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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Director Michael Bay is back with “Transformers” The Last Knight”, and even before the Paramount logo could fade; Bay’s trademark fire and explosions light up the screen. This is a big indication of what is to come as from the start we are bombarded with fire, explosions, and lots of slow motion shots of people being thrown about.
The film stars Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager who continues to try to help the Autobots despite being declared illegal for their destructive war with the Decepticons which has left a path of human death and destruction in its wake.
While Cade runs afoul of the government, he reluctantly helps those in need including a young girl named Izabella (Isabela Moner), who also has a soft spot for the kind Autobots.
The two warring factions are in a race to find a mythical object that they believe will restore they damaged home world but of course, will lay waste to the Earth in the process. One would say ok with this storyline we have enough to work with. Unfortunately the film keeps cramming in plot points and subplots that do not really go anywhere. We are introduced to characters that appear important and then vanish for most of the film without contributing much of any significance. The audience is also bombarded with a barrage of chases, action sequences and of course; fiery explosions after another but without anything in the form of suspense or excitement.
Sir Anthony Hopkins appears and for a few moments I had hopes that the film would start to be more coherent and gain some focus, but thanks to his erratic and annoying character and even more annoying robotic butler, the film almost becomes unwatchable. It was like watching a two-plus hour FX reel for people with short attention spans. The dialogue is groan inducing even for an action film and it seems as if every character can only say Sh*t when they are frustrated or stressed.
I do not expect a great plot, acting, or writing for a film based on a popular toy series but we have seen much better examples in the prior films.
It seems that Bay is so content to simply let the very impressive visuals of the film carry the day and things such as a plot, character development, and a brisker run time simply got in the way of his desire to blow more things up and fill each shot with as many FX sequences as possible regardless of how annoying they were and if they were needed at all.
I am not a Michael Bay basher as has a solid track record of success and you know what you are getting with him. But if the franchise is to move forward, it will need an infusion of fresh ideas and creativity as this was borderline unwatchable at points. The fans and the franchise deserve much better than this effort.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/20/transformers-last-knight/
The film stars Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager who continues to try to help the Autobots despite being declared illegal for their destructive war with the Decepticons which has left a path of human death and destruction in its wake.
While Cade runs afoul of the government, he reluctantly helps those in need including a young girl named Izabella (Isabela Moner), who also has a soft spot for the kind Autobots.
The two warring factions are in a race to find a mythical object that they believe will restore they damaged home world but of course, will lay waste to the Earth in the process. One would say ok with this storyline we have enough to work with. Unfortunately the film keeps cramming in plot points and subplots that do not really go anywhere. We are introduced to characters that appear important and then vanish for most of the film without contributing much of any significance. The audience is also bombarded with a barrage of chases, action sequences and of course; fiery explosions after another but without anything in the form of suspense or excitement.
Sir Anthony Hopkins appears and for a few moments I had hopes that the film would start to be more coherent and gain some focus, but thanks to his erratic and annoying character and even more annoying robotic butler, the film almost becomes unwatchable. It was like watching a two-plus hour FX reel for people with short attention spans. The dialogue is groan inducing even for an action film and it seems as if every character can only say Sh*t when they are frustrated or stressed.
I do not expect a great plot, acting, or writing for a film based on a popular toy series but we have seen much better examples in the prior films.
It seems that Bay is so content to simply let the very impressive visuals of the film carry the day and things such as a plot, character development, and a brisker run time simply got in the way of his desire to blow more things up and fill each shot with as many FX sequences as possible regardless of how annoying they were and if they were needed at all.
I am not a Michael Bay basher as has a solid track record of success and you know what you are getting with him. But if the franchise is to move forward, it will need an infusion of fresh ideas and creativity as this was borderline unwatchable at points. The fans and the franchise deserve much better than this effort.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/20/transformers-last-knight/
Don’t Wake Up is the story of Alex, a Doctor working in a busy emergency department. Alex seems to have everything going for her. She has a fiance, she has a home, a career. Until one day, she is attacked and sexually assaulted, in circumstances that seem totally unrealistic to anyone and everyone. Support quickly dies, and nobody believes her. Her fiance leaves, her friends and colleagues leave. She’s left doubting her own sanity. Then, she ends up framed for a murder she didn’t commit. The trail of destruction runs through her life whilst she tries to prove that she’s innocent, and is indeed a victim herself.
With well thought out unpredictable twists and a very good element of surprise, I found this book to be a fantastic read. The main character, the victim Alex, is well thought out with an enormous layer of depth to her. You truly feel empathy for her, and her situation. Her story takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion, where you feel like you want to reach through the pages and hold her hand as she stumbles and falls through trying to survive her ordeal. Although what happened to Alex seems unbelievable to the other characters, you as a reader know the truth, and you’ll want to scream it. Especially to a certain Detective Best.
There are too many positives from this book to list. So I’ll keep it as short as I can. The character depth is amazing, the story world is immersive and interesting. Every details is covered, you’re left imagining nothing as the whole picture is painted for you. The entire book is consistent without, as are the characters and their belief systems and backstories. It’s a brilliantly thought out plot, and an ending so unique I haven’t seen it in a while.
I only have two criticisms, and even then they’re mild. One is the books length. It’s shorter than it needed to be. I’d have loved for an extra few chapters on the end, showing Alex truly move from victim to survivor. It wouldn’t affect the main story in any way at all, and doesn’t cause the book to be anything less than brilliant. It just would’ve been nice from a personal point of view, to watch Alex step into her future. The second, and again only small, criticism I have is that the time hops are often hard to place. A chapter will skip ahead by a few days / weeks etc, and it’s hard to know where we are. Within a few pages though it’s either a] easier to work out, or b] it doesn’t actually matter as it doesn’t affect the story.
Overall, this book is fantastic. It’s a thoroughly good read, with twists and an ending, that comes out of no where. A genuine page turner that really keeps you interested in what’s to come next.
With well thought out unpredictable twists and a very good element of surprise, I found this book to be a fantastic read. The main character, the victim Alex, is well thought out with an enormous layer of depth to her. You truly feel empathy for her, and her situation. Her story takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion, where you feel like you want to reach through the pages and hold her hand as she stumbles and falls through trying to survive her ordeal. Although what happened to Alex seems unbelievable to the other characters, you as a reader know the truth, and you’ll want to scream it. Especially to a certain Detective Best.
There are too many positives from this book to list. So I’ll keep it as short as I can. The character depth is amazing, the story world is immersive and interesting. Every details is covered, you’re left imagining nothing as the whole picture is painted for you. The entire book is consistent without, as are the characters and their belief systems and backstories. It’s a brilliantly thought out plot, and an ending so unique I haven’t seen it in a while.
I only have two criticisms, and even then they’re mild. One is the books length. It’s shorter than it needed to be. I’d have loved for an extra few chapters on the end, showing Alex truly move from victim to survivor. It wouldn’t affect the main story in any way at all, and doesn’t cause the book to be anything less than brilliant. It just would’ve been nice from a personal point of view, to watch Alex step into her future. The second, and again only small, criticism I have is that the time hops are often hard to place. A chapter will skip ahead by a few days / weeks etc, and it’s hard to know where we are. Within a few pages though it’s either a] easier to work out, or b] it doesn’t actually matter as it doesn’t affect the story.
Overall, this book is fantastic. It’s a thoroughly good read, with twists and an ending, that comes out of no where. A genuine page turner that really keeps you interested in what’s to come next.

365Flicks (235 KP) rated Lost Cat Corona (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Holy shit people… Its Ralph freaking Macchio… I have got to admit its been some time since I saw Daniel Larusso in a movie so of course I was gonna sit down and watch this flick, what I did not expect was to find a whole cast of actors that maybe never set the world on fire but I have a certain affinity for.
Lost Cat Corona is one of those bottle movies that takes place over one day, spending time with various different characters that you just know (because Movies) will all somehow connect to each other at some point or other, you know like Crash, Kids, Clerks, or any other movie of its nature these are just the ones come to mind.
We start the flick by meeting Dominic (Ralph freaking Macchio). Dominic is a somewhat put upon and just wants to coast through life with as little drama as possible kind of guy (I can relate). On the day of his friends dads wake his wife’s cat has decided to go AWOL. His wife Connie (its only Gina bloody Gershon) is taking her mother for an operation and tells Dom “Find the cat or your out the house”. We spend the day with Dominic and his good friend Ponce (David “Batista from Dexter” Zayas) looking all around Corona for Leonard whilst bumping into a crazy cast of characters in his local neighborhood and getting caught up in some shady shit.
This is a super simple concept but works for all the right reasons. The script is as tight as you could ask and moves at a fairly rapid pace. Our cast is group of people you know and probably actually love, all giving solid great performances in a slightly off the wall comedy that gets in, moves along and gets out before outstaying its welcome.
Macchio and Zayas have cracking chemistry and with a solid as hell script form Writer/Director Anthony Tarsitano they are given room to show us a different side to themselves. Gershon is… Well… Gershon, always a pleasure to see her face on screen. We are also treated to Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) as Uncle Sam, Sean Young (Blade Runner) and Jeff Kober (Sons of Anarchy).
Now would I recommend this Flick… Yeah I would, big time. This is one of those movies you can just put on and enjoy for what it is. If you want Action and Adrenaline, this is not your movie. If you want a well paced, superbly written, wonderfully acted good time then this is the movie for you. You know what guys, it may be because its Sunday and i’m having a lazy one or maybe i was just in the mood for this flick, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Did I mention Daniel Larusso is in this Flick… Whoooohooooo.
Lost Cat Corona is one of those bottle movies that takes place over one day, spending time with various different characters that you just know (because Movies) will all somehow connect to each other at some point or other, you know like Crash, Kids, Clerks, or any other movie of its nature these are just the ones come to mind.
We start the flick by meeting Dominic (Ralph freaking Macchio). Dominic is a somewhat put upon and just wants to coast through life with as little drama as possible kind of guy (I can relate). On the day of his friends dads wake his wife’s cat has decided to go AWOL. His wife Connie (its only Gina bloody Gershon) is taking her mother for an operation and tells Dom “Find the cat or your out the house”. We spend the day with Dominic and his good friend Ponce (David “Batista from Dexter” Zayas) looking all around Corona for Leonard whilst bumping into a crazy cast of characters in his local neighborhood and getting caught up in some shady shit.
This is a super simple concept but works for all the right reasons. The script is as tight as you could ask and moves at a fairly rapid pace. Our cast is group of people you know and probably actually love, all giving solid great performances in a slightly off the wall comedy that gets in, moves along and gets out before outstaying its welcome.
Macchio and Zayas have cracking chemistry and with a solid as hell script form Writer/Director Anthony Tarsitano they are given room to show us a different side to themselves. Gershon is… Well… Gershon, always a pleasure to see her face on screen. We are also treated to Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) as Uncle Sam, Sean Young (Blade Runner) and Jeff Kober (Sons of Anarchy).
Now would I recommend this Flick… Yeah I would, big time. This is one of those movies you can just put on and enjoy for what it is. If you want Action and Adrenaline, this is not your movie. If you want a well paced, superbly written, wonderfully acted good time then this is the movie for you. You know what guys, it may be because its Sunday and i’m having a lazy one or maybe i was just in the mood for this flick, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Did I mention Daniel Larusso is in this Flick… Whoooohooooo.

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street in Video Games
Feb 26, 2020 (Updated Feb 26, 2020)
Why?????
A Night on Elm Street- based on the movie franchise turned into a video game. A video game that is both awful and hard as hell. So this and the Friday The 13th video game, came out around the sane time. With Friday The 13th coming out first in 1989 in NA and A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1990 in NA.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.

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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) in Movies
Feb 2, 2021
Racism has all too often reared its ugly head in recent years with the rise of extremist groups who felt emboldened by recent political climates. As violence leads to protests which can themselves become violent; the perpetual cycle seems unending.
In the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah”, audiences are told the real-life story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) who runs a local chapter of The Black Panthers in Illinois in the 1960s.
The rise of what is perceived as militant groups in the wake of the killings of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King has caused increased police and Federal actions which have caused many in Hampton’s community to feel they are at war with the authorities and fighting for their very survival against a system of injustice and systemic racism.
When car thief William O’Neal is arrested, FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons); offers O’Neal a chance to avoid prison and earn some money by becoming an informant. Despite his reservations; O’Neal works his way into Hampton’s inner circle and develops a friendship with the man as he learns of his plans to unify the various factions in their communities.
O’Neal sees how there is more to the Black Panthers as they feed, educate, and assist members of their community and work to contain more extreme elements that look to make statements through bombings and extreme actions.
The threat posed by Hampton draws the attention of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen), and plans are developed to take down Hampton and his organization which in turn puts even more pressure on Mitchell and O’Neal.
The movie is a gripping, disturbing, and sure to be controversial look into the lives of the key figures as well as the ongoing debates on racial injustice, police violence, hate groups, and violence in the community.
Director Shaka King attempts to find a balance in the film as there are moments where party members draw their weapons against the police and kill wounded officers. There are also numerous scenes where police beat and shoot unarmed individuals or use excessive force which underscores Hampton’s stance that his community is at war and this is a life or death struggle.
The last time I was so disturbed by a film of this genre was “Detroit” which shocked me with the horrific true crimes that were portrayed and how those involved escaped justice. I thought if as a Caucasian I could be so disturbed and disgusted by the terrifying events portrayed in the film; then they would be truly the stuff of nightmares for people of color.
The cast is very strong and gives memorable performances that show the complexity of their characters. They are not simply a militant and a snitch, but rather complex individuals trying to survive.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is a very well-crafted film that is equally informative and disturbing and does what good cinema does best; educate, entertain, and inform.
4.5 stars out of 5
In the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah”, audiences are told the real-life story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) who runs a local chapter of The Black Panthers in Illinois in the 1960s.
The rise of what is perceived as militant groups in the wake of the killings of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King has caused increased police and Federal actions which have caused many in Hampton’s community to feel they are at war with the authorities and fighting for their very survival against a system of injustice and systemic racism.
When car thief William O’Neal is arrested, FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons); offers O’Neal a chance to avoid prison and earn some money by becoming an informant. Despite his reservations; O’Neal works his way into Hampton’s inner circle and develops a friendship with the man as he learns of his plans to unify the various factions in their communities.
O’Neal sees how there is more to the Black Panthers as they feed, educate, and assist members of their community and work to contain more extreme elements that look to make statements through bombings and extreme actions.
The threat posed by Hampton draws the attention of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen), and plans are developed to take down Hampton and his organization which in turn puts even more pressure on Mitchell and O’Neal.
The movie is a gripping, disturbing, and sure to be controversial look into the lives of the key figures as well as the ongoing debates on racial injustice, police violence, hate groups, and violence in the community.
Director Shaka King attempts to find a balance in the film as there are moments where party members draw their weapons against the police and kill wounded officers. There are also numerous scenes where police beat and shoot unarmed individuals or use excessive force which underscores Hampton’s stance that his community is at war and this is a life or death struggle.
The last time I was so disturbed by a film of this genre was “Detroit” which shocked me with the horrific true crimes that were portrayed and how those involved escaped justice. I thought if as a Caucasian I could be so disturbed and disgusted by the terrifying events portrayed in the film; then they would be truly the stuff of nightmares for people of color.
The cast is very strong and gives memorable performances that show the complexity of their characters. They are not simply a militant and a snitch, but rather complex individuals trying to survive.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is a very well-crafted film that is equally informative and disturbing and does what good cinema does best; educate, entertain, and inform.
4.5 stars out of 5

BookInspector (124 KP) rated Zero in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Living with a complete geek, I learned to love technology. It is kind of mesmerizing how technology is taking over our lives, that is why I was very intrigued by the blurb of this book. After reading the book, I am kind of petrified of how much of our personal data is actually collected without our knowledge… Or maybe because of our ignorance?
The protagonist in this novel is Cynthia, a single mother and investigative journalist, who lives in London. I really liked, how realistic the main character was, she is kind of old-fashioned when it comes to technology, and all the new findings really leave her confused. Also, I liked Cynthia’s personality, I think she was really curious, brave and adventurous. The Author offers a huge variety of characters in this book, representing different sectors and different perspectives, and in some places, I found it difficult to identify who belongs where, but to my luck, there was a handy list of characters at the back of the novel, which helped me.
The narrative was really thought-provoking. Elsberg highlights many aspects of data collection and usage, which really got me thinking. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and that kind of kept my interest going. To enjoy this book, you have to like technology, there is a ton of terms and IT processes being discussed, so if you not into computers, this book will not make sense to you. 🙂 I loved that author chose different settings in this book, incorporating his native town – Vienna. Also, I think, that the author used his knowledge of advertising and influencing people very smartly, and I bet, that the search for smart glasses will increase after reading this book. 😀 (Because I am definitely going to search 😀 )
I enjoyed author’s writing style, for me, it was understandable, action-filled and constantly changing. The whole book was fitted into eight chapters, and for me, they were really long. Even though every chapter shared multiple events, it still kind of dragged to me a sometimes… 😦 (I love my short chapters!) The ending rounded up the story very nicely, but there are so many unanswered questions, that it is kind of bugging me. 😀 I really liked The Circle, and I think with a good director, this book could be a superb movie.
So, to conclude, It is a very well crafted story, which feels kind of futuristic, but when you think about it, most of the things are already happening in one form or another. It is filled with smart characters, plenty of action, and I think it is kind of a wake-up call for all of the people, who are glued to their gadgets and the internet. So, “Hey, parents – do you know what your child is up to? “ Do read this book to find out why, and I hope you will enjoy it. 🙂
The protagonist in this novel is Cynthia, a single mother and investigative journalist, who lives in London. I really liked, how realistic the main character was, she is kind of old-fashioned when it comes to technology, and all the new findings really leave her confused. Also, I liked Cynthia’s personality, I think she was really curious, brave and adventurous. The Author offers a huge variety of characters in this book, representing different sectors and different perspectives, and in some places, I found it difficult to identify who belongs where, but to my luck, there was a handy list of characters at the back of the novel, which helped me.
The narrative was really thought-provoking. Elsberg highlights many aspects of data collection and usage, which really got me thinking. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and that kind of kept my interest going. To enjoy this book, you have to like technology, there is a ton of terms and IT processes being discussed, so if you not into computers, this book will not make sense to you. 🙂 I loved that author chose different settings in this book, incorporating his native town – Vienna. Also, I think, that the author used his knowledge of advertising and influencing people very smartly, and I bet, that the search for smart glasses will increase after reading this book. 😀 (Because I am definitely going to search 😀 )
I enjoyed author’s writing style, for me, it was understandable, action-filled and constantly changing. The whole book was fitted into eight chapters, and for me, they were really long. Even though every chapter shared multiple events, it still kind of dragged to me a sometimes… 😦 (I love my short chapters!) The ending rounded up the story very nicely, but there are so many unanswered questions, that it is kind of bugging me. 😀 I really liked The Circle, and I think with a good director, this book could be a superb movie.
So, to conclude, It is a very well crafted story, which feels kind of futuristic, but when you think about it, most of the things are already happening in one form or another. It is filled with smart characters, plenty of action, and I think it is kind of a wake-up call for all of the people, who are glued to their gadgets and the internet. So, “Hey, parents – do you know what your child is up to? “ Do read this book to find out why, and I hope you will enjoy it. 🙂