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365Flicks (235 KP) rated Dead Rising: Endgame (2016) in Movies

Nov 20, 2019  
Dead Rising: Endgame (2016)
Dead Rising: Endgame (2016)
2016 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
6
6.0 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
There are a plethora of really shitty movies based on Games being released each year. None of them holding a candle to the source material it is based on. However each and every time I get suckered in because I want to be impressed by these attempts, as a movie fan and a gamer I need to be impressed. Lets be honest the premise of the Dead Rising games is just about absurd enough to work as a movie and with this being the second outing well have they learnt.

Based on the worldwide smash-hit video game series, Dead Rising: Endgame is the sequel to Dead Rising: Watchtower. Directed by Pat Williams (Continuum), written by Michael Ferris (Terminator Salvation) and Tim Carter (Mortal Kombat: Legacy) and starring Jesse Metcalfe, Marie Avgeropoulos and Dennis Haysbert.

Journalist Chase Carter Heads back into a quarantine zone to find the truth as to what happened to his partner. He and a small group of Journalists want to expose the creators of the outbreak. What he is going to find is a huge cover up that is going to threaten everything. General Lyons (Dennis Haysbert, President Palmer in 24 “Yaaaay”), is a Military officer who will never let anyone get in his way. Racing against the clock, Chase and crew must slice, hack and use any weapon at there disposal to find there way through the zombie hordes and out of the quarantine zone.



I really couldn’t figure out where I stood with this movie at first. I felt like I maybe should of been on the side of thinking it was hot trash. However the Dialogue all though Cheesy at times suits the world its in. The acting although not exactly Andrew Lincoln levels is pretty damn good for this type of flick. Budget and effects wise I had no complaints you could see they hadn’t cheaped out on the practical or the FX on the Zombies they were genuinely scary and brought a certain amount of originality.

I would recommend you see this movie. Go into expecting a fun action packed romp of a movie. Brad Pitts World War Z this movie is not, Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead Remake this movie also is not, but the best thing is that it knows its not those movies, it knows its a Dead Rising tie-in and it brings all of that together in this glorious fun time at the movies. Who knew Jesse Metcalfe was a total Bad Ass????
  
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Merissa (12632 KP) rated Drakaina's Fire (Drak Defense Co. #1) by Raven Lovelace in Books

Jun 15, 2022  
Drakaina's Fire (Drak Defense Co. #1) by Raven Lovelace
Drakaina's Fire (Drak Defense Co. #1) by Raven Lovelace
Raven Lovelace | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DRAKAINA'S FIRE is the first book in the Drak Defense Co. series and we are introduced to a first-class group of women mercenaries who are able to pull off jobs no one else can. They charge top dollar, and the US Government is happy to pay it due to their success rate. Oh, and the fact they donate some of their money to widows and children of war charities.

Daphne is the eldest and has eleven sisters (same father, different mothers) who are all Drakaina (female pronoun). Everett is the youngest General in the military and is ordered to learn more about the mercenary crew. Both of them turn into silly putty when they meet each other.

For a debut book, this was a good start. The general concept of the world - both the normal and paranormal one - has its foundations laid. The big bad has been made known to us and the reasons behind it.

However, there are sentences and phrases that are repeated unnecessarily, words spelt correctly but used wrongly (be instead of me), and some things that just don't make sense. The supporting characters fade into the background as you don't learn much about them, the exception being Charlotte but I still don't know much about her either. Also, Daphne and Everett are supposed to be leaders! Some of the things they do - both separately and together - just don't make sense or seem physically possible. For example, if you've got members of your team going missing, you're not going to go off by yourself with no backup, especially when you know what you're up against.

And don't even get me started on Daphne's blip about betrayal! My Kindle was very nearly damaged with this one. Of course, I'll believe the man who works for the enemy, who has just admitted kidnapping and torturing my sister, who baited a trap I've just walked into, over the word of my mate who has done nothing but be there for me since we've met. And how does said man reappear later when he's supposed to be absolutely and utterly dead! D.E.A.D! Apparently, Drakaina aren't as thorough as they think they are, nor is their fire as hot as they think.

On the whole, a good debut but it will definitely need to be tightened up to go forwards.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Jefferson's Treasure: How Albert Gallatin Saved the New Nation from Debt in Books

Jun 5, 2019  
Jefferson's Treasure: How Albert Gallatin Saved the New Nation from Debt
Jefferson's Treasure: How Albert Gallatin Saved the New Nation from Debt
Gregory May | 2019
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jefferson’s Treasure, by Gregory May, details, “how Albert Gallatin saved the new nation from debt.” Appointed by President Thomas Jefferson to be his Treasury Secretary, Gallatin continued under President Madison, maintaining that position for twelve years. During his tenure, he abolished internal revenue taxes in peacetime, slashed federal spending, and repaid half of the national debt.

So who was this man that undid Alexander Hamilton’s fiscal system, rejecting it along with Madison and Jefferson? Because both Presidents did not understand the financial system, they depended on Gallatin to reform it. Gallatin arrived in America in 1790 from Geneva and rose up to become a trusted advisor of the Republicans. Six years before Jefferson was elected President, Gallatin’s Pennsylvania neighbors rebelled against the tax on whiskey. He supported them in principle but opposed the violence that ensued, burning the local tax collector’s house, robbing the mail, and marching on Pittsburgh.

The play “Hamilton” uses revisionist history. The real Hamilton believed in big government and wanted to continue funding federal deficits. He based his theories on the British who used the money to fund their large military conflicts, believing that the ability to borrow endless amounts of money would allow the new United States to become a great nation. Jefferson and Madison thought Hamilton’s system, straight from the British way, was tainted with tyranny. As May noted, “It made the people pay obnoxious taxes in order to fund interest payments on a mounting federal debt and the costs of an expensive military establishment. It shifted money from ordinary taxpayers to the relatively few rich men who held the government’s bonds. That was just the sort of thing that had led Americans to revolt against Britain in the first place.”

May believes, “The hip-hop immigrant hero of the Broadway musical is a myth. The musical might be a great work of art, but is relies on misconceptions of Hamilton. He was not an immigrant, but a migrant within the British Empire. Also, he was not a man of the people, as Gallatin was, but an elitist.”

While Hamilton committed to paying only the interest on the government’s debt, Gallatin committed the government to repaying fixed amounts of the principal each year. He also insisted that the government should never spend more than it earned except in times of war. By slashing federal expenses, Gallatin was able to get rid of the tax on whiskey and abolish the entire internal revenue service.

The Republicans, an agrarian society, distrusted these elitists where two-thirds of the government debt belonged to a few hundred very wealthy men residing mainly in Philadelphia, New York, and other mercantile cities. They saw Hamilton’s plan of collecting taxes from ordinary citizens as a way for a few rich men to become even wealthier. Implementing these excise taxes required government officials to inspect, quantify, and mark the items subject to tax.

The Hamilton system benefited the wealthy debt holders and spectators at the expense of the average taxpayer who had to pay the interest. The government would borrow more than the people could pay. Hamilton tried to hide how much money the government was actually spending and spiraled the debt higher and higher.

This was an important part of the British tax base, and “I wanted to show how unpopular it was. Hamilton and company were resented because they created a tax collection network that affected the lives of ordinary citizens. The excise tax is a form of internal taxation, while tariffs are a form of external taxation that fell on the well to do. Remember mostly the well to do bought imports. The Republicans once they came to power relied on import duties rather than excise taxes.”

May further explained, “When Jefferson and his administration came to power it was Gallatin who got rid of Hamilton’s deficit finance system and cut taxes. By the time he has left office he has repaid half the federal debt and set up a program for repaying the rest.”

Anyone who wants to understand the early economic systems of the Founding Fathers will enjoy this book. It shows how Gallatin, by killing Hamilton’s financial system, abolished internal revenue taxes in peacetime, slashed federal spending, and repaid half of the national debt.
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated Aloha (2015) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
Aloha (2015)
Aloha (2015)
2015 | Action, Comedy
1
3.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Aloha starts Brian Gilcrest (Cooper) who dreams of going into space but his dreams go sour after teaming up with billionaire Carson Welch (Murray) before getting a chance to go back to Hawaii. He is now a representative for Carson due to a war injury who has to deal with his ex-girlfriend Tracy (McAdams) but has to follow orders from captain Allison Ng (Stone), while meeting back up with former friends.

Brian working for Carson as he wants to introduce a space program to Hawaii but first Brian needs to negotiate with the locals. All this while Brian ends up in the middle of a love triangle with Allison and Tracy.

Aloha is a film that just never pulled my attention, be it the bland characters slow moving love triangle or whatever Carson was meant to be doing. I personally am not sure what was meant to be happening, everything that did happen just seemed to be very slow moving and offering nothing to really root for. You simply jut didn’t care what was happening. (2/10)

Actor Review

Bradley Cooper: Brain is an injured war veteran who has sided with billionaire Carson to look into making space travel happen, he has to return to Hawaii where he ends up having to see his ex-girlfriend and be followed around by the golden soldier of the local military. He is here to help create a deal to make space travel in Hawaii. Bradley gives a very average performance not getting a chance to show his real talent. (5/10)brian

Emma Stone: Allison is the most prized soldier of General Dixon who has to show Brian around, she admires him and doesn’t want you to forget she is a quarter Hawaii. While many people criticised the character created she was one of the better things in this film. (6/10)allison

Rachel McAdams: Tracy is the ex-girlfriend of Brian who lives on Hawaii with her new husband and family, when the two get to spend time together they get the closure they never really got. Rachel gives a plain performance that really doesn’t seem to do much. (4/10)

Bill Murray: Carson is the billionaire who is looking to make his own space program on the island of Hawaii and he give Brian one last chance to prove himself to him. Bill tries to bring his quirkiness to this role without really pulling it off. (5/10)

Support Cast: Aloha has the standard attempted comedic actors trying to pull this off but they had little to work with.

Director Review: Cameron Crowe – Cameron has given us some great films in the past but now he has managed to give us his worst. (2/10)

Comedy: Aloha doesn’t have many laughs at all can hardly be called a comedy. (2/10)

Romance: Aloha tries to give us an engaging love triangle but doesn’t really succeed to make us care enough. (3/10)

Settings: Aloha tries to give our location something special with the idea of putting it all on Hawaii for the beautiful setting and doesn’t even get that right. (3/10)

Suggestion: Aloha is one too miss this year, if anyone says to watch just say no. (Just Say No)

Best Part: The end.

Worst Part: It is over an Hour and half.

Funniest Scene: Woody and Brian’s ‘Conversation’.

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Please God No.

Post Credits Scene: I didn’t both to look.

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $20 Million

Budget: $37 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Tagline: Sometimes you have to say goodbye before you can say hello.

Overall: Just watch paint dry it will be more entertaining.

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/11/07/emma-stone-weekend-aloha-2015/
  
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Debbiereadsbook (1406 KP) rated Trusting a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #3) in Books

Nov 26, 2020  
Trusting a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #3)
Trusting a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #3)
Melanie Hansen | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hansen can grab you, by the heart strings, and drag you kicking and screaming through every single emotion known to man
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the Loving A Warrior, and I STRONGLY suggest you read both books one, Loving A Warrior, and book 2, Keeping A Warrior, before you read this one. There is much referenced here that is not fully recapped. And you know, cos I said so! Both are 5 star reads.

As is this one!

Lani meets Geo on possibly the worst day of her life. Geo's ain't much better. Together they begin to navigate a relationship, while dealing with a huge amount of grief at the death of their loved ones.

Hansen has a knack of roping you in, pulling you close, and not letting you go. She can grab you, by the heart strings, and drag you kicking and screaming through every single emotion known to man, and then expect you to write a coherent review after!

I mean, I loved this book, I really did. It carries some difficult story lines, but again, Ms Hansen delivers them in a way that you cannot fault. Grief is a fickle thing, and everyone deals with that differently. I know, my sister and I dealt with my mother and father's death very different, but there is no right or wrong way. Here, Lani's grief is a decade old, but she still suffers. Geo's is much fresher, and it's HIS pain that hit me the most.

I have no personal experience of war, or those who serve. I can only imagine the horrors that are presented on a daily basis. It's to be expected that some will struggle with that, but put on a "brave face" The way Hansen describes Geo's grief and his own spiral downwards is heartbreaking, it really is. Only his relationship with Lani saves him.

I loved how the others in this series; Matt and Shane and Rhys and Devon, play a huge part here. I loved that Devon and Lani become such good friends, even if Lani is Rhys' ex.

What I want to know now, Ms Hansen, is this! Will we be privvy to want happened in Keeping A Warrior, and here, to Matt and Shane?? Cos let me tell ya, I does NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to know! We get an inkling of what Matt suffers here, but not enough. So, please, write a followup!

Love, love LOVED the epilogue! And I loved Bosch, Geo's military dog.

I can't, in any honesty, give this book any less than. . .

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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