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David McK (3425 KP) rated Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in Movies

Jan 3, 2022 (Updated Dec 24, 2023)  
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure
There's a famous (and controversial) Marvel comic run called 'One Last Day', where - following his self-unmasking during the previous 'Civil War' run - Peter Parker ends up making a deal with Mephisto (Marvel's version of the devil) that everybody would forget his true identity, following Aunt May being shot by an assassin.

Sound at all familiar?

Yes, it's used as the building blocks for this movie, where Peter's identity ahs been revealed to the world by Mysterio during the end-credits of the previous movie ('Far from Home'), with a knock-on effect on friends and family.

Instead of Mephisto, however, Peter seeks help from Doctor Strange, who agrees (for reasons) to cast a spell in order that everyone would forget who Peter was - a spell that goes awry, and that leads to characters from the previous non-MCU iterations of the Spider-Man films finally joining the MCU. Some of those characters are more effectively scary here than they were previously ...

This is maybe a little bit slow getting started, with plenty of nods and Easter Eggs throughout (including FEAST, where Aunt May works) to both the comics, games, and previous Spider-Man movies, and ends with, effectively, the character of Spider-Man being reset: no longer part of The Avengers; no longer with MJ, Aunt May, Ned or even 'Happy' Hogan knowing his identity, back to being your 'friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man'.
  
Very Practical Magic: Modern Magic for Everyday Use
Very Practical Magic: Modern Magic for Everyday Use
Nicola Kelleher | 2019 | Mind, Body & Spiritual, Natural World, Religion
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What I liked best is that the spells are simple and could easily be adapted for a specific use. I also really liked the list of crystals, herbs, oils, and candles at the back of the book. (0 more)
There was just one thing that I did not like at all, a spell I did not agree with. The spell titled Nail Yourself a Lover (0 more)
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Very Practical Magic: Modern Magic for Everyday Use by Nicola Kelleher is an interesting spellbook, to say the least. People interested in all different kinds of magic will be able to find something useful in this book. I just urge people to be sure of their intent before attempting any of these. Also, some of the spells suggest or even require the use of feathers and it may be important to note that the possession of specific feather in the US is not legal (something that I just learned recently) so users might just want to be aware of it.

 This short book of practical spells starts out with a small preface about the author and some basic information about when it is best to perform magic. The book explains what powers are strongest on each day of the week and by each phase of the moon. It then moves on to love spells but explains that even with these spells the caster can not force anyone to love them and should not attempt to do so. The spells for the home go over every subject from protection and cleaning to even selling and finding your dream home.

  No starter spellbook (and that is exactly what this is) would be complete without a section on bringing more wealth toward the user so long as it is not for greed. It contains spells to help bring new friends to you and cultivate current friendships. There is even a version of the Witch’s Ladder toward the back of the book as well. For all the pet lovers there are spells to protect or heal a pet who is sick, yet it encourages readers not to forgo proper medical care. No matter what the reader classifies themselves as or who their patron god/goddess (if applicable) is this book contains a spell for everyone.

 What I liked best is that the spells are simple and could easily be adapted for a specific use. I also really liked the list of crystals, herbs, oils, and candles at the back of the book. These lists are a great reference for anyone who wants to create their own spells or needs substitutions for an unavailable item. There was just one thing that I did not like at all, a spell I did not agree with. The spell titled Nail Yourself a Lover encourages filing your nails into a tea that you will serve someone else. This just feels completely wrong to me and gross, not to mention I am not even sure if it is legal.

 While I can not suggest an age range for this but there is a clear group of people this book is meant for. The main requirement is that the reader must believe in Magic (not the slight-of-hand type) but real magic. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. The title is correct in saying that this is a book of very practical magic. Most of the spells have very few ingredients or requirements and do not take long to perform. I would have liked to see pictures of the crystals along with their descriptions in the back of the book to make it better and less likely for errors to occur.

https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
  
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tonidavis (353 KP) rated Caraval in Books

Jun 29, 2017  
Caraval
Caraval
Stephanie Garber | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.1 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ledgend (2 more)
Magic
Caraval
Be spell bound and enchanted
I really enjoyed it magic always has a price as they say in once upon a time but this book show it in an enlightening way and charming characters. All wishes and hope come with challenages attached a great story from beginning to end.

Follow Scarlett as she wants to enter the world of Caraval the place she heard stories of since she and her sister were young. Follow Her adventure of escaping from her home only to learn that fantasies are just as dark and hard if not harder than reality. Watch as she learns to believes everything and nothing and get caught up in the dream yourself.
  
Greta (2019)
Greta (2019)
2019 | Drama, Thriller
The performances (0 more)
Greta (2019) is a dark urban feminist fairy tale masquerading as a B-movie potboiler.
Neil Jordan has taken the streets of New York City and turned them into the sinister forest of a dark urban fairy tale only this time, it’s the evil witch herself leaving the trail of breadcrumbs across the city – in the form of emerald green handbags – all the better to lure the unwary children to her home for (spiked) milk and cookies. It riffs on fairy tale tropes from Hansel and Gretel to Sleeping Beauty, with the magnificent (maleficent?) Isabelle Huppert weaving her terrible and terribly camp spell at the core of this poisoned Big Apple...

FULL REVIEW: bit.ly/CraggusGreta
  
A Star-Reckoner's Lot was unlike anything I have read before. This story was part historical fiction, part fantasy, and all adventure. I was not at all familiar with pre-Islamic Iranian culture and lore before reading this book. The author didn't waste words on excessive description, or spell everything out for the reader, but it was easy enough to figure out what was going on just by following Ashtadukht, Tirdadin, and Waray across the sands as they hunt for the mystical being that killed Ashtadukht's husband. Fantasy lovers, historical fiction fans, and anyone who likes a good story should really enjoy this book.

<i>Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review</I>.
  
Paperback
Paperback
2014 | Card Game, Print & Play, Word Game
It's like a deck building Scrabble! Picked this up for my collection a few months ago and I really enjoy it. It's an easy to learn deck builder where your goal is to use your deck to spell words, earning points to purchase more letters, and so on, until game end where the best "writer" wins. Being an avid reader, its concept is a lot of fun for me, and I really do enjoy the gameplay whenever I can talk my husband into playing with me. I've only played with two people so far, though I'm sure it would be much more fun at 3 or 4. 8/10 overall for me!
  
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Tracy (238 KP) rated Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible in Books

Aug 15, 2018 (Updated Aug 15, 2018)  
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Robert Hack | 2016 | Comics & Graphic Novels
10
8.4 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
The over the top Satanic Witch storyline (3 more)
Great plot!
I really liked the art
I have several issues with it (see below) and I still love it too much to give it less than 10 bombs
It needed some spell checking. Several errors in the writing. (3 more)
The Witches (especially Sabrina’s Aunts) lack substance. I hope that will change as the series develops.
These ideas of Satanic Witches being cannibals and murderers and Satan being conjured in the woods is fun at first, but it seems so irresponsible to revert back to the ideas that created Satanic Panic.
The aunts are cannibals. Fine I guess, but why?
It’s like EC Comics had a baby with the Archie Universe
  
Oculus (2014)
Oculus (2014)
2014 | Drama, Horror
8
6.9 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Mirror of misfortune
Oculus- a underrated horror jem that more people should watch.

It is spooky, thrilling, chilling, horrorfying, terrorfying, twisting, suspenseful, and overall a great horror film.

The plot: Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror's evil spell.

A highly reecordmend horror film.