Search
Search results
TacoDave (3826 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies
Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 10, 2018)
Acting (3 more)
Music
Pacing
Humor
"Anna and the Apocalypse" is Fantasticly Strange
I didn't expect a lot when I saw "Anna and the Apocalypse" yesterday. I knew a little about it. I knew it was a Zombie/Christmas musical that was supposed to be "Shaun of the Dead Meets La La Land," and I knew it was popular at film festivals last year, but I didn't have any other real feel for what I was in for.
Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.
The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.
Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.
If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.
The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.
Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.
If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Veiled Threat in Books
Dec 15, 2018
Kidnapping at Christmas
Giulia Falcone is on a mission when she brings her friend Laurel into the office of Driscoll Investigations to meet Frank Driscoll. Laurel's baby daughter that she and her partner just adopted has been kidnapped, and Giulia fears that the police aren't taking the threat seriously, especially since this fits a pattern spread out over several years and several states. Frank is reluctant to get involved, but Giulia dives in head first anyway. The trail leads Giulia to an undercover job just out of town. But will she get a lead on the kidnappers? Or is Frank right that the odds aren't in favor of recovering the baby?
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
David McK (3557 KP) rated Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars: The Dark Lord Trilogy, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Following the now-infamous Disney acquisition of Star Wars (which saw the abolition of the old Expanded Universe), I'm actually no-longer sure where this sits in the hierarchy of canon: is this 'Legends' (i.e pre acquisition) material, or is it stil canon?
This is set between the events of 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith' - actually leading directly into that movie, with Anakin and Obi-Wan jetting off back to Coruscant - and, in many ways, seeks to bolster the reputation of one of the missed opportunities from that movie: that of General Grievious (not his face on the cover ...).
I'm also not sure where it sits alongside the Genndy Tartakovsy animation which also seeked to do exactly that, though the latter portion of the novel does seem to describesome of the actions shown in that animation (the surprise attack on Coruscant, and the capturing of Senator Palpatine) in prose form.
This is also the first of the so-called 'Dark Lord' trilogy (comprising of this, [b:Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|35458|Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|Matthew Woodring Stover|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388228249s/35458.jpg|476816] and [b:The Rise of Darth Vader|359848|The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars The Dark Lord Trilogy, #3)|James Luceno|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388209667s/359848.jpg|574260]); while I have previously read - and enjoyed - the middle of those three, I now feel like reading the series in its entirity, from start to finish.
This is set between the events of 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith' - actually leading directly into that movie, with Anakin and Obi-Wan jetting off back to Coruscant - and, in many ways, seeks to bolster the reputation of one of the missed opportunities from that movie: that of General Grievious (not his face on the cover ...).
I'm also not sure where it sits alongside the Genndy Tartakovsy animation which also seeked to do exactly that, though the latter portion of the novel does seem to describesome of the actions shown in that animation (the surprise attack on Coruscant, and the capturing of Senator Palpatine) in prose form.
This is also the first of the so-called 'Dark Lord' trilogy (comprising of this, [b:Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|35458|Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|Matthew Woodring Stover|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388228249s/35458.jpg|476816] and [b:The Rise of Darth Vader|359848|The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars The Dark Lord Trilogy, #3)|James Luceno|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388209667s/359848.jpg|574260]); while I have previously read - and enjoyed - the middle of those three, I now feel like reading the series in its entirity, from start to finish.
While [a:Michael Crichton|5194|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1359042651p2/5194.jpg] may be more famous for books-that-became movies blockbuster like [b:Jurassic Park|6424171|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344371661s/6424171.jpg|3376836], tha's not the only of his works that have been turned into movies:a longside that, we have the likes of [b:Congo|7672|Congo|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388889401s/7672.jpg|688299], [b:Timeline|7669|Timeline|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405420745s/7669.jpg|1525987], and this.
Largely, however, I've found hose to be pretty forgettable: I know I saw 'Sphere' (the movie) before I first read the book, but (truth be told) I didn't really remember all that much about either.
With that in mind, and with Goodreads at-long-last implementation of the re-read feature (yay!), I decided to re-read the novel recently.
And, unfortunately, I still found it pretty forgettable.
Don't get me wrong: it's a pretty adequate sci-fi thriller (in this case about a mysterious Sphere found at the bottom of the Pacific inside a spacecraft that has lain there for hundreds of years), but it lacked - for me - the connection with the characters (none of whom I found to be all that likeable, or even interesting), the thrill-factor (if you will), or even the implied awe and majesty of the Dinosaurs in [b:Jurassic Park|6424171|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344371661s/6424171.jpg|3376836].
In short: it's OK, but not Crichton's best.
Largely, however, I've found hose to be pretty forgettable: I know I saw 'Sphere' (the movie) before I first read the book, but (truth be told) I didn't really remember all that much about either.
With that in mind, and with Goodreads at-long-last implementation of the re-read feature (yay!), I decided to re-read the novel recently.
And, unfortunately, I still found it pretty forgettable.
Don't get me wrong: it's a pretty adequate sci-fi thriller (in this case about a mysterious Sphere found at the bottom of the Pacific inside a spacecraft that has lain there for hundreds of years), but it lacked - for me - the connection with the characters (none of whom I found to be all that likeable, or even interesting), the thrill-factor (if you will), or even the implied awe and majesty of the Dinosaurs in [b:Jurassic Park|6424171|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344371661s/6424171.jpg|3376836].
In short: it's OK, but not Crichton's best.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Dead by Daylight in Video Games
Jun 20, 2019
A hugely enjoyable, and often frustrating, horror multiplayer
I'll admit first off, that I've put a truly unhealthy amount of hours into Dead By Daylight - I imagine at this point, it's probably around the 700-800 hour mark - certainly enough to have a pretty solid idea of how the game works, and I'll say this - this game is as fun as you make it, and the most important part of that statement is friends.
Communication in DBD is key, and unfortunately, the game is subject to very douchebag-ways of playing (on both the killer and the survivor side).
Playing as one of four survivors can be incredibly frustrating, so jumping in with three friends is an easy fix - and when you're having fun, DBD is an absolute blast, a nice blend of scares, tension, action and teamwork.
Playing as a killer can also be heaps of fun, especially since a number of horror icons have been added as DLC (Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, The Pig from Saw, Ghostface), and they sit nicely alongside a humble roster of original killer characters, all with unique powers and perks, that make playing as them, and surviving against them, into an exciting mix of tactics and gameplay.
DBD does seem to have issues with bugs and glitches fairly regularly, but on the flip side, there are also regular patches and updates, from a Dev team that listen to their player base more often than not.
If you love horror games, the I implore you to get involved.
Communication in DBD is key, and unfortunately, the game is subject to very douchebag-ways of playing (on both the killer and the survivor side).
Playing as one of four survivors can be incredibly frustrating, so jumping in with three friends is an easy fix - and when you're having fun, DBD is an absolute blast, a nice blend of scares, tension, action and teamwork.
Playing as a killer can also be heaps of fun, especially since a number of horror icons have been added as DLC (Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, The Pig from Saw, Ghostface), and they sit nicely alongside a humble roster of original killer characters, all with unique powers and perks, that make playing as them, and surviving against them, into an exciting mix of tactics and gameplay.
DBD does seem to have issues with bugs and glitches fairly regularly, but on the flip side, there are also regular patches and updates, from a Dev team that listen to their player base more often than not.
If you love horror games, the I implore you to get involved.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated 2 To The 6 - Single by Unchained in Music
Jun 21, 2019
Unchained XL is a UK-born “Afro-roots hip-hop” artist and producer with Nigerian roots. Not too long ago, he released a music video for his “2 to the 6” single.
“Already got labels tryna doctor me. If you can’t beat ‘em then join ‘em that’s their philosophy. You can try to change the tides, however obviously. It never works out how you want it like democracy.” – lyrics
‘2 to the 6’ finds Unchained XL dropping a thoughtful 64-bar verse in the main room of Black Orange Studios.
The likable tune’s cryptic title refers to the mathematical expression 2^6 (2 raised to the 6th power), which equals 64, representing the number of bars.
‘2 to the 6’ contains a relatable narrative, supreme rap vocals, and lush instrumentation scented with an Afrocentric hip-hop fragrance.
Also, the song covers a range of hard-hitting topics such as issues of racism, corruption, and economic injustice.
Unchained XL sneaks in a few references to various icons such as Nigerian filmmaker, Genevieve Nnaji (Lionheart); British Nigerian artist, “Burna Boy”; “Split” main character Kevin Crumb; and famous inventor, Thomas Edison.
The progressive emcee writes songs of protest, social commentary, and everyday experiences through the lens of a ‘third culture’ African migrant.
He draws inspiration from Afrobeat legend and political icon Fela Kuti, as well as artists like M.anifest, Antibalas, and A Tribe Called Quest.
2018 saw him touring the UK with shows in London, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds, and Cardiff. Also, he performed alongside artists such as Mungos HiFi, Afro Cluster, and Eva Lazarus.
“Already got labels tryna doctor me. If you can’t beat ‘em then join ‘em that’s their philosophy. You can try to change the tides, however obviously. It never works out how you want it like democracy.” – lyrics
‘2 to the 6’ finds Unchained XL dropping a thoughtful 64-bar verse in the main room of Black Orange Studios.
The likable tune’s cryptic title refers to the mathematical expression 2^6 (2 raised to the 6th power), which equals 64, representing the number of bars.
‘2 to the 6’ contains a relatable narrative, supreme rap vocals, and lush instrumentation scented with an Afrocentric hip-hop fragrance.
Also, the song covers a range of hard-hitting topics such as issues of racism, corruption, and economic injustice.
Unchained XL sneaks in a few references to various icons such as Nigerian filmmaker, Genevieve Nnaji (Lionheart); British Nigerian artist, “Burna Boy”; “Split” main character Kevin Crumb; and famous inventor, Thomas Edison.
The progressive emcee writes songs of protest, social commentary, and everyday experiences through the lens of a ‘third culture’ African migrant.
He draws inspiration from Afrobeat legend and political icon Fela Kuti, as well as artists like M.anifest, Antibalas, and A Tribe Called Quest.
2018 saw him touring the UK with shows in London, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds, and Cardiff. Also, he performed alongside artists such as Mungos HiFi, Afro Cluster, and Eva Lazarus.
Otway93 (580 KP) rated When the Wind Blows (1986) in Movies
Dec 28, 2019 (Updated Dec 28, 2019)
Plot (3 more)
Animation
Soundtrack
Voice acting
A terrifying yet emotional masterpiece.
Contains spoilers, click to show
After many years of wanting to see this film, and building up my expectations, today I finally saw it, and was far from disappointed.
This Raymond Briggs' feature length animation tells the tale of an elderly couple (voiced by Sir John Mills and Dane Peggy Ashcroft) in the country trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear strike, with only the real life UK nuclear survival pamphlet "Protect and Survive" to help them.
This film is not for the faint of heart, and realistically should probably not have a PG rating, as the couples experiences with radiation sickness are rather graphic and are more than likely to upset younger audiences (it upset me, and I'm 26!).
The animation is beautiful, as it is with every Raymond Briggs' film, but with a difference as it does often mix stop-motion and classic animation to make something quite haunting and very special, with other "special sequences" reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
And last but not least: the soundtrack. With a title track performed by David Bowie, you already know it's going to be good. But the score (written by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd) is also incredible, yet again very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"...again from "The Wall". With additional music by Squeeze, Paul Hardcastle and Hugh Cornwell, this makes it a pleasure to listen to.
Overall, an aural, visual and emotional rollercoaster, but not for the faint hearted.
Remember those last few words, not for the faint hearted!
This Raymond Briggs' feature length animation tells the tale of an elderly couple (voiced by Sir John Mills and Dane Peggy Ashcroft) in the country trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear strike, with only the real life UK nuclear survival pamphlet "Protect and Survive" to help them.
This film is not for the faint of heart, and realistically should probably not have a PG rating, as the couples experiences with radiation sickness are rather graphic and are more than likely to upset younger audiences (it upset me, and I'm 26!).
The animation is beautiful, as it is with every Raymond Briggs' film, but with a difference as it does often mix stop-motion and classic animation to make something quite haunting and very special, with other "special sequences" reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
And last but not least: the soundtrack. With a title track performed by David Bowie, you already know it's going to be good. But the score (written by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd) is also incredible, yet again very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"...again from "The Wall". With additional music by Squeeze, Paul Hardcastle and Hugh Cornwell, this makes it a pleasure to listen to.
Overall, an aural, visual and emotional rollercoaster, but not for the faint hearted.
Remember those last few words, not for the faint hearted!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Final Destination (2000) in Movies
Aug 10, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)
Final Destination is certainly a product of it's time. Releasing in the year 2000, it arrived amidst a wave of popular teen movies such as such as American Pie, Dude Where's My Car etc.
FD plays out like one of those films, but with gory death scenes thrown in - it's a winning formula that saw it perform nicely at the box office.
The premise is nice and simple - the main character (in this case, Alex Browning) experiences a premonition of an imminent horrible accident. He manages to avoid said accident, along with a handful of others, thus cheating death.
As the movie progresses, death comes for the survivors one by one, in ridiculously grisly ways as they desperately try to figure out how to escape deaths grip.
There are several reasons why I really don't mind Final Destination. For a start, it's nice to have a horror movie where the villain is a almost a force of nature, rather than a physical boogeyman.
It makes for some pretty inventive death scenes.
I also enjoyed just how silly it is. There are some corny one liners whilst you sit there in anticipation of what ridiculous thing is going to happen next. It's pure popcorn horror.
It's not particularly scary, and even though it has its moments, it's a pretty average watch.
It's certainly not deserving of standing side by side with the big boys of horror, but you could also do a lot worse.
Also it's got Tony Todd in it, and just who doesn't love that scary MF.
FD plays out like one of those films, but with gory death scenes thrown in - it's a winning formula that saw it perform nicely at the box office.
The premise is nice and simple - the main character (in this case, Alex Browning) experiences a premonition of an imminent horrible accident. He manages to avoid said accident, along with a handful of others, thus cheating death.
As the movie progresses, death comes for the survivors one by one, in ridiculously grisly ways as they desperately try to figure out how to escape deaths grip.
There are several reasons why I really don't mind Final Destination. For a start, it's nice to have a horror movie where the villain is a almost a force of nature, rather than a physical boogeyman.
It makes for some pretty inventive death scenes.
I also enjoyed just how silly it is. There are some corny one liners whilst you sit there in anticipation of what ridiculous thing is going to happen next. It's pure popcorn horror.
It's not particularly scary, and even though it has its moments, it's a pretty average watch.
It's certainly not deserving of standing side by side with the big boys of horror, but you could also do a lot worse.
Also it's got Tony Todd in it, and just who doesn't love that scary MF.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Saturn Night Fever in Books
Jan 16, 2019
Race to Rescue Pika
It's been a few months since we last saw Sylvia, and in that time, she's been living on Neptune's compound, training with him and her friend, smuggler Mattix. One day, Mattix's ship arrives back at Neptune's place on autopilot. Inside, Neptune and Sylvia find a message from Pika, the little Gremlon who has also been living with them, asking for help. Then they find Mattix's body. Naturally, Neptune and Sylvia do the only thing they can, steal a Moon Unit Corporation ship, hire a small crew, and set out to reach Saturn and figure out what has happened to Pika. But can their crew be trusted? Will they survive the flight?
I was anxious to pick up this book to find out what happened after the revelation that ended the previous book. We definitely get more on that here. In fact, we get plenty on that as Sylvia is also trying to resolve her latest troubles. There are plenty of twists and turns there as well since Sylvia doesn't really know who she can trust. I did feel that in the midst of the twists the original premise got hurt a little, but I may be overthinking things, and it was definitely a minor issues. Author Diane Vallere does a great job of making the science fiction setting and alien characters relatable. Cozy mystery fans like myself will feel right at home here. The alien characters allow for a few more over the top characters, but I loved that, and overall, I still found them to be relatable characters.
I was anxious to pick up this book to find out what happened after the revelation that ended the previous book. We definitely get more on that here. In fact, we get plenty on that as Sylvia is also trying to resolve her latest troubles. There are plenty of twists and turns there as well since Sylvia doesn't really know who she can trust. I did feel that in the midst of the twists the original premise got hurt a little, but I may be overthinking things, and it was definitely a minor issues. Author Diane Vallere does a great job of making the science fiction setting and alien characters relatable. Cozy mystery fans like myself will feel right at home here. The alien characters allow for a few more over the top characters, but I loved that, and overall, I still found them to be relatable characters.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Envy (Fallen Angels, #3) in Books
Jul 7, 2019
Recommended
Contains spoilers, click to show
A man and a woman tread the lines of danger, desire, and deliverance in the new novel of the Fallen Angels from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father- while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers... to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.
This has to be my second best series done by J R Ward my first being Bourbon Kings. So again we see Davina and Jim go head to head! This one saw the loss of Eddie which I wasn't quite prepared for! So it's now just don't two the two angels while Davina continues to cheat!
I struggled in parts with this instalment to be completely honest I got a little bored with the side story of Veck and Riley but all in all an ok addition to the series.
As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father- while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers... to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.
This has to be my second best series done by J R Ward my first being Bourbon Kings. So again we see Davina and Jim go head to head! This one saw the loss of Eddie which I wasn't quite prepared for! So it's now just don't two the two angels while Davina continues to cheat!
I struggled in parts with this instalment to be completely honest I got a little bored with the side story of Veck and Riley but all in all an ok addition to the series.