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Kris Kristofferson: Country Highwayman
Book
Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson has maintained a career in music and film for more than forty...
Why You?: 101 Interview Questions You'll Never Fear Again
Book
**Revised and updated for 2017 with ten extra tech questions.** Learn the secrets to excelling at...
News of the World: A Novel
Book
National Book Award Finalist-Fiction It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through...
In Defence of Food: The Myth of Nutrition and the Pleasures of Eating
Book
Michael Pollan's In Defence of Food is a simple invitation to junk the science, ditch the diet and...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic, suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns -- the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge must navigate the town's dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit and violence.
I saw this trailer so many times in the run up to the Unlimited Screening. It initially intrigued me, I'm not a particular fan of Matt Damon, but I do like Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac the more I see him. Both Moore and Isaac seemed at home in this 50s setting, but Damon didn't feel very convincing.
The story had a lot of potential. Lodge wants to kill his wife who has become bitter towards him since he caused an accident that left her in a wheelchair. The plan is to stage a home invasion that leads to her death. This will leave room for her twin sister to move in and take her sister's place in the family. But when a suspicious insurance investigator comes sniffing around the case things start to fall apart. In the background of this though there is a story about the new African-American neighbours that have moved into the property behind the Lodge's. I know that this is fitting for that era, and some sort of big "distraction" was needed for a lot of things to work, but it just felt very detached from everything.
This isn't one that I'd watch again, I feel like it's going to fade into obscurity in my mind and in about ten years someone is going to ask me if I've seen it and I won't be able to remember.
I saw this trailer so many times in the run up to the Unlimited Screening. It initially intrigued me, I'm not a particular fan of Matt Damon, but I do like Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac the more I see him. Both Moore and Isaac seemed at home in this 50s setting, but Damon didn't feel very convincing.
The story had a lot of potential. Lodge wants to kill his wife who has become bitter towards him since he caused an accident that left her in a wheelchair. The plan is to stage a home invasion that leads to her death. This will leave room for her twin sister to move in and take her sister's place in the family. But when a suspicious insurance investigator comes sniffing around the case things start to fall apart. In the background of this though there is a story about the new African-American neighbours that have moved into the property behind the Lodge's. I know that this is fitting for that era, and some sort of big "distraction" was needed for a lot of things to work, but it just felt very detached from everything.
This isn't one that I'd watch again, I feel like it's going to fade into obscurity in my mind and in about ten years someone is going to ask me if I've seen it and I won't be able to remember.
Merissa (14003 KP) rated Dexterity Check (Dungeons and Dating #5) in Books
Feb 21, 2023
Those damned Care Bears!
DEXTERITY CHECK is the fifth book in the Dungeons and Dating series, and really needs to be read in order to get the full benefit. This is a 5-star series, simple as that.
The thing I adore about this author is, no matter which book I'm reading, it's always my favourite. Does that mean I'm fickle? I'd like to think not. I'd like to think her writing is just that good! This series has been a hit with me from the beginning, and each book is on my "To Buy as Paperback/Hardback" list as I need to have the real thing.
Arjun and Eli balance each other out in so many ways but are both too stubborn to admit it. So similar in so many ways, and yet it is the differences that make them work so well together.
I will say this was a highly emotional book for me. First one strike (Arjun), then another (Eli), and then the final one (Arjun). Three strikes and I was down. Eyes leaking with no end in sight. Those damned Care Bears have done it again. I won't give any clues because you need to read it for yourself.
This has been a fantastic book and I really don't want it to be over. Only one more book to go and then it looks like re-reads are in my future. Ten out of five stars for sheer brilliance. A MUST-READ!!!
** 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!
The thing I adore about this author is, no matter which book I'm reading, it's always my favourite. Does that mean I'm fickle? I'd like to think not. I'd like to think her writing is just that good! This series has been a hit with me from the beginning, and each book is on my "To Buy as Paperback/Hardback" list as I need to have the real thing.
Arjun and Eli balance each other out in so many ways but are both too stubborn to admit it. So similar in so many ways, and yet it is the differences that make them work so well together.
I will say this was a highly emotional book for me. First one strike (Arjun), then another (Eli), and then the final one (Arjun). Three strikes and I was down. Eyes leaking with no end in sight. Those damned Care Bears have done it again. I won't give any clues because you need to read it for yourself.
This has been a fantastic book and I really don't want it to be over. Only one more book to go and then it looks like re-reads are in my future. Ten out of five stars for sheer brilliance. A MUST-READ!!!
** 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!
Peppa Pig Me Books
Book and Entertainment
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Listen to your favourite Peppa Pig stories or record and save your own versions! * Peppa Pig: Fun...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Dog Days (2018) in Movies
May 15, 2021
Cheesy but Solid
Dog Days revolves around a number of moving parts stories that shows the strength of relationships between people and man’s best friend.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Two Worlds of Geratica Volume 2: The Mistress of Geratica in Books
Jan 9, 2020
The Two Worlds of Geratica Volume 2: The Mistress of Geratica by Anne Hampton is a wonderful follow up to the first Volume. There is some overlap between this book and the first as this one starts ten years earlier then Volume 1. It also gets caught up to modern times quickly so this time change isnt too much of a problem. Once again it is important to remember that Geratica and its parallel, Geraticai, are similar to Earth but no the same place and the people who live there are not human.
Geratica is facing a time of political and economic turmoil due to the increasing number of radical thinkers in the realm. They are also in danger of spies from Geraticai who want to be their own world and not just a parallel of Geratica. As things reach a breaking point The Mistress of Geratica comes forward to aid in setting things right again. Sadly even that doesn't fix things right away.
Linda has a hard time getting bills passed through Parliament and Alexandras boyfriend, Tom, is caught in a compromising position. Alexandra finds herself gaining confidence as her own woman and makes some very big decisions for not only herself but for Geratica as a whole. It is questionable though if Geratica can survive the strikes and civil unrest and form a way to keep both the radicals and convinces happy. At the same time, the government in Geraticai keeps changing so fast it is hard to keep track of who is in charge at any given time. Eventually, Geraticai goes to war. To say the least, things are not going good for the two worlds of Geratica.
What I liked best was that in my review of the first book I complained that the second world (Geraticai) didnt play a big part in the story yet this book fixed that entirely. The two worlds become intertwined in this book in such a way that it is deserving of its title. I almost regret my statement about the first book. What I didnt like so much was that towards the ending I got very confused about Fiona and Robert. Without giving anything away their relationship with each other and the Mistress was good in concept but did not make since to me very well as to why things worked out the way they did.
Once again I suggest a mature audience for this book. It is still geared more towards a mostly female audience but some men may find it interesting as well. There was still quite a bit of sexual content and politics so reader beware. This book deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 just like the first one. It could still use to be edited a little bit better but for the most part, I can not complain (and who am I to make a judgment on editing). The balanced time the author spends talking about each world prevents either one from getting too much attention. Overall an excellent book once more.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/two-worlds-geratica-volume-2-mistress-geratica
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Geratica-Mistress-ebook/dp/B0757885C8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=two+worlds+of+geratica&qid=1573435323&sr=8-3
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Geratica is facing a time of political and economic turmoil due to the increasing number of radical thinkers in the realm. They are also in danger of spies from Geraticai who want to be their own world and not just a parallel of Geratica. As things reach a breaking point The Mistress of Geratica comes forward to aid in setting things right again. Sadly even that doesn't fix things right away.
Linda has a hard time getting bills passed through Parliament and Alexandras boyfriend, Tom, is caught in a compromising position. Alexandra finds herself gaining confidence as her own woman and makes some very big decisions for not only herself but for Geratica as a whole. It is questionable though if Geratica can survive the strikes and civil unrest and form a way to keep both the radicals and convinces happy. At the same time, the government in Geraticai keeps changing so fast it is hard to keep track of who is in charge at any given time. Eventually, Geraticai goes to war. To say the least, things are not going good for the two worlds of Geratica.
What I liked best was that in my review of the first book I complained that the second world (Geraticai) didnt play a big part in the story yet this book fixed that entirely. The two worlds become intertwined in this book in such a way that it is deserving of its title. I almost regret my statement about the first book. What I didnt like so much was that towards the ending I got very confused about Fiona and Robert. Without giving anything away their relationship with each other and the Mistress was good in concept but did not make since to me very well as to why things worked out the way they did.
Once again I suggest a mature audience for this book. It is still geared more towards a mostly female audience but some men may find it interesting as well. There was still quite a bit of sexual content and politics so reader beware. This book deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 just like the first one. It could still use to be edited a little bit better but for the most part, I can not complain (and who am I to make a judgment on editing). The balanced time the author spends talking about each world prevents either one from getting too much attention. Overall an excellent book once more.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/two-worlds-geratica-volume-2-mistress-geratica
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Geratica-Mistress-ebook/dp/B0757885C8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=two+worlds+of+geratica&qid=1573435323&sr=8-3
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Once Upon A Deadpool (Deadpool 2 PG-13 Version) (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
So you want to see a family friendly version of Deadpool 2? Well you're out of luck because after all their editing it didn't make it past the 12A certificate criteria and had to be released as a 15 again. It still deserved that 15, it wasn't exactly hiding it's sweary side very well, and the violence is still there, you just don't get splattered with as much blood.
The editing unfortunately leaves you with some obvious continuity errors. The one that bugged me the most was the scene where DP is shot through the hand. They've left out the CGI for the gaping hole but it appears later in the film.
But lets look at the extra content you get.
Fred Savage and DP cut into the film in a homage to The Princess Bride. It's an amusing addition and I really did enjoy the Matt Damon skit.
They also edited the Stan Lee mural to say RIP, it definitely made it stick out more as I completely missed it the first time I saw DP2 at the cinema.
We also got an extra three credit scenes. One before the existing ones and two after. I nearly left... I was convinced that the fourth one was the end and I stood up to leave just as the fifth one started, and someone shouted at me to sit down. I'm not even mad, I was shouting internally at myself too. I was so glad to have seen it. The end Stan Lee montage brought a tear to my eye and was horribly poignant footage.
Is it in any way an improvement on the original? Absolutely not. Was it worth watching at the cinema? Definitely, yes. The screen was packed with people who knew what they were getting and were just there to have fun. (Apart from the two people who left after about ten minutes... spoil-sports.) We laughed together like it was the first time we'd seen the film and it was a great experience. With tickets in our cinema currently £5 of free with your Unlimited card it was well worth seeing on the big screen for the experience.
I'm left actively annoyed now though because it'll probably be another DVD I have to buy. Really there is no way to make Deadpool family friendly without taking everything away that makes him so fun. The ideal scenario would have been to have the Fred Savage bits edited together with the relevant snippets of the film and had it as a 20 minutes extra when they released it to buy. That or create a MST3K style commentary track for the film where you just see DP silently miming actions to Savage while he's telling him the story and we're watching the film, then having DP physically pause the film when Savage asks him questions so that they can do the scenes. Okay, I'm calm again now.
What you should do
I don't know if they're going to release it to buy or stream, and it was a one hit wonder at the cinema so I'm not really sure what you'll be able to do about seeing it. Ultimately though it's probably just worth watching the original again in all it's sweary and bloody glory.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
From this adaptation I think I'd like to have the bleeping buzzer that Deadpool uses in the added scenes. That would really come in handy on a day to day basis.
The editing unfortunately leaves you with some obvious continuity errors. The one that bugged me the most was the scene where DP is shot through the hand. They've left out the CGI for the gaping hole but it appears later in the film.
But lets look at the extra content you get.
Fred Savage and DP cut into the film in a homage to The Princess Bride. It's an amusing addition and I really did enjoy the Matt Damon skit.
They also edited the Stan Lee mural to say RIP, it definitely made it stick out more as I completely missed it the first time I saw DP2 at the cinema.
We also got an extra three credit scenes. One before the existing ones and two after. I nearly left... I was convinced that the fourth one was the end and I stood up to leave just as the fifth one started, and someone shouted at me to sit down. I'm not even mad, I was shouting internally at myself too. I was so glad to have seen it. The end Stan Lee montage brought a tear to my eye and was horribly poignant footage.
Is it in any way an improvement on the original? Absolutely not. Was it worth watching at the cinema? Definitely, yes. The screen was packed with people who knew what they were getting and were just there to have fun. (Apart from the two people who left after about ten minutes... spoil-sports.) We laughed together like it was the first time we'd seen the film and it was a great experience. With tickets in our cinema currently £5 of free with your Unlimited card it was well worth seeing on the big screen for the experience.
I'm left actively annoyed now though because it'll probably be another DVD I have to buy. Really there is no way to make Deadpool family friendly without taking everything away that makes him so fun. The ideal scenario would have been to have the Fred Savage bits edited together with the relevant snippets of the film and had it as a 20 minutes extra when they released it to buy. That or create a MST3K style commentary track for the film where you just see DP silently miming actions to Savage while he's telling him the story and we're watching the film, then having DP physically pause the film when Savage asks him questions so that they can do the scenes. Okay, I'm calm again now.
What you should do
I don't know if they're going to release it to buy or stream, and it was a one hit wonder at the cinema so I'm not really sure what you'll be able to do about seeing it. Ultimately though it's probably just worth watching the original again in all it's sweary and bloody glory.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
From this adaptation I think I'd like to have the bleeping buzzer that Deadpool uses in the added scenes. That would really come in handy on a day to day basis.