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Dominion: Dark Ages
9.0
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Tabletop Game
Times have been hard. To save on money, you've moved out of your old castle, and into a luxurious...
Horseless Carriage
Tabletop Game
"This year, we want the best, or nothing at all. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Nightmare Alley (2021) in Movies
Feb 5, 2022
In short, Nightmare Alley is a sometimes plodding and bloated piece that gets by thanks to a hugely pleasing aesthetic, and a great cast.
Firstly, there is no reason for NA to be 150 minutes long. One could argue that it gives us more time with the many characters introduced, but it feels gratuitous. The first hour and a half has its moments for sure, but it sometimes feels a little direction-less before the last hour hits, and things kick off a bit. It's an issue that certainly impacts proceedings, and I feel it could have lost 30 minutes and been a tighter final product.
Thankfully, the assembled cast is stacked with royalty. Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette are two of my favourite working actors, so having them both involved is a treat. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara are great as the main leads, and the rest of the ensemble is rounded out by some fantastic character actors - Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn - good stuff all round.
The overall visual style is wonderfully Del Toro, from the gloomy and misty carnival sights pierced by neon lights, to the snowy city scape of Buffalo, New York. A lot of the cinematography is gorgeous as well, hats off to Dan Laustsen, and is truly bought to life by a beautifully haunting music score from Nathan Johnson.
All in all, Nightmare Alley ultimately suffers from its pacing, and feels like a slog here and there. However, there are enough positives to carry it over the finish line. I look forward to checking out the black and white version in the near future.
Firstly, there is no reason for NA to be 150 minutes long. One could argue that it gives us more time with the many characters introduced, but it feels gratuitous. The first hour and a half has its moments for sure, but it sometimes feels a little direction-less before the last hour hits, and things kick off a bit. It's an issue that certainly impacts proceedings, and I feel it could have lost 30 minutes and been a tighter final product.
Thankfully, the assembled cast is stacked with royalty. Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette are two of my favourite working actors, so having them both involved is a treat. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara are great as the main leads, and the rest of the ensemble is rounded out by some fantastic character actors - Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn - good stuff all round.
The overall visual style is wonderfully Del Toro, from the gloomy and misty carnival sights pierced by neon lights, to the snowy city scape of Buffalo, New York. A lot of the cinematography is gorgeous as well, hats off to Dan Laustsen, and is truly bought to life by a beautifully haunting music score from Nathan Johnson.
All in all, Nightmare Alley ultimately suffers from its pacing, and feels like a slog here and there. However, there are enough positives to carry it over the finish line. I look forward to checking out the black and white version in the near future.
Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
At the tender age of sixteen, Nadia Morales loses both of her parents in a car accident caused by a...
Paranormal Romance
Merissa (13840 KP) rated Running From Darkness (Dark River Stone Collective #3) in Books
Mar 20, 2023
RUNNING FROM DARKNESS is the third book in the Dark River Stone Collective series, and it starts off with a horrible subject, so read the trigger warning!
Conall and Calliope end up in Belton, asking for a favour, to save Calliope. She is in a bad way but Kyle and Nutty are there to help, even if Linc and Mason aren't. Once they turn up, Conall knows they will help him, in every way they can, which is a good thing when the police are wanting to question him.
I have to say, I have no qualms about what Conall did, or how Mason plays with the truth on his behalf. Earl deserved everything thing that came his way. I only hope to find out for sure in future books that karma paid him a visit!
The relationship between Conall and Kyle was never going to be easy and I have to admire Kyle's tenacity. Although the two of them together were hot, it was actually the easy relationship between Kyle, Conall, and Calliope that I loved. That girl is something else!
This was a great addition to the series and I loved being back with the Dark Angels. And it just goes to show - sometimes, just sometimes, running is the right thing to do, especially when you're running to the light. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Conall and Calliope end up in Belton, asking for a favour, to save Calliope. She is in a bad way but Kyle and Nutty are there to help, even if Linc and Mason aren't. Once they turn up, Conall knows they will help him, in every way they can, which is a good thing when the police are wanting to question him.
I have to say, I have no qualms about what Conall did, or how Mason plays with the truth on his behalf. Earl deserved everything thing that came his way. I only hope to find out for sure in future books that karma paid him a visit!
The relationship between Conall and Kyle was never going to be easy and I have to admire Kyle's tenacity. Although the two of them together were hot, it was actually the easy relationship between Kyle, Conall, and Calliope that I loved. That girl is something else!
This was a great addition to the series and I loved being back with the Dark Angels. And it just goes to show - sometimes, just sometimes, running is the right thing to do, especially when you're running to the light. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Fresh (2022) in Movies
Apr 6, 2022
Mimi Cave's feature debut is a delightfully slick, quirky, and gruesomely entertaining thriller that dives head first into the perils of dating in the modern world. Its first 30 minutes are pretty light hearted, with a whole bunch of funny moments, and a relatable and likable protagonist in Daisy Edgar-Jones' Noa. The chemistry she shares with Steve (Sebastian Stan) feels natural and the two of them make for an enjoyable couple to watch onscreen, and exactly the same can be said when it goes full horror suddenly. If it wasn't for the fairly aggresive advertising campaign that heavily focused on the cannibal side of the plot, one could be forgiven for thinking that Fresh was a straight up rom-com. The sudden change in vibe is executed nicely, complete with a title card 30 minutes in, and I'm a sucker for that shit.
What follows is a sometimes fun, sometimes grim, fight for survival. Edgar-Jones is a solid Final Girl, and Sebastian Stan is picture perfect as the suave psychopath that we've seen a fair few times before at this point, but he's clearly having a blast. It helps no end that he's so well known as Bucky Barnes, ensuring that his sinister role here hits even harder.
The last 40 minutes or so suffer from being quite predictable in how the narrative unfolds, but the films cast and some nice camera work ensure that it crosses the finish line without too many hiccups.
Horror comedy is a sub genre that shows no sign of dying anytime soon, and films like Fresh make sure of that. Definitely worth your attention.
What follows is a sometimes fun, sometimes grim, fight for survival. Edgar-Jones is a solid Final Girl, and Sebastian Stan is picture perfect as the suave psychopath that we've seen a fair few times before at this point, but he's clearly having a blast. It helps no end that he's so well known as Bucky Barnes, ensuring that his sinister role here hits even harder.
The last 40 minutes or so suffer from being quite predictable in how the narrative unfolds, but the films cast and some nice camera work ensure that it crosses the finish line without too many hiccups.
Horror comedy is a sub genre that shows no sign of dying anytime soon, and films like Fresh make sure of that. Definitely worth your attention.
Merissa (13840 KP) rated The Signs We Missed in Books
Aug 4, 2022 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain.
THE SIGNS WE MISSED is a young adult, standalone story, that deals with some dark themes. It comes with trigger warnings so please take note of them.
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain, especially if you are experiencing something for the first time and are unsure of just what's happening. Cruelty can be through ignorance, not always deliberate. This is the position Sean finds himself in with Luke. He has feelings but doesn't know what to do with them.
Told mainly from the perspectives of Sean, Luke, and Shayne, the missing gaps are mostly filled in and you get a rounded story. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how Fly's story fitted in for most of it, nor if the destructive relationship between her and Shayne was sorted, but it was still an enjoyable read - if a dark storyline can be called as such.
This is not light and fluffy, to even think that would be to do it a disservice. Instead, it is a gripping book that deals with self-harm, bisexual awakenings, and eating disorders, to name just a few. If you can cope with those, then I definitely recommend you take a chance on this novel.
** 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 1, 2022
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain, especially if you are experiencing something for the first time and are unsure of just what's happening. Cruelty can be through ignorance, not always deliberate. This is the position Sean finds himself in with Luke. He has feelings but doesn't know what to do with them.
Told mainly from the perspectives of Sean, Luke, and Shayne, the missing gaps are mostly filled in and you get a rounded story. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how Fly's story fitted in for most of it, nor if the destructive relationship between her and Shayne was sorted, but it was still an enjoyable read - if a dark storyline can be called as such.
This is not light and fluffy, to even think that would be to do it a disservice. Instead, it is a gripping book that deals with self-harm, bisexual awakenings, and eating disorders, to name just a few. If you can cope with those, then I definitely recommend you take a chance on this novel.
** 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 1, 2022
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated The Language Of Thorns in Books
Nov 6, 2017
Folklore for Grishaverse (1 more)
Possible Darkling mention?
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a welcomed piece to the Grishaverse and the best part is there is no need to TGT or SOC.
The tales are lore from across the country of stores our beloved characters had more than likely been told as children to be wise enough to know when enough is enough, to be brave enough to realize it is okay to be different, and to be careful for what you wish for as sometimes wanting is not always your needs. There are Grisha and mermaids. There are kings and wicked beasts. There are clever foxes and unexpected evils. There are moments to make you laugh and lessons to be learned.
I will be adding this to my collection.
The tales are lore from across the country of stores our beloved characters had more than likely been told as children to be wise enough to know when enough is enough, to be brave enough to realize it is okay to be different, and to be careful for what you wish for as sometimes wanting is not always your needs. There are Grisha and mermaids. There are kings and wicked beasts. There are clever foxes and unexpected evils. There are moments to make you laugh and lessons to be learned.
I will be adding this to my collection.
Maddie (37 KP) rated Oxenfree in Video Games
Nov 16, 2017
Actions have consequences (2 more)
Great characters
Art was beautiful
Short to play, but incredibly fun
Oxenfree was a beautifully styled coming-of-age story that pulled the player into the relationships between characters as much as into the drama of the ghost story. At times intense and a little scary (I'm a baby about stuff like that though), but also sweet and compelling. I really wanted everyone to be okay, although I fudged a bunch and not everyone made it out alive.
The actions have consequences aspect is great. The choices felt like realistic situations for the teenagers and each bad/good decision was believable.
Plan on playing this again in the near future to try and better improve my favorite character's chances!
The actions have consequences aspect is great. The choices felt like realistic situations for the teenagers and each bad/good decision was believable.
Plan on playing this again in the near future to try and better improve my favorite character's chances!
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Lady Bird (2017) in Movies
Dec 2, 2017
Saoirse (pronounced Sersha) Ronan (2 more)
Charming screenplay
Slice of life
I took my 16-year-old daughter to this film instead of going to yet another superhero flick and we were both mesmerized with its joy, wit and poignancy. All the acting was top notch especially Saoirse Ronan. She completely delvers on her character in every way. She is also a dialect master as having a thick Irish accent in real life.
The situations Lady Bird finds herself in are real and touch you in your heart especially if you have teenage children. The way she handles things and the way the story winds itself along keep you enthralled the entire time and not wanting it to end.
Highly recommended for those seeking more than just comic book blockbusters.
The situations Lady Bird finds herself in are real and touch you in your heart especially if you have teenage children. The way she handles things and the way the story winds itself along keep you enthralled the entire time and not wanting it to end.
Highly recommended for those seeking more than just comic book blockbusters.