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OffRoad Tourist Bus Sim 2016

Games and Travel

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Get ready to enjoy the off road adventure of Tour Bus Coach Driving Simulator. Travel through the...

LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies

Sep 4, 2020

Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical

7.4

(19 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Honestly struggled to get on board with this one.
I generally don't like musicals (with a couple of exceptions) and Anna and the Apocalypse certainly doesn't change my mind in that respect, but everything surrounding fell a bit flat for me as well.

For one, none of the characters are remotely likable, apart from Anna herself. By the time people start getting chowed on, it's hard to care. It takes its time building up, treating us all to four full forgettable songs before anything properly kicks off, and when it does it's all a bit meh.
In terms of zombie action, it's not the worst I've ever seen, but it's one of those films that likes to cut away instead of showing off any decent effects.

The music itself is just quite bland. It's certainly going for a Glee type feel with what it's doing, so for me personally it's just a huge miss. I'm sure there are plenty out there who enjoy Glee, and therefore will probably get something out of the music on show here which is fine, just not for me.
There's one scene to be fair, where Anna leaves her house with her headphones in, completely unaware of the carnage unfolding around her whilst singing. This bit was actually pretty entertaining and amusing, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the scene that set off the whole idea process.
The film can't quite decide what genre it's going for however. Is it a musical, is it a zombie horror, is it a Christmas movie? I'm sure the advertising campaign would have you think it's all three, but it just doesn't do any of them justice. Most of the jokes fall flat - I will admit that I audibly laughed once during the whole thing...

Ultimately, Anna and the Apocalypse ultimately draws comparisons with its more superior peers, such as Shaun of the Dead, but the truth it's no where as witty or groundbreaking. Since SOTD, the zombie comedy sub genre has been done to death, and these days, it takes something special to really stand out. This film takes a punt, and genuinely tries something new, but it's not executed well enough to rise above the pack.

Kudos

ClareR (5711 KP) rated The Keeper in Books

May 29, 2020

The Keeper

Jessica Moor | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

I usually try to avoid books where there's violence directed against women, particularly spousal abuse. I just find it too uncomfortable. I seem to be feeling braver as I get older, and I'm so glad that I read this book. It's an interesting insight into the lives of women who find safety in Women's Refuges. It shows how hard it is for women to make their ways there, how many of them arrive nothing but the clothes on their backs - and the same goes for their children. It shows how hard the people who run these refuges work, and how undervalued they are - in fact, they're often a target for hate themselves. And we also get to see how some women return to abusive partners, and the ramifications.

Katie Straw's body is pulled from the river, and it looks as though she has committed suicide. However the women at the refuge that she worked at are adamant that she was murdered. The detectives who are put on her case really do seem to thoroughly investigate Katie's death, even though the older of the two is very much on the side of suicide (and he is a bit of a dinosaur). As they investigate though, it looks more and more likely that this is the case.

I found the lives of the women in the refuge fascinating, and I could easily have read more about them. To be honest, the older of the tow detectives was really interesting as well - it was like I was looking at the attitudes of a police officer from another age.

Near the end of the book, there's a fascinating twist - I didn't see it coming at all (I should say that I'm very much a reader who is along for the ride. I tend not to try and guess whats going to happen). I'm a big fan of unresolved endings too, and this certainly delivers (so there's a warning for those who DON'T like an unresolved ending!). You're left wondering what's going to happen next.

This was a really satisfying read, that I very much enjoyed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.