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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated I Still Believe (2020) in Movies
Apr 25, 2020 (Updated Apr 25, 2020)
rip my heart out why don't you
Contains spoilers, click to show
Hear me out. The thing about this film is that if you know anything about Jeremy Camp and his story, you know that Melissa dies. Spoiler alert - but I don't think that's news to anyone. I think what makes this film so good is that it's about a love story but it's almost four different love stories. It's about Melissa's blind, unwavering, awe-inspiring love for God. It's about Jeremy's renewal in that faith and in his belief and his love of God after Melissa dies. It's about Melissa and Jeremy's incredible love story - to walk through the fire together, until the end, to put it the way his dad does in the film. But it's also about God's love. And this is coming from a girl who is unsure about what to believe in the slightest. I'm not the preaching, church-going, praying person. I'm not even sure if there is a God, but I believe that people believe it and I respect them for it. Maybe I'll find it one day, maybe I won't. Regardless, this film is beautiful.
What annoys me about the critics that watched this film and their reviews is that they're almost surprised that she dies and that it's a Christian film. Like, do you know anything about Jeremy Camp and who he is? He's literally a Christian singer - for a living. I think this is one of those films where the audience is way more insightful than critics. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I feel like it's so easy for critics to critique and not just escape in the film. But I digress.
K.J. Apa and Britt Robinson are forces in this film. I think that they already have long, successful careers in front of them, without a doubt, but when they work together, they make some serious magic. This is their second film together and I could watch them in a million more. Shania Twain was a nice plug. I think sometimes when you put big country stars in films - Trace Adkins, Shania, etc. - it can be kind of overpowering (depending on the film), but she's very understated but memorable. The standout though, to me, other than the leads was Gary Sinise as Jeremy's dad. There's a moment towards the end of the film where he's just overcome and he leans against the wall and there's a picture of K.J. (meant to be Jeremy) under him and it just hits you. I feel like that was his strongest moment and one of the best moments of the film.
Overall, I think this film is really beautiful. I'm sure I'll come back to it a million times more. I definitely recommend watching it, just have tissues.
What annoys me about the critics that watched this film and their reviews is that they're almost surprised that she dies and that it's a Christian film. Like, do you know anything about Jeremy Camp and who he is? He's literally a Christian singer - for a living. I think this is one of those films where the audience is way more insightful than critics. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I feel like it's so easy for critics to critique and not just escape in the film. But I digress.
K.J. Apa and Britt Robinson are forces in this film. I think that they already have long, successful careers in front of them, without a doubt, but when they work together, they make some serious magic. This is their second film together and I could watch them in a million more. Shania Twain was a nice plug. I think sometimes when you put big country stars in films - Trace Adkins, Shania, etc. - it can be kind of overpowering (depending on the film), but she's very understated but memorable. The standout though, to me, other than the leads was Gary Sinise as Jeremy's dad. There's a moment towards the end of the film where he's just overcome and he leans against the wall and there's a picture of K.J. (meant to be Jeremy) under him and it just hits you. I feel like that was his strongest moment and one of the best moments of the film.
Overall, I think this film is really beautiful. I'm sure I'll come back to it a million times more. I definitely recommend watching it, just have tissues.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Battleship (2012) in Movies
Feb 7, 2018
Pure cheesy, gooey fun
Battleship is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s pure cheesy fun. It’s got a great cast of actors who over-act their butts off in it. Pretty much everything in the movie is delightfully overdone. It might not be the most intellectually stimulating film, but if you need an excuse for popcorn and beer it’s perfect. It has a bit of a Starship Troopers feel to it, what with the bad dialogue and the aliens that look like bugs. Hell, it’s even got the token slightly odd-looking red-headed guy being a mouth-off.
It’s pretty much the perfect B-movie, except we got lucky this time and had decent actors and enough money for good special effects. I loved watching the alien ships moving around and getting ready to fire at things. I’m always able to get completely into the film and nothing about the CGI throws me off at all. The dialogue might be horrible, but the action is perfectly paced. It takes me about 40 minutes longer than the movie actually is to finish watching it. Simply because I go back and re-wind and re-watch my favorite parts constantly. And yes, it does have some proper battleship game scenes that will make you grin with nostalgia if you used to love the game.
Liam Neeson’s role isn’t much, but he gives the appropriate note of seriousness to the film. He really just has a bit role though. Alexander Skarsgård does a good job as Stone Hopper (and what kind of name is that?!). He’s the serious older brother, and the true hero that does everything he can. Rhianna didn’t exactly do a bang up job, but she sold her emotions rather well at a few key parts. Taylor Kitsch certainly does a great job as coming across as an immature punk who needs some sense knocked into him.
It’s interesting to note, whatever your reasoning for it might be, that the aliens don’t really seem to be overly destructive in Battleship. Everything they do seems very tactical and deliberate. They have the firepower to lay waste to everything, but they seem to be more able disabling and containment. At one point, when one of the destroyers put away its weapons, the alien ship lowers its weapons too. People die, but not nearly as many as you would expect. Given other events in the movie, I feel like they were trying to take over with as little damage as possible. Maybe they needed humans for slave labor?
Cool Tidbits: The wounded warriors you see in the rehabilitation center scene in Battleship? Actual wounded warriors. The old vets referenced in regards to the USS Missouri are vets that served on that ship. And Mick – who is completely awesome – is also played by a vet. Props to the producers of this movie for making sure to include so many veterans in it. I totally cheered near the end of the movie when all the veterans do the slow hero walk and it’s clear they’re ready to help.
Overall, Battleship is just a fun popcorn movie that doesn’t deserve the razzing it gets. As long as you don’t go into it expecting something highly intellectual or some ground-breaking work, you’ll enjoy yourself.
It’s pretty much the perfect B-movie, except we got lucky this time and had decent actors and enough money for good special effects. I loved watching the alien ships moving around and getting ready to fire at things. I’m always able to get completely into the film and nothing about the CGI throws me off at all. The dialogue might be horrible, but the action is perfectly paced. It takes me about 40 minutes longer than the movie actually is to finish watching it. Simply because I go back and re-wind and re-watch my favorite parts constantly. And yes, it does have some proper battleship game scenes that will make you grin with nostalgia if you used to love the game.
Liam Neeson’s role isn’t much, but he gives the appropriate note of seriousness to the film. He really just has a bit role though. Alexander Skarsgård does a good job as Stone Hopper (and what kind of name is that?!). He’s the serious older brother, and the true hero that does everything he can. Rhianna didn’t exactly do a bang up job, but she sold her emotions rather well at a few key parts. Taylor Kitsch certainly does a great job as coming across as an immature punk who needs some sense knocked into him.
It’s interesting to note, whatever your reasoning for it might be, that the aliens don’t really seem to be overly destructive in Battleship. Everything they do seems very tactical and deliberate. They have the firepower to lay waste to everything, but they seem to be more able disabling and containment. At one point, when one of the destroyers put away its weapons, the alien ship lowers its weapons too. People die, but not nearly as many as you would expect. Given other events in the movie, I feel like they were trying to take over with as little damage as possible. Maybe they needed humans for slave labor?
Cool Tidbits: The wounded warriors you see in the rehabilitation center scene in Battleship? Actual wounded warriors. The old vets referenced in regards to the USS Missouri are vets that served on that ship. And Mick – who is completely awesome – is also played by a vet. Props to the producers of this movie for making sure to include so many veterans in it. I totally cheered near the end of the movie when all the veterans do the slow hero walk and it’s clear they’re ready to help.
Overall, Battleship is just a fun popcorn movie that doesn’t deserve the razzing it gets. As long as you don’t go into it expecting something highly intellectual or some ground-breaking work, you’ll enjoy yourself.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Where the Wild Things Are (2009) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Max is a boy who possesses something that fades away for most as they grow older and that's a young child's incredible imagination. His only dilemma is that he doesn't really have any friends of his own. He builds an igloo out of snow and tries to share it with his older sister, Claire, who seems more interested in hanging out with her friends. Max's mom embraces Max's imagination and even asks him to tell her stories, but everything falls apart when Max tries to save his mom a seat in the fort he just built that would save them from hot lava while she's on a date. Things quickly spiral out of control and Max winds up running away. He finds a boat by the water and takes it out into the sea. As he explores the open water, he becomes astray while he succumbs to the relentless weather and crashing waves of the ocean. That is until he stumbles upon an island where an incandescent glow of a small fire catches his eye. He finds that the island is inhabited by large, hairy, horned creatures. He's discovered where the wild things are and he will be their king.
This film is nothing short of amazing. As the film progressed, I found myself looking back on the memories of having the book read to me as a child. The film manages to capture the magic contained in the book and elaborate on it. The movie really made you feel like you were looking at the world through Max's eyes. It was almost like watching a world within a world. I found myself overcome with emotion by the time those credits showed up on the big screen. That's a special experience in itself.
Just about every aspect of the film is enjoyable. They really did a fantastic job stretching a ten sentence story into an hour and a half film. The writing is fairly superb as the pacing really flows once the ball gets rolling and the dialogue seems like it's straight out of the mind of a young boy. Max Records couldn't fit the Max role more perfectly. His range of emotion and the way he's able to have that look of innocence in his eyes is spectacular. Every action that Max made just felt so heartfelt.
The wild things are what really steal the show. The way they were pulled off just makes them look so realistic. Jim Henson's Creature Shop did a really phenomenal job on them. Despite the wild things being unhappy the majority of the film, it's really just a joy to watch them walk, move, talk, or smile.
As extravagant and imaginative as the film is, it did seem to have one flaw. The beginning of the film seemed to drag a bit. Everything leading up to Max finding the wild things just seemed to last a little too long. I realize they did all that they could with the source material and their efforts are extraordinary given how short that material is, but from a film critic's standpoint the beginning of the film dragged slightly.
Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most heartwarming and whimsical experiences at the theater I've ever had the pleasure of sitting through. If you read the book when you were younger, then this film will really hit home. You won't want it to end. You'll want King Max and the wild things to continue sleeping in a pile, having wild rumpuses, engaging in wars, building those glorious forts, and having Max stay there forever. I highly recommend seeing this wonderful film.
This film is nothing short of amazing. As the film progressed, I found myself looking back on the memories of having the book read to me as a child. The film manages to capture the magic contained in the book and elaborate on it. The movie really made you feel like you were looking at the world through Max's eyes. It was almost like watching a world within a world. I found myself overcome with emotion by the time those credits showed up on the big screen. That's a special experience in itself.
Just about every aspect of the film is enjoyable. They really did a fantastic job stretching a ten sentence story into an hour and a half film. The writing is fairly superb as the pacing really flows once the ball gets rolling and the dialogue seems like it's straight out of the mind of a young boy. Max Records couldn't fit the Max role more perfectly. His range of emotion and the way he's able to have that look of innocence in his eyes is spectacular. Every action that Max made just felt so heartfelt.
The wild things are what really steal the show. The way they were pulled off just makes them look so realistic. Jim Henson's Creature Shop did a really phenomenal job on them. Despite the wild things being unhappy the majority of the film, it's really just a joy to watch them walk, move, talk, or smile.
As extravagant and imaginative as the film is, it did seem to have one flaw. The beginning of the film seemed to drag a bit. Everything leading up to Max finding the wild things just seemed to last a little too long. I realize they did all that they could with the source material and their efforts are extraordinary given how short that material is, but from a film critic's standpoint the beginning of the film dragged slightly.
Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most heartwarming and whimsical experiences at the theater I've ever had the pleasure of sitting through. If you read the book when you were younger, then this film will really hit home. You won't want it to end. You'll want King Max and the wild things to continue sleeping in a pile, having wild rumpuses, engaging in wars, building those glorious forts, and having Max stay there forever. I highly recommend seeing this wonderful film.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Ambulance (2022) in Movies
Apr 18, 2022
Repetitive drone camera work (2 more)
Cringey humor and dialogue
An outdated and juvenile screenplay
Ambulance Review: Action At Its Dumbest And Gaudiest
Ambulance is a remake of a 2005 Danish film of the same name. Michael Bay’s version of the film follows former Marine Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as he struggles to find a job and support his family; his wife requires an experimental surgery that their health insurance won’t pay for.
Will turns to his estranged yet wealthy adopted brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal). Danny wants Will to participate in a bank heist worth $32 million. Will takes the job out of desperation, but when the heist goes sideways the two brothers hijack an ambulance and take a wounded cop along with a paramedic named Cam (Elza Gonzalez) as hostages.
The performances from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhall save Ambulance from being nothing more than an explosive, gyrating mess of a film. You don’t necessarily walk out of the theater feeling sympathy for Will, but you understand why the character turns to robbing a bank after serving his country through the heartfelt actions of Abdul-Mateen’s performance.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a memorable psychopath as Danny Sharp. Gyllenhaal has a ton of charisma as the character and can be incredibly likeable at times, but he has a temper that ignites without warning. Gyllenhaal is able to become intense and unhinged whenever Danny loses control of the situation, which is quite often over the course of 136-minutes.
The action thriller is dripping with what has either made you a fan of Michael Bay’s work or made you despise the Los Angeles born filmmaker for the majority of his career. The editing of the film is spastic and frenetic. There doesn’t seem to be a single sequence that lasts longer than eight seconds before cutting to another angle.
There are several references to other Michael Bay films in Ambulance; The Rock, 13 Hours, Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor. There’s also stuff you’d expect to find in a Michael Bay film like countless explosions and extravagant car wrecks. The film also seems to recycle the rotating camera Bay utilized in Bad Boys to highlight intense conversations between Will and Danny when they’re not confined to being inside the ambulance.
Despite working with a screenwriter whose first screenwriting credit is this film, Ambulance has writing that feels like it was something Bay produced over a decade ago. The dialogue feels extremely outdated and juvenile as characters walk this thin line between cringey humor and being downright sexist or racist. It feels like Bay was trying to feature a strong, independent woman in Ambulance with Cam. She's a competent single woman who is good at her job and doesn’t have to rely on anyone for anything. But the reveal of why she’s cold and remorseless is entirely cliché. The male characters have no real character development either though as their defining quality is that they all want to fight each other any chance they possibly get.
The Will character is also written in a way that is insulting and kind of offensive. So because he served his country he can get away with robbing a bank, shooting a cop, and participating in and driving the getaway vehicle during a massive car chase? He has a wife and daughter and his wife needs “experimental surgery” for an undisclosed illness and we’re supposed to root for this guy? Are we really this dumb?
It couldn’t be a film set in Los Angeles without someone making a reference to how terrible drivers are in LA. The secondary storylines don’t make sense or are just a complete waste of time. That conversation Danny has with his assistant about futbol/soccer and the lawn flamingos was obviously something extremely relevant to the overall story of the film. A cop also tries to ask out a bank teller while the bank is being robbed and literally doesn’t notice. We also have these other massively relevant and not pointless at all story points; bringing a dog to a car chase, Danny joking about walking around with herpes, and performing surgery in the back of an ambulance while stopping the bleeding with a hair clip.
Revoke Michael Bay’s license to utilize drones in his films. Every outside sequence seemed to have the same establishing shot of the camera flying up into the air turning around and zooming back down towards the ground. The camera in this film never stops moving. That combined with the film’s brutal rapid fire editing style will have you wanting to barf long before Danny calls upon the cartel for back up.
Buried deep within Ambulance’s loud, flashy action, sickening editing, overstimulated filming techniques, and a screenplay that seems like it was fished out of a port-a-potty is a somewhat thrilling action film. Jake Gyllenhaal is a cashmere obsessed lunatic that you can’t help but love, but Ambulance is a gaudy and sloppy excuse of an action film otherwise.
Will turns to his estranged yet wealthy adopted brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal). Danny wants Will to participate in a bank heist worth $32 million. Will takes the job out of desperation, but when the heist goes sideways the two brothers hijack an ambulance and take a wounded cop along with a paramedic named Cam (Elza Gonzalez) as hostages.
The performances from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhall save Ambulance from being nothing more than an explosive, gyrating mess of a film. You don’t necessarily walk out of the theater feeling sympathy for Will, but you understand why the character turns to robbing a bank after serving his country through the heartfelt actions of Abdul-Mateen’s performance.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a memorable psychopath as Danny Sharp. Gyllenhaal has a ton of charisma as the character and can be incredibly likeable at times, but he has a temper that ignites without warning. Gyllenhaal is able to become intense and unhinged whenever Danny loses control of the situation, which is quite often over the course of 136-minutes.
The action thriller is dripping with what has either made you a fan of Michael Bay’s work or made you despise the Los Angeles born filmmaker for the majority of his career. The editing of the film is spastic and frenetic. There doesn’t seem to be a single sequence that lasts longer than eight seconds before cutting to another angle.
There are several references to other Michael Bay films in Ambulance; The Rock, 13 Hours, Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor. There’s also stuff you’d expect to find in a Michael Bay film like countless explosions and extravagant car wrecks. The film also seems to recycle the rotating camera Bay utilized in Bad Boys to highlight intense conversations between Will and Danny when they’re not confined to being inside the ambulance.
Despite working with a screenwriter whose first screenwriting credit is this film, Ambulance has writing that feels like it was something Bay produced over a decade ago. The dialogue feels extremely outdated and juvenile as characters walk this thin line between cringey humor and being downright sexist or racist. It feels like Bay was trying to feature a strong, independent woman in Ambulance with Cam. She's a competent single woman who is good at her job and doesn’t have to rely on anyone for anything. But the reveal of why she’s cold and remorseless is entirely cliché. The male characters have no real character development either though as their defining quality is that they all want to fight each other any chance they possibly get.
The Will character is also written in a way that is insulting and kind of offensive. So because he served his country he can get away with robbing a bank, shooting a cop, and participating in and driving the getaway vehicle during a massive car chase? He has a wife and daughter and his wife needs “experimental surgery” for an undisclosed illness and we’re supposed to root for this guy? Are we really this dumb?
It couldn’t be a film set in Los Angeles without someone making a reference to how terrible drivers are in LA. The secondary storylines don’t make sense or are just a complete waste of time. That conversation Danny has with his assistant about futbol/soccer and the lawn flamingos was obviously something extremely relevant to the overall story of the film. A cop also tries to ask out a bank teller while the bank is being robbed and literally doesn’t notice. We also have these other massively relevant and not pointless at all story points; bringing a dog to a car chase, Danny joking about walking around with herpes, and performing surgery in the back of an ambulance while stopping the bleeding with a hair clip.
Revoke Michael Bay’s license to utilize drones in his films. Every outside sequence seemed to have the same establishing shot of the camera flying up into the air turning around and zooming back down towards the ground. The camera in this film never stops moving. That combined with the film’s brutal rapid fire editing style will have you wanting to barf long before Danny calls upon the cartel for back up.
Buried deep within Ambulance’s loud, flashy action, sickening editing, overstimulated filming techniques, and a screenplay that seems like it was fished out of a port-a-potty is a somewhat thrilling action film. Jake Gyllenhaal is a cashmere obsessed lunatic that you can’t help but love, but Ambulance is a gaudy and sloppy excuse of an action film otherwise.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated At Eternity's Gate (2018) in Movies
Feb 16, 2019
A slow meditation of the last days of a tortured artist
he artist as a tortured soul.
How many films have been made on this subject? Too many to count. Add AT ETERNITY'S GATE to this list as it tells the tale of the tortured final days of Vincent Van Gogh - including cutting his own ear off - so perhaps no one deserves the title of "tortured artist" more than he.
Directed by Julian Schnabel (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) and starring Willem DaFoe (AQUAMAN) in an Oscar nominated turn as Van Gogh, AT ETERNITY'S GATE follows Van Gogh in the final weeks of his life. Since it is a film by Schnabel, you get an introspective, languid, haunting, beautifully shot meditation on life, art, madness and misunderstanding. Which, of course, is both the blessing and the curse of the film. Schnabel trains his camera - sometimes for long stretches - on the mundane...Van Gogh walking through a field, Van Gogh looking out at a landscape, Van Gogh thinking and, most importantly. Van Gogh painting...and painting...and painting...
Do you know how exciting it is to WATCH someone paint? About as exciting as watching paint dry.
Thank goodness DaFoe is mesmerizing as Van Gogh, for he really holds the film - and attention - throughout. His Academy Award nomination is justified for he brings a haunted, world weariness quality to his portrayal. - check this film out just for this performance. Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelson and Mathieu Amalric all show up in glorified cameos to punch a little dialogue and forward momentum into this narrative. But, mostly, we watch DaFoe - as Van Gogh - walk and think and look and paint and paint and paint...
I know I am repeating myself, but I felt the film repeated itself over and over again as well. I think there is about 1/2 of interesting film in this 1 hour 54 minute movie. The rest is just "art" and "artistic expression" of images on the screen by Schnabel. If that sort of thing is up your alley, you'll enjoy this. For the rest , it will just become repetitive and boring.
I will say, however, that after seeing this film, I have a greater appreciation for Van Gogh's work, how he made them and how his style differs from ANYBODY else. I am now going to make it a point to find a museum that shows some of his works and check it out.
So, I guess, that's a good thing.
Letter Grade: B- (it is a well made and acted film)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
How many films have been made on this subject? Too many to count. Add AT ETERNITY'S GATE to this list as it tells the tale of the tortured final days of Vincent Van Gogh - including cutting his own ear off - so perhaps no one deserves the title of "tortured artist" more than he.
Directed by Julian Schnabel (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) and starring Willem DaFoe (AQUAMAN) in an Oscar nominated turn as Van Gogh, AT ETERNITY'S GATE follows Van Gogh in the final weeks of his life. Since it is a film by Schnabel, you get an introspective, languid, haunting, beautifully shot meditation on life, art, madness and misunderstanding. Which, of course, is both the blessing and the curse of the film. Schnabel trains his camera - sometimes for long stretches - on the mundane...Van Gogh walking through a field, Van Gogh looking out at a landscape, Van Gogh thinking and, most importantly. Van Gogh painting...and painting...and painting...
Do you know how exciting it is to WATCH someone paint? About as exciting as watching paint dry.
Thank goodness DaFoe is mesmerizing as Van Gogh, for he really holds the film - and attention - throughout. His Academy Award nomination is justified for he brings a haunted, world weariness quality to his portrayal. - check this film out just for this performance. Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelson and Mathieu Amalric all show up in glorified cameos to punch a little dialogue and forward momentum into this narrative. But, mostly, we watch DaFoe - as Van Gogh - walk and think and look and paint and paint and paint...
I know I am repeating myself, but I felt the film repeated itself over and over again as well. I think there is about 1/2 of interesting film in this 1 hour 54 minute movie. The rest is just "art" and "artistic expression" of images on the screen by Schnabel. If that sort of thing is up your alley, you'll enjoy this. For the rest , it will just become repetitive and boring.
I will say, however, that after seeing this film, I have a greater appreciation for Van Gogh's work, how he made them and how his style differs from ANYBODY else. I am now going to make it a point to find a museum that shows some of his works and check it out.
So, I guess, that's a good thing.
Letter Grade: B- (it is a well made and acted film)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated The Oregon Trail Card Game in Tabletop Games
Nov 7, 2019
The Oregon Trail! A classic computer game from our youth that, despite being so hard to beat, kept us coming back for more! So when it was turned into a card game, I was SO EXCITED! Nothing like dying of Dysentery to bring back fond memories! Does this game live up to the hype of the OG game? Keep reading to find out!
The Oregon Trail Card Game is a cooperative game of hand management in which players are trying to make it all the way down the Oregon Trail! Players take turns playing Trail cards to advance on their journey, stopping at forts and towns along the way to collect supplies, and dealing with the Calamities of the open Trail – whether that’s fording across rivers or dealing with nasty rattlesnake bites. Do you and your party have what it takes to survive, or will the trail claim more lives in the end?
Ok so first things first – for nostalgia’s sake, this game is great. The artwork is a call-back to the original 8-bit design, the Calamities you may encounter are taken right from the computer game (there IS a “You have died of Dysentery” card), and the game is as hard to win as you remember. It definitely makes for a fun walk down memory lane.
Now, actually PLAYING the game is a different story. I think it’s a pretty bad attempt at a card game. For starters, the rulesheet (it’s more of a brochure than a book…) is extremely ambiguous. I had more questions about how to play after I read the rules than I did beforehand. The physical layout of the rules feels choppy, which makes it hard to logically follow, and the wording for some rules feels like it contradicts other rules. Overall, it just seems like the rulesheet was written in one go with no refining or editing – every single thought was thrown in and then not checked for accuracy or clarity.
Beyond the calamity that is the rulesheet, the game is hard to beat. The rules even say “More likely, the game ends when the last player dies.” Like even the creators know it’s impossible! I’ve never won a game because it is stacked against the players from the start. For starters, the game is so long. Without going too much into detail, by the end of the game 50 out of the 58 trail cards will be used – that’s almost ALL of them! And almost every card has a text action/consequence associated with it, which really reduces your likelihood of success. Some Calamity cards kill off players with no chance for remedy first, while some Trail cards are dictated by die rolls that can also either kill you or cause you to draw extra Calamity cards. I know the original game was tough, but since this card game is more based on the luck of the draw than your decisions, it feels futile to play. Luck-based games, when executed well, can be pretty fun. But unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me in this game.
So do I like this game? Kind of? I like it for nostalgic purposes, but beyond that I really don’t. The rules make no sense and I feel like I interpret them differently every time – so who knows if I’ve actually ever played correctly. I have never won a game, the furthest I’ve ever gotten has been about halfway through to the end. Should you try The Oregon Trail Card Game? Probably not. You’re not really missing a lot besides reliving some childhood memories. Fun idea, but awful execution, in my opinion! Purple Phoenix Games (with guest score from a pal of Travis) gives The Oregon a Trail Card Game a choleric 12 / 24.
The Oregon Trail Card Game is a cooperative game of hand management in which players are trying to make it all the way down the Oregon Trail! Players take turns playing Trail cards to advance on their journey, stopping at forts and towns along the way to collect supplies, and dealing with the Calamities of the open Trail – whether that’s fording across rivers or dealing with nasty rattlesnake bites. Do you and your party have what it takes to survive, or will the trail claim more lives in the end?
Ok so first things first – for nostalgia’s sake, this game is great. The artwork is a call-back to the original 8-bit design, the Calamities you may encounter are taken right from the computer game (there IS a “You have died of Dysentery” card), and the game is as hard to win as you remember. It definitely makes for a fun walk down memory lane.
Now, actually PLAYING the game is a different story. I think it’s a pretty bad attempt at a card game. For starters, the rulesheet (it’s more of a brochure than a book…) is extremely ambiguous. I had more questions about how to play after I read the rules than I did beforehand. The physical layout of the rules feels choppy, which makes it hard to logically follow, and the wording for some rules feels like it contradicts other rules. Overall, it just seems like the rulesheet was written in one go with no refining or editing – every single thought was thrown in and then not checked for accuracy or clarity.
Beyond the calamity that is the rulesheet, the game is hard to beat. The rules even say “More likely, the game ends when the last player dies.” Like even the creators know it’s impossible! I’ve never won a game because it is stacked against the players from the start. For starters, the game is so long. Without going too much into detail, by the end of the game 50 out of the 58 trail cards will be used – that’s almost ALL of them! And almost every card has a text action/consequence associated with it, which really reduces your likelihood of success. Some Calamity cards kill off players with no chance for remedy first, while some Trail cards are dictated by die rolls that can also either kill you or cause you to draw extra Calamity cards. I know the original game was tough, but since this card game is more based on the luck of the draw than your decisions, it feels futile to play. Luck-based games, when executed well, can be pretty fun. But unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me in this game.
So do I like this game? Kind of? I like it for nostalgic purposes, but beyond that I really don’t. The rules make no sense and I feel like I interpret them differently every time – so who knows if I’ve actually ever played correctly. I have never won a game, the furthest I’ve ever gotten has been about halfway through to the end. Should you try The Oregon Trail Card Game? Probably not. You’re not really missing a lot besides reliving some childhood memories. Fun idea, but awful execution, in my opinion! Purple Phoenix Games (with guest score from a pal of Travis) gives The Oregon a Trail Card Game a choleric 12 / 24.
Debbiereadsbook (1303 KP) rated Hesitant Heart (The Hampton Road Club #1) in Books
Nov 30, 2018
really loved this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Naive runaway Sam finds himself in a bathhouse as a job. Aaron frequents the bathhouse, and has noticed that Sam has noticed him. When Sam finds himself in a bit of a pickle, Aaron's baser instincts kick in, and his protectiveness goes into overdrive. Is Sam really the submissive Aaron has been waiting for? Will Sam run again, when he understands what Aaron wants??
Thank you, Ms Knight, for a thoroughly enjoyable historical BDSM book! It's been a long time since I read such a book, and I loved this one!
Sam is truly naive, totally, in all ways, a virgin. He knows he doesn't like girls, at all, and he knows Aaron makes him think and feel all kinds of things he never did before, but Sam also knows he NEEDS something else, something he isn't able to voice. When Aaron begins Sam's training as his submissive, the penny drops and Sam fully immerses himself into Aaron's world, one training session at a time.
I loved that Aaron, while fully on board with Sam's "lets have sex now" attitude, he waits. He waits til Sam is really ready for that step. And once they do take that step? Both men fall fast and hard.
I loved that I found it not overly explicit, for some weird reason! It goes into detail, about training and what Sam and Aaron are doing, and it's hot hot hot, but not explicit, if that makes any sense! Reading that bit back, it doesn't, for me, but I can't word it any different! But I needed to say that, and that I loved it.
The way Aaron and Saul, Aaron's friend, deal with Sam's father was well done, and in a way that no one was hurt, and Sam could walk free from the fear that his father represented.
It is set in the 1920s so comes with all the rules and regulations and words of the time. And I really enjoyed that!
Book one in the Hampton Road Club series. I do hope I get to read the rest of them!
Thank you, Ms Knight, for my copy!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Naive runaway Sam finds himself in a bathhouse as a job. Aaron frequents the bathhouse, and has noticed that Sam has noticed him. When Sam finds himself in a bit of a pickle, Aaron's baser instincts kick in, and his protectiveness goes into overdrive. Is Sam really the submissive Aaron has been waiting for? Will Sam run again, when he understands what Aaron wants??
Thank you, Ms Knight, for a thoroughly enjoyable historical BDSM book! It's been a long time since I read such a book, and I loved this one!
Sam is truly naive, totally, in all ways, a virgin. He knows he doesn't like girls, at all, and he knows Aaron makes him think and feel all kinds of things he never did before, but Sam also knows he NEEDS something else, something he isn't able to voice. When Aaron begins Sam's training as his submissive, the penny drops and Sam fully immerses himself into Aaron's world, one training session at a time.
I loved that Aaron, while fully on board with Sam's "lets have sex now" attitude, he waits. He waits til Sam is really ready for that step. And once they do take that step? Both men fall fast and hard.
I loved that I found it not overly explicit, for some weird reason! It goes into detail, about training and what Sam and Aaron are doing, and it's hot hot hot, but not explicit, if that makes any sense! Reading that bit back, it doesn't, for me, but I can't word it any different! But I needed to say that, and that I loved it.
The way Aaron and Saul, Aaron's friend, deal with Sam's father was well done, and in a way that no one was hurt, and Sam could walk free from the fear that his father represented.
It is set in the 1920s so comes with all the rules and regulations and words of the time. And I really enjoyed that!
Book one in the Hampton Road Club series. I do hope I get to read the rest of them!
Thank you, Ms Knight, for my copy!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
The Best Things in Life are Free
Book
Lonely Planet's The Best Things in Life are Free is packed full of money-saving tips, tricks and...
Carma (21 KP) rated Moonlight Over Manhattan in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Do one thing every day that scares you. I think that is the best advice we could give ourselves on a daily basis. How many times have we just went status quo and always wondered what if. Harriet Knight is status quo. She is an average girl, with an average life, with average problems. But the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas she decides to challenge herself daily. No more status quo, start living outside the box. The plan is going worse than expected though and then she finds herself on the internet dating site date from hell. The best way she can think of to end said date is to jump out of the bathroom window. That is how we meet Harriet.
Harriet is a dog walker/pet sitter along with her twin sister Fliss. The started their own company and it has really taken off. Her sister has recently moved out of their apartment to live in the Hamptons with Seth (read Holiday in the Hamptons, you won’t regret it). Harriet finds herself alone for the first time in a very long time. After jumping out the bathroom window she heads to the ER to get her ankle checked and in walks Dr. Ethan Black.
Ethan Black is all ER all the time. He puts his very heart and soul in to his daily life and enjoys going to work everyday. Maybe the reason his marriage failed is because he puts 100% into his job. 100% means 0% left over for anything else. He is quite happy in his every day routine until his sister calls with an emergency. He'll do anything for his sister, well maybe anything.
Harriet agrees to change locations for one of her customers because an emergency takes them out of town. Her regular client "Madi" is staying with her “uncle”, a busy doctor, and needs to get her daily walk there instead of home. Harriet and Ethan meet again and realize they need each other to navigate this new normal. Can Ethan still put his heart and soul into work, but make a relationship work. Can Harriet realize she is great the way she is and "challenge Harriet" is a perfect way to get the happy ever after she craves.
I loved Harriet, more than any single main female character I can think of for a while. She is an every woman, self-conscience, has a stutter, awkward, shy. Being a dog walker/pet sitter myself I feel like Harriet (minus the stutter but just as awkward). I also loved revisiting the O’Neil family in Vermont. The way the author paints the scenery each and every time, makes me want to jump in the car and head to Vermont immediately. One of the other things I enjoy about Sarah Morgan novels is the English phrases that inevitably make their way into the writing. There are usually 3 or 4 common English phrases that don’t quite translate to US actions. I enjoy finding them though, and if not immediately known how they translate, finding the answer. None are every so strange though that it affects the flow of the story.
Even though I received this book in exchange for an honest review, it is another great novel from Sarah Morgan, as if I expected anything less. I am adding this to my From Manhattan with Love shelf immediately, hope you do the same right now.
Harriet is a dog walker/pet sitter along with her twin sister Fliss. The started their own company and it has really taken off. Her sister has recently moved out of their apartment to live in the Hamptons with Seth (read Holiday in the Hamptons, you won’t regret it). Harriet finds herself alone for the first time in a very long time. After jumping out the bathroom window she heads to the ER to get her ankle checked and in walks Dr. Ethan Black.
Ethan Black is all ER all the time. He puts his very heart and soul in to his daily life and enjoys going to work everyday. Maybe the reason his marriage failed is because he puts 100% into his job. 100% means 0% left over for anything else. He is quite happy in his every day routine until his sister calls with an emergency. He'll do anything for his sister, well maybe anything.
Harriet agrees to change locations for one of her customers because an emergency takes them out of town. Her regular client "Madi" is staying with her “uncle”, a busy doctor, and needs to get her daily walk there instead of home. Harriet and Ethan meet again and realize they need each other to navigate this new normal. Can Ethan still put his heart and soul into work, but make a relationship work. Can Harriet realize she is great the way she is and "challenge Harriet" is a perfect way to get the happy ever after she craves.
I loved Harriet, more than any single main female character I can think of for a while. She is an every woman, self-conscience, has a stutter, awkward, shy. Being a dog walker/pet sitter myself I feel like Harriet (minus the stutter but just as awkward). I also loved revisiting the O’Neil family in Vermont. The way the author paints the scenery each and every time, makes me want to jump in the car and head to Vermont immediately. One of the other things I enjoy about Sarah Morgan novels is the English phrases that inevitably make their way into the writing. There are usually 3 or 4 common English phrases that don’t quite translate to US actions. I enjoy finding them though, and if not immediately known how they translate, finding the answer. None are every so strange though that it affects the flow of the story.
Even though I received this book in exchange for an honest review, it is another great novel from Sarah Morgan, as if I expected anything less. I am adding this to my From Manhattan with Love shelf immediately, hope you do the same right now.
Fall for You
8.0
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Carson Ballard isn’t only lactose intolerant—he’s intolerable. No wonder his assistant quit on...
Contemporary MM Romance
Chloe (778 KP) Feb 13, 2021