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Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
2014 | Drama, Sci-Fi
When the world falls under attack from a bizarre alien threat the world’s militaries unite to wage a desperate battle to save humanity. In the new film “Edge of Tomorrow”, Tom Cruise stars as Major Cage, a smug p.r. specialist who holds numerous interviews and press conferences convincing people to enlist and join the war effort and promising victory while keeping himself in safe locales far from the action.

When Cage learns that he is to be embedded with fighting units in a major offensive following the first victory by the humans, he balks and attempts to blackmail his new superior General Bringham (Paul Gleeson), into letting him stay away from combat zones.

Gleeson calls his bluff and Cage soon awakens at a forward base where his orders list him as a deserter who impersonates an officer and as such, is not to have any communication and is to be inserted into combat the following morning.

With no combat training at all since he was pulled from a P.R. firm and only had R.O.T.C. in college, Cage is highly unsuited to combat. He is not even capable of getting the weapons on his power suit to go off safety mode.

The battle goes badly and Cage and his fellow troops are decimated but shortly before his death, Cage gets himself up close and personal with the enemy and goes down in a blaze of glory.

Cage then unexpectedly awakens and it is the previous morning but he has all the knowledge of what happened previously. His efforts to warn his superiors fail and once again the invasion becomes a disaster. Cage is caught in a loop repeating the doomed mission but each time out he makes subtle changes and learns from his mistakes.

One such change has him encounter war hero Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) who oddly enough recognizes what is happening to Cage and instructs him to find her when he awakens.

Despite some effort, Cage manages to locate and convince Rita and the two of them work to build Cages combat skills all the while attempting to understand the nature of the enemy and what is happening to them.

With the advantage of being able to repeat the same day over and over the unlikely pair becomes the best hope for humanity and set about to save the day.

The film has a very solid and enjoyable premise and I liked the way they handled Cruise’s character. When I first heard of the film I thought he was a bit old to play a combat rookie unless they were hard pressed and forced him into duty but even then he would have some kind of training.

The film has some great supporting performances and great FX that really popped in IMAX 3D. I really enjoyed the action and the story and while if you really stop and analyze it you may find issues with the time loops and possible paradoxes presented, the main thing is that it is an action film that actually gives fans a story, solid characters, and an interesting premise.

Cruise and Blunt work well with one another and I must say that the film is right there with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as the best film of the summer offerings to date in my opinion. Check this one out as you will not want to miss it.

http://sknr.net/2014/06/06/edge-tomorrow/
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated 51 (2015) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
51 (2015)
51 (2015)
2015 | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: 51 starts when the government are finally going to let people into Area 51 for the first time with Sam Whitaker (Shea) and new blogger Claire (Branch). Colonel Martin (Boxleitner) is showing the guests around the base with the idea of showing just the simple ones rather than the real secrets.

With the tour happening around the base we see how the aliens held there start their own escape. The tour group must work together to survive while the soldiers on the outside also have to deal with the aliens coming up the levels.

51 is a horror sci-fi film set inside Area 51, we actually get to see the idea that aliens have been trapped there for decades and most importantly we get to see different types of aliens. This helps play into the conspiracy side to the story very well. When it comes to the survival side of the story there isn’t too much fresh happening here but it does make you wonder what abilities each of these aliens actually has while the film unfolds.

 

Actor Review

 

Vanessa Branch: Claire is an internet reporter with a reputation of pushing the limits to make sure she breaks the story, she isn’t one of the Colonel’s first choices to be part of the tour but while she is here she will look to break the big story. Vanessa is a solid strong leading lady for this horror film.

Bruce Boxleitner: Col Martin is the man who has to lead the tour group around Area 51, he doesn’t like the idea and will try to make this the simplest tour possible giving away only small amounts of details. Bruce comes off like a normal colonel you would expect to see in thi style of film.

Rachel Miner: Sgt Hanna is on the outside guarding the base she leads the men while having her own troubled past and reputation to live up to. Rachel is solid in this role which feels like a completely different story to the main tour.

Jason London: Aaron ‘Shoes’ Schumacher is a rookie soldier that is under the wing of Sgt Hanna, he wants to see combat but has to deal with not having this chance for now. Jason is solid in this role where we do get a few extra laugh from this film.

Support Cast: 51 has a supporting cast which includes different of soldiers as well as the fellow reporters, each one comes off slightly disposable through the story.

Director Review: Jason Connery – Jason gives us a horror that has fresh twists while being the standard survival thriller.

 

Horror: 51 is filled with blood soaked kills throughout the survival horror side of the story.

Sci-Fi: 51 takes us to Area 51 with aliens trying to escape their prisons which heaps all of the sci-fi side of the story involved.

Settings: 51 is set at Area 51 for the whole film which plays into the conspiracy side of the story.
Special Effects: 51 has low budget effects which work once we see the aliens made with practical effects.

Suggestion: 51 is one I feel the horror fans out there can watch late night on TV and get the enjoyment out of it. (Late Night TV)

 

Best Part: Different types of aliens involved.

Worst Part: Hanna and Shoes storyline seems out of place and almost talking to audience early on.

 

Believability: No

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Budget: $1 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Tagline: The military’s best-kept secret just broke loose.

 

Overall: Simple but enjoyable sci-fi horror film.

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/04/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-51-2011/
  
Manchester Vice
Manchester Vice
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
^^ Imagine you’re able to make contact with a serial killer, and before he dies he passes on his diary, which reveals the secret location of his murderous lair; all set up and ready to go. Then imagine, before you know what to do with this information, you discover your wife is having an affair with your annoying brother of whom you’ve never been close to. Of course, your wife’s not to blame, as lately you’ve not been a very attentive husband, but that could change with your brother out of the way, right? In fact, it’s the perfect solution. What could possibly go wrong with such a rock solid plan?

^^ This is what happens to the main character, Brad Sharpe, in Jack Strange’s Manchester Vice. Brad is often portrayed as a guy who contemplates what’s going on in his life, and seems to discover the answers to his own problems as he is telling us the story, yet, he fails to understand the blantly obvious staring at him in the face. As an example, in one scene he thinks there is a strong possibility his wife is having an affair with someone who lives in the same block of flats as his brother…. (At this point I’m throwing my hands up in the air and going, “Well, doh?”). Yep, see what I mean? So, when he finally cottons on (hallelujah) he’s on to his next get even scheme. I guess, Sharpe’s not as sharp as he likes to think!

^^ And what of the diary? This is a great addition to the story as it acts like a step-by-step manual to extract (or should I say extinguish?) anything he doesn’t like from his life. Yet there’s an even bigger twist in this story of revenge, and that’s how he keeps in close proximity with the police as a journalist reporting on the crime of this elusive serial killer. Himself.

^^ The ending did not disappoint, in fact, I kind of regretted that it ended at all and throughly enjoyed reading about Brad’s escapades, especially his reign of power and journalistic fame.

Overall: Manchester Vice is a story of betrayal, comeuppance, and rash decisions made from a rookie murderer bungling his way through one mistake after another. Jack Strange’s character Brad Sharpe has a fresh voice and his antics are both gruesome and downright comedic. I love the way he maintains a sense of right and wrong throughout, even though his morals are very different to most of ours. A fun, dark and fabulously disturbing, “Brit Grit” read.
  
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I Know You Know
I Know You Know
Gilly MacMillan | 2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fascinating and compelling mystery
For twenty years, Sidney Noyce has claimed his innocence for the murders of Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby. In 1996, their bodies were found dumped by a dog track near the estate where they lived. Their friend, Cody Swift, who was ten like Charlie, lived, and now, twenty years later, is reviving the case via a podcast, It's Time to Tell. He too has his doubts about Sidney's guilt. He returns home to Bristol to start investigating. But not everyone wants this case reopened, including Charlie's mother, Jessica, who has started a new life, with a new family. And then there's the investigating detective, John Fletcher, who found the boys. Charlie died in his arms; you don't forget a case like that. Now, he's investigating another body--found buried in a location near where the boys died. Are the two cases related? Is there a murderer still out there?

I still remember the moment I discovered Gilly Macmillan, and her books are such a treat. This one was no exception. This is a stand-alone novel, or at least not one of her Jim Clemo novels, and I found it to be a highly enjoyable and compelling mystery. When I first realized that part of the book was being told via the podcast format, I felt a bit of deja-vu, as I had just recently finished another book in that structure (Sadie), but have no fear: the organization of this one is fresh and flawless.

The book is told via the podcast; Jessica's point of view; and Fletcher's perspective--both now and back then, when he was a rookie cop, investigating the boys' death. You have to get used to the book swinging back and forth in time with Fletcher, but it doesn't take much, and it's worth it, because Macmillan parallels things so well in time. The juxtaposition of the past and present with the two cases (current body, the boys' case - plus Cody's podcast) is really brilliant. Plus, we get to see the trajectory of Fletcher's life and the many decisions that have led him to where he his today. His character, for me, was fascinating and one of the best surprises of the book.

One of my favorite aspects of any Macmillan novel is her characters. They are always so detailed and fully fleshed out. That is the case here: you will find yourself transported back to the estate twenty years ago, with Charlie, Scott, and Cody running around, and then to the present, with Cody and his podcast, Jessica struggling to keep her new life afloat, and Fletcher, unraveling the details on a new--potentially related--case.

There are multiple mystery threads to keep any detective fan happy: what happened to Charlie and Scott all those years ago? Was it really Sidney Noyce? How about the body Fletcher just discovered nearby? Just a coincidence? I loved the way Macmillan weaved the pieces of all these stories together. There are some wonderful and unexpected turns here. I adore a book that surprises me, and it was great to have some twists and turns that shocked me.

Overall, this is a fascinating and compelling mystery that expertly weaves together the thread of two cases separated by twenty years. The characters are well-detailed and the book is beautifully plotted. It's hard to go wrong with a Macmillan mystery, and this one is no exception.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
  
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