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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV

Jun 15, 2019

Black Mirror - Season 5

2019 | Drama, Sci-Fi

6.4

(17 Ratings)

TV Season Rating

Not up to it’s usual high standard

Black Mirror is known for having a dark and futuristic take on modern society, and this is why it has always succeeded. It’s bleak and harrowing at times and whilst it’s not a happy programme to watch, it’s bloody good. The problem with series 5 is that it feels like an entirely different show, and not for the better.

Whilst each episode has it’s own take on modern society and technology (VR, social media and musical pop culture), none of this felt particularly new or unique. Don’t get me wrong, the episodes aren’t bad at all. But they’re just not brilliant. There are good performances (Andrew Scott especially) and the storylines are vaguely interesting, they just don’t get pushed far enough into the dark and bleak Black Mirror world we’re used to. Not only that, but none of these stories have particularly bad endings. It all just feels a little bit meh and after the rather wonderful Bandersnatch, I’d been looking forward to another great season. Sadly, it’s been a bit of a letdown. I’m really hoping that this is just a blip and that the next series is back on form, and not a sign that Black Mirror has run out of decent ideas...

Kudos

ArecRain (8 KP) rated Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, #1) in Books

Jan 18, 2018

This review is really hard to write mainly because I did not have any feelings about this book after I read it. It was a quick read, only taking me two hours; yet it was hard to stay focused. I felt so unmotivated to read this book, which I sometimes had to force myself to keep going.

I am not saying it is a bad book. In fact, I think quite the opposite. While it was not anything to heavy or thought provoking, Brewer did a good job at creating a practical storyline with realistic characters and an in-depth vampire society I felt that she teased us with all the glimpses into the vampire society. It was obvious this novel was the first in the series. We are introduced to Vlad and the people important to the storyline. I wish she had shown us more because I am not interested in reading the rest of the series to find out.

The only thing that truly annoyed me, however, was Brewers lack of subtly. She brings up subjects that are supposed to be revealed later in novel/series, but she makes it so obvious that you are supposed to be interested.

Kudos

BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Uglies (Uglies, #1) in Books

Aug 20, 2018

Uglies (Uglies, #1)

Scott Westerfeld | 2005 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

7.6

(39 Ratings)

Book Rating

great narrative on today's society and how we hold Beauty Above All Else

I'd had a uglies sitting on my shelf for about 2 years now and just never got around to picking it up but recently I had quite a few people recommending that I give it a try and that I'd probably like it. I'm so glad that I did give it a try cuz I really did like the story The Plot was different and really interesting definitely reminded me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes which I found amazing. It really makes you think about how as a society we view Beauty as such a high standard of a person and just how messed up it is. The author did a really great job by balancing the characters and their struggles and how each one of them had an opinion about the world around them it really gave a more in-depth fill to the world.

my only real issue I had with the book was the names for things were stupid as hell and the amount of times he use them just kind of drove me nuts and while it was necessary to the story I really never want to see the word pretties or ugly again.

Kudos

Ross (3284 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies

Nov 19, 2019

Joker (2019)

2019 | Crime, Drama

8.5

(147 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Phenomenal

Finally a film that does justice to one of the most twisted, yet relatable, villains out there. With the focus on his character, rather than that caped guy, we could really start to appreciate how such a villain could emerge.
In a Gotham very similar to today (government budget cuts, strain on mental health services, increasing divide between the rich and poor, and figures of power and responsibility showing no empathy for the downtrodden), Arthur Fleck is a man struggling to juggle (accidental circus pun) work, caring for his mother and his stand-up career. With a supposed tourettes-like condition where he spontaneously bursts out laughing at the most inappropriate times, Arthur is also finding it hard to find a place in society, and longs to be accepted, if not loved.
The film is an excellent example of how events can conspire to make someone vulnerable and repeatedly abandoned by society suddenly snap. And also how the downtrodden masses will take inspiration from an unlikely hero to rise up and take a stand for their own rights.
The film itself mirrors Arthur's moods, at times serene, at others whimsical with sudden moments of utter mad violence.
A very stylish and dark film, but with a quality story and cast to match.