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One Little Lie
One Little Lie
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Yep, one little lie is all it takes for it to snowball out of control and turn into a humdinger of a white, furry monster. By the way there are no yetis in this story, that was just me trying to be clever…
Onwards and upwards… You know you want to…
Psychologist Connie’s patient, Alice Mann has a son who is a murderer. Alice’s son killed Deborah’s son and is desperate for her forgiveness. Connie wants Alice to leave it all alone and to not get involved with Deborah, however, in an effort to redeem herself, Alice starts up a support group for the parents of murderers, but there’s one little lie she’s told which is about to snowball out of control.
Confused? You should(n’t) be. But stick with me…
Tension grows between Alice and Deborah and a young girl goes missing. Soon the police are suspecting not only foul play, but that maybe the wrong person was locked up for Deborah’s son’s murder and still out there. (Slaps head, I mean, how thick are these policemen?)
After a slow start (there are several characters and it does jump around a bit) I found the twists and turns of this story really had me on edge. At times I felt I was walking on eggshells around Alice and Deb, just waiting for it all to explode. In my minds eye I can see this as a really good film or BBC drama! Visually I don’t think it would be so complicated. But then, maybe that’s not what I should be taking away from all this.
Incidentally, this carries on from Bad Sister, featuring the same psychologist Connie, and DI Lindsay Wade, but can easily be read as a standalone story. Actually I really liked this aspect, I wasn’t expecting that when I picked up the book.
Once I got into this, I discovered it is actually cleverly written so when you reach the end of each chapter, you’ll not want to stop!
  
The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love
The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love
8
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love is a fandom-lovers dream, minus the unrequited love. The story takes place predominantly at New York Comic Con, the second largest convention of pop culture fanatics (myself included) in the United States. You can tell that the author is either very familiar with the area from personal experience, or questioned a con-goer to get every detail. She mentions things like the cell service being spotty in the Artist’s Alley (it is) and the atmosphere you experience on the way to the Con. It’s so fascinating to be walking the streets for a while when suddenly you notice a Spider-Man strolling out of a bakery, not too long after a group of wizards turn the corner and before you know it you’re surrounded by a horde of enthusiastic, frequently costumed, nerds, geeks and fans of all ages outside the Javitt’s Center, where NYCC is held.

The atmosphere was authentic and made me feel like I was attending the Con as well, although that may be in part because I’ve attended NYCC before I do believe that any reader will feel just as immersed. The world was the most enjoyable part of the book, as the characters were not as developed as they could have been. There were moments of clarity where you saw more into their motivations, but overall they weren’t memorable characters. That’s not to say there was anything wrong with them, they just didn’t affect me as a reader.

It was an easy, enjoyable contemporary read that I think is perfect for young adult/teen readers who are fans of something and enjoy books that they can relate to on that level. You don’t have to be a comic book or superhero fan to enjoy Comic Con, it is a refuge and a consolidation of all fandoms. If you love something, you will find something you can relate to at Comic Con and in this book.
  
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Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated 31 (2016) in Movies

Feb 3, 2018 (Updated Feb 3, 2018)  
31 (2016)
31 (2016)
2016 | Horror
Richard Brake (2 more)
Some interesting dialogue
Cliffhanger ending
Blood, guts and profanity... my 3 favorite things
I am and always will be a horror movie fan. And a Rob Zombie fan as well. While most in the horror community dispose the man, and do their best to ignore his reimagining of John Carpenter's beloved Halloween. I get his vision. I understand his process.
In 31, Zombie goes out of his way to remind us all of why he is here in this genre and why he should be here to stay.
The script penned for this flick is nothing short of dreadful, but in a good horror film That's what you want. His dialogue is full of pull no punches vulgarity that would make anyone blush. And his pattern of killing off his stars is brutal to say the least.
Capped with an amazing performance by Richard Brake, who from the beginnng of movie, let's you know that he "ain't no fucking clown!!!".
His ability to capture the true disgustingness that lives in every single one of us, that fire that burns in your body when someone cuts you off when your driving to work. Or bumps into you while walking by. That feeling that says, "Fuck, I'd love to kill that person,"... well he lets the beast out in this film.
He turns 5 mild mannered hippie carnies into vicious animalistic slashers. Killing at first out of that need for survival. Then killing because they had to do it. And finally killing because they were starting to enjoy it.
Zombie does what he does, sets them up to be knocked down as only he can. Chuck I'm some great one liners and awesome profanity filled dialogue, sprinkle it with some over the top kickass blood filled deaths and an acting performance by Richard Brake that I can't help but praise and you have a recipe for a disturbing good time. As Doomhead suggests in the opening sequence of 31. In hell everyone loves popcorn.
  
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another 5 star read from Maisey Yates, I wanna move to Gold Valley.

Lindy Parker is a strong woman. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She does NOT want Wyatt Dodge. Yet the same man occupies her every waking thought, her dreams and everything in between. She can’t believe she is attracted to a bull rider.

Wyatt Dodge has been attracted to Lindy Parker for 5 years. Since the first day he saw her walking toward him only to kiss his friend Damien and get introduced as his wife. He can’t do anything about said attraction with his ranch on the line. He has to find a way to work with her on the upcoming grand opening of his dude ranch or it will all be for nothing.

Lindy likes to be in charge, she likes order and structure. Everything Wyatt is not. Working with him is going to test her patience in more ways than one. Now if she can only stop thinking about ripping his clothes off that’d be great.

Wyatt treats Lindy like a kid with a crush, teasing her and proverbially pulling her pigtails. He makes and effort to call her Melinda, because no one else does. He finds the verbal sparring keeps his mind off of wanting to kiss her senseless. He has to stay focused on saving the ranch.

Lindy and Wyatt dance around their attraction like a Friday night hoedown but will they find out they work better as a team, in all areas of their relationship?

As with most of the books I’ve read by Maisey Yates, Good Time Cowboy makes me want to move to Gold Valley and find these families. Ms. Yates writes such realistic characters that you can’t help but feel every part of the story as if you were side by side in the thick of things. I received a copy of this story without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Good Omens in TV

Jul 4, 2019  
Good Omens
Good Omens
2019 | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Broadly fine
I am a long-time fan of Terry Pratchett, and a more recent fan of Neil Gaiman, and yet it was only the release of the TV series that prompted me to finally read their joint effort. I thought the book was pretty good, lots of nice silly little jokes spread about, and a good plot keeping up momentum throughout.
I felt the TV series let the book down a little bit. While the overall story and the dialogue, in the main, is true to the book, I felt a lot of it fell flat. A lot of the humour (which comes in the form of charming asides, generally in the narrative of the book) missed the mark and just did not land properly. I did like the expanded section on Azirafale and Crowley's efforts through time, though I think they laboured it too long on the angel's unwillingness and didn't quite show how much they had worked together.
Tennant played Bill Nighy playing a demon, Sheen played David Mitchell playing an angel and they were broadly fine but didn't really sit perfectly for my liking. The rest of the cast were pretty strong (with the exception of Jack Whitehall who I utterly detest and don't think he can act for toffee).
The special effects were on the poor side, but that is only compared to the major big-budget TV shows like GoT and The Walking Dead. The physical effects were excellent.
In all, I am glad they restricted the series to a small number of episodes and did not try and drag it out too long. The ending was not given the build-up it deserved, there really wasn't enough peril before the two single acts that stopped the end of the war (Pulsifer and Adam).
I was very happy to see the relationship between Azirafale and Crowley develop beyond friendship
  
Show all 4 comments.
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Madbatdan82 (341 KP) Jul 11, 2019

Whitehall was a bizarre choice

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Ross (3284 KP) Jul 12, 2019

Jack Whitehall didn't even play the typical Jack Whitehall character. He was fine as ... Adultery Pulsifer, but was dreadful as Newton Pulsifer.

Curse of Chucky (2013)
Curse of Chucky (2013)
2013 | Horror
A horror franchise this many movies in should be on its arse at this point, but the Child's Play series still manages to be entertaining with it's sixth entry.
After the silliness if Bride and Seed, Curse of Chucky steps back in to horror territory a bit more.

The majority of the film takes place in a creepy old house, as Chucky stalks an entirely new set of victims.

The characters this time around aren't hugely likable, except for Nica (played by Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif's daughter). Not only is she likable and realistic final girl type, but she pretty badass as well. She is also wheelchair bound, which is a refreshing direction to take in this kind of film, and her disability adds a whole new dynamic to the Chucky series and just makes her more badass.
The plot itself is straightforward slasher material, but the last 20 minutes or so, really hammer home the movies connections to the original film, and the rest of the series. The ret con of Charles Lee Ray's origins and work a treat, and learning about more about him is an unexpected highlight.

The Chucky doll this time around looks weird. Really unsettling actually. There's a semi twist halfway through that actually has something to do with the way Chucky looks, and he's still pretty horrible looking.
The effects are mostly passable - there's a kill quite early on involving a car, that boasts some genuinely impressive practical effects, but it does mean towards CGI after that. Not always a bad thing mind, but there's one shit in particular of Chucky walking down a staircase... It's could have been so so good, but the obvious CGI is horrible...bleughh.

Other than that though, Don Mancini throws some decent camera work at us (the title card is an early highlight) and he successfully makes Curse of Chucky into a decent little horror movie.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies

Mar 3, 2020  
1917 (2020)
1917 (2020)
2020 | Drama, War
Brilliant cinematography (2 more)
Great score
Fantastic central characters
A stunning film which hits hard both physically and emotionally
particular emphasis on cinematography. The World War I film is made to look like one continuous shot by director Sam Mendes whose one-shot opening of Spectre gave us a taste of things to come.

The film swept awards season with the film winning Best Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, not to mention cleaning up at the BAFTAs. This was a strong indication that Mendes might have a hand on a couple of Oscars.

1917 tells the story of two Lance Corporals, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) who are tasked with hand-delivering a message to another battalion who are inadvertently walking into a trap – Blake’s brother among them. If they fail then 1,600 men will lose their lives.

Blake and Schofield have been through a lot. When we first meet them they are relaxing beneath a tree, taking a break trying to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Without so much as a thought the pair salute General Erinmore (Colin Firth) and start the first part of their harrowing journey crossing no man’s land. The film is gripping in every sense of the word and you feel as if you are making the treacherous journey with them.

The scenery is devastatingly realistic, particularly the trip across no man’s land where charred bodies are buried deep in bombed-out craters of mud, their faces starring out in a look of shock.

The cast is limited to a few big-name cameos which aren’t blink and you miss them. Joining Firth is Andrew Scott, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch who make a significant impression in key scenes. The film flows incredibly well and never takes a back step, quite literally.

This is a journey that rivals Saving Private Ryan for it’s impactfulness, and why the memories of those who fought in the great war should always be forever remembered as true heroes.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Pet Sematary (2019)
Pet Sematary (2019)
2019 | Horror
I've always said that the vast majority of horror remakes just don’t better the original, and this one can also join that list. Stephen King adaptations are a bit hit and miss and this new incarnation is no different.

Providing a few decent scares throughout it never quite lives up to the highs of King’s terrifying novel. The film follows the Creed family as they relocate to the outskirts of a quiet town in Maine, called Ludlow. Head of the family Louis (Jason Clarke), is starting a new job at the university hospital and their new home feels like the perfect place to settle.

But it doesn’t take long for things to go pear-shaped when daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) stumbles across a Pet Sematary (misspelt). There she meets neighbour Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) who warns her that it is not the place for a young girl to play – despite a procession of creepy children in masks walking through the woods. However, a family tragedy sparks Jud to reach out to Louis and offer him a way to resurrect the past.

Providing a few decent scares throughout it never quite lives up to the highs of King’s terrifying novel

Co-directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer Pet Sematary skims over family relationships and races right to the tragedy (which was blatantly given away in the trailer) to satisfy the audience by giving them what they want. However, there is not enough time for Kölsch and Widmyer to delve deeper into the pages of King’s novel to extract parts that could have enhanced the narrative even further.

The ending is unsatisfactory and the directors, looking to impart their take on the story, change and leave out significant parts of King’s book. This is both annoying and surprising. That said, the film is not without the odd positive, despite falling just short of being a decent horror remake.
  
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
2019 | Adventure
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming tale of a boy called Zak (Zack Gottsagen) who escapes his care home with the dream of becoming a wrestler. Along the way, he meets and forms an unlikely friendship with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) who joins him on his journey.

Zak has no idea how to get to where he’s going but is encouraged to escape by his roommate Carl (Bruce Dern). So in just his underpants he slips through the bars of his window and escapes.

Meanwhile, Tyler is running from a troubled and emotional past of his own. Flashbacks show him laughing and joking with his brother Mark played by Jon Bernthal, who as it turns out is killed in a car accident with Tyler asleep at the wheel.

But this film isn’t about Tyler, it’s about Zak and getting the chance to meet his wrestling hero, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church) who he’s seen countless times on TV and is desperate to meet.

It’s the kind of film that you know will only have a happy ending as each discovers new things about themselves – they bring the best out in each other.

LaBeouf gives an excellent performance and the story has a Mark Twain feel about it. Walking barefoot, swimming and floating down the river on a hand made raft, free from a society that holds them back. Zack Gottsagen is equally good and provides some funny and dramatic moments that will tug at the heartstrings.

They are followed closely on their adventure by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) Zak’s caregiver who has foiled his previous escape attempts on more than one occasion. When she finally catches up with them she too discovers a few home truths.

The Peanut Butter Falcon oozes charm and is helped by two brilliant central performances. If you’ve not seen it already then I urge you to make time for it.
  
Brahms: The Boy II (2020)
Brahms: The Boy II (2020)
2020 | Horror
401. Brahms: The Boy II. What little kid doesn't want a creepy doll? Mom, Liza, and son, Jude are hanging out at home one night and they get attacked and robbed in their home in a very PG undramatic scene. Jude suffers from PTSD and doesn't say a word afterwards, and Liza gets the nightmares, so hubby Sean and Liza decide the best thing to do is get away from it all and vacation at a completely secluded guesthouse of a completely empty creepy mansion! Fun! Oh, and there's a creepy groundskeeper walking around with a shotgun and a big ol mean dog! Nice! Out of the many activities that they can do on this vacation like, looking at the woods, admiring the woods, or exploring the woods, they decide to take a walk in the woods. And this is when Jude discovers a hand sticking up out of the dirt, and he uncovers...a dirty old extremely creepy looking doll, and he obvi falls in love, and names it Brahms, well, that is the name Brahms told him to call him. Mom and Dad are like, eww gross, but it makes him happy, let's take it home clean it up! Within a short time, Jude starts turning around, while Liza thinks the doll is alive causing mischief, cause it can't be Jude doing these things. What to do, what to do... Internet investigation montage scene to recap Part I, give a little more backstory of course. It's not a great movie, honestly it felt they were going to go one way with it, felt rushed then went with a different route, it wasn't a terrible way to go, just felt they changed gears all of sudden. I liked it, i do like bad horror movies, add a creepy doll, makes it better. I personally now want a Chucky Vs. Chucky movie! Filmbufftim on FB