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Dean (6927 KP) rated Ca$h (2010) in Movies
Nov 3, 2019
Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated Escape Room (2017) in Movies
Jul 7, 2019
Sean Young (1 more)
Skeet Ulrich
Did you know there is three films called Escape Room?
I have seen two of them, both from 2017 and both very bad.
This particular one is the worst one of the two. Four friends partake of the titular game only to find they are trapped in a life or death situation.
The only notable performances come from Skeet Ulrich as the escape room owner and Sean Young (god knows what she is doing here) as a seller.
The rest of the cast are instantly forgettable and the acting very sub par which isn't helped by a silly plot device.
One to only watch once.
I have seen two of them, both from 2017 and both very bad.
This particular one is the worst one of the two. Four friends partake of the titular game only to find they are trapped in a life or death situation.
The only notable performances come from Skeet Ulrich as the escape room owner and Sean Young (god knows what she is doing here) as a seller.
The rest of the cast are instantly forgettable and the acting very sub par which isn't helped by a silly plot device.
One to only watch once.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) in Movies
Jan 4, 2018
Third Indy
In the third installment in this third movie we get the addition of Indy's father played by none other than Connery himself. He brings a whole new life to the movie. There was no one else that could have played it better than him. He get some of the cast back form the first and if course Ford plays our Hero. This third installment helps clean off the rust from the second one to make us want more but, in reality they should have left it here. The movie fun, exciting,suspensful and of course full of Nazis that get defeated yet again
Merissa (12313 KP) rated Greeking Out (Destination Daddies) in Books
Aug 19, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
GREEKING OUT is part of the Destination Daddies series, and now I have a new series to read!
Troy and Apollo meet online through the Cuffd app and strike up a friendship. Troy is a boy who has been badly hurt, and Apollo is a porn star who wants more. With Troy's honesty and Myth of the Day, they become integrated into each other's lives, even though they have an ocean between them. When Troy bravely overcomes his fear of flying and goes to Greece, a very nice surprise awaits him.
I loved this story! From the slow, online friendship, to the meeting, to the constant love and assurance they both show each other. I loved how we were shown how Sean slipped out of Troy's mind under the loving care of Apollo. Told from dual perspectives, you really got a feel for these guys.
This is a sweet and steamy summer story that I thoroughly enjoyed with fantastic descriptions of Greece, enough to make me want to go there immediately. I really hope Collette (or someone else in the Destination Daddies series) gives Jared his HEA.
A low angst, friends-to-lovers story that you really need to read. Loved it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 19, 2021
Troy and Apollo meet online through the Cuffd app and strike up a friendship. Troy is a boy who has been badly hurt, and Apollo is a porn star who wants more. With Troy's honesty and Myth of the Day, they become integrated into each other's lives, even though they have an ocean between them. When Troy bravely overcomes his fear of flying and goes to Greece, a very nice surprise awaits him.
I loved this story! From the slow, online friendship, to the meeting, to the constant love and assurance they both show each other. I loved how we were shown how Sean slipped out of Troy's mind under the loving care of Apollo. Told from dual perspectives, you really got a feel for these guys.
This is a sweet and steamy summer story that I thoroughly enjoyed with fantastic descriptions of Greece, enough to make me want to go there immediately. I really hope Collette (or someone else in the Destination Daddies series) gives Jared his HEA.
A low angst, friends-to-lovers story that you really need to read. Loved it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 19, 2021
Debbiereadsbook (1303 KP) rated A Deeper Blue (Rules of Possession #2) in Books
Dec 27, 2018
I did not like Blue!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
A year ago, Kelly and Blue took the friendship to a whole other level. But Blue plays football, and doesn't wanna come out yet. He just needs to bide his time. Kelly, however, is growing impatient with Blue. Can Blue keep Kelly happy, while he gets himself together?
This is book two in the Rules of Possession duet, and you NEED to read book one, The Blueprint, first.
I listened to book one, and I said that I found that the narrator for Blue didn't quite for me, even though Sean Crisden is a firm favourite of mine. However, since READING book two, I've decided it's NOT the narrator, but Blue himself who is the problem!
I could hear Kelly when I read his chapters, but not so much Blue. I connected better to Kelly than Blue. I loved Kelly, but Blue?? Nah, wanted to punch him so bad!
Keeping Kelly happy is Blue's number one priority, but he still has to work, to play football, and to leave Kelly from time to time and that does rather kill Blue. He DOES love Kelly, that much is obvious, but he just can't come out yet, not to everyone else.
BUT everyone else? Those around Blue and Kelly all the time?? THEY know, they knew BEFORE Kelly and Blue did! When a couple of players voice what they know, and Blue gets caught kissing Kelly on their vacation, he knows he has to come out. And he does.
I just *insert sigh* expected the fall out of that to be . . . MORE . . . you know?? Blue goes on about how big a deal it is, to come out as a football player, about how BAD it will be, and I expected the fall out to be nuclear. But it's more of a damp firework, to be honest!
I DID enjoy reading this, but the thing I struggled the most with was Blue himself. But Kelly's voice is so strong, it balances out Blue perfectly. And the story rounded off beautifully, in a very Kelly way!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
A year ago, Kelly and Blue took the friendship to a whole other level. But Blue plays football, and doesn't wanna come out yet. He just needs to bide his time. Kelly, however, is growing impatient with Blue. Can Blue keep Kelly happy, while he gets himself together?
This is book two in the Rules of Possession duet, and you NEED to read book one, The Blueprint, first.
I listened to book one, and I said that I found that the narrator for Blue didn't quite for me, even though Sean Crisden is a firm favourite of mine. However, since READING book two, I've decided it's NOT the narrator, but Blue himself who is the problem!
I could hear Kelly when I read his chapters, but not so much Blue. I connected better to Kelly than Blue. I loved Kelly, but Blue?? Nah, wanted to punch him so bad!
Keeping Kelly happy is Blue's number one priority, but he still has to work, to play football, and to leave Kelly from time to time and that does rather kill Blue. He DOES love Kelly, that much is obvious, but he just can't come out yet, not to everyone else.
BUT everyone else? Those around Blue and Kelly all the time?? THEY know, they knew BEFORE Kelly and Blue did! When a couple of players voice what they know, and Blue gets caught kissing Kelly on their vacation, he knows he has to come out. And he does.
I just *insert sigh* expected the fall out of that to be . . . MORE . . . you know?? Blue goes on about how big a deal it is, to come out as a football player, about how BAD it will be, and I expected the fall out to be nuclear. But it's more of a damp firework, to be honest!
I DID enjoy reading this, but the thing I struggled the most with was Blue himself. But Kelly's voice is so strong, it balances out Blue perfectly. And the story rounded off beautifully, in a very Kelly way!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001) in Movies
Nov 15, 2020
So, Wishmaster started off well enough but Christ, this series really dived head first into car crash mode.
This third entry into the not so beloved franchise isn't good-bad, or fun-bad - it's actually a festering shit pile masquerading as a straight-to-video B-Movie.
The effects are terrible and cheap, the dlailogue is laughable. The main protagonist is the least likable of the series, which is saying something. Every character in this shitty fiasco is poorly written. The music cues are intrusive and out of place, the editing is completely bizarre (surely a lot of the crew had to be drunk just to get through this)...
I'm not sure what I expected to be honest, but my expectations were absolutely exceeded.
It doesn't even have Andrew Divoff in it, the highlight of the first, and the only good thing about the second Wishmaster. He's replaced by John Novak in Djinn mode (who is fine by the way, the three or so minutes of full make up screentime is just about passable) and by Jason Connery (son of Sean) when he's in human mode. I don't recall seeing Jason Connery in anything else, and I'm sure he's a perfectly fine actor, but in this, he is literally David Brent. Once I noticed this, I couldn't get past it, and any evil he may have been trying to convey was lost in his Brent-ness. Unintentionally hilarious, but didn't make the film any less shit.
Wishmaster 3 is terrible. Don't do it to yourself.
This third entry into the not so beloved franchise isn't good-bad, or fun-bad - it's actually a festering shit pile masquerading as a straight-to-video B-Movie.
The effects are terrible and cheap, the dlailogue is laughable. The main protagonist is the least likable of the series, which is saying something. Every character in this shitty fiasco is poorly written. The music cues are intrusive and out of place, the editing is completely bizarre (surely a lot of the crew had to be drunk just to get through this)...
I'm not sure what I expected to be honest, but my expectations were absolutely exceeded.
It doesn't even have Andrew Divoff in it, the highlight of the first, and the only good thing about the second Wishmaster. He's replaced by John Novak in Djinn mode (who is fine by the way, the three or so minutes of full make up screentime is just about passable) and by Jason Connery (son of Sean) when he's in human mode. I don't recall seeing Jason Connery in anything else, and I'm sure he's a perfectly fine actor, but in this, he is literally David Brent. Once I noticed this, I couldn't get past it, and any evil he may have been trying to convey was lost in his Brent-ness. Unintentionally hilarious, but didn't make the film any less shit.
Wishmaster 3 is terrible. Don't do it to yourself.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Possum (2018) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Philip is a puppeteer with one of the creepiest puppets you have ever seen, he is returning home to escape after his latest show went terribly wrong and it isn’t long before the strange events continue to plague him. He becomes a suspect in a missing persons case and the puppet he is trying to get rid of, keeps returning for him. Maurice is his stepfather that always pushes him too far, he always seems to be judging Philip. We only truly get to meet two characters with the puppet having a life of its own.
Performances – Sean Harris is genuinely creepy through this film giving a performance that is bound to get him placed in any horror film he wants for years to come. Alun Armstrong does well in the supporting role which does work very well in the film.
Story – The story follows the puppeteer that is haunted by his own puppet while is clearly a metaphor for something else going on in his life. This is a strange film to say the least, it does deal with real issues that can be disguised and will keep you feeling uneasy throughout. We could spend time studying certain issues in this film, but that goes into full spoilers.
Horror – The horror comes from the uneasy feeling we are getting through the film, with just what could be going on, the appearances of the puppet itself, which does look genuinely creepy.
Settings – The settings for this feel only add to the atmosphere involved in the film, each place feels like something terrible could happen.
Special Effects – The effects in the film come from the puppet creation and slow movements that it gives us through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Puppet first appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is slow in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that does leave you feeling unsettled by what we see with a puppet that just feels difficult to look at.
Overall: Creepy horror.
Performances – Sean Harris is genuinely creepy through this film giving a performance that is bound to get him placed in any horror film he wants for years to come. Alun Armstrong does well in the supporting role which does work very well in the film.
Story – The story follows the puppeteer that is haunted by his own puppet while is clearly a metaphor for something else going on in his life. This is a strange film to say the least, it does deal with real issues that can be disguised and will keep you feeling uneasy throughout. We could spend time studying certain issues in this film, but that goes into full spoilers.
Horror – The horror comes from the uneasy feeling we are getting through the film, with just what could be going on, the appearances of the puppet itself, which does look genuinely creepy.
Settings – The settings for this feel only add to the atmosphere involved in the film, each place feels like something terrible could happen.
Special Effects – The effects in the film come from the puppet creation and slow movements that it gives us through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Puppet first appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is slow in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that does leave you feeling unsettled by what we see with a puppet that just feels difficult to look at.
Overall: Creepy horror.
Merissa (12313 KP) rated Bulletproof (Songbird, #2) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
So Bulletproof is Morgan's story. She is the eldest of the trio and came across in Fever as very much a mother figure. This time, though, we get to see WHY she is the way she is and how she really feels behind the mask that she wears for everyone. She is always the strong one, nothing can hurt her, she's bulletproof... or is she?!
This is an amazing story in its own right and not just as the second book in a series. Morgan is a brilliant character and the way you learn about her - her fears, foibles, hopes and dreams - takes you along for a ride. It's a bumpy one, mind you. Nothing is going quite as she thought it would when she was in college but then nothing usually is!
Sean is the other main character in this book and I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, I like that he came from 'humble' beginnings, had an honest outlook and naively thought that everyone else would have the same. He couldn't see it when someone was working against him. However, those same qualities drove me insane throughout the book until I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf whenever I felt he was doing something stupid! Thank goodness for his mum who certainly knew how to set him straight! I loved her!!
I'm keeping this review short(ish) because I don't want to give away any of the storyline. You really do need to read this book for yourself to fully appreciate it. What I can do is highly recommend it and say you'd be a fool to miss it. Looking forward to Jodi's story which is due out very soon.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 27, 2016
This is an amazing story in its own right and not just as the second book in a series. Morgan is a brilliant character and the way you learn about her - her fears, foibles, hopes and dreams - takes you along for a ride. It's a bumpy one, mind you. Nothing is going quite as she thought it would when she was in college but then nothing usually is!
Sean is the other main character in this book and I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, I like that he came from 'humble' beginnings, had an honest outlook and naively thought that everyone else would have the same. He couldn't see it when someone was working against him. However, those same qualities drove me insane throughout the book until I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf whenever I felt he was doing something stupid! Thank goodness for his mum who certainly knew how to set him straight! I loved her!!
I'm keeping this review short(ish) because I don't want to give away any of the storyline. You really do need to read this book for yourself to fully appreciate it. What I can do is highly recommend it and say you'd be a fool to miss it. Looking forward to Jodi's story which is due out very soon.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 27, 2016
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Kim Possible (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
My name is Emma, and I still love Kim Possible. It's great fun and I will fight anyone who says it isn't. That is if we're talking about the animated series... that is gold, the live action film is not even tin foil.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) in Movies
Aug 3, 2020
God-Awful
Pretty much separate from all the other movies, when youngster Sean Black goes to Japan to live with his father, he rebels and gets involved in the underground life of street racing. Since I’m on a streak of reviewing god-awful movies, I present to you The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Acting: 5
Beginning: 1
The beginning puts us right in the heart of a cheesy car race. It wasn’t bad, but as I look back over the entirety of the other movies, car races are typically the one thing they get right. So, in comparison, it was actually terrible. Definitely put me in a weird kind of mood for what was to come.
Characters: 8
What the characters lacked in depth, they were at least fun characters to include in the story. If nothing else, at least it’s not Paul Walker! That alone was enough to get my seal of approval.
Cinematography/Visuals: 5
Conflict: 5
Sure there is a motive to drive the story. Is it strong? Not really. Enough to carry a movie? It’ll do. The problem with not having characters with depth is having to rely on the action to drive the story. When there’s not enough of it, you’re in trouble.
Entertainment Value: 5
So here’s the thing: The actual drifting part was kind of cool. I also like the fact that they really make an attempt to get you involved in the Japanese world. At one point, I made the note: “I don’t hate this movie.” At some point that did change, but there was a true moment where the movie held its own for a bit.
Memorability: 3
I couldn’t tell you one memorable line from this movie. I couldn’t tell you one cool action sequence that really got me excited. All I really remember is some drifting and some beautiful Tokyo landscapes…and that’s pretty much all in the title. This is not a repeat watch type of movie.
Pace: 10
Plot: 5
The story had potential. My problem was it kept leaving out pockets of information and it never really felt like I got the full story. It was like I kept getting up to go to the bathroom and missing something crucial each time. There is way too much jumping around for my taste.
Resolution: 5
The ending left me with a mild sense of satisfaction. Even if I wasn’t late to the game and I was watching this for the first time when it was first released, I would’ve still known that there would be more movies to come. That’s what nags at me: The lack of completion. It doesn’t feel like an ending when you know it’s not over.
Overall: 52
Some movies are bad but entertaining. Case and point: The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift. You will hate it, but you will also walk away having seen a few solid moments as well. As much as I try and avoid this franchise at all costs, there were glimmers in these early movies that the franchise could be more than what it was. Glad they finally found their way.
Acting: 5
Beginning: 1
The beginning puts us right in the heart of a cheesy car race. It wasn’t bad, but as I look back over the entirety of the other movies, car races are typically the one thing they get right. So, in comparison, it was actually terrible. Definitely put me in a weird kind of mood for what was to come.
Characters: 8
What the characters lacked in depth, they were at least fun characters to include in the story. If nothing else, at least it’s not Paul Walker! That alone was enough to get my seal of approval.
Cinematography/Visuals: 5
Conflict: 5
Sure there is a motive to drive the story. Is it strong? Not really. Enough to carry a movie? It’ll do. The problem with not having characters with depth is having to rely on the action to drive the story. When there’s not enough of it, you’re in trouble.
Entertainment Value: 5
So here’s the thing: The actual drifting part was kind of cool. I also like the fact that they really make an attempt to get you involved in the Japanese world. At one point, I made the note: “I don’t hate this movie.” At some point that did change, but there was a true moment where the movie held its own for a bit.
Memorability: 3
I couldn’t tell you one memorable line from this movie. I couldn’t tell you one cool action sequence that really got me excited. All I really remember is some drifting and some beautiful Tokyo landscapes…and that’s pretty much all in the title. This is not a repeat watch type of movie.
Pace: 10
Plot: 5
The story had potential. My problem was it kept leaving out pockets of information and it never really felt like I got the full story. It was like I kept getting up to go to the bathroom and missing something crucial each time. There is way too much jumping around for my taste.
Resolution: 5
The ending left me with a mild sense of satisfaction. Even if I wasn’t late to the game and I was watching this for the first time when it was first released, I would’ve still known that there would be more movies to come. That’s what nags at me: The lack of completion. It doesn’t feel like an ending when you know it’s not over.
Overall: 52
Some movies are bad but entertaining. Case and point: The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift. You will hate it, but you will also walk away having seen a few solid moments as well. As much as I try and avoid this franchise at all costs, there were glimmers in these early movies that the franchise could be more than what it was. Glad they finally found their way.