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David McK (3207 KP) rated Last Human (Red Dwarf #3) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The third and, unfortunately, least of the 4 <i>Red Dwarf</I> books, I actually read this one last, thinking it was book 4 of 4.
Written by Doug Naylor (who co-wrote the first 2 booms with Rob Grant), this follows an all-new plot with certain scenes lifted from the TV show on which it is based. Unfortunately, it fails to capture the humour of the show, with most of the 'funny' bits falling flat.
Both this and the next book (<I>Backwards</I> by Rob Grant) are perhaps best viewed as alternate third books in a trilogy: if that is the case, <I>Backwards</I> is the better of the two, even if neither of the two books in question live up to the first two. In short, the whole (Grant Naylor) is better than the sum of the parts!
Written by Doug Naylor (who co-wrote the first 2 booms with Rob Grant), this follows an all-new plot with certain scenes lifted from the TV show on which it is based. Unfortunately, it fails to capture the humour of the show, with most of the 'funny' bits falling flat.
Both this and the next book (<I>Backwards</I> by Rob Grant) are perhaps best viewed as alternate third books in a trilogy: if that is the case, <I>Backwards</I> is the better of the two, even if neither of the two books in question live up to the first two. In short, the whole (Grant Naylor) is better than the sum of the parts!
David McK (3207 KP) rated Better than Life (Red Dwarf #2) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated Sep 8, 2019)
A straight sequel to 'Red Dwarf: Infinity welcomes careful drivers', this novel starts with the crew of Red Dwarf still trapped inside the hologrammatic computer game Better Than Life, with that taking up (roughly) the first third of the novel.
Unlike its predecessor, which at times seemed to be cramming as many episodes as possible into its length, this novel instead seems to primarily focus on 3 main aspects (episodes) from the TV series on which it is based: Better Than Life, Garbage World and Polymorph. As such, it's also quite a quick read, only taking me something like 1 day to read from start to finish. Ending on a cliff-hanger, this is also the last Red Dwarf book that both Rob Grant and Doug Naylor worked on together, with the next 2 books ('Backwards' and 'Last Human') each written by a separate one of those two authors.
Unlike its predecessor, which at times seemed to be cramming as many episodes as possible into its length, this novel instead seems to primarily focus on 3 main aspects (episodes) from the TV series on which it is based: Better Than Life, Garbage World and Polymorph. As such, it's also quite a quick read, only taking me something like 1 day to read from start to finish. Ending on a cliff-hanger, this is also the last Red Dwarf book that both Rob Grant and Doug Naylor worked on together, with the next 2 books ('Backwards' and 'Last Human') each written by a separate one of those two authors.
David McK (3207 KP) rated Alien Hunters (Alien Hunters, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Hmmm ... I'm not quite sure how to classify this.
Science-fiction? Certainly.
Comedy? In parts, yes.
Perhaps some classification in line with [b: The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy|372299|The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy A Trilogy in Five Parts|Douglas Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322913171s/372299.jpg|42028477], or even with [b: Red Dwarf: infinty Welcomes Careful Drivers|70956|Red Dwarf Omnibus (Red Dwarf Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers & Better Than Life) |Grant Naylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348229137s/70956.jpg|68744].
I actually picked this up as part of a freebie the author was doing when I felt like a change of pace after reading several heavy(ish), 'serious' books in a row, more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else.
This was definitley a lot lighter fare than any of the books I had read in recent memory - I think I zipped through it in something like 2 or 3 days - raising the occassional wry chuckle, but failing to leave any permanent mark on my memory.
In food terms, like eating a biscuit rather than a full meal - tides you over, but never fully satisfies!
Science-fiction? Certainly.
Comedy? In parts, yes.
Perhaps some classification in line with [b: The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy|372299|The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy A Trilogy in Five Parts|Douglas Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322913171s/372299.jpg|42028477], or even with [b: Red Dwarf: infinty Welcomes Careful Drivers|70956|Red Dwarf Omnibus (Red Dwarf Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers & Better Than Life) |Grant Naylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348229137s/70956.jpg|68744].
I actually picked this up as part of a freebie the author was doing when I felt like a change of pace after reading several heavy(ish), 'serious' books in a row, more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else.
This was definitley a lot lighter fare than any of the books I had read in recent memory - I think I zipped through it in something like 2 or 3 days - raising the occassional wry chuckle, but failing to leave any permanent mark on my memory.
In food terms, like eating a biscuit rather than a full meal - tides you over, but never fully satisfies!
Gail (4 KP) rated Resisting Redemption in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Resisting Redemption by Amabel Daniels
Four Stars
This is the first story I’ve read from this author and I can say without a doubt that I am hooked. I felt like I was right there with the action and could feel every emotion the characters felt. The characters were flawed and perfect. Roxie has become my favorite character. She is a single mom doing what’s best for her daughter. She gives off this sassy vibe when truly she is just going with the flow. Through the book I expected her to become less sassy and more damsel in distress. But the author didn’t disappoint me. She stayed true to her personality and only gave on things concerning her daughter. The way they portray Grant you would think he was a sexist old man who thought women belonged in the kitchen. Oh no Grant is so much more and down right sexy. He blows me away with his personality and determination to get justice. Some characters I could do without because blah. But these two were just right and baby Lucy too cute. A red head baby if only.
Four Stars
This is the first story I’ve read from this author and I can say without a doubt that I am hooked. I felt like I was right there with the action and could feel every emotion the characters felt. The characters were flawed and perfect. Roxie has become my favorite character. She is a single mom doing what’s best for her daughter. She gives off this sassy vibe when truly she is just going with the flow. Through the book I expected her to become less sassy and more damsel in distress. But the author didn’t disappoint me. She stayed true to her personality and only gave on things concerning her daughter. The way they portray Grant you would think he was a sexist old man who thought women belonged in the kitchen. Oh no Grant is so much more and down right sexy. He blows me away with his personality and determination to get justice. Some characters I could do without because blah. But these two were just right and baby Lucy too cute. A red head baby if only.
David McK (3207 KP) rated The Flash (2023) in Movies
Jun 25, 2023
There's a graphic novel, called Flashpoint, where Barry Allen runs fast enough that he is able to travel back in time to stop the murder of his mum.
That's the basis for this film, which - indeed - at one point was event o be called 'Flashpoint'.
There's another one where Superman's pod arrives in Russia rather than the USA, and where he is experimented on and brought up by the Soviets.
Superman: Red Son.
There's elements of that in this too.
As - potentially - the last film in the current DCEU, this stars Ezra Miller's version of The Flash, alongside cameos from other DCEU characters and actors, and also - due the the 'multiversal' nature of the proceedings - makes no secret of the fact that it brings Michael Keeton's version of Batman into the fold. He's probably the best bit.
It's also rather surreal in parts - the term 'baby shower' takes on a whole new meaning - with Miller, IMO, not as good at embodying the role as Grant Gustin's version from TV.
That, I guess, is probably just a matter of taste ...
That's the basis for this film, which - indeed - at one point was event o be called 'Flashpoint'.
There's another one where Superman's pod arrives in Russia rather than the USA, and where he is experimented on and brought up by the Soviets.
Superman: Red Son.
There's elements of that in this too.
As - potentially - the last film in the current DCEU, this stars Ezra Miller's version of The Flash, alongside cameos from other DCEU characters and actors, and also - due the the 'multiversal' nature of the proceedings - makes no secret of the fact that it brings Michael Keeton's version of Batman into the fold. He's probably the best bit.
It's also rather surreal in parts - the term 'baby shower' takes on a whole new meaning - with Miller, IMO, not as good at embodying the role as Grant Gustin's version from TV.
That, I guess, is probably just a matter of taste ...
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Red Dwarf in TV
Jun 22, 2019
The boy's from the dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy franchise which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following.
The show follows Dave Lister, a chicken-soup-machine repairman, who is the only human survivor of a radiation leak on his mining space ship and possibly the last living human. Having come out of time stasis 3,000,000 years into the future, Lister has very little company, one in the form of a hologram of his dead shipmate, Rimmer, self obsessed Cat, who has evolved from the descendants of Lister's pregnant cat, senile ship computer Holly and Kryten an Android whose sole purpose is to serve and clean.
This masterpiece was created by Rob grant & doug naylor (GrantNaylor) and has spawned 12 series (Back to Earth counted as the unofficial 9th and a 13th series heavily rumoured) multiple books, audio books, collectibles, magazines and a mobile game.
I'm still hoping for a mainstream console game, but until then, enjoy SmegHeads!
The show follows Dave Lister, a chicken-soup-machine repairman, who is the only human survivor of a radiation leak on his mining space ship and possibly the last living human. Having come out of time stasis 3,000,000 years into the future, Lister has very little company, one in the form of a hologram of his dead shipmate, Rimmer, self obsessed Cat, who has evolved from the descendants of Lister's pregnant cat, senile ship computer Holly and Kryten an Android whose sole purpose is to serve and clean.
This masterpiece was created by Rob grant & doug naylor (GrantNaylor) and has spawned 12 series (Back to Earth counted as the unofficial 9th and a 13th series heavily rumoured) multiple books, audio books, collectibles, magazines and a mobile game.
I'm still hoping for a mainstream console game, but until then, enjoy SmegHeads!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Bringing Up Baby (1938) in Movies
Apr 4, 2020
The Perfect Example of a "Screwball Comedy"
It's always a bit of a crap-shoot when one shows an 82 year old, black and white film to a couple of college age students. But, with a film as crazy/zany as the 1938 Howard Hawks screwball comedy BRINGING UP BABY, the odds are in your favor.
The college students loved it.
Starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn - in their screwball comedy best - BRINGING UP BABY tells the story of a paleontologist (Grant) who is looking to land a $1 million donation, but ends up crossing paths with a wealthy heiress (Hepburn) - who marches to the beat of her own drum.
Told at breakneck speed by Hawks - a trademark of screwball comedy - BRINGING UP BABY is smart, witty, wacky and very, very funny. I was surprised at this viewing just how fast-paced this film is - you do not come up for a breath throughout the entire film. It's a bit exhausting - and exhilarating - kind of like hanging onto a wild roller coaster ride.
Remembered more for their dramatic roles, Hepburn and Grant are marvelous as the 2 leads of this film, they banter back and forth - quickly - throughout the film, they have tremendous chemistry with each other and their patter is a hallmark of these types of films and I was amazed at the dexterity and timing of these 2 pros. They make the dialogue work by not commenting on the comedy of it, but just moving onto the next scene, the next line, the next situation.
The supporting cast - featuring such rubber faced character actors as Charles Ruggles, Barry Fitzgerald, Fritz Feld and Leona Roberts - are just as good and add to the insanity that is seen on the screen. All corralled beautifully by one of the greatest Directors of the Old Hollywood era (the era before 1960), Howard Hawks who would end up directing a few years later the epitome of the screwball comedy - HIS GIRL FRIDAY - but who also Directed such classics as SCARFACE, THE BIG SLEEP, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT and GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES as well as quite a few John Wayne westerns like RED RIVER, RIO BRAVO and EL DORADO.
Oh...and did I mention...the 3rd leading performer of this film is a Leopard?
If you are looking to introduce someone (or maybe yourself) to a film type of a bygone era - you could do worse than BRINGING UP BABY - a screwball comedy that clips along in 102 fast-paced minutes.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
The college students loved it.
Starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn - in their screwball comedy best - BRINGING UP BABY tells the story of a paleontologist (Grant) who is looking to land a $1 million donation, but ends up crossing paths with a wealthy heiress (Hepburn) - who marches to the beat of her own drum.
Told at breakneck speed by Hawks - a trademark of screwball comedy - BRINGING UP BABY is smart, witty, wacky and very, very funny. I was surprised at this viewing just how fast-paced this film is - you do not come up for a breath throughout the entire film. It's a bit exhausting - and exhilarating - kind of like hanging onto a wild roller coaster ride.
Remembered more for their dramatic roles, Hepburn and Grant are marvelous as the 2 leads of this film, they banter back and forth - quickly - throughout the film, they have tremendous chemistry with each other and their patter is a hallmark of these types of films and I was amazed at the dexterity and timing of these 2 pros. They make the dialogue work by not commenting on the comedy of it, but just moving onto the next scene, the next line, the next situation.
The supporting cast - featuring such rubber faced character actors as Charles Ruggles, Barry Fitzgerald, Fritz Feld and Leona Roberts - are just as good and add to the insanity that is seen on the screen. All corralled beautifully by one of the greatest Directors of the Old Hollywood era (the era before 1960), Howard Hawks who would end up directing a few years later the epitome of the screwball comedy - HIS GIRL FRIDAY - but who also Directed such classics as SCARFACE, THE BIG SLEEP, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT and GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES as well as quite a few John Wayne westerns like RED RIVER, RIO BRAVO and EL DORADO.
Oh...and did I mention...the 3rd leading performer of this film is a Leopard?
If you are looking to introduce someone (or maybe yourself) to a film type of a bygone era - you could do worse than BRINGING UP BABY - a screwball comedy that clips along in 102 fast-paced minutes.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
Gene Simmons recommended Mountain by Leslie West in Music (curated)
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Cruel Beauty in Books
Apr 26, 2018
After reading Bright Smoke, Cold Fire I knew I HAD to find more Rosamund Hodge. She has a fantastic flair for taking fairy tales (or Shakespeare!) and twisting them into something darker but more realistic. Cruel Beauty is a twist on Beauty and the Beast, but this is no Stockholm Syndrome-suffering Beauty. She is resentful, and bitter, and angry at her father for subjecting her to this. She has trained her entire life to go to the Beast and destroy him, even if it means destroying herself too. What she find at the castle is nothing like what she expected, though, and neither is she what Hodge's Beast expects. Watching these two bitter, mocking characters dance around each other to get to the bottom of the curse and what actually happened to their world is engrossing and beautiful.
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I've already started Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood), the next book in the same world. There's also a novella, Gilded Ashes (Cinderella), that I should snag a copy of.
The world is lovely and evocative, with gods and Forest Lords and Demons who actively participate in the world and grant wishes and make deals. It's a little bit Rumpelstiltskin, a little Fairy Godmother, a little Greek mythology, and all Rosamund Hodge. She's got talent, and writes my favorite micro-genre SO WELL.
If you like dark fairy tales, read this and then everything else Rosamund Hodge has written. It's excellent!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I've already started Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood), the next book in the same world. There's also a novella, Gilded Ashes (Cinderella), that I should snag a copy of.
The world is lovely and evocative, with gods and Forest Lords and Demons who actively participate in the world and grant wishes and make deals. It's a little bit Rumpelstiltskin, a little Fairy Godmother, a little Greek mythology, and all Rosamund Hodge. She's got talent, and writes my favorite micro-genre SO WELL.
If you like dark fairy tales, read this and then everything else Rosamund Hodge has written. It's excellent!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the PlayStation version of Twisted Metal in Video Games
May 7, 2020 (Updated May 7, 2020)
Classic: Let The Cars Hit The Floor
Twisted Metal- i remember playing this game when i was like 7 on the playstation with my brother. I would play as Mr. Grimm, Axel and Sweet Tooth. My three favorite charcters.
Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat video game developed by SingleTrac, produced by Sony Interactive Studios America (now 989 Studios) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation.
Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat game in which the player takes control of one of twelve unique vehicles. While in control of a vehicle, the player can accelerate, steer, brake, reverse, activate the turbo, turn tightly, toggle between and activate weapons using the game controller's d-pad and buttons.
The game takes place in the streets of Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, 2005. The contest featured in the game is the tenth annual running of the competition thus far.
The game's plot is centered on the titular competition in which various drivers in modified vehicles must destroy the other vehicles in an attempt to be the last one alive. The winner meets the organizer of the competition, a mysterious man named Calypso, who will grant the winner a single wish, regardless of price, size or even reality.
The Story: Once a year the legendary Calypso, a man who dwells beneath the streets of Los Angeles, holds the "Twisted Metal" competition. The contest takes place all around the Los Angeles area and calls upon drivers in various different vehicles to battle to the death. The contestants are selected and contacted by Calypso via an e-mail message that simply reads "WILL YOU DRIVE?" in red letters. The one driver still alive at the end of the night is granted a single wish, with no limits on price, size or, according to some, even reality.
Its a excellent game and a classic.
Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat video game developed by SingleTrac, produced by Sony Interactive Studios America (now 989 Studios) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation.
Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat game in which the player takes control of one of twelve unique vehicles. While in control of a vehicle, the player can accelerate, steer, brake, reverse, activate the turbo, turn tightly, toggle between and activate weapons using the game controller's d-pad and buttons.
The game takes place in the streets of Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, 2005. The contest featured in the game is the tenth annual running of the competition thus far.
The game's plot is centered on the titular competition in which various drivers in modified vehicles must destroy the other vehicles in an attempt to be the last one alive. The winner meets the organizer of the competition, a mysterious man named Calypso, who will grant the winner a single wish, regardless of price, size or even reality.
The Story: Once a year the legendary Calypso, a man who dwells beneath the streets of Los Angeles, holds the "Twisted Metal" competition. The contest takes place all around the Los Angeles area and calls upon drivers in various different vehicles to battle to the death. The contestants are selected and contacted by Calypso via an e-mail message that simply reads "WILL YOU DRIVE?" in red letters. The one driver still alive at the end of the night is granted a single wish, with no limits on price, size or, according to some, even reality.
Its a excellent game and a classic.