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So I think this was actually the first book I had read by Cecelia Ahern, which led me to read all of her books in the short time afterwards!
I was never into dystopia (but that seems to have changed now) but I fancied trying it out anyway. I love the view on the justice system in this – that when someone does something wrong they are marked for life for their mistakes. It’s strangely close to society at the moment (minus the branding) which I think is what really pulled me in.
Celestine could be a little bit annoying, but who wouldn’t complain when they are being punished for helping someone and acting out of the kindness in their heart?
I loved that the action never stopped or even slowed down. It really kept the story going and helped me keep my attention on the plot.
The story of social justice was really gripping and the closeness to reality was scary and it kept me reading.
I was never into dystopia (but that seems to have changed now) but I fancied trying it out anyway. I love the view on the justice system in this – that when someone does something wrong they are marked for life for their mistakes. It’s strangely close to society at the moment (minus the branding) which I think is what really pulled me in.
Celestine could be a little bit annoying, but who wouldn’t complain when they are being punished for helping someone and acting out of the kindness in their heart?
I loved that the action never stopped or even slowed down. It really kept the story going and helped me keep my attention on the plot.
The story of social justice was really gripping and the closeness to reality was scary and it kept me reading.
After a few pages, you forget they’re actually bees...
This is set in a Bee hive. Yes, really it is. I thought it would be in the style of Watership Down, but it's definitely a book for the grown ups. It's a bit scary in the respect that everything in these bees lives is regulated by the Sage level of Bee (there are various types of Bees, named after a particular plant. They all have their pre-ordained role in life, which they know how to carry out as soon as they hatch out of their final stage of growth). If you step out of line, you are destroyed. Kind of like the more hard-line societies around the world. And that's where it gets you. You start off reading about a bee hive, and you end up realising that people have lived like this in the past, live like this now, and will probably live like this in the future.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Greta (2019) in Movies
Apr 24, 2019 (Updated Apr 24, 2019)
Fans of watching talented creative people slum it in productions unworthy of their abilities will find much to enjoy in this roaringly bonkers psycho-thriller. Kind young waitress (Moretz) finds a handbag on the train, returns it to the owner (Huppert), a lonely old widow. The pair soon strike up a close friendship. And then ---
Some talented people here, not least director Neil Jordan, but this film is not nearly as subtle or restrained as you might expect it to be: it can't wait to get going with the ominous strings and half-baked jump scares. Full marks to the cast for taking it as seriously as they do; Huppert is in majestic form and Moretz is not bad either. The film is never actually scary at all, but the story is so uproariously overwrought that it's an entertaining watch throughout. That doesn't change the fact that if it featured a less-distinguished cast, this would almost certainly be going direct to DVD.
Some talented people here, not least director Neil Jordan, but this film is not nearly as subtle or restrained as you might expect it to be: it can't wait to get going with the ominous strings and half-baked jump scares. Full marks to the cast for taking it as seriously as they do; Huppert is in majestic form and Moretz is not bad either. The film is never actually scary at all, but the story is so uproariously overwrought that it's an entertaining watch throughout. That doesn't change the fact that if it featured a less-distinguished cast, this would almost certainly be going direct to DVD.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Killer Shrews (1959) in Movies
May 3, 2019 (Updated May 3, 2019)
Well, it was inevitable, wasn't it? When you make a list of those wild creatures that inspire sheer terror in everyday folk, forget about sharks, snakes, spiders, wolves, and the rest - shrews! Shrews are the really scary little buggers. Or so the makers of this film appear to have decided. Unconvincing ship captain (Best) ends up on a hurricane-wracked island populated by mad scientists and the giant, savage shrews they have spawned; much utter nonsense ensues.
Bad acting is compounded by post-synched dialogue and the impressive range of accents on display from the cast, but the thing is that this isn't just a monster movie where the monsters are shrews, it's a shrew-based monster movie where the shrews are realised by a combination of dogs in costume and sabre-toothed glove puppets. Genuinely very funny to watch; objectively deserves a very low score but highly entertaining if you're in the mood.
Bad acting is compounded by post-synched dialogue and the impressive range of accents on display from the cast, but the thing is that this isn't just a monster movie where the monsters are shrews, it's a shrew-based monster movie where the shrews are realised by a combination of dogs in costume and sabre-toothed glove puppets. Genuinely very funny to watch; objectively deserves a very low score but highly entertaining if you're in the mood.
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Don't Breathe (2016) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Scared the sh*t out of me
Director: Fede Alvarez
Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Stars: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette
What's it about?
Alex is a young carer for his father who has resorted to burglary to pay his way. He and his two friends decide to hit the house of a blind man who is sitting on a potential $300k so they can give up crime for good. What they get however is a deadly surprise.
Is it scary?
Gripping, tense and suspenseful. Stephen Lang is on top form.
What were the best bits?
If you ever want to see a man embody a murderous animal then this is for you.The way in which Silence is used to build tension is fantastic. The sense of dread for these helplessly out matched burglars is terrifying. All I'll say is "the pitch black scene"
How does it compare to other horrors?
It's right up there with the best
Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Stars: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette
What's it about?
Alex is a young carer for his father who has resorted to burglary to pay his way. He and his two friends decide to hit the house of a blind man who is sitting on a potential $300k so they can give up crime for good. What they get however is a deadly surprise.
Is it scary?
Gripping, tense and suspenseful. Stephen Lang is on top form.
What were the best bits?
If you ever want to see a man embody a murderous animal then this is for you.The way in which Silence is used to build tension is fantastic. The sense of dread for these helplessly out matched burglars is terrifying. All I'll say is "the pitch black scene"
How does it compare to other horrors?
It's right up there with the best
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Third Time's a Crime (A Love Or Money Mystery #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Georgia Thornton is back for a third round on a reality TV show – this time working with her boyfriend Scott to solve a cold case. The castle where this show is set is super spooky, but things get very scary when Georgia finds a dead body in the empty swimming pool. Even weirder, the victim drowned. What’s going on?
Between the reality TV show and the case, there is always something happening, although I did feel the other happenings overwhelmed the main mystery a bit at times. Still, the mystery builds to a logical conclusion. The author does a great job of helping us keep all the characters straight while growing Georgia, Scott, and some of the other series regulars. And the reality TV setting is just lots of fun.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-third-times-crime-by-diana.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Between the reality TV show and the case, there is always something happening, although I did feel the other happenings overwhelmed the main mystery a bit at times. Still, the mystery builds to a logical conclusion. The author does a great job of helping us keep all the characters straight while growing Georgia, Scott, and some of the other series regulars. And the reality TV setting is just lots of fun.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-third-times-crime-by-diana.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Escape Room (2017) in Movies
Mar 23, 2018
Beyond stupid
Considering this was a straight to dvd/Sky film, I hadn't been expecting much and sadly it delivered even less than that.
I understand why this film has been made as escape rooms are huge at the moment, but this is such a poor attempt at a horror film. It's not scary, and there's no real suspense or nothing to make you care about the characters. There are so many ways they couldve done a horror escape room, and they picked the lamest storyline available. Put that together with a bad script and terrible acting and it makes for a tedious 90 minute watch. It's not even entertainingly bad, it's just awful.
All I can say is that for anyone watching this, please don't let it put you off doing a real escape room. Real escape rooms are really fun and entertaining and pretty challenging, and not in the slightest bit boring like this sorry excuse for a film.
I understand why this film has been made as escape rooms are huge at the moment, but this is such a poor attempt at a horror film. It's not scary, and there's no real suspense or nothing to make you care about the characters. There are so many ways they couldve done a horror escape room, and they picked the lamest storyline available. Put that together with a bad script and terrible acting and it makes for a tedious 90 minute watch. It's not even entertainingly bad, it's just awful.
All I can say is that for anyone watching this, please don't let it put you off doing a real escape room. Real escape rooms are really fun and entertaining and pretty challenging, and not in the slightest bit boring like this sorry excuse for a film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018
(The other) Young Frankenstein
At the start of the 1970s Hammer tried to relaunch both their main series with new leading men (Ralph Bates replacing Christopher Lee in this case); this was the only reboot which eventually happened. The basics of the Frankenstein story are (just about) retold; young Victor decides to make a man, if not of himself, then from some body parts.
There's no doubt that Ralph Bates could have been a brilliant Frankenstein, but not in a film with a script like this one's. The film attempts to appeal to a hip young audience by including cleavage by the yard and lots of sub-Carry On film humour; script is also thick-headed and repetitive. The moment Frankenstein's experiments included resurrecting a tortoise everyone involved should have realised there was a serious problem here. Not funny, not scary, not interesting, barely worth watching except for Hammer fans. They got Peter Cushing back for the next one.
There's no doubt that Ralph Bates could have been a brilliant Frankenstein, but not in a film with a script like this one's. The film attempts to appeal to a hip young audience by including cleavage by the yard and lots of sub-Carry On film humour; script is also thick-headed and repetitive. The moment Frankenstein's experiments included resurrecting a tortoise everyone involved should have realised there was a serious problem here. Not funny, not scary, not interesting, barely worth watching except for Hammer fans. They got Peter Cushing back for the next one.
Andrew Foster (5 KP) rated Comet (2014) in Movies
Jun 11, 2018
Love it!!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Justin Long's character reminds me so much of myself. The line about how his therapist says he's a narcissist for believing he is the smartest person in the world and his reply... Instantly made me love the character. This movie parallels a very... significant time in my life. So close that it's almost scary... Emmy Rossum also is one of my favorite actresses. These two together, which are pretty much the only characters in the story, are more than enough. This movie... It makes me cry almost every time I watch it, but I can't count how many times I have. Maybe it's just how closely it mirrors events in my life, but I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it and has been my favorite movie ever since. If you are a romantic person, watch this movie. However, be ready to shed a few tears...
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Smiley (2012) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
The ending couldn't save the rest of the movie (3 more)
Cliche plot you have seen before
Bad acting
Annoying characters
The internet's bloody mary
This was a terrible movie
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.