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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 (2440 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.
Saul Sailing Snapper (211 KP) rated This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor in Books
Nov 13, 2019
Funny and heartbreaking at the same time (1 more)
Quick easy read
Aches and pains with laughter
Full disclosure this is not a book I would normally have read however I had heard good things about it and saw it as a smashbomb giveaway so thought I would enter and I was lucky enough to be selected thank you.
The premise of the book is simple. It is a trainee Doctors diary with various entries of the course of their many years of long hours having to deal with anything that came through the doors during their hospital postings. The chapters are split with each progression through the training ladder and even explaining the process quite well for those who are not aware how crazy the system appears.
I found myself laughing out loud for some of the entries, especially those concerning the removing of alien objects from the body. Aghast at others over what Doctors have to go through on a daily basis and with a lump in my throat over moments of heartbreak mere lines later.
I enjoyed the book immensely and found myself re-reading paragraphs and even the odd few pages to let it all sink in. The plaudits from various celebrities in the cover do not really do it justice but are well deserved. It is a very easy to read book and you would be hard pressed not to come away with a greater admiration for the NHS and its staff have to go through.
The premise of the book is simple. It is a trainee Doctors diary with various entries of the course of their many years of long hours having to deal with anything that came through the doors during their hospital postings. The chapters are split with each progression through the training ladder and even explaining the process quite well for those who are not aware how crazy the system appears.
I found myself laughing out loud for some of the entries, especially those concerning the removing of alien objects from the body. Aghast at others over what Doctors have to go through on a daily basis and with a lump in my throat over moments of heartbreak mere lines later.
I enjoyed the book immensely and found myself re-reading paragraphs and even the odd few pages to let it all sink in. The plaudits from various celebrities in the cover do not really do it justice but are well deserved. It is a very easy to read book and you would be hard pressed not to come away with a greater admiration for the NHS and its staff have to go through.
Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated Jurassic Park (1993) in Movies
Dec 4, 2019
Dino-mite Film!
Rearley does a film age well, particularly in tge 90s, but the quality of the anamatronics, CGI and practicàl effects let's this one stand the test of time (to an extent anyway).
Wealthy zoo lover John Hammond has invested his cash in the extraction of DNA from fossalised amber, lesing to the creation of dinosaurs!
As you can imagine, this is no walk in the park, and after a "incident" resulting in the death of a park worker, the insurance company want an investigation, and outside approval to declare the park safe to open.
Enter Drs Allan Grant ("Alan!") And Ellie Sattler, renowned paeleogolotists (the latter being a paeliobotpnist, no idea if that is spelt right...) As well as Dr Ian Malcolm.
They, along with the lawyer and John's grand kids take the tour of the park, but things do not go according to plan.
Filled with suspense, memorable moments, and more fake science than you can shake a fossle at, it is an epic tale of survival as "nature finds a way" to break it's bonds and sick a big middle claw up at OSHA.
I loved this film when I first saw it, and now, decades later, I still do. Even though I know the script by heart, I still find myself on the edge if my seat, holding my breath.
Parodied in thousands of other forms of media, I know I am not the only one.
I give this film 10 severed Samulal L. Jackson arms out if 10.
Wealthy zoo lover John Hammond has invested his cash in the extraction of DNA from fossalised amber, lesing to the creation of dinosaurs!
As you can imagine, this is no walk in the park, and after a "incident" resulting in the death of a park worker, the insurance company want an investigation, and outside approval to declare the park safe to open.
Enter Drs Allan Grant ("Alan!") And Ellie Sattler, renowned paeleogolotists (the latter being a paeliobotpnist, no idea if that is spelt right...) As well as Dr Ian Malcolm.
They, along with the lawyer and John's grand kids take the tour of the park, but things do not go according to plan.
Filled with suspense, memorable moments, and more fake science than you can shake a fossle at, it is an epic tale of survival as "nature finds a way" to break it's bonds and sick a big middle claw up at OSHA.
I loved this film when I first saw it, and now, decades later, I still do. Even though I know the script by heart, I still find myself on the edge if my seat, holding my breath.
Parodied in thousands of other forms of media, I know I am not the only one.
I give this film 10 severed Samulal L. Jackson arms out if 10.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Saw (2004) in Movies
Dec 17, 2019 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)
The Start
Saw- this one started it all, this one started the franchise. This one is the best one out of all of them. This one has the best story, the best plot and the best twist ending to all of them. This one is more detective film than a tourture film, it still had tourture in it, but its more about the two main charcters trying to survivor and figure out where their are and the detective trying to find them. With introduction Jigsaw/John Kramer, doctor Gordon and Amanda Young.
The Plot: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.
After this one, the franchise became more of a tourture porn franchise, well it did become tourture porn in the sequels, with focus more on tourture and the traps rather than a story. The story is just sprinkled within inside the tourture porn and traps, you just have to find the story.
Like i said before this one is the best one out of all of them, the best story, the best plot and the best twist ending.
Want to play a game, do you punk? Well do you?
The Plot: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.
After this one, the franchise became more of a tourture porn franchise, well it did become tourture porn in the sequels, with focus more on tourture and the traps rather than a story. The story is just sprinkled within inside the tourture porn and traps, you just have to find the story.
Like i said before this one is the best one out of all of them, the best story, the best plot and the best twist ending.
Want to play a game, do you punk? Well do you?
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Nobody's Fool (2018) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020 (Updated Feb 9, 2020)
This move was profoundly bad. I don't know if there are any other words to it, it was horrendous. There were definitely some funny parts but it was more because Tiffany Haddish was making a fool of herself and less because the jokes were actually funny.
I know that Tyler Perry is revolutionary and whatever, but the more of his movies you watch, the more it's just blatantly obvious how much they are all the same. I love that he writes and produces and directs, I think that's great, but when all his characters are the same, especially his women, it just gets tiresome. This idea that Missi Pyle's character is supposed to be this hardworking, self-made, independent woman who does everything a man does when she's trying to decide between Charlie and Frank, it just felt fake, and it made her so unlikeable and unrelatable. I don't know a single woman who would play those men the way that she did. And Amber Riley's character? She was a horrible friend. If I saw my friend acting the way Danica was, I would tell her to get it together and stop being so rude to Frank.
I think the best performance in this movie was Mechad Brooks - I think he was funny and his jokes landed. But other than that, it was just bad. That cameo from Chris Rock too? Unnecessary. The plot was just incoherent, the acting was bad, the character development was bad, it was all bad.
I know that Tyler Perry is revolutionary and whatever, but the more of his movies you watch, the more it's just blatantly obvious how much they are all the same. I love that he writes and produces and directs, I think that's great, but when all his characters are the same, especially his women, it just gets tiresome. This idea that Missi Pyle's character is supposed to be this hardworking, self-made, independent woman who does everything a man does when she's trying to decide between Charlie and Frank, it just felt fake, and it made her so unlikeable and unrelatable. I don't know a single woman who would play those men the way that she did. And Amber Riley's character? She was a horrible friend. If I saw my friend acting the way Danica was, I would tell her to get it together and stop being so rude to Frank.
I think the best performance in this movie was Mechad Brooks - I think he was funny and his jokes landed. But other than that, it was just bad. That cameo from Chris Rock too? Unnecessary. The plot was just incoherent, the acting was bad, the character development was bad, it was all bad.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has a cast including Judi Dench (Evelyn), Maggie Smith (Muriel), Bill Nighy (Douglas), Dev Patel (Sonny), and Richard Gere (Guy Chambers).
It is a sequel to the 2011 film ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, which I never saw, nor even knew existed.
The idea is that a hotel in India becomes a permanent residence for elderly retirees at their last stopping point before their journey to ‘the great beyond’.
We follow their relationships and interactions, all wrapped up in the hotel proprietors (Sonny) desire to expand his hotel into another additional location, and his pitch to the (supposedly) undercover Hotel evaluator (Guy Chambers).
Sonny is willing to go to almost any length, up to and including sending his mother as an ‘offering’ to Chambers, in an attempt to secure the financing for the expansion.
In the meantime Sonny sacrifices a bit of his relationship with his fiancé,
Sunaina (played by Tena Desae), because she is wanting him to focus more on their upcoming wedding, than his business plans.
I thought the movie was ok, it had some funny parts. My husband almost fell asleep twice during it because it moved along pretty slowly.
It wouldn’t have been my pick to see ‘on the big screen’, to me, it just doesn’t need a movie screen to tell its story.
My guess is folks in the older generation will appreciate it and enjoy it much more than we did.
It certainly wasn’t ‘horrible’, it was just slow and rambling, without enough funny parts to hold our interest.
It is a sequel to the 2011 film ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, which I never saw, nor even knew existed.
The idea is that a hotel in India becomes a permanent residence for elderly retirees at their last stopping point before their journey to ‘the great beyond’.
We follow their relationships and interactions, all wrapped up in the hotel proprietors (Sonny) desire to expand his hotel into another additional location, and his pitch to the (supposedly) undercover Hotel evaluator (Guy Chambers).
Sonny is willing to go to almost any length, up to and including sending his mother as an ‘offering’ to Chambers, in an attempt to secure the financing for the expansion.
In the meantime Sonny sacrifices a bit of his relationship with his fiancé,
Sunaina (played by Tena Desae), because she is wanting him to focus more on their upcoming wedding, than his business plans.
I thought the movie was ok, it had some funny parts. My husband almost fell asleep twice during it because it moved along pretty slowly.
It wouldn’t have been my pick to see ‘on the big screen’, to me, it just doesn’t need a movie screen to tell its story.
My guess is folks in the older generation will appreciate it and enjoy it much more than we did.
It certainly wasn’t ‘horrible’, it was just slow and rambling, without enough funny parts to hold our interest.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Despicable Me 2 (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The second installment of Dreamwork’s Despicable Me franchise had me laughing out loud repeatedly throughout the movie. Getting the biggest laughs, like in the first movie, were the antics of the Minions, the formerly felonious Gru’s eager assistants. While the first Despicable Me actually had me tearing up at some points, I think overall I laughed more during this one.
Although Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), and his daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes are the main characters, the Minions steal many scenes. Watch for references to The Love Boat and the Village People when the Minions go on vacation.
The main story line introduces us to the Anti Villain League, an organization that that sends a resourceful agent named Lucy (voiced by Kristin Wiig) to contact (kidnap!) Gru in order to help them find the villain who is stealing a serum that turns things monstrous. Resistant at first, Gru acquiesces, and what follows is a quick-paced and laugh-out-loud funny tale of good vs. bad as Gru and Lucy work to solve the mystery of who the culprit is. During all this Gru also shows us how much of a doting and protective father he’s become to his girls.
In a slightly predictable sub-plot, Gru both fends off, and finds, love! We saw the movie in 3D, which I normally do not do, as it frequently makes me feel slightly ill, however, in this instance it was totally fitting, and completely drew us into the story and the characters.
Although Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), and his daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes are the main characters, the Minions steal many scenes. Watch for references to The Love Boat and the Village People when the Minions go on vacation.
The main story line introduces us to the Anti Villain League, an organization that that sends a resourceful agent named Lucy (voiced by Kristin Wiig) to contact (kidnap!) Gru in order to help them find the villain who is stealing a serum that turns things monstrous. Resistant at first, Gru acquiesces, and what follows is a quick-paced and laugh-out-loud funny tale of good vs. bad as Gru and Lucy work to solve the mystery of who the culprit is. During all this Gru also shows us how much of a doting and protective father he’s become to his girls.
In a slightly predictable sub-plot, Gru both fends off, and finds, love! We saw the movie in 3D, which I normally do not do, as it frequently makes me feel slightly ill, however, in this instance it was totally fitting, and completely drew us into the story and the characters.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in Books
Feb 14, 2020
I got this because I saw the film was out on DVD and I like to read the books before I see the film.
So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.
I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.
I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.
I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.
I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one
So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.
I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.
I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.
I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.
I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one