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David McK (3692 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 17, 2019 (Updated Jul 14, 2024)
One of the better entries (at the time of reviewing) in DCs attempt at a shared universe, although (if I'm honest) I barely realised that it was part of that universe at all: yes, there's a couple of mentions of Superman and Batman et al, but they could easily be viewed similarly to how we talk about them.
I was also quite surprised by how dark/scary parts of this were for a child-friendly film, with it really only lightening up once the 14 year old Billy Batson gets his powers and transforms into Zachary Levis's adult superhero (but still with his child's mind).
With a subplot concerning family - one strand of which could probably have been handled better - and Levi knocking it out of the park (I'll admit, the TV series Chuck in which he starred is one of my favourites) as Shazam, this is one of the better entries in DC growing catalogue of movies.
I was also quite surprised by how dark/scary parts of this were for a child-friendly film, with it really only lightening up once the 14 year old Billy Batson gets his powers and transforms into Zachary Levis's adult superhero (but still with his child's mind).
With a subplot concerning family - one strand of which could probably have been handled better - and Levi knocking it out of the park (I'll admit, the TV series Chuck in which he starred is one of my favourites) as Shazam, this is one of the better entries in DC growing catalogue of movies.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Murder Comes Home in Books
Oct 2, 2025
Tessa Must Pick Another Murderer
Tessa Treslow and her aunt have agreed to be featured on the TV show Picks with Ricks, hoping that the hosts will find some treasure in the old garage they need to clear out. But one of the hosts has his eye on the car that Tessa has almost finished restoring. That is until the car becomes a crime scene with the dead body of the show’s camera man inside. Who killed him? And why was the car involved?
While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the set up for this one still caught my attention. The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past also drawing me in. Everything made sense by the time we hit the climax. Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book. I’m loving the series regulars, and the suspects kept me guessing. I’m finding each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the next soon.
While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the set up for this one still caught my attention. The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past also drawing me in. Everything made sense by the time we hit the climax. Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book. I’m loving the series regulars, and the suspects kept me guessing. I’m finding each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the next soon.
Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Movies
Entertainment and Lifestyle
8.0
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App
Enjoy all your TV in one place with a new Hulu experience – more personalized and intuitive than...
Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection: Every Soundtrack Episode of the Classic BBC TV Comedy
John Cleese, Connie Booth and Prunella Scales
9.0
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Book
John Cleese's special introductions to each episode are included in this collection of all 12 TV...
The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1)
6.3
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Book
This special paperback TV tie-in edition of the first book in L.J. Smith’s New York Times...
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale in Books
May 16, 2019
I'm totally gripped by the television adaptation of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and can't wait for the new season to start.
So I was a bit hesitant to read the novel, it originally was adapted from. The reason for this was because I love the series so much, I thought that maybe I would be disappointed, when I read the novel. There are some differences between the TV programme and the novel but one thing is for sure, both are brilliant and powerful in their own right.
The writing in this novel had impact, but was also beautiful. Whilst this novel wasn’t quite as overtly shocking as the TV programme, the horrors of the repressed society of Gilead and the struggles that Offred and the other Handmaids go through, were still as alarming. I thought the way in which these shocking events were combined with the most beautiful, poetic observations of even the simplest of things, added to the strength of the words on the page and brilliantly contrasted with the more sinister parts of the novel.
Due to the fact that this book is written in the first person, I think I was able to get into this story very quickly and I believed that Offred was a real person, talking to me. I liked the way in which this book flowed seamlessly between the present and the past. You even find out more about Offred, than you do in the TV programme.
Usually I find that when a novel is adapted into a film or television series, the book or the adaptation, is never as quite as good as the other. With ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ however, I think that the book and TV series, compliment each other brilliantly.
If you are looking for a novel which has strong, powerful female characters, then ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is a book you should read.
I couldn’t find fault with this novel and I look forward to reading this again in the future.
So I was a bit hesitant to read the novel, it originally was adapted from. The reason for this was because I love the series so much, I thought that maybe I would be disappointed, when I read the novel. There are some differences between the TV programme and the novel but one thing is for sure, both are brilliant and powerful in their own right.
The writing in this novel had impact, but was also beautiful. Whilst this novel wasn’t quite as overtly shocking as the TV programme, the horrors of the repressed society of Gilead and the struggles that Offred and the other Handmaids go through, were still as alarming. I thought the way in which these shocking events were combined with the most beautiful, poetic observations of even the simplest of things, added to the strength of the words on the page and brilliantly contrasted with the more sinister parts of the novel.
Due to the fact that this book is written in the first person, I think I was able to get into this story very quickly and I believed that Offred was a real person, talking to me. I liked the way in which this book flowed seamlessly between the present and the past. You even find out more about Offred, than you do in the TV programme.
Usually I find that when a novel is adapted into a film or television series, the book or the adaptation, is never as quite as good as the other. With ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ however, I think that the book and TV series, compliment each other brilliantly.
If you are looking for a novel which has strong, powerful female characters, then ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is a book you should read.
I couldn’t find fault with this novel and I look forward to reading this again in the future.
Verner Latskin (74 KP) rated Shaun of the Dead (2004) in Movies
Jul 17, 2017
The feature film debut of Edgar Wright still holds up
Edgar Wright is, in my opinion, the best filmmaker working today. Shaun Of The Dead only really hints at that, but it's none the less a masterpiece comedy/horror film that delivers on both the comedy and the horror. Check out the series he made with the same crew first - Spaced, which is pretty much my favorite TV show of all time.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale - Season 1 in TV
Jul 22, 2017
The cast (5 more)
The plot
The setting
One of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while
Engaging story
How much they made me truly hate some of these characters
Wish I had even a hint about how much this show would affect me.
I am still shocked just how much this series got to me. After every episode I was just do disgusted by the things that happened I found myself almost physically angry and THAT is was good tv is about.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Set Sail for Murder in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Living legend Polly Pepper joins her fellow cast members from her TV show on a cruise to relive their glory days. However, the first night out, one of the co-stars is murdered. This is the fourth in the series, and the characters were still over the top fun, however the plot was very easy to figure out.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-set-sail-for-murder-by-r-t.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-set-sail-for-murder-by-r-t.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kate (355 KP) rated Future Man in TV
Apr 20, 2020
It is really is awful
Was looking for a new box set to watch and came across this one, absolutely abysmal. Watched the first episode and will not be watching any more. When you are used to watching TV series and films where the budgets are huge, it shows how much we have been treated to special effects. The budget on this was obviously quite low and it shows, also there is no need for all that sexual innuendos and language.