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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
June 6, 1944 is the day known around the world as D-Day. This historic day marks the massive invasion of France by the allied forces in an effort to regain the country from the hands of Germany and push back the mighty German war machine all the way to Berlin. There have been many movies, books, and even videogames about the invasion over the years, so even the biggest war buffs might be wondering…really, they made yet another movie about D-Day? Well, the movie Overlord is quite a bit different from anything we have even seen previously. This movie is still about Operation Overlord but does not focus on the amphibious assault and instead shows us the missions leading up to it. Still not unique enough for you? Well, in Overlord we have all the battles, weaponry and Nazis of an excellent war film but in true J.J. Abrams fashion we now also have ZOMBIES!
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Device Locator: Track and Locate Family Members and Lost or Stolen iPhones
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Swipe down to instantly know where your loved ones are without having to read confusing maps! Know...
Paul Kellett (118 KP) rated Dawn of the Zeds (Third edition) in Tabletop Games
May 20, 2019
Staged rules to ease you in slowly (1 more)
Strong solo game plus team and 1 Vs many rules
The Ultimate Zombie Tower Defense
I've been wanting DotZ for some time so jumped on the reprint and expansions when they hit Kickstarter last year.
As a solo player, having a town defense game designed as a solo game first was a big draw for me and the game certainly doesn't disappoint.
After hearing so much about it and the complexity, I was surprised to find it a lot smaller than I expected - the board is smaller than most modern board games and there aren't anywhere near as many chits and cards as other wargames. The game will play easily on a coffee table.
The first thing you see are the 5 rule books, but these are handily split into a "Start Here" basic game book which lets you quickly jump in and play a basic game, just your heroes fending off the Zeds from reaching the town, the advanced rules which lead you through the next level of difficulty, adding in extra rules, the set-up guide with all the instructions for each difficulty level plus epilogues to see how well you did. Next there is the Farmingdale Dossier - a reference book with all the various hero and zombie special skills and finally, the complete rules A-Z with rules for all difficulty levels and game modes.
The levels are all colour coded so it is easy to sort and set up the desired difficulty level and the rules are similarly split up and each rule numbered so you can quickly find what you need.
Gameplay is tight and atmospheric, you really feel like you are holding back the zombie hoardes. Careful planning and strategy is vital as actions are limited (and you never actually know how many actions you will get from turn to turn making you make some hard choices as to what is best to do each turn.
Overall a very satisfying game that will keep me busy for a long time and the ability to add more advanced rules when I feel comfortable is great.
As a solo player, having a town defense game designed as a solo game first was a big draw for me and the game certainly doesn't disappoint.
After hearing so much about it and the complexity, I was surprised to find it a lot smaller than I expected - the board is smaller than most modern board games and there aren't anywhere near as many chits and cards as other wargames. The game will play easily on a coffee table.
The first thing you see are the 5 rule books, but these are handily split into a "Start Here" basic game book which lets you quickly jump in and play a basic game, just your heroes fending off the Zeds from reaching the town, the advanced rules which lead you through the next level of difficulty, adding in extra rules, the set-up guide with all the instructions for each difficulty level plus epilogues to see how well you did. Next there is the Farmingdale Dossier - a reference book with all the various hero and zombie special skills and finally, the complete rules A-Z with rules for all difficulty levels and game modes.
The levels are all colour coded so it is easy to sort and set up the desired difficulty level and the rules are similarly split up and each rule numbered so you can quickly find what you need.
Gameplay is tight and atmospheric, you really feel like you are holding back the zombie hoardes. Careful planning and strategy is vital as actions are limited (and you never actually know how many actions you will get from turn to turn making you make some hard choices as to what is best to do each turn.
Overall a very satisfying game that will keep me busy for a long time and the ability to add more advanced rules when I feel comfortable is great.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated The Fakersville Power Station (Edgar Font's Hunt for a House to Haunt, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
Well to start you off, When I was finish reading the Adventure One of this series "The Castle Tower Lighthouse". So I went in to my library and checked this one out and with the third installment. Well my thoughts on the book itself.
Combine Doyle's unparalleled storytelling with a little guidance from the spirit world and the result is this ingenious literary concoction second in sequence only. In the forward readers are greeted with a letter from the author, which explains the origin of the story and includes a special note of thanks to his ghostly housemate, thus setting the stage for a magical reading experience.
Audrey and Garrett Font thought for sure this would have been a most boring summer, but was before their week long lighthouse adventure. Now they are as excited as their grandpa to explore the beautiful, colonial style house tuck way by towering waterfall. Following great grandpa and Leo drawings, the three of them start on their way into the vast forests of Northern California in search of Fakersville. But after sixty years, Grandpa's memories of this picturesque area seem to be the only thing left of this once vibrant mining town. How could they find the house grandpa was so anxious to explore if they couldn't even find the town?
They meet a new characters to be introduced is the cantankerous, president of the Inventor's Club, Mr. Howard August. Listening to his stories the Font's learn a great deal about the history of Fakersville, from thriving quartz mining area to a deserted ghost town of sorts, where curiosity seekers simply disappear. Following a series of clues and solving puzzles, with the assistance of a new friend, the Font's begin to uncover the towns long buried secrets. But is it too late? Can they rescue their beloved grandpa and prevent the Mayor from writing another chapter in the mysterious story of Fakersville.
You learn lots of educational and moral lessons though out the books. There a lot going on but is a wonderful book to read. It has you guessing along with the characters. I love this book along with the first and i would recommend it.
Combine Doyle's unparalleled storytelling with a little guidance from the spirit world and the result is this ingenious literary concoction second in sequence only. In the forward readers are greeted with a letter from the author, which explains the origin of the story and includes a special note of thanks to his ghostly housemate, thus setting the stage for a magical reading experience.
Audrey and Garrett Font thought for sure this would have been a most boring summer, but was before their week long lighthouse adventure. Now they are as excited as their grandpa to explore the beautiful, colonial style house tuck way by towering waterfall. Following great grandpa and Leo drawings, the three of them start on their way into the vast forests of Northern California in search of Fakersville. But after sixty years, Grandpa's memories of this picturesque area seem to be the only thing left of this once vibrant mining town. How could they find the house grandpa was so anxious to explore if they couldn't even find the town?
They meet a new characters to be introduced is the cantankerous, president of the Inventor's Club, Mr. Howard August. Listening to his stories the Font's learn a great deal about the history of Fakersville, from thriving quartz mining area to a deserted ghost town of sorts, where curiosity seekers simply disappear. Following a series of clues and solving puzzles, with the assistance of a new friend, the Font's begin to uncover the towns long buried secrets. But is it too late? Can they rescue their beloved grandpa and prevent the Mayor from writing another chapter in the mysterious story of Fakersville.
You learn lots of educational and moral lessons though out the books. There a lot going on but is a wonderful book to read. It has you guessing along with the characters. I love this book along with the first and i would recommend it.
Kelly (279 KP) rated Idle Heroes - Idle Games in Apps
Dec 5, 2018
Ideal for time wasting
I originally trialled this game in order to get free credits for another game, but rather than delete it after achieving the desired goal, I have kept pursuing it.
The game itself involves the development of heroes, you start by building up 3 star and 4 star heroes, progressing towards 10 stars. Initially I found it quite fast to develop 5 star heroes, collecting my daily bonuses from activities to speed up the process. Progressing to six star +, brings a whole new level of challenge, as you need to merge specific heroes together - I have found that this takes a lot more time in order to collect the correct amount of resources.
The creators of the game provide a large number of diamonds on a daily basis, which is beneficial to players, as it means you do not have to spend money in order to progress through the game. There are paid options if desired, where you can purchase VIP, which gives you access to additional aspects to help speed the game.
Heroes can be used in battle against the computer in the tower of oblivion and various other forums within the game, but you do find you become stuck at a level, sometimes for many days whilst trying to up grade.
To support the social aspect of the game, there is the option to join a guild. If the guild is active and works together, then this supports the development of your own team. One thing I have found on this game, is that there is a lack of audience of the game at the moment, and a large number of inactive players. This has meant that guilds do struggle to start up. The game also operates across several servers which cannot interact with each other, meaning friends need to be directed to join specific servers (and will have to carry out the introduction activities twice).
All in all the game is enjoyable and addictive, however it does have a few flaws, which I am hoping will be ironed out with time.
The game itself involves the development of heroes, you start by building up 3 star and 4 star heroes, progressing towards 10 stars. Initially I found it quite fast to develop 5 star heroes, collecting my daily bonuses from activities to speed up the process. Progressing to six star +, brings a whole new level of challenge, as you need to merge specific heroes together - I have found that this takes a lot more time in order to collect the correct amount of resources.
The creators of the game provide a large number of diamonds on a daily basis, which is beneficial to players, as it means you do not have to spend money in order to progress through the game. There are paid options if desired, where you can purchase VIP, which gives you access to additional aspects to help speed the game.
Heroes can be used in battle against the computer in the tower of oblivion and various other forums within the game, but you do find you become stuck at a level, sometimes for many days whilst trying to up grade.
To support the social aspect of the game, there is the option to join a guild. If the guild is active and works together, then this supports the development of your own team. One thing I have found on this game, is that there is a lack of audience of the game at the moment, and a large number of inactive players. This has meant that guilds do struggle to start up. The game also operates across several servers which cannot interact with each other, meaning friends need to be directed to join specific servers (and will have to carry out the introduction activities twice).
All in all the game is enjoyable and addictive, however it does have a few flaws, which I am hoping will be ironed out with time.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Queen's Confidante in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The book has three mysteries at the heart - was Arthur Tudor really murdered (I confess this is a new theory to me and not sure how credible this is), what happened to the so-called Princes in the Tower and what became of Lord Lovell after the Battle of Stoke. Personally, I think the latter is done a great disservice here, based on the historical knowns of his character. Even so, what happens and with the hero and heroine's consent is pretty horrific - yes, I know the historical basis for this, but it doesn't do much good for liking the supposed protagonists! Also the rather melodramatic language as the book nears it's conclusion - monster, beast, devil - it just goes a bit over the top.
I could explain a bit more about why I wasn't keen on the book, but it would be difficult to do without spoilers, so I suppose I will leave that there. I will just say that I find it hard to credit that when Elizabeth Woodville came out of sanctuary in 1484 she didn't know what had happened to her sons and therefore one would assume that Elizabeth of York would also have known - and she was happy enough to be honoured at her uncle's court that Yuletide. Having the Elizabeth of this book rail against Yorkists when she came from what seemed a close family does seem to me to be somewhat absurd.
There are, also, a number of errors which could and should have been picked up. Another reviewer has already mentioned the note which is shown to two other people on one page and on the following page is apparently a secret! There are also TWO erroneous mentions of Richard duke of York, when the context is reasonably clear the person actually referred to is York's son, Richard Duke of Gloucester - elementary mistake that should not have been made!
Perhaps I have read too many non-fiction books about the period and have formed my own strong opinions to enjoy this book as much as some other reviewers. If it is going to be your 'thing' I can only give you my opinion and leave it to yourselves to determine.
I could explain a bit more about why I wasn't keen on the book, but it would be difficult to do without spoilers, so I suppose I will leave that there. I will just say that I find it hard to credit that when Elizabeth Woodville came out of sanctuary in 1484 she didn't know what had happened to her sons and therefore one would assume that Elizabeth of York would also have known - and she was happy enough to be honoured at her uncle's court that Yuletide. Having the Elizabeth of this book rail against Yorkists when she came from what seemed a close family does seem to me to be somewhat absurd.
There are, also, a number of errors which could and should have been picked up. Another reviewer has already mentioned the note which is shown to two other people on one page and on the following page is apparently a secret! There are also TWO erroneous mentions of Richard duke of York, when the context is reasonably clear the person actually referred to is York's son, Richard Duke of Gloucester - elementary mistake that should not have been made!
Perhaps I have read too many non-fiction books about the period and have formed my own strong opinions to enjoy this book as much as some other reviewers. If it is going to be your 'thing' I can only give you my opinion and leave it to yourselves to determine.
Ross (3282 KP) rated The Gutter Prayer in Books
Jan 15, 2020
A heist gone wrong
This is a very strange fantasy book. The story starts with a crew of three (a demonic type of person, a human exile girl, and a young man gradually turning to stone) sent to steal an artefact from the Tower of Law. During the heist the building starts to fall down around them and they scatter. There then follows a strange twisting and turning story in a very unique and unusual world. Conspiracies abound as all sides (government, alchemists, thieves, underground creatures) battle for access to artefacts, buildings and, eventually, gods.
The worldbuilding as a whole is superb. This is by far one of the most unusual worlds I have read a story in, with so many different races, creatures and magical things. However, large important parts of this are revealed throughout the book, so things just happen. I wouldn't say they are times of deus ex machina, but definitely some foreshadowing would be nice. This is increasingly annoying over the final third of the book, where new aspects of magic are being made up as we go.
The story is strong, albeit a little convoluted and at times Hanrahan's narrative tone is really nice. However the cast of not altogether distinct characters and names did make me struggle a little, with slightly too many factions or people introduced.
I also found the pace of the book dropped off after the first third, and it took me way longer to finish than it should have as my enjoyment tapered off.
There were a large number of typos throughout the book, more than would even be acceptable for a self-published book, in some cases I think character names were mixed up which meant conversations were harder to follow than they needed to be. Small things like this really hampered my progress through what was, in hindsight, a really good book. I have rated this up a little having had a day or so to calm down from a disappointing end. I have the follow-on book to read soon for Netgalley and will go in to it hoping for better editing and with more of an idea about the world the book takes place in.
The worldbuilding as a whole is superb. This is by far one of the most unusual worlds I have read a story in, with so many different races, creatures and magical things. However, large important parts of this are revealed throughout the book, so things just happen. I wouldn't say they are times of deus ex machina, but definitely some foreshadowing would be nice. This is increasingly annoying over the final third of the book, where new aspects of magic are being made up as we go.
The story is strong, albeit a little convoluted and at times Hanrahan's narrative tone is really nice. However the cast of not altogether distinct characters and names did make me struggle a little, with slightly too many factions or people introduced.
I also found the pace of the book dropped off after the first third, and it took me way longer to finish than it should have as my enjoyment tapered off.
There were a large number of typos throughout the book, more than would even be acceptable for a self-published book, in some cases I think character names were mixed up which meant conversations were harder to follow than they needed to be. Small things like this really hampered my progress through what was, in hindsight, a really good book. I have rated this up a little having had a day or so to calm down from a disappointing end. I have the follow-on book to read soon for Netgalley and will go in to it hoping for better editing and with more of an idea about the world the book takes place in.
Transformers Rescue Bots: Sky Forest Rescue
Book and Education
App
The TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS have finally landed…in their first-ever interactive storybook app! ...