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Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1)
Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1)
Bernard Cornwell | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Chronologically the first Sharpe book (or, at least, it is at the moment!), this was publishes as the 16th novel in the series, after the success of the 1990 Sean Bean starring TV series, which followed the original, Napoleonic-set, stories.

As such, this is actually set prior to the Napoleonic Wars, with Sharpe - as the novel starts - a young private in the regiments of Arthur Wellesley's battalion of the 33rd regiment of foot, who are on campaign in India against the Tippoo Sultan of Mysore.

For plot reasons, Sharpe - in the company of William Lawford (who was a character mentioned in the 'original series' as having taught Sharpe how to read, thus making the jump to Sergeant easier) - have to go undercover in Seringapatam, just as that city is about to be besieged by the Allied forces.

It helps that, by doing so - or so Sharpe thinks - he'll be able to escape from the tyrannical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill: one of those creations that you just love to hate!
  
Tron Legacy (2010)
Tron Legacy (2010)
2010 | Action, Sci-Fi
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ok this was actually good which is a bit surprising as there have been a few sequels to older films released over the past few years and they haven't all be great, not that they haven't necessarily been bad but, depending on how they continuing they have been a bit problematic. Either by using now outdated concepts or trying to to match modern political standards and missing the mark, Ghostbusters I'm looking at you. Tron: Legacy goes down the path of of handing the franchise over to the next generation in a similar manner to Bill and Ted Face the Music and I think Tron does it better.


I'll start by saying that Tron: Legacy is not as original or forward thinking as it's predecessor but that is to be expected. The original had Ideas that were slightly before it's time which i talk about in my review of that film. Tron: Legacy can't re do that originality, partly because its a sequel and so is constrained by the world built in the original but also because a lot of the ideas have been used since, we've had the likes of 'The Matrix' and 'Wreck-it Ralph' and so Tron: Legacy seems to concentrate on being a Tron film and nothing more.
The film keeps close to the original by bringing back quite a few things, we have Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprising their roles of Kevin Flynn And Alan Bradley, with Kevin now trapped in the computer world known as the Grid. The light cycles are back as well as few other craft. The effects have been updated but the grid and it's games are still very recognisable and there are a few through back lines and scenes.
Tron: Legacy does feel a bit Matrixy at times, neither of the flynns are Neo but it does draw on the familiar God/Devil tropes that you often see. The costumes are more cyber punk than the original, still using the red/blue lighting but also being more PVC and trench coat in its aesthetic with many characters supporting visors or crash helmets, to the point that Daft Punk actually look like they belong there.
Like a lot of Cyberpunk films there is a night club and this has one of the films stand out characters, Castor, played by Michael Sheen who is doing his best 'Ziggy Stardust' impression.


The strange thing is, this is a good film, with good franchise potential and Disney don't seem to have marketed it well, it's 10 years old (at the time of writing) and isn't mentioned much and it's only due to watching this on Disney+ that I now know about the spin off animated series, Tron: Uprising, which I'm going to have to watch.
  
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
2021 | Action, Sci-Fi
The True Successor to the Original Film
I am a huge fan of the original, 1984 Bill Murray/Dan Ackroyd/Harold Ramis GHOSTBUSTERS - so much a fan, in fact, that I devoted an entire hour of my podcast, the BANKOFMARQUIS MOVIES PODCAST (which can be found in your favorite Podcast app) last Halloween to this film (Episode #23 to be precise). I found that the next 2 follow-up films - GHOSTBUSTERS 2 and the all-female GHOSTBUSTERS from a few years ago - did not even come close to recapturing the magic of that first film.

GHOSTBUSTERS:AFTERLIFE does and is, in my opinion, the true successor to this all-time great film. This is because Afterlife is nothing more than what it pretends to be - a 2 hour homage to the first film and, most importantly, a wonderful tribute and send off to the late Harold Ramis while creating a whole new “Ghostbusters” Universe and characters along the way.

The plot is fairly simple, the daughter and 2 grandchildren of Original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (Ramis) arrive at his remote farm after his passing, They start discovering old Ghostbusters equipment (including the Ecto-1) and strange Supernatural events begin to occur.

So…who ya’ gonna call?

This film is lovingly created and produced by Writer/Director Jason Reitman (son of original Ghostbuster Director Ivan Reitman) and it succeeds not because it reveres the first film, but because it loves and respects it and leans into whenever it needs to while also becoming its’ own animal.

Nothing shows this more than the performances in this film. Previous attempts at revising this series tried to hard to regenerate the unique chemistry of the original Ghostbusters. This film realizes that was a mistake and lets these characters do their own things in their own way.

Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon are very good - if somewhat restrained - as the “adults” in this film, but it is the kids - that shine. Finn Wolfhard (STRANGER THINGS, IT) is rock solid as Trevor - one of Spengler’s Grandkids while Logan Kim as “Podcast” one of their friends is also fun and interesting.

But, it is the performance of McKenna Grace (THE HANDMAID’S TALE) as Phoebe, the Granddaughter most like the Grandfather, that really catches your attention and holds this film together in a way that is remarkable for one so young. She really is the secret weapon in this film.

And, of course, there are some fun cameos - cameos that would be spoilery if mentioned, but you can probably guess.

Reitman keeps the action moving along at a fine clip - though the first hour does drag out a bit - and the CGI is much improved since 1984, so that helps things out here as well.

More than a nostalgia play, GHOSTBUSTERS:AFTERLIFE is a fun romp that will be enjoyed by those who know (and love) the original as well as those who are coming to it for the first time.

Oh…and make sure you stay for the 2 End Credits scene - one comes about 2 minutes in and the other is right at the end, they are both worth staying for.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Flatliners (2017)
Flatliners (2017)
2017 | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Cool cast (0 more)
Lack of any real tension (1 more)
Not scary
Almost DOA
Amazingly I haven't seen the original so can't compare them. I didn't expect much from this and it turned out pretty much by the numbers. It starts ok and nice to see a small role for Kiefer Sutherland. However there is a real lack of tension or scares in the second half of the film. It could have raised the stakes in many ways but stays in the middle ground.
  
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ClareR (5955 KP) rated The Scandal in Books

Nov 15, 2017  
The Scandal
The Scandal
Fredrik Backman | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Utterly gripping, one of my favourite books this year. Set in a Swedish (I think!) hockey town. Everything revolves around ice hockey. Until a scandal rocks the very foundations of the town. It sets the truth against misplaced loyalties. Which is more important: the Team, or the truth?
I noticed that this was called Beartown in the US. I think I possibly prefer that as a title, however, I believe that The Scandal is closer to the original translated title.
  
As Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in cinemas, it's the perfect time to revisit the previous films in George Lucas's epic series. The original Star Wars (1977) dazzled audiences on its first release, but opinions on the blockbuster film series have have changed over the years.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) initially met with sniffy reviews from the critics, and is now generally considered one of the best films in the franchise. So where will @Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) rank?

Critics are suggesting that The Last Jedi might be even better than expected – but where should it really come in the definitive Star Wars ranking?


Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

8.9 (173 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

After the rebels are overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker...


Star Wars
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

8.9 (157 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the...


Star Wars
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

8.3 (227 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an...


Star Wars
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

8.7 (143 Ratings) Rate It

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In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful...


Star Wars
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

8.1 (97 Ratings) Rate It

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Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire at the hands of the Rebellion, the First Order...


Star Wars
and 4 other items
     
     
Spectral (2016)
Spectral (2016)
2016 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Special Effects (0 more)
Premise of the film has been overdone by other movies (0 more)
A Pretty Decent Netflix Original
This film is 'old hat' in terms of fighting a 'presence' that no one quite understands, but it does it in an interesting way and that's what kept me watching. There are no big names in this flick, however, the cast is still very good, making the characters both believable and interesting. Special effects were pretty good too. Would I watch again? Maybe.
  
Men Without Women: Stories
Men Without Women: Stories
Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel, Ted Goossen | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Modern day Hemingway without the tangential narratives
Taking​ the title from the original Ernest Hemingway novel, Haruki Murakami has updated it for a modern audience in different parts of the world, primarily Japan.

It is a series of portraits of men who have chosen the path of loneliness away from women and the void that it creates when running away from intimacy. Beautiful, simplistic with a wonderful flow, Murakami has a spectacular way of building characters and their anecdotal narratives.