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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The 39 Steps (1935) in Movies

Jan 11, 2018

The 39 Steps (1935)

1935 | Drama

7.0

(3 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Classic

Admission #1: I loved this film.
Admission #2: It was a little confusing in spots which made it hard at times for me to be fully immersed.
Admission #3: The second admission probably had a lot to do with the fact that I was extremely tired after having run a full day on two hours of sleep.

The 39 Steps succeeded in keeping me interested because of its intriguing premise. It wasn't twenty minutes of watching before I knew there was no way I was going to miss this ending. The film is shrouded in mystery as the main characters run for their lives from location to location holding on to a secret they're not even sure of. The twist is clever and not over-the-top. You can feel it building throughout the entirety of the film. The payoff is definitely worth it.

A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. When the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information. Robert Donat is a joy to watch playing the role of main character Richard Hannay. His charm and humor make him instantly likable.

I love when films like The 39 Steps give me yet another reason to appreciate the classics. I give it a very solid 95.

Kudos

Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Geekerella (Once Upon a Con #1) in Books

Dec 6, 2018

Geekerella (Once Upon a Con #1)

Ashley Poston | 2017 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)

7.8

(11 Ratings)

Book Rating

Sweet but forgettable

This book was cuteness-incarnate with a slice of grit, a retake on Cinderella with a geeky fandom context that worked in a way that was fun and easy to connect. I found myself sucked into this story of Elle and Darien. Darien is something of a beta-male character and I’m always here for that.

As you might imagine, Elle lives with her stepmother and step sisters, things are pretty grim and abusive at home and that made for difficult reading at certain moments. Darien is playing the lead role in a film depicting a fandom Elle has been immersed in since childhood thanks to her late dad’s love of it.

The serendipitous connection through text between these two was a lovely, sweet slow build but the masking of their identities was bound to lead to complications. The events in the storyline were occasionally fresh outside of the fairytale but mostly predictable too, especially when it came to the meeting of these two. There were some very clever aspects like the pumpkin, the cosplaying elements were enjoyable and the side characters were superb. Sage was a highlight from a side character perspective. The character diversity was oozing from the pages in an unforced and natural way. I appreciated how this was conceptualised. .

This was enjoyable, easy YA reading with a delightful geek-fandom. I think this book would appeal to many.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.