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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies

Sep 19, 2020

The Big Sick (2017)

2017 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

8.0

(44 Ratings)

Movie Rating

One of those products that feels fresh and generic in about an equal ratio, but this just *soars* off of the chemistry of its cast. Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani are wonderful, simply wonderful together here; Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are faultless; and Kumail's family + stand-up partners are as well cast as can be even if the latter add nothing more than mostly tired jokes that don't land to the story. I admit this is still pretty scattershot, but for me that's part of what makes it so interesting? If anything is subversive here it's two things: 1. the way this flips the typical romcom on its head by taking on multiple different styles of execution as it goes along (the mostly unfunny but charming as hell opening romance, the anxious but amiable [and more funny] first meetings with the parents, the harrowing confrontation of grief, and the confusing [for the characters] but unfortunately rather rushed through ending resolutions) and 2. Kumail playing himself during a real life tumultuous period in his life. Even though dozens of liberties were taken to make this more palatable for a studio romance, the broad side of things remains rooted in truth even down to supporting scenes - and seeing Kumail as himself act out those real life events and formulate them into a positive story add a whole new level of emotional heft. Plus he's just a rock-solid comedic force in general and he handles the sad scenes nearly just as well. Even if there are still some tropes in this, the base story still feels rather nuanced. Very flawed but so nice, so wholesome.

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Possessor (2020) in Movies

Dec 4, 2020

Possessor (2020)

2020 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

7.4

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

From the mind of Brandon Cronenberg comes his second feature length, Possessor, and the best way I could sum it up is that it's a subtle assault on the senses. Although it occasionally throws unsettling imagery at the screen now and again, these moments are seldom and fleeting. The main assault comes from the constant sense of dread that is present from it's visually striking and bloody opening, straight through to it's pretty insane climax. I just felt on edge consistently, thanks to the minimal but forboding score, top notch editing on display, and some quite brilliant performances.

Andrea Riseborough is great, as she was in Mandy, and her presence in modern horror is a welcome one. Her character is the overarching glue that holds all the emotional strains of the plot together with a cold core.
Christopher Abbott is wonderful, as he essentially plays two seperate characters, and sells his descent into madness perfectly.
The supporting cast include the likes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, and Sean Bean, and it's honestly just a pretty solid cast all around.

The plot is intriguing in a dystopian sci-fi kind of way, and has enough horror elements to really get under the skin. The scene that the already recognisable poster image is taken from is one of the most recoil inducing and uncomfortable scenes I've seen in a while. This premise played out with a decent screenplay, accompanied by sudden bursts of extreme violence, give Possessor an identity of it's own, and make it a modern horror entry that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys.

One of the films of the year for me!

Kudos

Ducklady (1174 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Kingdom Hearts III in Video Games

Aug 25, 2019 (Updated Aug 25, 2019)

Kingdom Hearts III

2018 | Action, Role-Playing

8.0

(21 Ratings)

Video Game Rating

The worlds and characters look incredible (1 more)

The battles are fluid

Feels like your watching a movie instead of playing a game (1 more)

the story is convoluted

I have been waiting for this game since Kingdom hearts 2 came out when I was a kid. I have been a huge fan of the kingdom hearts games for many many years and when I found out that this one finally had a release date, I was ecstatic. I even watched a whole bunch of videos and read lots of info about the full story so far. Despite this, while playing through, the story seems over complicated and a lot of it was pointless.
Exploring the worlds is a lot of fun and the game hits you with a huge dose of nostalgia, but for me there wasn't enough actual gameplay, especially compared to previous games and the giant wait time for this game to be released.
Although the fight scenes flowed so well, all the combos and special moves made this game way too easy. I was also expecting there to be loads more worlds, but it was distinctly lacking for a full game that cost a bomb.
I couldn't stand the sheer amount of cutscenes and ended up skipping most of them when I was about halfway through the game. I am frustrated that I never got to the ending as the game ceased to interest me.
I have to commend the game on the way it looks though, the "let it go" scene was like it was straight out the movie and all the NPC's looked excellent.
Overall, the game is fun, but greatly didn't meet my expectations.

Kudos

Elder Sign: Omens for iPad

Games

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

**Please note that this verision of Elder Sign: Omens is iPad only. The iPhone version is sold...

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Tigers Destiny (Tiger Protectors #3) in Books

Sep 4, 2020

161 of 200
Kindle
A Tigers Destiny ( Tiger Protectors book 3)
By Terry Bolryder

Kel Cunningham is the only white tiger shifter in the world. Taller, stronger, and faster than almost anyone, he's the best protection money can buy. Still, his two older brothers have found mates and Kel is ready to find a special someone of his own and settle down. And when his latest job brings him face to face with curvy Sofia, the first woman to make his tiger sit up and growl possessively, he thinks maybe she's the one. That is, if he can keep her safe and figure out why everyone in the underworld seems to be hunting her.

Sofia doesn't know what to make of the giant, model-gorgeous man hired to protect her. Kel's ice blue eyes, blond hair, and tall body stand out wherever he goes, and Sofia doesn't need to fall for a man that could get her noticed. But she soon sees that Kel is capable of handling anything that comes their way, and that beneath that muscular, sexy chest is one of the kindest hearts she has ever met. She knows she should stay distant, keep her secrets and trust no one. But Kel's warm, safe arms and searing kisses make her want to break all her rules.

So the last of the brothers is mates! Terry Bolryder has a formula and she sticks to it! This doesn’t make each book less enjoyable at all I still love them and most shifter readers will! They are quick but fun reads.
So now we continue onto the dragons and finding their dragon heart!