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The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II
2020 | Action/Adventure
I really wanted to like this game. There have been so many issues with the leaks and misleading trailers. Initially the game starts out pretty strong showing Ellie and Joel living in Jackson peacefully. That doesn't last long of course and the main theme of the story is about how the cycle of revenge and violence hurts everyone. The gameplay is good for the most part, but the storytelling comes across as very heavy handed and having to switch between Ellie and Abby feels frustrating. I understand the intent behind what the writers were trying to do showing both sides of the situation but it comes across as clunky and sloppy writing. I also took issue with the handling of a trans character in the game. They made this trans character a target for constant abuse and trauma, including deadnaming them something that is incredibly hurtful to a trans person. The fact that the writers did not get any input from trans writers is frankly grossly irresponsible because we LGBT people are more than trauma and we're tired of this constant trauma trope. It's not okay and it's very lazy writing. The story is not completely bad, but it's not great either and I feel we didn't really need this sequel. You can read my full review with spoilers here: http://lorrie28-mothergamer.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-last-of-us-part-ii-good-but-not.html
  
Prey (Werecats #4)
Prey (Werecats #4)
Rachel Vincent | 2010 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
187 of 200
Book
Prey ( Werecats book 4)
By Rachel Vincent

Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game.

Play? Right. My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother and an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.





Yep! This book broke me a little! First poor Manx but it could have been worse! Second Kaci that kid has been through the mill too I’m hoping she becomes a force to reakon with! Thirdly I want to hate Dan but can’t as he really is bloody clueless! Fourth my god why Ethan I went from crying to have having so much anger and wanting revenge! Lastly this saga between Mark , Faythe and Jace I’m sorry I’m fully with Jace and if she don’t want him I will!!
Oh and img a baby!!

I absolutely love this series and writer for a book to evoke so many emotions it’s got to be a good one!!
  
Hannibal Rising (Hannibal #4)
Hannibal Rising (Hannibal #4)
Thomas Harris | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
of 250
Book
Hannibal Rising ( Hannibal Lecter book 4)
By Thomas Harris

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

HE IS ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTING CHARACTERS
IN ALL OF LITERATURE.

AT LAST THE EVOLUTION OF HIS EVIL
IS REVEALED.

Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck.

He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.

Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.

Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.

But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.

He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy.


I’ve read the first 3 books quite a few times and come to a point I have to remind myself Hannibal is NOT real!! This is the first book I’ve read within a few hours for a while! It helps explain a little of why he was the way he was! You kind of start to feel sorry for him and support his acts of revenge. I love Thomas Harris and Hannibal!
  
Jolt (2021)
Jolt (2021)
2021 | Action, Comedy
5
5.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The main thing that Jolt has going for it is Kate Beckinsale. Her protagonist is likable enough to just about carry the finished product through the finish line, and into vaguely entertaining territory. The rest of the cast ain't to shabby either - Bobby Cannavale, Stanley Tucci, Laverne Cox, David Bradley - all do pretty well with a patchy script (patchy sure, but I will admit that it made me laugh a few times...)
Other than that though, Jolt feels so familiar. It doesn't do anything new, which wouldn't be such an issue if it was exciting, but it just isn't. The action scenes are underwhelming, and it leans too heavily into the humorous side of things to be a serious thriller, whilst simultaneously trying too hard at the serious thriller aspect to be overly funny. The twist during the films finale is dumb as well - the whole thing would have worked better as a straightforward revenge flick. I also found the obvious sound stage set completely distracting. The scenery looked like and episode of Friends pretty frequently!
Got to admire the ambition to include a blatant set up for a sequel thats probably never going to happen though (complete with a mid credits scene...)

Jolt is a movie that thinks is smarter than it actually is, but it's entertaining enough (thanks in no small part to Kate Beckinsale) to justify a one time watch.
  
The Return of the Vampire (1944)
The Return of the Vampire (1944)
1944 | Classics, Horror
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Bela Lugosi (0 more)
Vampire Telsa
The Return of the Vampire- at first I thought it was a sequel to "Mark of the Vampire", but it was not. Second i thought it might be a sequel to "Dracula", than i was like it couldnt be cause ths film was made by Columbia not Univerisal. So what is it than. Its a stand-alone. Its Bela Lugosi playing as a vampire, sound like anethor film? Anyways..

The Plot: In 1918 London, Hungarian vampire Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi) uses his servant, werewolf Andreas Obry (Matt Willis), to assist in procuring victims. When a friend of Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) becomes Tesla's next victim, Jane and an acquaintance stalk the vampire and kill him by driving a stake through his heart. But 23 years later, a German bomb disturbs Tesla's grave, and cemetery workers restoring the site pull the stake from his corpse, bringing him back to life to seek revenge.

The Return of the Vampire is not an official sequel to Lugosi's 1931 Universal Studios film Dracula, but the film has been interpreted by David J. Skal as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi's character renamed only because the film was not made by Universal.

Bela Lugosi's scenes were filmed in August and September 1943, prior to his final two Monogram films. This was also the last time he would receive top billing by a major Hollywood studio.

Its a really good film.
  
Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Casting, soundtrack, story (0 more)
Spacey is creepys (0 more)
Driving, music and heists
Contains spoilers, click to show
I went onto this thinking it was just a film about a heist crew getaway driver, in truth it is much deeper.
Baby, a talented driver (played by Ansel Elgort) is a quirky likeable slightly weird character.
We quickly come to learn he is in debt to a crime boss Doc (played creepily by Kevin Spacey) for a mistake made several years earlier.
He is used as the driver for every one of Doc's planned heists with colourful criminals (played by Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez and Jamie Foxx), this is unusual as Doc changes the whole crew for each heist except for Baby whom is used again and again due to his driving talent.
From here there is lots of action and crime, we also however learn about Baby's difficult upbringing and love of music and how that all ties in with the movie.
There is of course the awkward introduction of a love interest Debora (played by Lily James). In the later scenes there is more crime, action and death with twists of revenge.
All in this is a complex and deeply moving take on a crime film where we find ourselves rooting for the main character and hoping he makes it, if he does or not, you will have to see for yourself.
The soundtrack is also very good.
  
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Logan Eccles (135 KP) rated Ma (2019) in Movies

Oct 1, 2020 (Updated Oct 2, 2020)  
Ma (2019)
Ma (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
Creepy & Uncomftable but I cant look away
First and foremost since this is a movie with teens in it and teens are going to want to watch this I speak to the cool lenient parents now, there are strong sexual themes in this movie and brief male nudity, so if your not cool with your teens seeing nudity and scenes suggesting sexual activity don't let them watch this movie. If you still want to be cool and let them watch it, watch it with them please and be alert during Ma's flashbacks and any time actor Luke Evans 'aka' Gaston is on screen, especially if he's tied to a bed, and you should be good. Other than all of that this is a good story. Ma or Sueann is an odd unique villain in the horror/thriller/suspense movie genre. The most appealing thing to me about this movie is how raw and intimate it feels. No big budget. Not too many big stars. Just a good ol' story told in a well-written way, and performed well also. The plot is weird and interesting and plants you in your seat with your eyes glued to the seat wanting to see what twisted thing Ma does in seeking out her revenge. I do recommend this for the strong story but I do wish there wasn't any unnecessary nudity and did nothing for the story in my opinion, but still go watch it.