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Phil (3 KP) rated The Pillars of the Earth in Books

Jul 3, 2017

The Pillars of the Earth

Ken Follett | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry

7.6

(13 Ratings)

Book Rating

In Depth, long page turner

Contains spoilers, click to show

I'm not normally the sort of person who goes in for historical fiction. Especially those set in the Dark Ages, but gave it a go as had heard it was a modern 'must read'.
For something that was over 1000 pages, it never felt like a slog or a chore to read. The more you get in to it, the more you want to read in one sitting.
Admitted, the sex scenes are quite gratuitous and graphic at times. And, taken in a modern context, the continual dumping on the lead character can seem overly harsh, as if the author gets pleasure from torturing his lead. But read the book through the historical lens of it's 12th-13th Century setting, and this reduces the frustrations, and adds to the realism

Kudos

Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Dispatcher in Books

Apr 10, 2019

The Dispatcher

John Scalzi | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Fantastic Narration

I got this book as part of the Audibles Free Monthly Originals program. I was extremely excited when I saw this novella on the list. I've always appreciated John Scalzi's writing so I was excited to try this book out. The narrator (Zachary Quinto) was phenomenal. I love listening to audiobooks because, in rare moments, the narrator brings the story to life. This is one of those moments. Zachary Quinto breathed life into this book, his voices and acting were fantastic!

The plot of this novella kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the blend of science fiction and realism. This book though science fiction felt real. I could see this take place in the future. It almost had an Altered Carbon feel to it in a way.

Kudos

Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Ice Age (2002) in Movies

Jun 10, 2019

Ice Age (2002)

2002 | Animation, Comedy, Family

7.1

(41 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Animated films, I feel, do snow a lot better than the majority of live-action movies. Why? Well it’s much easier to render snow when you’re creating a film that is solely CGI, you don’t need to worry too much about realism or shooting on location.

Ice Age remains one of the all-time greats of the genre, and in my opinion, it’s a little underrated. It’s spawned numerous decent quality sequels and has a cracking cast and a light, witty script that’s perfect for adults and children alike to enjoy. The snow is part and parcel of the movie, so that’s why it avalanches its way to number four in this list. Get it, avalanches? I’m on a roll.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/02/28/best-snow-movies-top-5/

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Ikarie XB-1 (1963) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)

Ikarie XB-1 (1963)

1963 | Sci-Fi

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

One of those movies which has clearly been influential but remains relatively little-seen, certainly in the original version. XB-1 and its crew (mostly good-looking young people, a few rugged old character actors, and a fairly dreadful robot prop) blast off for Alpha Centauri but must come to terms with the strains of long-haul spaceflight and various dangers (radiation, dangerous derelicts, and so on).

Arguably the missing link between Forbidden Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey (yes, that's a bold claim), with a strange mixture of pulp SF tropes but also downbeat psychological realism. Notably good and interesting sets, photography, and a memorable avant-garde musical score too. The story is a bit episodic and not exactly pacey, but the rest of the film makes up for this.