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A Touch of Frost
Book
In a world where magic is outlawed, a shy 20-year-old tavern maid enlists in the military to learn...
fantasy
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Team America: World Police (2004) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
AMERICA! F**K YEAH!
The theme’s lyrics sum up this movie as well as any could have. Made in the midst of the War On Terror in 2004, a satire was needed and who better to provide one than the satirical genius’ Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for South Park. On the surface, this looks like a straight forward bawdy adult puppet parody, taking the mickey out of Bruckheimer’s blockbusters, Thunderbirds and the reputation being acquired by the U.S. over the past 30 years but reaching boiling point over the last decade, certainly in a post 9/11 world.But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
This is looking into every major aspect of the above, such as chauvinism, the political interference and undue, and sometimes dangerous influence of celebrities, summed up here with the Film Actor’s Guild (or F.A.G.) with a host of major film stars ripped off, notably upsetting Sean Penn.
The infamous puppet sex scene, which is nothing more than a poke, pardon the pun, at the puppetry employed in the film.But there’s so much more such as the excellent selection of bespoke songs, such as “Only A Woman” for the sex scene, “End Of An Act” as our hero leaves the group to wallow in self-pity to the song with features verse after verse nothing more than slagging off Michael Bay’s, Pearl Harbor and Ben Afleck! But for a film with criticises these blockbusters, it understands them too well to be truly nasty about them.
The entire film IS a well made Bruckheimer film, even recruiting one of his regular composers, Harry Gregson-Williams, to be in at the last-minute, to compose a great score, but why do this if they hated it so much? They don’t; they love these films and the affection for the genre is clear, making their digs enjoyable and not hurtful… There’s even a contradiction with the political tract as one hand this would seem to be an anti-American tome where Team America blow up every city and landmark imaginable in order to protect the world from the destruction of the Terrorists… Get it?
On the other, the song entitled “Freedom Isn’t Free” would seem to suggest that we should all do our part, even though this number ends with the line, “Freedom cost a buck o’five…” But then after all the political and social satire, and the spoofing of Hollywood’s gung-ho films, it’s just a fun film.When the terrorist’s come from Derka Derkastan, the tone is clear. This is like a pair of boys playing “War On Terror” with a collection of action figures.
They’re clearly laughing hysterically as they write, produce and direct this film like two teenagers, as they create the highly insensitive language of the terrorists, use elements from films such as Star Wars and James Bond, certainly as for Kim Jong-il, is nobody safe, well not after offending the North Korean leader, but in all fairness, this is really just Eric Cartman from South Park.But in the end, this is the perfect satire, with a blend of real world political and social commentary, great spoofing but when all’s said and done, this has a great sense if humour, though at times, somewhat bawdy. This is brilliant and one of, if not the best comedy of the past decade, and one of the greatest satires of all time. And, no, I don’t believe that I’m over stating that…
This is looking into every major aspect of the above, such as chauvinism, the political interference and undue, and sometimes dangerous influence of celebrities, summed up here with the Film Actor’s Guild (or F.A.G.) with a host of major film stars ripped off, notably upsetting Sean Penn.
The infamous puppet sex scene, which is nothing more than a poke, pardon the pun, at the puppetry employed in the film.But there’s so much more such as the excellent selection of bespoke songs, such as “Only A Woman” for the sex scene, “End Of An Act” as our hero leaves the group to wallow in self-pity to the song with features verse after verse nothing more than slagging off Michael Bay’s, Pearl Harbor and Ben Afleck! But for a film with criticises these blockbusters, it understands them too well to be truly nasty about them.
The entire film IS a well made Bruckheimer film, even recruiting one of his regular composers, Harry Gregson-Williams, to be in at the last-minute, to compose a great score, but why do this if they hated it so much? They don’t; they love these films and the affection for the genre is clear, making their digs enjoyable and not hurtful… There’s even a contradiction with the political tract as one hand this would seem to be an anti-American tome where Team America blow up every city and landmark imaginable in order to protect the world from the destruction of the Terrorists… Get it?
On the other, the song entitled “Freedom Isn’t Free” would seem to suggest that we should all do our part, even though this number ends with the line, “Freedom cost a buck o’five…” But then after all the political and social satire, and the spoofing of Hollywood’s gung-ho films, it’s just a fun film.When the terrorist’s come from Derka Derkastan, the tone is clear. This is like a pair of boys playing “War On Terror” with a collection of action figures.
They’re clearly laughing hysterically as they write, produce and direct this film like two teenagers, as they create the highly insensitive language of the terrorists, use elements from films such as Star Wars and James Bond, certainly as for Kim Jong-il, is nobody safe, well not after offending the North Korean leader, but in all fairness, this is really just Eric Cartman from South Park.But in the end, this is the perfect satire, with a blend of real world political and social commentary, great spoofing but when all’s said and done, this has a great sense if humour, though at times, somewhat bawdy. This is brilliant and one of, if not the best comedy of the past decade, and one of the greatest satires of all time. And, no, I don’t believe that I’m over stating that…
IBM and the Holocaust
Book
"IBM and the Holocaust" promises to reveal the international company's strategic alliance with Nazi...
Darren (1599 KP) rated Eternal Code (2019) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Corey is a homeless suicidal war veteran, he keeps to himself and when he gets given money, he spends the money on helping the fellow homeless, being friendly with lonely older men in the park and helping somebody in danger. He will get a chance to use his skills once again to help a teenage girl who is being hunted down by criminals, his skills will help make him deadly to anyone who crosses his path. Oliver is the leader of the project, he wants to continue using it for his own good, which means he will go to the extremes to make sure it gets done. Charlie is one of the criminals that has taken the family members, she along with her team are solely in this for the money. Mark is the husband of Bridget, he tries to advice, even though he will only support her decision. Bridget is the woman that has invented a revolutionary idea, which she doesn’t want used for the wrong thing, her pulling the plug has set about the events including her kidnapping.
Performances – This is a movie that does try to use the biggest names to sale the movie, Scout Taylor-Compton being the biggest name in the film, even though she is mostly just a criminal thug, she doesn’t give us a bad performance, just she isn’t really a main character. Damien Chinappi would be one of the leads in the film as the he does bring us a performance that does fit the action side of the film, where we do feel sympathy for his character. Richard Tyson will always make for a great villain and this is no different. When we look at the rest of the cast, we see solid performances across the board.
Story – The story here follows the events of a kidnapping which takes a turn, when a war veteran looks to help the helpless, while a corrupt businessman looks to complete a project which will change everything as we know it in the world. When it comes to the idea of the kidnapping side of the story, we do get a nice spin on how everything unfolds, making it truly unpredictable with what will happen next. While that is a good thing, it can mean we do meet a couple of too many characters, which doesn’t let other get flushed out enough. We are left with seeing just how dealing with inventions will see people looking for greed, while seeing a war veteran getting another shot to prove himself in combat is nice to see.
Action – The action is restricted, but it does show how the conflicts are meant to be edgy and more in the shadows which is better to watch for the tone.
Settings – The film is set in and around one city which shows how the minds in it would operate, we see how the project would be secretly locked away from the world and see how the criminals will act in the shadows of abandoned locations.
Scene of the Movie – Corey military trained scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does feel like we have a few too many characters at time.
Final Thoughts – This is an action thriller that does have a lot of direction you wouldn’t normally see, it does keep us guessing despite having a couple of characters we don’t need to have.
Overall: Action film that goes down different paves.
Performances – This is a movie that does try to use the biggest names to sale the movie, Scout Taylor-Compton being the biggest name in the film, even though she is mostly just a criminal thug, she doesn’t give us a bad performance, just she isn’t really a main character. Damien Chinappi would be one of the leads in the film as the he does bring us a performance that does fit the action side of the film, where we do feel sympathy for his character. Richard Tyson will always make for a great villain and this is no different. When we look at the rest of the cast, we see solid performances across the board.
Story – The story here follows the events of a kidnapping which takes a turn, when a war veteran looks to help the helpless, while a corrupt businessman looks to complete a project which will change everything as we know it in the world. When it comes to the idea of the kidnapping side of the story, we do get a nice spin on how everything unfolds, making it truly unpredictable with what will happen next. While that is a good thing, it can mean we do meet a couple of too many characters, which doesn’t let other get flushed out enough. We are left with seeing just how dealing with inventions will see people looking for greed, while seeing a war veteran getting another shot to prove himself in combat is nice to see.
Action – The action is restricted, but it does show how the conflicts are meant to be edgy and more in the shadows which is better to watch for the tone.
Settings – The film is set in and around one city which shows how the minds in it would operate, we see how the project would be secretly locked away from the world and see how the criminals will act in the shadows of abandoned locations.
Scene of the Movie – Corey military trained scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does feel like we have a few too many characters at time.
Final Thoughts – This is an action thriller that does have a lot of direction you wouldn’t normally see, it does keep us guessing despite having a couple of characters we don’t need to have.
Overall: Action film that goes down different paves.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Freiyon Fables: A Tail to Remember in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Freiyon Fables: Tail to Remember by Justin Hunt was a book that I could only compare to one other book and that would be Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The Prologue promises an amazing tale, yet I feel as if the book doesn't quite live up to it. So even though I compare it to Narnia in style it is nothing like it when it comes to the actual material. The complete book itself is separated into three smaller books (or parts) that is then spread out into chapters.
In A Tail to Remember a squirrel by the name of Micklang escapes from a zoo and in the process is electrocuted, giving his tail a lightning-bolt shape. He then falls into another world in an Alice in Wonderland – down the rabbit hole style. In this new world, Micklang receives dreams about his warrior-self telling hi how to become that version of himself. During his journey, Micklang makes some surprising new friends and is reunited with some he has met before in the human world. It is with these friends that Micklang travels this new world, mapping it out.
At one point Micklang comes across an island where his traveling companions are captured and must rescue them before their captors harm them. Then after abandoning ship in a bad storm Micklang finds himself on yet another island, but this one is home to only other lightning-tail animals. Towards the end, Micklang goes back to one of the first islands that he visited in this new world, now called Freiyon. It is there that Micklang and his friends fight in the first battle in a war between The Grabbers and King Karel. It is during this battle that Micklang’s story ends but it is not the end of the stories about Freiyon. This is because a little human boy is told about Freiyon by his mother and decides it is time for him to visit this land of talking animals.
What I liked best about this book is that it is a rare occasion when I can honestly say that the ending, specifically the Epilogue is my favorite part. The epilogue tied the entire story together with the prologue when frankly I originally was confused about how it all connected. This actually redeemed the entire book in some ways. What I did not like was that the talking animals and being in a different world or realm gave the book a Chronicles of Narnia feel. Normally that would be a good thing but in this case, the writing style felt simplified and rushed at the same time. Also, this book felt like it was intended for children up until book three. In Book Three: The Switch Between Stories the phrases “What the HELL” and “how the HELL” were both used and that doesn't feel kid-friendly.
It was hard for me to pick a target audience for this book. My best guess would be for early middle school students and late elementary students, age-wise anyway. This is because the length might make it difficult for some elementary students (and some parents may not be thrilled about all the violence, who knows). Yet the simplified writing style may (or may not) appeal to older readers. Most likely it would be dry and boring for anyone out of middle school. That being said I rate this book a 2 out of 4. This is because this story falls in that dangerous zone between being simple enough for young readers and having just enough detail to feel rushed. The action moves from one major event to another without much of a break in between yet the story is still interesting
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
In A Tail to Remember a squirrel by the name of Micklang escapes from a zoo and in the process is electrocuted, giving his tail a lightning-bolt shape. He then falls into another world in an Alice in Wonderland – down the rabbit hole style. In this new world, Micklang receives dreams about his warrior-self telling hi how to become that version of himself. During his journey, Micklang makes some surprising new friends and is reunited with some he has met before in the human world. It is with these friends that Micklang travels this new world, mapping it out.
At one point Micklang comes across an island where his traveling companions are captured and must rescue them before their captors harm them. Then after abandoning ship in a bad storm Micklang finds himself on yet another island, but this one is home to only other lightning-tail animals. Towards the end, Micklang goes back to one of the first islands that he visited in this new world, now called Freiyon. It is there that Micklang and his friends fight in the first battle in a war between The Grabbers and King Karel. It is during this battle that Micklang’s story ends but it is not the end of the stories about Freiyon. This is because a little human boy is told about Freiyon by his mother and decides it is time for him to visit this land of talking animals.
What I liked best about this book is that it is a rare occasion when I can honestly say that the ending, specifically the Epilogue is my favorite part. The epilogue tied the entire story together with the prologue when frankly I originally was confused about how it all connected. This actually redeemed the entire book in some ways. What I did not like was that the talking animals and being in a different world or realm gave the book a Chronicles of Narnia feel. Normally that would be a good thing but in this case, the writing style felt simplified and rushed at the same time. Also, this book felt like it was intended for children up until book three. In Book Three: The Switch Between Stories the phrases “What the HELL” and “how the HELL” were both used and that doesn't feel kid-friendly.
It was hard for me to pick a target audience for this book. My best guess would be for early middle school students and late elementary students, age-wise anyway. This is because the length might make it difficult for some elementary students (and some parents may not be thrilled about all the violence, who knows). Yet the simplified writing style may (or may not) appeal to older readers. Most likely it would be dry and boring for anyone out of middle school. That being said I rate this book a 2 out of 4. This is because this story falls in that dangerous zone between being simple enough for young readers and having just enough detail to feel rushed. The action moves from one major event to another without much of a break in between yet the story is still interesting
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
The Secret Life of Twickenham: The Story of Rugby Union's Iconic Fortress, the Players, Staff and Fans
Chris Jones and Lawrence Dallaglio
Book
Twickenham Stadium is rightly venerated as the home of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). While it may...
Journey into the Past
Anthea Bell, Stefan Zweig and David Pearson
Book
Stefan's Zweig's posthumously-published Journey into the Past (Widerstand der Wirklichkeit) is a...
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Secrets of a Charmed Life in Books
Jan 2, 2019
As the Luftwaffe rains down terror on London, two sisters are separated and their lives changed forever.
**I have done my best to not share any spoilers. I have not shared more than you will find on the back of the cover.**
Isabel MacFarland has finally agreed to share her story and secrets that she has hidden for years. Isabel chose to pass her history to Kendra, an American student attending Oxford. Her story follows the lives of Emmy and Julia Downtree during World War II. With the war becoming more and more of a threat, the sisters are evacuated to the country along with the rest of London's children. Emmy's dreams of becoming a designer cloud her vision though. Julia, who is much younger than Emmy, needs her protection. At what cost will Emmy see her dreams become a reality?
I was extremely pleased with the incredible story Susan Meissner tells. I feel like I need a week to digest and process Secrets of a Charmed Life. I went through almost an entire bag of Starburts in one sitting when the book was getting really intense! This book was not published by a Christian publishing house, but the story is clean, which I was very thankful for. There are too many books out there (even "Christian" books) that share too much detail that I don't want to read. This story is a huge journey of forgiveness of one's self. There are decisions that we make each and every day and we must live with the consequences. How we choose to move on will shape who we are and who we become. I highly recommend this book. I encourage you to get lost in the pages and discover that no matter the circumstances, forgiveness is not out of reach.
**I have done my best to not share any spoilers. I have not shared more than you will find on the back of the cover.**
Isabel MacFarland has finally agreed to share her story and secrets that she has hidden for years. Isabel chose to pass her history to Kendra, an American student attending Oxford. Her story follows the lives of Emmy and Julia Downtree during World War II. With the war becoming more and more of a threat, the sisters are evacuated to the country along with the rest of London's children. Emmy's dreams of becoming a designer cloud her vision though. Julia, who is much younger than Emmy, needs her protection. At what cost will Emmy see her dreams become a reality?
I was extremely pleased with the incredible story Susan Meissner tells. I feel like I need a week to digest and process Secrets of a Charmed Life. I went through almost an entire bag of Starburts in one sitting when the book was getting really intense! This book was not published by a Christian publishing house, but the story is clean, which I was very thankful for. There are too many books out there (even "Christian" books) that share too much detail that I don't want to read. This story is a huge journey of forgiveness of one's self. There are decisions that we make each and every day and we must live with the consequences. How we choose to move on will shape who we are and who we become. I highly recommend this book. I encourage you to get lost in the pages and discover that no matter the circumstances, forgiveness is not out of reach.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Oct 21, 2019
Fun and Exhilarating
War is coming between Earth and the underwater world of Atlantis. Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), half-human half Atlantean, seeks to end the war before it spirals out of control. Despite its shortcomings, I’ll get this out of the way now: Aquaman absolutely rocks.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Arthur’s character grew on me as the movie progressed. He’s a tough guy, no doubt, but I also appreciated his honesty in expressing fear at the same time. He wasn’t reckless, rather he was someone that fully understood the stakes. Despite this clearly being an action blockbuster, I appreciate the efforts in trying to make the characters fun and exhilarating.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 8
This movie won’t make you think. In fact, there are a number of times where it feels designed to do just the opposite. It’s memorability comes in the fact that I can honestly say I’ve never really seen anything like it. The scenes, sequences, and setpieces try really hard and it’s very endearing. The visuals are beautiful particularly during the underwater battle sequences. Just damn beautiful to watch. It’s Finding Nemo on steroids.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
Didn’t linger, ended at exactly the right time with something feasible and simple. A great finish for an overall great experience.
Overall: 92
If you’re a fan of sports, you might relate to this analogy: Ever watch a playoff series and the underdog wins the first game? You say to yourself, “Meh, it’s one game. They’ll lose the next four.” Then they win the next game and another game. Your eyes start to get big as you realize, “They might actually do this!” DC, I’m looking at you. I’m rooting so hard that you guys keep the train rolling. Aquaman is a hit.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Arthur’s character grew on me as the movie progressed. He’s a tough guy, no doubt, but I also appreciated his honesty in expressing fear at the same time. He wasn’t reckless, rather he was someone that fully understood the stakes. Despite this clearly being an action blockbuster, I appreciate the efforts in trying to make the characters fun and exhilarating.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 8
This movie won’t make you think. In fact, there are a number of times where it feels designed to do just the opposite. It’s memorability comes in the fact that I can honestly say I’ve never really seen anything like it. The scenes, sequences, and setpieces try really hard and it’s very endearing. The visuals are beautiful particularly during the underwater battle sequences. Just damn beautiful to watch. It’s Finding Nemo on steroids.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
Didn’t linger, ended at exactly the right time with something feasible and simple. A great finish for an overall great experience.
Overall: 92
If you’re a fan of sports, you might relate to this analogy: Ever watch a playoff series and the underdog wins the first game? You say to yourself, “Meh, it’s one game. They’ll lose the next four.” Then they win the next game and another game. Your eyes start to get big as you realize, “They might actually do this!” DC, I’m looking at you. I’m rooting so hard that you guys keep the train rolling. Aquaman is a hit.
The Letters of John F. Kennedy
Martin W. Sandler and John F. Kennedy
10.0
Rate It
Book
John Fitzgerald Kennedy led the United States for barely a thousand days, and yet he is regarded as...
AT (1676 KP) Feb 20, 2019