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David McK (3422 KP) rated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) in Movies
May 15, 2022
Marvel's first horror (themed) movie?
So, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange?
He's now appeared in six MCU movies, including this one (which is only his second solo outing). In order, they are:
Doctor Strange (2016)
Thor: Ragnorak (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
As well as that, he's also appeared in perhaps the best episode of Marvels animated 'What If ...' series, titled 'What if ... Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?@
The reason I mention the latter?
Because, roughly halfway through this, Dr Strange falls through the Multiverse (first shown on the big screen in No Way Home): one of which looks very much like the animation style used in said series.
The films also relies heavily on the aftermath from TVs WandaVision (although a brief reprise of that is given by Wanda herself, with Vision barely getting a mention), in that Wanda is now desperate to find her missing children and has the Darkhold in her possession.
She also goes on to show why she is one of - if not the - most powerful beings in the MCU, which is where a lot of the horror elements in this story come into play. It is a Sam Raimi film, so if you've seen The Evil Dead (or even the original Spider-man trilogy, in particular Spider-Man 2), you know the type of thing: crazy camera angles, unsettling imagery, zombies, the damned ....
Oh, and it also definitely - finally! - opens up the MCU for the inclusion of the X-Men or The Fantastic Four.
He's now appeared in six MCU movies, including this one (which is only his second solo outing). In order, they are:
Doctor Strange (2016)
Thor: Ragnorak (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
As well as that, he's also appeared in perhaps the best episode of Marvels animated 'What If ...' series, titled 'What if ... Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?@
The reason I mention the latter?
Because, roughly halfway through this, Dr Strange falls through the Multiverse (first shown on the big screen in No Way Home): one of which looks very much like the animation style used in said series.
The films also relies heavily on the aftermath from TVs WandaVision (although a brief reprise of that is given by Wanda herself, with Vision barely getting a mention), in that Wanda is now desperate to find her missing children and has the Darkhold in her possession.
She also goes on to show why she is one of - if not the - most powerful beings in the MCU, which is where a lot of the horror elements in this story come into play. It is a Sam Raimi film, so if you've seen The Evil Dead (or even the original Spider-man trilogy, in particular Spider-Man 2), you know the type of thing: crazy camera angles, unsettling imagery, zombies, the damned ....
Oh, and it also definitely - finally! - opens up the MCU for the inclusion of the X-Men or The Fantastic Four.
Midge (525 KP) rated Sugar: My Life as a Sugar Babe in Books
Dec 11, 2018
A fun, fast and interesting read. (2 more)
Fascinating to read about Monique's travels to different countries.
Intense and emotional
Very Steamy!
Sugar was beckoning at me to be read, initially by the eye-catching and attractive cover and that it looked like it would be a very steamy read, as indeed it was. I was definitely not disappointed! I was smitten from the very first, right until the last page.
Monique is a loving single mother, who is trying to create a happy home for her two daughters and she's also a Sugar Babe, dating wealthy men, a practice known as Sugar Daddy dating. She mostly meets her Sugar Daddies during the day, when the children are at school or when they are with their father. Monique finds a thousand pounds in her purse after one night of passionate and very hot sex, and she realises that Sugar Daddy dating could be her way to survive as a single mother.
A heady life of wealthy men, luxury hotels and glamorous experiences ensue. One of my favourites was Iranian engineer Farshad, who liked to lavish Monique with gifts such as expensive jewellery and leather boots and wine and dine her in exotic restaurants.
Dates with Sugar Daddies see her flying to Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, Milan, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong and skydiving in Dubai. Thanks to her Sugar Daddies, Monique can provide for her children, she has some independence, and experiences a whole new range of sexual fantasies.
She deactivates her account with her agency, Seeking Arrangement, and her ex-husband stops paying for the children's' upkeep. She is then prepared to do anything for the sake of her children. Money becomes her top priority and she starts living in the dangerous waters of the escort world. Now she realises that she must find a way out before this hollow existence becomes a habit.
I absolutely loved reading Sugar. Maybe it was the novelty of reading a book told as memoirs and based on true events. It was fascinating to read about Monique's travels to different countries and about the different nationalities, cultures and personalities of the gentlemen she dated. However, she ends up working as an escort rather than a Sugar Babe, as it's all about basic survival instincts, money and very spicy sex.
Sugar is steamy and hot, passionate and caring, intense and emotional and there are definitely moments where you will laugh. It is such a fun, fast and interesting read.
Monique X is a brilliant storyteller and really draws you in with her descriptiveness.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for my ARC.
Monique is a loving single mother, who is trying to create a happy home for her two daughters and she's also a Sugar Babe, dating wealthy men, a practice known as Sugar Daddy dating. She mostly meets her Sugar Daddies during the day, when the children are at school or when they are with their father. Monique finds a thousand pounds in her purse after one night of passionate and very hot sex, and she realises that Sugar Daddy dating could be her way to survive as a single mother.
A heady life of wealthy men, luxury hotels and glamorous experiences ensue. One of my favourites was Iranian engineer Farshad, who liked to lavish Monique with gifts such as expensive jewellery and leather boots and wine and dine her in exotic restaurants.
Dates with Sugar Daddies see her flying to Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, Milan, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong and skydiving in Dubai. Thanks to her Sugar Daddies, Monique can provide for her children, she has some independence, and experiences a whole new range of sexual fantasies.
She deactivates her account with her agency, Seeking Arrangement, and her ex-husband stops paying for the children's' upkeep. She is then prepared to do anything for the sake of her children. Money becomes her top priority and she starts living in the dangerous waters of the escort world. Now she realises that she must find a way out before this hollow existence becomes a habit.
I absolutely loved reading Sugar. Maybe it was the novelty of reading a book told as memoirs and based on true events. It was fascinating to read about Monique's travels to different countries and about the different nationalities, cultures and personalities of the gentlemen she dated. However, she ends up working as an escort rather than a Sugar Babe, as it's all about basic survival instincts, money and very spicy sex.
Sugar is steamy and hot, passionate and caring, intense and emotional and there are definitely moments where you will laugh. It is such a fun, fast and interesting read.
Monique X is a brilliant storyteller and really draws you in with her descriptiveness.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for my ARC.
David McK (3422 KP) rated Death of Wolverine in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The DEATH of Wolverine?
As if.
The Temporary Absence of Wolverine? (from the Marvel Universe). perhaps.
Admittedly, that doesn't sound *quite* as catchy, but I think that we all know by now that the death of any major comic character rarely stays that way: Superman, Captain America and Spider-Man (for instance) have all previously 'died' and later been resurrected. In the comics, indeed, I can only think of a few characters - all with mainly supporting roles - who have died, and stayed dead. Characters such as Uncle Ben (Spider-Man), Jonathan Kent (Superman) or the Wayne's (Batman), for example.
With all that said, this story starts with Logan stripped of his healing powers by unspecified events and with a huge bounty placed on him, leading several of the worlds bounty hunters to try to collect.
How this all fits into 'Old Man Logan' (which I haven't read, but have heard of), I have no idea - in this, he does, indeed, 'die' by the end of the stories. Like the character, the (linked) stories are also pretty brutal, with the art not shying away form showing the injuries sustained by a healing-powers-less Logan, and with blood spilt on a fairly regular basis.
There's also a throw-away line in one of the X-Men movies (the first?), where Logan is asked - when referring to his claws popping out - if that hurts, and in which he answers "Every damn time". The reason I bring that up? Because that fact is woven into this story as well, with Logan trying to avoid using his claws until absolutely necessary and with close-ups of his hands (when he does) showing just how painful it can be.
Worth a read? Yes, but I very much doubt the character will stay dead for long!
As if.
The Temporary Absence of Wolverine? (from the Marvel Universe). perhaps.
Admittedly, that doesn't sound *quite* as catchy, but I think that we all know by now that the death of any major comic character rarely stays that way: Superman, Captain America and Spider-Man (for instance) have all previously 'died' and later been resurrected. In the comics, indeed, I can only think of a few characters - all with mainly supporting roles - who have died, and stayed dead. Characters such as Uncle Ben (Spider-Man), Jonathan Kent (Superman) or the Wayne's (Batman), for example.
With all that said, this story starts with Logan stripped of his healing powers by unspecified events and with a huge bounty placed on him, leading several of the worlds bounty hunters to try to collect.
How this all fits into 'Old Man Logan' (which I haven't read, but have heard of), I have no idea - in this, he does, indeed, 'die' by the end of the stories. Like the character, the (linked) stories are also pretty brutal, with the art not shying away form showing the injuries sustained by a healing-powers-less Logan, and with blood spilt on a fairly regular basis.
There's also a throw-away line in one of the X-Men movies (the first?), where Logan is asked - when referring to his claws popping out - if that hurts, and in which he answers "Every damn time". The reason I bring that up? Because that fact is woven into this story as well, with Logan trying to avoid using his claws until absolutely necessary and with close-ups of his hands (when he does) showing just how painful it can be.
Worth a read? Yes, but I very much doubt the character will stay dead for long!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) in Movies
Jul 4, 2019 (Updated Jul 30, 2019)
It's all just a bit...meh
The Last Stand is not completely awful, but there is an absolutely huge setback here - the writers tried to cram the epic Dark Phoenix saga into one film.
Couple this with an interrupted production and you have a messy result.
A fair amount of what is likable about the first two is still intact - the strongest asset here being the strong cast, doing their absolute best with a sub par script and story.
As for newcomers - Kelsey Grammer is a welcome addition as Beast, as is Ellen Page as Shadowcat - unfortunately Angel is pretty wasted here, as are characters like Psylocke, who is relegated to an extended cameo. Whoever decided to cast Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut deserves a good slapping.
The Dark Phoenix storyline in the comics is pretty epic, a lot of it takes place in space, and the tragedy of the X-Men fighting one of their own is fleshed out very well - something that the movie adaption practically ignores. After being hinted at the end of X2, Jean Grey is promptly bought back, and turns to the dark side very quickly, without any real build up.
Some character story arcs are concluded abruptly and in emotionless ways, as the film just sort of limps along to a pretty underwhelming conclusion.
Bryan Singer left production midway through to helm Superman Returns, and it shows.
The slickness and solid narrative of X2 is replaced by a choppy mess, full of quips that don't land ("I'm the Juggernaut bitch" anyone!?), and Brett Ratners involvement was just a misfire.
This particular comic arc deserves so much better (and judging by what I've heard about the 2019 effort, this is still the case!)
Couple this with an interrupted production and you have a messy result.
A fair amount of what is likable about the first two is still intact - the strongest asset here being the strong cast, doing their absolute best with a sub par script and story.
As for newcomers - Kelsey Grammer is a welcome addition as Beast, as is Ellen Page as Shadowcat - unfortunately Angel is pretty wasted here, as are characters like Psylocke, who is relegated to an extended cameo. Whoever decided to cast Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut deserves a good slapping.
The Dark Phoenix storyline in the comics is pretty epic, a lot of it takes place in space, and the tragedy of the X-Men fighting one of their own is fleshed out very well - something that the movie adaption practically ignores. After being hinted at the end of X2, Jean Grey is promptly bought back, and turns to the dark side very quickly, without any real build up.
Some character story arcs are concluded abruptly and in emotionless ways, as the film just sort of limps along to a pretty underwhelming conclusion.
Bryan Singer left production midway through to helm Superman Returns, and it shows.
The slickness and solid narrative of X2 is replaced by a choppy mess, full of quips that don't land ("I'm the Juggernaut bitch" anyone!?), and Brett Ratners involvement was just a misfire.
This particular comic arc deserves so much better (and judging by what I've heard about the 2019 effort, this is still the case!)
Jim Shooter: Conversations
Jason Sacks, Eric Hoffman and Dominick Grace
Book
As an American comic book writer, editor, and businessman, Jim Shooter (b. 1952) remains among the...
RC
Royal City: Next of Kin: Volume 1
10.0
Rate It
Book
In his most ambitious and most personal project to date, JEFF LEMIRE spins the captivating and...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Project Power (2020) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
If you're looking for a straight down the middle-of-the-road action flick, then you're in the right place.
Project Power has a decent concept - a new street drug that gives the user a random superpower for 5 minutes is running rampant in New Orleans. Police officer Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is working hard to shut the whole thing down, whilst Art (Jamie Foxx) has a more personal vendetta against the manufacturers of the drug, and will stop at nothing to get to those at the top.
Now, Jamie Foxx is a damn fine actor, and here is no exception. He carries the film along side Dominique Fishback (a teenage dealer who sort of becomes his sidekick). The two of them share some great chemistry, and gave the film a bit of heart.
The usually reliable Gordon-Levitt however seems so uninterested in what he's doing. Honestly looks and sounds like he just doesn't give a fuck, which is a shame - he's usually a highlight for me!
The CGI in this movie is weird - sometimes it looks pretty decent, other times it looks horrible.
The majority of the final action sequence - good. The big scary bearded guy knocking down thick steel doors - bad.
The woman who turns icy - fairly good. The guy who turns into a big angry monster thing - really really bad, like the first Harry Potter troll bad.
Some of the action is entertaining, but it's nothing we haven't seen before from the up and down X-Men franchise.
Project Power isn't a bad film - it's watchable for the most part, it's just a little underwhelming, and I have no doubt I'll have forgotten it in a few days.
Project Power has a decent concept - a new street drug that gives the user a random superpower for 5 minutes is running rampant in New Orleans. Police officer Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is working hard to shut the whole thing down, whilst Art (Jamie Foxx) has a more personal vendetta against the manufacturers of the drug, and will stop at nothing to get to those at the top.
Now, Jamie Foxx is a damn fine actor, and here is no exception. He carries the film along side Dominique Fishback (a teenage dealer who sort of becomes his sidekick). The two of them share some great chemistry, and gave the film a bit of heart.
The usually reliable Gordon-Levitt however seems so uninterested in what he's doing. Honestly looks and sounds like he just doesn't give a fuck, which is a shame - he's usually a highlight for me!
The CGI in this movie is weird - sometimes it looks pretty decent, other times it looks horrible.
The majority of the final action sequence - good. The big scary bearded guy knocking down thick steel doors - bad.
The woman who turns icy - fairly good. The guy who turns into a big angry monster thing - really really bad, like the first Harry Potter troll bad.
Some of the action is entertaining, but it's nothing we haven't seen before from the up and down X-Men franchise.
Project Power isn't a bad film - it's watchable for the most part, it's just a little underwhelming, and I have no doubt I'll have forgotten it in a few days.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Spider-Men in Books
Nov 30, 2020
So, here's the thing.. Brian Michael Bendis . When his writing is good, like on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN or his own creator-owned projects like JINX and POWERS, the man is quite good. When he is regrettable, like he was on his run on ALL-NEW X-MEN and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Peter Quill + Kitty Pryde? Really?!? Um, no..), his writing stank like yesterday's diapers! Fortunately, that was not the case with this little gem!
Let me frank here: THIS WAS A FUN READ! It was great to see Miles Morales and Earth-616's Peter Parker, <b>our/my</b> Double-P, working together. Still riding on the good++ vibe generated by INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (seriously, if you have not seen it yet, you totally need to see it), this was just what I wanted.
And that art? Wowwowwoweeewow! I sure do love me some Sara Pichelli! I never really tire of seeing her work! And the perfect compliment to her art? The always-perfect coloring by the late Justin Ponsor! Man, I am gonna miss him! Rest in peace, Justin! #cancersucks
If there was anything I could find wrong with the story as a whole was Mysterio. Look, I am a 50-year-old comic fan who got all sorts of happy when I saw the clip of SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME and Mysterio was in it -- with his fishbowl head! But, here in this story, while cool to see him used, I felt he was not really memorable. His performance in the story didn't really feel like Mysterio, you know? Other than that, the book was all aces for me!
If you are looking for a Spider-Fix, and you want to read some of the good Bendis, look no further than this one! Enjoy!
Let me frank here: THIS WAS A FUN READ! It was great to see Miles Morales and Earth-616's Peter Parker, <b>our/my</b> Double-P, working together. Still riding on the good++ vibe generated by INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (seriously, if you have not seen it yet, you totally need to see it), this was just what I wanted.
And that art? Wowwowwoweeewow! I sure do love me some Sara Pichelli! I never really tire of seeing her work! And the perfect compliment to her art? The always-perfect coloring by the late Justin Ponsor! Man, I am gonna miss him! Rest in peace, Justin! #cancersucks
If there was anything I could find wrong with the story as a whole was Mysterio. Look, I am a 50-year-old comic fan who got all sorts of happy when I saw the clip of SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME and Mysterio was in it -- with his fishbowl head! But, here in this story, while cool to see him used, I felt he was not really memorable. His performance in the story didn't really feel like Mysterio, you know? Other than that, the book was all aces for me!
If you are looking for a Spider-Fix, and you want to read some of the good Bendis, look no further than this one! Enjoy!
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Darkest Minds (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
A real drawback to this film is that the story line is designed to be several pieces, so you don't get a complete tale, just a cliffhanger of an ending as a lead up to the next one... but are there going to be anymore after the majority of people seem to think it was a flop? I did some vague Googling but it was next to impossible to find anything useful on the subject without wading through all the negative reviews.
I found it really difficult to rate this one. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the action and the story idea, and the effects were very good... but... much like with the Maze Runner films it will probably stand up better as a collection of films rather than as it is on it's own.
Having only just started the book (I know, finally one I've actually begun and not just got on the shelf!) I'm not sure exactly how dark Ruby's character goes. In a desperate move to help her friends she turns on a bounty hunter who is out to get them. She turns her power loose and tells her to walk into the woods, and keep walking... which now I think about it we've seen in X-Men haven't we? How, or even if, this is represented in the book I do not know, but it's quite a dark moment for this innocent teenager who hasn't really done anything with any malice before now.
The film is somehow a little bit samey while being different all at the same time. I've been wavering between three and four stars on this one, but I think what sealed it's fate is that I would only actually buy this if I was going to be getting all the movies to complete the saga.
I found it really difficult to rate this one. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the action and the story idea, and the effects were very good... but... much like with the Maze Runner films it will probably stand up better as a collection of films rather than as it is on it's own.
Having only just started the book (I know, finally one I've actually begun and not just got on the shelf!) I'm not sure exactly how dark Ruby's character goes. In a desperate move to help her friends she turns on a bounty hunter who is out to get them. She turns her power loose and tells her to walk into the woods, and keep walking... which now I think about it we've seen in X-Men haven't we? How, or even if, this is represented in the book I do not know, but it's quite a dark moment for this innocent teenager who hasn't really done anything with any malice before now.
The film is somehow a little bit samey while being different all at the same time. I've been wavering between three and four stars on this one, but I think what sealed it's fate is that I would only actually buy this if I was going to be getting all the movies to complete the saga.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Jul 21, 2017
Ryan Reynolds (2 more)
Hilarious Throughout
Energetic Score
Even Better Than A Chimichanga
Many thought that this movie would never get made, but I am very glad that it did. The movie serves as a long awaited origin story to Deadpool, that is fairly faithful to the comic book, at least more so than the previous iteration that we got of the character. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic in the Deadpool role, he truly was born to play the merc with a mouth in my opinion. Deadpool here is crass, funny, violent and energetic as well as being pretty faithful to comic book Deadpool, with the only thing missing from this version being the multiple voices in his head, but I am pretty sure that we will see that character trait develop in future Deadpool movies. The plot is pretty simple, we are introduced to Deadpool and shown how he got his powers after being diagnosed with incurable cancer via flashback. From there we basically follow him while he attempts to track down Ajax, or Francis, (the guy that turned him into Deadpool and made him deformed,) so that he can cure his skin and give him back his good looks. The one thing that was always going to either make or break this movie, was the humour. However they capture the meta humour perfectly here, which is an essential component of what makes up this character and is one of the main reasons why so many people love him. The movie is chock full of clever fourth wall breaks and pop culture references. The film was granted an R rating by the studio and the filmmakers take full advantage of that fact, with constant blood splatter and f-bombs being dropped left and right. The hip hop based score adds to the energetic tone of the movie and the action scenes are exciting throughout.
All of this results in setting up a Deadpool universe that is full of potential, we already know that we are getting a sequel, probably featuring Cable and possibly introducing the X force, plus I am very curious whether or not we will get to see Deadpool being integrated into the larger X Men universe, it would be really cool to see him interacting with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, since he is the butt of several jokes in the Deadpool movie.
Overall, whether you are a fan of the Deadpool comic or not, as long as you are into crass humour, over the top cartoon violence and R rated superhero movies, then there is no reason why you won’t love this movie. It is also the best Fox superhero movie that we have had and it is the best R rated superhero movie ever produced.
All of this results in setting up a Deadpool universe that is full of potential, we already know that we are getting a sequel, probably featuring Cable and possibly introducing the X force, plus I am very curious whether or not we will get to see Deadpool being integrated into the larger X Men universe, it would be really cool to see him interacting with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, since he is the butt of several jokes in the Deadpool movie.
Overall, whether you are a fan of the Deadpool comic or not, as long as you are into crass humour, over the top cartoon violence and R rated superhero movies, then there is no reason why you won’t love this movie. It is also the best Fox superhero movie that we have had and it is the best R rated superhero movie ever produced.