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Putin
Chris Hutchins and Alexander Korobko
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Putin is the highly personal biography of Russia's leader - a man many regard as the world's most...
Rob Halford recommended Paranoid by Black Sabbath in Music (curated)
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Murder on the Acropolis in Books
Dec 5, 2020
Murder on the Acropolis by Christos Christidis is a slightly confusing book that takes readers on a twisting journey in Greece following the trail of a few murders.
Linda Davis and her husband, Tony are visiting the Acropolis in Greece when tragedy strikes. Linda is killed by an unknown shooter in what appears to be an assassination. Yet the question remains, was she the intended target or just caught in the crossfire? The investigation of Linda’s murder quickly is connected to two other murders. The total investigation takes readers on a journey to beautiful locations and on visits to shady people. No one is safe from the suspect list from casino owners to lawyers. Can this mess of deceit, lies, and mystery safely be untangled or will the investigators fall to the dangerous murderer.
I absolutely love the setting and the level of planning in this book. The plot was entertaining and holds a lot of promise in a reread. It was difficult to write a summary of this book without giving away any spoilers. What I didn’t like was that there was just too much going on in this book making it difficult to follow the plot. It feels like it jumps around way too much and is a relatively hard read.
Adult who enjoy mysteries with multiple characters and plots. I do not recommend this book for people who have a lot of distractions to deal with regularly. Younger readers will probably get lost in this book much like I did. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I feel like this was a well though out book that many people will enjoy, I just didn’t happen to be one of them. Unfortunately I had a lot of difficulty following what was going on. It is defiantly a book I will be revisiting in the future.
Murder on the Acropolis | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers
Linda Davis and her husband, Tony are visiting the Acropolis in Greece when tragedy strikes. Linda is killed by an unknown shooter in what appears to be an assassination. Yet the question remains, was she the intended target or just caught in the crossfire? The investigation of Linda’s murder quickly is connected to two other murders. The total investigation takes readers on a journey to beautiful locations and on visits to shady people. No one is safe from the suspect list from casino owners to lawyers. Can this mess of deceit, lies, and mystery safely be untangled or will the investigators fall to the dangerous murderer.
I absolutely love the setting and the level of planning in this book. The plot was entertaining and holds a lot of promise in a reread. It was difficult to write a summary of this book without giving away any spoilers. What I didn’t like was that there was just too much going on in this book making it difficult to follow the plot. It feels like it jumps around way too much and is a relatively hard read.
Adult who enjoy mysteries with multiple characters and plots. I do not recommend this book for people who have a lot of distractions to deal with regularly. Younger readers will probably get lost in this book much like I did. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I feel like this was a well though out book that many people will enjoy, I just didn’t happen to be one of them. Unfortunately I had a lot of difficulty following what was going on. It is defiantly a book I will be revisiting in the future.
Murder on the Acropolis | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers
The Simpsons™: Tapped Out
Games and Entertainment
8.2
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THIS GAME IS LIFE-RUININGLY FUN! From the writers of The Simpsons, comes the city building game that...
IN///PARALLEL by Dhani Harrison
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Grammy Award winning musician Dhani Harrison’s first solo album IN///PARALLEL. Dhani describes...
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated State of Play (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In the corridors of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. alliances and wheeling and dealing are the name of the game. With billions if not trillions of dollars hinging on new laws and policy, corporations clearly have an interest in which way the political winds are leaning and how it will affect their all important bottom line.
In the political thriller “State of Play”, Director Kevin MacDonald has combined a stellar cast with a strong script from Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray, and Matthew Michael Carnahan to craft one of the best dramas since Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton”.
When the lead researcher of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), dies in an accident, it is a devastating blow to the young Congressman as he prepares for a series of hearings intended to cull the growth of a private security firm.
What is at first listed as an accident raises suspicion in veteran news reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), who has had a long friendship, with Collins. Despite tension in recent years, Collins turns to Cal when it is revealed that he had an affair with his researcher. As Cal looks into the story he is under pressure from his editor (Helen Mirren), to deliver a story to keep the papers new owners happy. If this was not bad enough, Cal is also dogged by an online reporter for the paper named Della (Rachael McAdams), who is looking to make a name for herself at the paper.
Cal soon learns that the assistant was killed in what was made to look like an accident, and that a shooting incident that occurred prior to the death may be related to the murder.
Cal teams up with Della and soon learns that some very big players may be involved and that they will stop at nothing to protect their secret.
In a race against time, Cal and Della must get to the bottom of the mystery and stay alive. Unsure who to trust and which way their leads will follow, Cal and Della look for the answers that unaware that the quest they have undertaken will affect the halls of power as well as the very nation itself.
“State of Play” is a very tight thriller that is filled with twists and turns. The characters are interesting and well developed and the performances are first rate. Crowe is powerful as the determined Cal and works well with Affleck and Adams. Robin Wright Penn and Helen Mirren also give very strong performances.
The story of the film seems ripped from the headlines and has an eerie sense of reality to it, and works much better than “The International” attempted to do with its conspiracy premise.
While I have avoided as many spoilers as I could, suffice it to say that the film does have a deep plot that twists and turns to a rewarding conclusion and will keep your attention. I would hope that the fine work in this film is not forgotten when the Oscars come up next.
In the political thriller “State of Play”, Director Kevin MacDonald has combined a stellar cast with a strong script from Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray, and Matthew Michael Carnahan to craft one of the best dramas since Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton”.
When the lead researcher of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), dies in an accident, it is a devastating blow to the young Congressman as he prepares for a series of hearings intended to cull the growth of a private security firm.
What is at first listed as an accident raises suspicion in veteran news reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), who has had a long friendship, with Collins. Despite tension in recent years, Collins turns to Cal when it is revealed that he had an affair with his researcher. As Cal looks into the story he is under pressure from his editor (Helen Mirren), to deliver a story to keep the papers new owners happy. If this was not bad enough, Cal is also dogged by an online reporter for the paper named Della (Rachael McAdams), who is looking to make a name for herself at the paper.
Cal soon learns that the assistant was killed in what was made to look like an accident, and that a shooting incident that occurred prior to the death may be related to the murder.
Cal teams up with Della and soon learns that some very big players may be involved and that they will stop at nothing to protect their secret.
In a race against time, Cal and Della must get to the bottom of the mystery and stay alive. Unsure who to trust and which way their leads will follow, Cal and Della look for the answers that unaware that the quest they have undertaken will affect the halls of power as well as the very nation itself.
“State of Play” is a very tight thriller that is filled with twists and turns. The characters are interesting and well developed and the performances are first rate. Crowe is powerful as the determined Cal and works well with Affleck and Adams. Robin Wright Penn and Helen Mirren also give very strong performances.
The story of the film seems ripped from the headlines and has an eerie sense of reality to it, and works much better than “The International” attempted to do with its conspiracy premise.
While I have avoided as many spoilers as I could, suffice it to say that the film does have a deep plot that twists and turns to a rewarding conclusion and will keep your attention. I would hope that the fine work in this film is not forgotten when the Oscars come up next.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated the PC version of Marvel's Avengers in Video Games
Sep 7, 2020
Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have combined to create one of the most enjoyable Super Hero games ever and one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences of 2020. In Marvel’s Avengers; players are introduced to Kamala Khan; a huge Avengers fan who is invited to be a Fan Fiction finalist and VIP at the massive A Day convention in San Francisco.
What starts as a celebration for the famed heroes soon turns tragic and the game picks up five years late in a world where the Avengers and Heroes are no more. A corporation known as AIM has acquired Stark Industries and maintains their version of law and order through specialized forces as robotic Synths. It is revealed that a reactor powered by a new source was to blame for the A Day disaster and it has created Inhumans as a result.
Kamala finds herself able to stretch her body and upon learning that things on A Day were not as the world has been set to believe sets off with AIM hot on her heels to unlock the clues and save the Avengers.
Along the way players will play as several of the iconic characters and will encounter group missions where players may be matched online or assigned A.I. companions.
Each characters has their own unique skills and timed special abilities which recharge after use and can be a game-changer as enemies become more numerous and difficult.
Each character also has their own combat moves and abilities ranging from ranged attacks to close quarters combat. While The Hulk can throw objects; he is better suited to get in close and mix things up. Iron Man while capable of delivering punches is better used flying and hovering and blasting everything he encounters.
Part of the joy of the game aside from the engaging story is learning new ways to defeat enemies including some team based body slams and other enjoyable moves.
Players are based on a Helicarrier and there are plenty of things to explore and naturally numerous cosmetics, upgrades, and such which players can obtain via looting or at many of the vendors they encounter.
Missions are assigned via a War Table and players have the option to select campaign specific missions or to mix in some side missions as well. Upon completion of the main game; players will have the opportunity to play more side and extra missions and can use a Quick Match open to play with other players as well.
There were a few glitches along the way on my PC build but while a bit annoying a first they became less frequent as the game went along. Some people may have issues with the look of the characters as Tony Stark for example looked to me more like a young Ben Affleck than Robert Downey Jr. but with so many interpretations of the characters over the years this is a minor issue as I was enveloped by the gameplay quickly.
Missions are enjoyable and the timed jump sequences are not unreasonable and players looking for a challenge will be able to adjust the game difficulty to a setting that best suits their style of play.
I first played the game at an invite only meeting during PAX West 2019 and after getting some gameplay time; the developers outlined to us some of the long-term plans for the game from new characters and cosmetics and so on. The game sets up further adventures well and I found myself enjoying the game and characters from starts to finish. The game does a great job establishing Kamala and building her character while giving players plenty of time as the classic Avengers and has more than a few nice surprises along the way.
4 stars out of 5
What starts as a celebration for the famed heroes soon turns tragic and the game picks up five years late in a world where the Avengers and Heroes are no more. A corporation known as AIM has acquired Stark Industries and maintains their version of law and order through specialized forces as robotic Synths. It is revealed that a reactor powered by a new source was to blame for the A Day disaster and it has created Inhumans as a result.
Kamala finds herself able to stretch her body and upon learning that things on A Day were not as the world has been set to believe sets off with AIM hot on her heels to unlock the clues and save the Avengers.
Along the way players will play as several of the iconic characters and will encounter group missions where players may be matched online or assigned A.I. companions.
Each characters has their own unique skills and timed special abilities which recharge after use and can be a game-changer as enemies become more numerous and difficult.
Each character also has their own combat moves and abilities ranging from ranged attacks to close quarters combat. While The Hulk can throw objects; he is better suited to get in close and mix things up. Iron Man while capable of delivering punches is better used flying and hovering and blasting everything he encounters.
Part of the joy of the game aside from the engaging story is learning new ways to defeat enemies including some team based body slams and other enjoyable moves.
Players are based on a Helicarrier and there are plenty of things to explore and naturally numerous cosmetics, upgrades, and such which players can obtain via looting or at many of the vendors they encounter.
Missions are assigned via a War Table and players have the option to select campaign specific missions or to mix in some side missions as well. Upon completion of the main game; players will have the opportunity to play more side and extra missions and can use a Quick Match open to play with other players as well.
There were a few glitches along the way on my PC build but while a bit annoying a first they became less frequent as the game went along. Some people may have issues with the look of the characters as Tony Stark for example looked to me more like a young Ben Affleck than Robert Downey Jr. but with so many interpretations of the characters over the years this is a minor issue as I was enveloped by the gameplay quickly.
Missions are enjoyable and the timed jump sequences are not unreasonable and players looking for a challenge will be able to adjust the game difficulty to a setting that best suits their style of play.
I first played the game at an invite only meeting during PAX West 2019 and after getting some gameplay time; the developers outlined to us some of the long-term plans for the game from new characters and cosmetics and so on. The game sets up further adventures well and I found myself enjoying the game and characters from starts to finish. The game does a great job establishing Kamala and building her character while giving players plenty of time as the classic Avengers and has more than a few nice surprises along the way.
4 stars out of 5
JT (287 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
With the news that Disney and Sony will no longer co-produce Spider-Man films, it seems apt that the teen web-slinger headed off on a European vacation to get away from it all. A chance to chill out and take in the sights after the traumatic events of Avengers: Endgame.
For Peter Parker (Tom Holland), coming to terms with the loss of his mentor Tony Stark has been an emotional rollercoaster. Add to that the pressure for him to carry the mantle of Iron Man would be too much for any teenager to bear, let alone a quietly spoken superhero. But back in the halls of high-school with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and eyes still firmly fixed on MJ (Zendaya), Peter feels that life might be calming down – even deciding to leave his iconic suit behind, much to the dismay of his Aunt (Marisa Tomei).
When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) finally gets through after being ghosted a number of times on the phone, he informs Peter that a new force called the ‘Elementals’ has been leaving a trail of destruction across the world. As luck would have it a new superhero called Mysterio has arrived at just the right time to save the day, albeit it conveniently.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations.
Peter comes face to face with Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) aka Mysterio. In Beck, Parker has found someone who sympathises with his problems and straight away sees him as a knee jerk replacement to Stark. Confiding in Beck, as well as handing him a pair of billionaire-dollar high-tech sunglasses which, has the ability to connect to various satellites and weapons, Peter is able to shift responsibility and concentrate on being just your regular love-struck teen.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive, giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations in spectacular fashion. As Spider-Man and Mysterio combine forces to defeat the extraterrestrial Elementals there is something more disturbing about the goldfish-bowl wearing crime fighter.
Spider-Man: Far From Home keeps the humour trickling along and a number of romantic narratives spin-off from the main story. There is the awkward love interest between Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Aunt May, with the former looking to fill the void left by his long-time companion, while Ned is also struck by cupid’s arrow. However, it is Peter and MJ’s on-screen romance that shines through, giving fans what they have wanted since Homecoming.
As to where this leaves the franchise given the recent split by the studios is anyone’s guess. Spider-Man is firmly entrenched in the Marvel Universe and any crossovers with other Marvel characters would probably not be allowed. Could this leave a tantalizing match-up between Spidey and Tom Hardy’s Venom, which despite some harsh criticism was a box office success?
For Peter Parker (Tom Holland), coming to terms with the loss of his mentor Tony Stark has been an emotional rollercoaster. Add to that the pressure for him to carry the mantle of Iron Man would be too much for any teenager to bear, let alone a quietly spoken superhero. But back in the halls of high-school with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and eyes still firmly fixed on MJ (Zendaya), Peter feels that life might be calming down – even deciding to leave his iconic suit behind, much to the dismay of his Aunt (Marisa Tomei).
When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) finally gets through after being ghosted a number of times on the phone, he informs Peter that a new force called the ‘Elementals’ has been leaving a trail of destruction across the world. As luck would have it a new superhero called Mysterio has arrived at just the right time to save the day, albeit it conveniently.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations.
Peter comes face to face with Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) aka Mysterio. In Beck, Parker has found someone who sympathises with his problems and straight away sees him as a knee jerk replacement to Stark. Confiding in Beck, as well as handing him a pair of billionaire-dollar high-tech sunglasses which, has the ability to connect to various satellites and weapons, Peter is able to shift responsibility and concentrate on being just your regular love-struck teen.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive, giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations in spectacular fashion. As Spider-Man and Mysterio combine forces to defeat the extraterrestrial Elementals there is something more disturbing about the goldfish-bowl wearing crime fighter.
Spider-Man: Far From Home keeps the humour trickling along and a number of romantic narratives spin-off from the main story. There is the awkward love interest between Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Aunt May, with the former looking to fill the void left by his long-time companion, while Ned is also struck by cupid’s arrow. However, it is Peter and MJ’s on-screen romance that shines through, giving fans what they have wanted since Homecoming.
As to where this leaves the franchise given the recent split by the studios is anyone’s guess. Spider-Man is firmly entrenched in the Marvel Universe and any crossovers with other Marvel characters would probably not be allowed. Could this leave a tantalizing match-up between Spidey and Tom Hardy’s Venom, which despite some harsh criticism was a box office success?
Erika (17788 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
Apr 27, 2018 (Updated Apr 28, 2018)
Predictable (1 more)
Some shoddy SFX
Contains spoilers, click to show
So, it's finally here, Happy Infinity War day!
Now, I'm even going to enter down. Seriously, don't read any further if you want the movie unspoiled.
Yes, I'm calling the film predictable, because it was. It's not necessarily a bad thing, there just wasn't anything that honestly surprised me.
For one, I completely guessed the first two people to bite the dust, based solely on the end credit scene in Ragnarok. Heimdall dies first, but not before conveniently getting Hulk out of there.
Loki dies next, but not before you think they're completely going to reverse the story arc from Ragnarok. Whew, but they didn't. Hiddles did a really fantastic job in the whole 5-10 min he was in the film.
Thanos looked pretty good, they seemed to have fixed the color on him from the whack neon purple in that first trailer. His minions were a bit weak, and overall I don't even know what their names were, however, I don't think I was supposed to care.
I think the Guardians of the Galaxy were given way too much screentime. I'm so over them. I also got a Gamora backstory that I didn't want nor need. I'm hoping she's one of the for sure dead.
I was so happy they finally addressed Red Skull, of course he was alive! My only question is, yall couldn't shell out enough money to get Hugo Weaving back in the makeup? Come on Disney.
The only characters I for sure believe are dead and gone, are Vision, Loki, and Heimdall. Gamora is up for debate. Everyone else...come on, it's a comic book movie. I do wish they'd have had the balls to let Tony Stark die.
So, at the end, we're left with the OG Avengers. Hawkeye and Ant Man are with their fams, and Thanos got what he wanted. There's also the Captain Marvel paging scene after the credits. Of course it needed to be in there.
ALSO, set up for Venom?? That was such a good idea! At least, I believe it was supposed to be a set up...
Ah right, the shoddy SFX... there are a few scenes towards the end, especially with Thor that looked so cheap. It was strange.
Anyway, I can't give it a 10 because of those shoddy graphics, and there was too much GotG.
Now, I'm even going to enter down. Seriously, don't read any further if you want the movie unspoiled.
Yes, I'm calling the film predictable, because it was. It's not necessarily a bad thing, there just wasn't anything that honestly surprised me.
For one, I completely guessed the first two people to bite the dust, based solely on the end credit scene in Ragnarok. Heimdall dies first, but not before conveniently getting Hulk out of there.
Loki dies next, but not before you think they're completely going to reverse the story arc from Ragnarok. Whew, but they didn't. Hiddles did a really fantastic job in the whole 5-10 min he was in the film.
Thanos looked pretty good, they seemed to have fixed the color on him from the whack neon purple in that first trailer. His minions were a bit weak, and overall I don't even know what their names were, however, I don't think I was supposed to care.
I think the Guardians of the Galaxy were given way too much screentime. I'm so over them. I also got a Gamora backstory that I didn't want nor need. I'm hoping she's one of the for sure dead.
I was so happy they finally addressed Red Skull, of course he was alive! My only question is, yall couldn't shell out enough money to get Hugo Weaving back in the makeup? Come on Disney.
The only characters I for sure believe are dead and gone, are Vision, Loki, and Heimdall. Gamora is up for debate. Everyone else...come on, it's a comic book movie. I do wish they'd have had the balls to let Tony Stark die.
So, at the end, we're left with the OG Avengers. Hawkeye and Ant Man are with their fams, and Thanos got what he wanted. There's also the Captain Marvel paging scene after the credits. Of course it needed to be in there.
ALSO, set up for Venom?? That was such a good idea! At least, I believe it was supposed to be a set up...
Ah right, the shoddy SFX... there are a few scenes towards the end, especially with Thor that looked so cheap. It was strange.
Anyway, I can't give it a 10 because of those shoddy graphics, and there was too much GotG.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Great Race (1965) in Movies
Jul 6, 2018
A fun throwback to 1920's Silent Film Farces
In a tribute to films of a bygone era, Director Blake Edwards pays homage to silent film farces of the 1920's - even dedicating this film to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy" - with the slapstick comedy THE GREAT RACE - and succeeds, mostly.
Reteaming Tony Curtis (as the brave, virtuous and good "The Great Leslie") and Jack Lemmon (as the sinister, dastardly and evil "Professor Fate"), The Great Race is great fun watching these two cartoon characters spar and parry with each other throughout the course of this 2 hour and 40 minute farce.
Lemmon, in particular, relishes in dual roles as the menacing Fate, always dressed in black, twirling his mustache and coming up with scheme after scheme to derail Leslie (think the Coyote in the RoadRunner cartoons). His overacting and hammyness in the character is perfect for the tone that this film has set. And his maniacal laugh is one to remember - unless you are remembering the childlike guffaws of the other character Lemmon portrays, the doppelganger of Fate, Crown Prince Frederick. Both these characters are fun to watch and Fate, especially, plays well against his bumbling assistant and foil, "Max", played in utter buffoonishness by the great Peter Falk.
Joining Curtis for the "good guys" is Natalie Wood as Suffragette and Newspaper
Reporter Maggie DuBois (obviously tailored after real life Suffragette and Newspaper Reporter Nellie Bly). It is said that Curtis and Wood did not get along on set (they had worked together in 2 other films and grew to dislike each other), but their on-screen chemistry cannot be ignored and they are fun together. As is the great Keenan Wynn as Leslie's mechanic and friend Hezekiah Sturdy.
But it is not the characters that makes this film go it is the set pieces and frenetic pacing that Director Edwards put before us. From thrilling chase scenes to a Western barroom brawl, to a trip through a blizzard with a polar bear to the "largest pie fight ever put on screen", this film delivers the goods in a wholesome, 1960's way that makes me truly say...
"They don't make 'em like this anymore".
8 out 10 stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Reteaming Tony Curtis (as the brave, virtuous and good "The Great Leslie") and Jack Lemmon (as the sinister, dastardly and evil "Professor Fate"), The Great Race is great fun watching these two cartoon characters spar and parry with each other throughout the course of this 2 hour and 40 minute farce.
Lemmon, in particular, relishes in dual roles as the menacing Fate, always dressed in black, twirling his mustache and coming up with scheme after scheme to derail Leslie (think the Coyote in the RoadRunner cartoons). His overacting and hammyness in the character is perfect for the tone that this film has set. And his maniacal laugh is one to remember - unless you are remembering the childlike guffaws of the other character Lemmon portrays, the doppelganger of Fate, Crown Prince Frederick. Both these characters are fun to watch and Fate, especially, plays well against his bumbling assistant and foil, "Max", played in utter buffoonishness by the great Peter Falk.
Joining Curtis for the "good guys" is Natalie Wood as Suffragette and Newspaper
Reporter Maggie DuBois (obviously tailored after real life Suffragette and Newspaper Reporter Nellie Bly). It is said that Curtis and Wood did not get along on set (they had worked together in 2 other films and grew to dislike each other), but their on-screen chemistry cannot be ignored and they are fun together. As is the great Keenan Wynn as Leslie's mechanic and friend Hezekiah Sturdy.
But it is not the characters that makes this film go it is the set pieces and frenetic pacing that Director Edwards put before us. From thrilling chase scenes to a Western barroom brawl, to a trip through a blizzard with a polar bear to the "largest pie fight ever put on screen", this film delivers the goods in a wholesome, 1960's way that makes me truly say...
"They don't make 'em like this anymore".
8 out 10 stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)