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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Mar 15, 2018 (Updated Mar 15, 2018)
Last scene was the only good scene
I may be able to speak for many who saw this film and thought what the heck was that about? Natalie Portman, a biologist, ventures into unknown territory after her husband, played by Oscar Isaac, mysteriously reappears after a year completely oblivious to where he had been. In a bid to seek answers, she teams up with a group of women for what can only be described as a suicide mission.
This may have gone far past Philip K. Dick territory in bizarreness. Most of the film felt inconsequential, with strange atmospheric music, and confusing sequences of events. It definitely seemed like the director tried incredibly hard to create an intelligent science fiction thriller in the same vein as @Solaris (2002) or @Arrival (2016), but the weak plot just seemed to refract his overall intention (see what I did there?)
The last few scenes were probably the most gripping, and rather unnerving. But unfortunately two scenes does not make a film.
This may have gone far past Philip K. Dick territory in bizarreness. Most of the film felt inconsequential, with strange atmospheric music, and confusing sequences of events. It definitely seemed like the director tried incredibly hard to create an intelligent science fiction thriller in the same vein as @Solaris (2002) or @Arrival (2016), but the weak plot just seemed to refract his overall intention (see what I did there?)
The last few scenes were probably the most gripping, and rather unnerving. But unfortunately two scenes does not make a film.
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Glasshouse in Books
Mar 1, 2018
The cover of this book actually put me off the contents the first few times I saw it. It isn't as if the cover is bad, and it actually reflects the book fairly well—but I like books about <b>people</b>, and when there's not a person anywhere on the cover, I have to be prettty bored to read the book.
I'm glad I did read it, although there were some rough bits. I need happy endings in my fiction. I just do, okay? This is pleasure reading, after all. And at one point the main character was so very far down that I felt hopeless for the him! Having experienced major depression, I fully recognized that he was very close to suicide. That wasn't very easy for me to read.
If gender bending is an issue for you, stay away from this one. It goes well beyond <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27341.John_Varley">John Varley's</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49842.Steel_Beach">Steel Beach</a>. I was tickled to see several casual references to polyamory.
I'm glad I did read it, although there were some rough bits. I need happy endings in my fiction. I just do, okay? This is pleasure reading, after all. And at one point the main character was so very far down that I felt hopeless for the him! Having experienced major depression, I fully recognized that he was very close to suicide. That wasn't very easy for me to read.
If gender bending is an issue for you, stay away from this one. It goes well beyond <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27341.John_Varley">John Varley's</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49842.Steel_Beach">Steel Beach</a>. I was tickled to see several casual references to polyamory.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated The Pianist (2002) in Movies
Feb 21, 2018 (Updated Feb 21, 2018)
This movie will literally crush your soul
Okay to start off I am not a crier it is so rare that I cry in a movie that I honestly can say I've only cried in about a handful of movies. And when I first saw this movie I don't even think I'd ever cried during a movie except when I was like four and I watch The Little Mermaid but oh man did I openly oh man did I openly SOB like a baby during this movie.... he'll even thinking about a certain scene in this movie makes me want to cry.
The movie follows a Polish Jewish man's Journey through Warsaw during World War II and all the horrors he not only witnessed but survived. The whole movie is just so raw and Adrian Brody' s performance is just so heart-wrenchingly beautiful that I felt like I've been through everything he's been through and by the end I found myself so shaken I had to take a few minutes just to calm myself down.
The movie follows a Polish Jewish man's Journey through Warsaw during World War II and all the horrors he not only witnessed but survived. The whole movie is just so raw and Adrian Brody' s performance is just so heart-wrenchingly beautiful that I felt like I've been through everything he's been through and by the end I found myself so shaken I had to take a few minutes just to calm myself down.
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated At Grave's End (Night Huntress, #3) in Books
Feb 23, 2018
Cat is definitely coming into her own now, and her relationship with Bones is portrayed far more healthily than most in the paranormal romance category. I love the fact that she demands that he permit her to stand as his equal, rather than treat her like a delicate thing to be protected.
The plot is more interesting than I recall in previous excursions, while building on the earlier books. I know there's another volume either planned or on the shelves, and I plan to read it. I wasn't so sure after the last book, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
I still contend that the cover art, no matter how lovely, shows a woman in a position that cannot be obtained by any human who wants to walk again. Cat is supposed to be half-vampire, but that hasn't been said to give her more flexibility—increased strength, speed, and healing power, yes, but not this sort of oddity. Yes, it's a minor nit to pick, but it has bugged me since the first time I saw the cover.
The plot is more interesting than I recall in previous excursions, while building on the earlier books. I know there's another volume either planned or on the shelves, and I plan to read it. I wasn't so sure after the last book, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
I still contend that the cover art, no matter how lovely, shows a woman in a position that cannot be obtained by any human who wants to walk again. Cat is supposed to be half-vampire, but that hasn't been said to give her more flexibility—increased strength, speed, and healing power, yes, but not this sort of oddity. Yes, it's a minor nit to pick, but it has bugged me since the first time I saw the cover.
Things are gearing up for Christmas in July in the town of Rudolph, New York, and Merry Wilkinson is looking forward to the town’s new tradition, Santa arriving for his vacation in a boat parade. However, things get complicated when her ex-fiance, Max Folger, shows up in town wanting to rekindle his relationship with Merry. When he turns up dead in Merry’s shop, she finds herself drawn into the investigation. Can she figure out what is going on?
I love this series for the Christmas spirit that author Vicki Delany infuses into every page, and just because this book is set in July, that Christmas spirit hasn’t diminished at all. The mystery takes off into some surprising areas that kept me turning pages until I reached the end. The series regulars are their normal charming selves, and I was pleasantly surprised by the growth we saw in the suspects as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-hark-herald-angels-slay-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I love this series for the Christmas spirit that author Vicki Delany infuses into every page, and just because this book is set in July, that Christmas spirit hasn’t diminished at all. The mystery takes off into some surprising areas that kept me turning pages until I reached the end. The series regulars are their normal charming selves, and I was pleasantly surprised by the growth we saw in the suspects as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-hark-herald-angels-slay-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
An interesting thriller
As thrillers go, this is a pretty good one. It's very well written and has you hooked and interested right from the start. The characters are well developed and all flawed in their own way, some to the point where you actually don't like them (but I get the feeling that's intended). There is a lot fitted into a fairly short book, but this isn't necessarily a negative. There are some benefits to books not dragging on for hundreds of pages more than necessary.
My only negatives are that sadly I saw the twist coming. Not straight away, but I cottoned on around 2/3 of the way through and I'm afraid I turned out to be right. I've probably read far too many books but it's a shame when you figure out the ending in advance. Also, the story goes at quite a pace but the ending seems ridiculously rushed.a massive build up and then a bit of a lacklustre ending, despite the twist.
My only negatives are that sadly I saw the twist coming. Not straight away, but I cottoned on around 2/3 of the way through and I'm afraid I turned out to be right. I've probably read far too many books but it's a shame when you figure out the ending in advance. Also, the story goes at quite a pace but the ending seems ridiculously rushed.a massive build up and then a bit of a lacklustre ending, despite the twist.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Dracula - Dead and Loving It (1995) in Movies
Jul 14, 2018
A lot of fun, the humour is great (1 more)
A fun cast
Its just a fun movie
This is a fun movie. You should not take this seriously. I have found myself quoting this more and more as the years went on. I saw this again and again as a child and watching it again after so long I can appreciate it a lot more.
Leslie Nielson is great as Dracula. He brings in a fun, charming performance as always. Not his best role but does a good job with it.
Peter MacNicol as Renfield is by far my favourite character right from the start. He is funny, crazy with some amazing lines. He is where my favourite quotes come from mostly.
This is a typical Mel brooks spoof movie. He directs and stars and is quite funny. The rest of the cast I wasn't that interested about to be honest.
Not sure if it's intentional but the acting isn't the greatest but still a lot of fun.
Leslie Nielson is great as Dracula. He brings in a fun, charming performance as always. Not his best role but does a good job with it.
Peter MacNicol as Renfield is by far my favourite character right from the start. He is funny, crazy with some amazing lines. He is where my favourite quotes come from mostly.
This is a typical Mel brooks spoof movie. He directs and stars and is quite funny. The rest of the cast I wasn't that interested about to be honest.
Not sure if it's intentional but the acting isn't the greatest but still a lot of fun.
Katarzyna Krasuska (81 KP) rated Find Her in Books
Aug 15, 2018 (Updated Aug 16, 2018)
Very strong female character (2 more)
Very gripping
Female Charles Bronson
Make this into a movie!
This is definitely a book that should be made into a film.
I saw this interview with Reese Witherspoon, where she talks about books, that she has made into films, because they're female driven. Yet the books she focuses her attention on are not strong or interesting enough, like "Gone girl " or "Husband's secret" . Here we have a female author, a female kick ass character, that is not just strong, but smart, brave and I would happily say dangerous. Not just that, I genuinely believe men would like to watch this too.
The main character of this book was abducted by a psycho and kept in a box for 472 days. When she gets rescued, instead of just trying to move on with her life, she goes into avenger mode. She learns how to fight, reads awful lot about self defense and decides to get the justice herself.
Amazing story, that I think all women should read.
I saw this interview with Reese Witherspoon, where she talks about books, that she has made into films, because they're female driven. Yet the books she focuses her attention on are not strong or interesting enough, like "Gone girl " or "Husband's secret" . Here we have a female author, a female kick ass character, that is not just strong, but smart, brave and I would happily say dangerous. Not just that, I genuinely believe men would like to watch this too.
The main character of this book was abducted by a psycho and kept in a box for 472 days. When she gets rescued, instead of just trying to move on with her life, she goes into avenger mode. She learns how to fight, reads awful lot about self defense and decides to get the justice herself.
Amazing story, that I think all women should read.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Jigsaw (2017) in Movies
Sep 3, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
A sad, desperate attempt to wring one last film (we hope) out of what was once a great movie premise. I admit I didn't quite see the twist coming, but knew there would be one, and found that aspect reasonably clever.
But overall this film was full of plot-holes, the acting was atrocious, the ending made no sense and the games have lost the character of those in the original films.
A number of things just kept annoying me and took me right out of the film (one minute Logan is apologising to his daughter and her babysitter for another late night, the next he is heading to the pub?!, Logan takes the bullet out of Edgar's body - but Edgar had been in a coma for days, why was the bullet not taken out of his body while he was in hospital?!, along with the usual horror movie illogical actions trope).
This film added nothing to the Saw series, if anything it urinates over its corpse, and added nothing to my life.
But overall this film was full of plot-holes, the acting was atrocious, the ending made no sense and the games have lost the character of those in the original films.
A number of things just kept annoying me and took me right out of the film (one minute Logan is apologising to his daughter and her babysitter for another late night, the next he is heading to the pub?!, Logan takes the bullet out of Edgar's body - but Edgar had been in a coma for days, why was the bullet not taken out of his body while he was in hospital?!, along with the usual horror movie illogical actions trope).
This film added nothing to the Saw series, if anything it urinates over its corpse, and added nothing to my life.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Agatha Christie's Ordeal By Innocence- Season One in TV
Sep 3, 2018
I haven't read the novel this show was based upon, but according to a lot of other reviews I saw, apparently they changed a lot. So, if you loved the book, don't expect the show to be a carbon copy.
Since I didn't read the book, I absolutely loved this miniseries. I did sort of guess who the murderer of matriarch, Rachel Argyll, was, but it definitely left me guessing as to whether or not he/she actually murdered her.
This story involves a family of adopted children, and the parents. One of the sons, Jack, is accused of murdering his mother, and is sent to jail with supposed 'hard-evidence'. All the while, Jack, is claiming he got a ride from some guy, who never comes forward...until after Jack dies in jail. The arrival of the guy from the alibi, throws the family into an uproar, and the killer is revealed.
The first two episodes, you're wondering what actually happened that night, and the third episode is the pay off.
Since I didn't read the book, I absolutely loved this miniseries. I did sort of guess who the murderer of matriarch, Rachel Argyll, was, but it definitely left me guessing as to whether or not he/she actually murdered her.
This story involves a family of adopted children, and the parents. One of the sons, Jack, is accused of murdering his mother, and is sent to jail with supposed 'hard-evidence'. All the while, Jack, is claiming he got a ride from some guy, who never comes forward...until after Jack dies in jail. The arrival of the guy from the alibi, throws the family into an uproar, and the killer is revealed.
The first two episodes, you're wondering what actually happened that night, and the third episode is the pay off.