella, & Jacob.
I have to say the ending leaves you hanging in such a way that if you don't already have Book 3 on your shelf, you will feel the compelling urge to go hunt it down & devour it before you even leave the bookstore. Fortunately for me, it is on my shelf & is calling my name!
Valentine is still lurking in every shadow that surrounds Jace & Clary. He is slowly working his way into their lives. The climax of the book is a HUGE battle on Valentine's ship in the East River which pits some of the Clave against Valentine's demon army. Of course the consequences of the battle impact all involved, none as much as Simon, Clary, & Jace...a love triangle that may just outmatch that between Edward, Bella, & Jacob.
I have to say the ending leaves you hanging in such a way that if you don't already have Book 3 on your shelf, you will feel the compelling urge to go hunt it down & devour it before you even leave the bookstore. Fortunately for me, it is on my shelf & is calling my name!
b.Young (97 KP) rated The Wordsmith in Books
May 15, 2018
Horrifying in a good way
Have you ever wondered how famous authors pump out great book after great book? Well, it's probably not quite how Walt Erickson does it...or is it???
I read this book because I found it offered for free in the Amazon Kindle store. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. Y'all! I was wrong to set my expectations so low!
This was a truly horrifying glimpse into what one famous author does to keep writing those best-selling books of his. And (spoiler): He's. Not. Writing. Them.
So who is? How does he keep from being found out?
My first thought was that his typewriter is bewitched and doing the writing for him.
My second thought was that he had a ghost writer that he pays very handsomely to keep quiet.
I had some other thoughts about it, but they were just too PG.
Let me just tell you, that NONE of my thoughts were what was actually going on and I was beyond freaked out when I discovered the truth!
This story reminded me a little of Secret Garden and a little of some episode of The Twilight Zone I saw when I was like 10.
If you read this and you will think you entered The Twilight Zone.
I read this book because I found it offered for free in the Amazon Kindle store. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. Y'all! I was wrong to set my expectations so low!
This was a truly horrifying glimpse into what one famous author does to keep writing those best-selling books of his. And (spoiler): He's. Not. Writing. Them.
So who is? How does he keep from being found out?
My first thought was that his typewriter is bewitched and doing the writing for him.
My second thought was that he had a ghost writer that he pays very handsomely to keep quiet.
I had some other thoughts about it, but they were just too PG.
Let me just tell you, that NONE of my thoughts were what was actually going on and I was beyond freaked out when I discovered the truth!
This story reminded me a little of Secret Garden and a little of some episode of The Twilight Zone I saw when I was like 10.
If you read this and you will think you entered The Twilight Zone.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 5, 2019 (Updated Apr 5, 2019)
The second Captain Marvel movie in as many months is an effective piece of entertainment, although I'm not entirely sure how it manages this. Foster-child Billy Batson (Angel) is chosen by an ancient wizard to become his champion - all he needs to do is say a magic word to be transformed into a powerful superhero (Levi), known as... well, the film awkwardly dodges the issue of what his actual superhero codename is, as DC have (essentially for legal reasons) decided to stop calling this character Captain Marvel, even though that was his name for over seventy years. Lawyers, eh?
Anyway, what ensues is recognisably a Captain Marvel movie, featuring all the things you would hope to see in one, but it's also really a spoof not just of this character but of the superhero genre in general. As I say, it undeniably works, due to good performances (Mark Strong is customarily good as Cap's nemesis Dr Sivana) and a sharp script, even if I can't help thinking that a character who was once the most popular superhero in the world, bar none, deserves slightly better treatment. Let's look on the bright side: it could have been a lot worse, and the general upward trend of DC Comics movies seems to be continuing.
Anyway, what ensues is recognisably a Captain Marvel movie, featuring all the things you would hope to see in one, but it's also really a spoof not just of this character but of the superhero genre in general. As I say, it undeniably works, due to good performances (Mark Strong is customarily good as Cap's nemesis Dr Sivana) and a sharp script, even if I can't help thinking that a character who was once the most popular superhero in the world, bar none, deserves slightly better treatment. Let's look on the bright side: it could have been a lot worse, and the general upward trend of DC Comics movies seems to be continuing.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 1 in TV
May 21, 2019
A strong start for one of the most ambitious projects to ever grace television
The first season of the critically acclaimed HBO powerhouse spends most of it's runtime establishing the houses, the politics, and the characters of Westeros.
It's a very dialogue heavy season, and there in lies it's strength. The script of the earlier seasons are second to none, as we get to know all the players of the Game of Thrones, whilst sprinkling hints of events that have happened before the show picks up, which is no easy feat considering the massive cast involved.
All of the cast are incredible - whether they are likable, or poisonous - each viewer ends the season with a least favourite character, and charcters they are rooting for.
All the while, across the sea, magic is returning to the world with the arrival of the first dragons in centuries, and in the far north, an ancient evil rises in the background of the story with the intent of wiping everything out, all while the main cast fight over politics and ruler ship.
With so many plot points being juggled, its white staggering how intrigued this season can keep you, whilst slow burning toward it's bold and devastating conclusion.
It's a very dialogue heavy season, and there in lies it's strength. The script of the earlier seasons are second to none, as we get to know all the players of the Game of Thrones, whilst sprinkling hints of events that have happened before the show picks up, which is no easy feat considering the massive cast involved.
All of the cast are incredible - whether they are likable, or poisonous - each viewer ends the season with a least favourite character, and charcters they are rooting for.
All the while, across the sea, magic is returning to the world with the arrival of the first dragons in centuries, and in the far north, an ancient evil rises in the background of the story with the intent of wiping everything out, all while the main cast fight over politics and ruler ship.
With so many plot points being juggled, its white staggering how intrigued this season can keep you, whilst slow burning toward it's bold and devastating conclusion.
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 26, 2019
I'm a 36 year old man child and I dont care!!!!
I normally post complete reviews where I take into account all aspects of cinema - acting, script, cinematography, tone etc. This review contains none of that as this film is scored on how it made me feel. I'm a pokemon fan and have been since I was a child. This film perfectly shows a world where pokemon live and co exist with people - a better world for sure. That said I'm not giving it a 10 score purely for nostalgia. The acting is good and story is also good with enough twists along the way to keep non poke fans interested. Visually it's great with the pokemon blending into the world perfectly. The star of the show is Ryan Reynolds though as Pikachu. Reynolds has made a career of just being himself onscreen and he does it again here. Yes the language from say Deadpool, Waiting, Van Wilder or Blade Trinity is toned down but the same brand of humour is on display giving adults something to laugh at as well as kids. Others probably wud give this a 7 or 8 - I give it 10 because I'm a man child who loves pokemon and Ryan Reynolds....so there!!!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The First Purge (2018) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019 (Updated Jun 11, 2019)
Definitely killed a few brain cells
The concept behind The Purge films is kind of good I guess? (If you don't think about it too hard), but none of them have really delivered much to the horror genre, and this prequel somehow delivers less to the point where it actually takes away from the horror genre!
I found myself disinterested in any of the characters after just a few minutes. So much so, that when the first 'Purge' actually begins, I just found myself thinking 'why?' Why are these characters even taking part, why are so many people taking part (surely they can't all have weird murder boners), why did this film even get passed a storyboard phase, why am I still watching!?
It's just dumb, and not even in a slightly so-dumb-its-good way.
Any scares or horror are completely absent, to the point where the film devolves into a low quality action B-movie rip off of The Raid.
The whole sorry affair just seemed like an excuse for some people to whack some contact lenses in and roam about with 'sinister' grins on their faces, like a pack of 14 year olds who have had one too many cans of Monster Energy.
Won't be watching this one again! ?
I found myself disinterested in any of the characters after just a few minutes. So much so, that when the first 'Purge' actually begins, I just found myself thinking 'why?' Why are these characters even taking part, why are so many people taking part (surely they can't all have weird murder boners), why did this film even get passed a storyboard phase, why am I still watching!?
It's just dumb, and not even in a slightly so-dumb-its-good way.
Any scares or horror are completely absent, to the point where the film devolves into a low quality action B-movie rip off of The Raid.
The whole sorry affair just seemed like an excuse for some people to whack some contact lenses in and roam about with 'sinister' grins on their faces, like a pack of 14 year olds who have had one too many cans of Monster Energy.
Won't be watching this one again! ?
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Jan 30, 2018
Good performances (1 more)
Well shot
Muddled story (1 more)
Messy narrative
Despite a promising and fun fist couple of minutes, it quickly becomes clear that Suburbicon is both a missed opportunity and a jumbled attempt at constructing a story.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I have to be honest. When I initially heard about Opening Up by Tristan Taormino, it was in association with someone I can't stand, and I childishly let that association color my impression of the book. I didn't really consider reading it. I finally got around to reading (okay, listening to) it this past week, and I'm sorry I didn't do so sooner. It's so good that I'm considering purchasing a print copy to have on hand in my lending library, and maybe even an ebook copy so that I might easily reference passages from time to time.
None of the information is new to me, exactly, but it is put together very well. The sections on issues to consider/issues that might arise in each style of responsible non-monogamy were especially appreciated. I was disappointed that there isn't a section in her web site for readers, but perhaps the print copy has reproducible checklists.
The chapter on STIs was very good, although I think that a list of specific STIs for which non-monogamous people should request testing would have been helpful.
In any case, I do recommend this book. It's replacing Love Without Limits as my go-to recommendation for new polyfolk to read.
None of the information is new to me, exactly, but it is put together very well. The sections on issues to consider/issues that might arise in each style of responsible non-monogamy were especially appreciated. I was disappointed that there isn't a section in her web site for readers, but perhaps the print copy has reproducible checklists.
The chapter on STIs was very good, although I think that a list of specific STIs for which non-monogamous people should request testing would have been helpful.
In any case, I do recommend this book. It's replacing Love Without Limits as my go-to recommendation for new polyfolk to read.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated First Blood (1982) in Movies
Jun 23, 2018 (Updated Jun 23, 2018)
They drew First Blood, not me!
Sylvester Stallone will probably always be best remembered for his portrayal of boxer Rocky Balboa, but a close second is his role and character of troubled Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.
All he wanted to do was stop and settle in a small, rural town, but the local sheriff would have none of that. Rambo, the drifter, was arrested and booked for just wanting to have a hot meal somewhere. Thus, this is when the ordeal began. Rambo quickly escaped his captors as well as the police station and set forth a sequence of events, like a game of cat and mouse, whereas the authorities try to bring him back into custody.
After their initial attempt are unsuccessful they even try bringing in his former commanding officer, Colonel Trautman, to try and talk him in.
Stallone's portrayal of Rambo in First Blood shows real depth and emotion. Subsequent Rambo sequels show him as more of a huklish, strongman, badass, one man army, but First Blood shows his emotional scars come to the surface several times. You feel empathy for him and realize his actions were defensive and only used because of his intense training.
It's one of the great chase movies ever made.
All he wanted to do was stop and settle in a small, rural town, but the local sheriff would have none of that. Rambo, the drifter, was arrested and booked for just wanting to have a hot meal somewhere. Thus, this is when the ordeal began. Rambo quickly escaped his captors as well as the police station and set forth a sequence of events, like a game of cat and mouse, whereas the authorities try to bring him back into custody.
After their initial attempt are unsuccessful they even try bringing in his former commanding officer, Colonel Trautman, to try and talk him in.
Stallone's portrayal of Rambo in First Blood shows real depth and emotion. Subsequent Rambo sequels show him as more of a huklish, strongman, badass, one man army, but First Blood shows his emotional scars come to the surface several times. You feel empathy for him and realize his actions were defensive and only used because of his intense training.
It's one of the great chase movies ever made.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Prom Night (2008) in Movies
Aug 10, 2018
Boring plot (2 more)
Characters were not well developed
Tried to rely on bad jump scares
All the clichés, none of the fun
So this was a pretty bad movie and I quite like this genre mostly.
The plot was way too boring and predictable. It's something you have seen hundreds of movies like this. It's a typical slasher movie. You knew everything that was gonna happen pretty much.
Too bad they try to move things along way too quickly so no characters were fleshed out. They just ended up boring but given enough time they could have gone into backstory about why this is happening and it would have made the characters a lot more interesting. Don't get me wrong I did like the cast, they had good actors. It was just the writing that was not good.
It was not at all scary and tried to rely on jump scares alone which were not actually scary. The deaths could have been entertaining but were just boring and the ending was expected.
I cannot recommend this. It's not a good movie. Not sure what else I can say but if you read the plot, it's basically what it says it is. You can guess the rest.
The plot was way too boring and predictable. It's something you have seen hundreds of movies like this. It's a typical slasher movie. You knew everything that was gonna happen pretty much.
Too bad they try to move things along way too quickly so no characters were fleshed out. They just ended up boring but given enough time they could have gone into backstory about why this is happening and it would have made the characters a lot more interesting. Don't get me wrong I did like the cast, they had good actors. It was just the writing that was not good.
It was not at all scary and tried to rely on jump scares alone which were not actually scary. The deaths could have been entertaining but were just boring and the ending was expected.
I cannot recommend this. It's not a good movie. Not sure what else I can say but if you read the plot, it's basically what it says it is. You can guess the rest.