Search
Search results
Those Above
Book
They enslaved humanity three thousand years ago. Tall, strong, perfect, superhuman and near immortal...
Obsession
Book
A thrilling standalone novel from New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer L. Armentrout, author...
Perdido Street Station
9.0
Rate It
Book
The metropolis of New Crobuzon sprawls at the centre of its own bewildering world. Humans and...
World of Warcraft: Illidan
Book
YOU ARE NOT PREPARED Illidan Stormrage: one of the most powerful beings ever to walk the lands of...
Whatever!: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Parenting Teenagers
Alison Baverstock and Gill Hines
Book
Do you find bringing up teenagers more of a pain than a pleasure? Raising teenagers can test...
David McK (3562 KP) rated Star Trek Beyond (2016) in Movies
Mar 6, 2021
Space ... the Final frontier ...
The latest (at the time of reviewing) Star Trek film - from 5 years ago, so 2016 - this is the third film to be set in the so-called Kelvin Universe (after 'Star Trek' and 'Star Trek: Into Darkness'), still starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho and (the late) Anton Yelchin as Kirk, Spock, 'Bones' McCoy, Lt Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov respectively.
This time around, Idris Elba plays the baddie role as a character who later proves to have a surprising link with The Federation, with the film also apparently including 50 new alien species as it was released in the year of the 50th anniversary of the TV series.
And therein lies part of the problem: that was hardly broadcast at all - indeed, I feel that they missed a major trick in not broadcasting that fact at all!
While the loose outline of the plot deals with ageing, and with a farewell given to Ambassador Spock, this is perfectly serviceable but not as good as the original film in the Kelvin trilogy (IMO).
This time around, Idris Elba plays the baddie role as a character who later proves to have a surprising link with The Federation, with the film also apparently including 50 new alien species as it was released in the year of the 50th anniversary of the TV series.
And therein lies part of the problem: that was hardly broadcast at all - indeed, I feel that they missed a major trick in not broadcasting that fact at all!
While the loose outline of the plot deals with ageing, and with a farewell given to Ambassador Spock, this is perfectly serviceable but not as good as the original film in the Kelvin trilogy (IMO).
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Species (1995) in Movies
Sep 18, 2020
Ahh Species. A film I loved to watch when I was a young teen for...research purposes...
It's a bit rubbish really though isn't it? Watching it again now, it's pretty much a bunch of characters talking their way through a manhunt, strung together by regular moments of nudity.
It's suitably corny, boasts some terrible CGI (effects that may have been good back in the 90s, I honestly don't really remember) but in spite of all this, it's still pretty entertaining.
It's cast boasts the likes of Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Marg Helgenberger, Forest Whitaker, Michael Madsen, even a young Michelle Williams...it's pretty stacked. Natasha Henstridge of course plays the creature, and gives the role a sense of empowerment rather than exploitation.
The rubber suit aesthetic of the alien is pretty awesome (in the parts where it's not haunting CGI) and it has a pretty decent music score.
I fully see why a lot of people consider Species to be trashy, but honestly, it's a fun slice of 90s (as fuck) sci-fi horror. Enjoy it for what it is and just pretend the sequels don't exist.
It's a bit rubbish really though isn't it? Watching it again now, it's pretty much a bunch of characters talking their way through a manhunt, strung together by regular moments of nudity.
It's suitably corny, boasts some terrible CGI (effects that may have been good back in the 90s, I honestly don't really remember) but in spite of all this, it's still pretty entertaining.
It's cast boasts the likes of Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Marg Helgenberger, Forest Whitaker, Michael Madsen, even a young Michelle Williams...it's pretty stacked. Natasha Henstridge of course plays the creature, and gives the role a sense of empowerment rather than exploitation.
The rubber suit aesthetic of the alien is pretty awesome (in the parts where it's not haunting CGI) and it has a pretty decent music score.
I fully see why a lot of people consider Species to be trashy, but honestly, it's a fun slice of 90s (as fuck) sci-fi horror. Enjoy it for what it is and just pretend the sequels don't exist.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Mulholland Drive (2001) in Movies
Oct 16, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)
Much prefer the manic, more grimy and hieroglyphic musings on the indiscriminate dark side(s) of Hollywood in 𝘐𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 as opposed to this one's version which is much more coherent, more calculated - but nonetheless brilliant and audacious. It's funny how at once you never know what to expect with Lynch, but you also know exactly what to expect: the unnerving alien-esque performances, reliably stunning Badalamenti score, haunting photography, dialogue that makes you feel like you're having an out-of-body-experience, etc. The way in which elements of the neo-noir at first feel totally disjointed and out-of-place with one another then eventually slide right into place is mesmerizing especially when even after the big reveal you never know where it's going to go. Even the smaller moments are parsed over with a fine-toothed comb, such as the nametag significance in the diner. Naomi Watts is galvanizing, totally aces rangy work which commands the screen every scene she's in. Second-place goes to - you guessed it - Billy Ray Cyrus! Remember when highly intelligent, daring projects like this used to get recognized by the Academy without pressure from the public?
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Galaxy of Terror (1981) in Movies
Oct 20, 2020
Listen, I enjoy a trashy Roger Corman horror effort as much as the next person, but Galaxy of Terror is a chore to get through.
These films are known for being cheap, but they usually have a sort of charm to them, that I just found lacking here. The main issue is that it's not very cohesive. Various aspects of the narrative are so unexplained and seemingly random, that it's ultimately super boring, and very easy to zone out. I mean, I watched it earlier today and I've already forgotten how it ended...
Even the usually reliable gore is mostly rubbish, with the exception of a couple of half decent practical effects.
The only aspects that I found positive was seeing Sid Haig, Robert Englund, and Grace Zabriskie in early roles and some of the synth music is fun but other than that, it's straight up bollocks.
A lot of films tried to ride the coat tails of Alien following it's release and Galaxy of Terror does nothing more than remind you that you could be watching that instead.
Final note - definitely in the running for Most Misleading Movie Poster Ever.
These films are known for being cheap, but they usually have a sort of charm to them, that I just found lacking here. The main issue is that it's not very cohesive. Various aspects of the narrative are so unexplained and seemingly random, that it's ultimately super boring, and very easy to zone out. I mean, I watched it earlier today and I've already forgotten how it ended...
Even the usually reliable gore is mostly rubbish, with the exception of a couple of half decent practical effects.
The only aspects that I found positive was seeing Sid Haig, Robert Englund, and Grace Zabriskie in early roles and some of the synth music is fun but other than that, it's straight up bollocks.
A lot of films tried to ride the coat tails of Alien following it's release and Galaxy of Terror does nothing more than remind you that you could be watching that instead.
Final note - definitely in the running for Most Misleading Movie Poster Ever.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated We Can Be Heroes (2020) in Movies
Jan 28, 2021
The idea (2 more)
Past heroes returning
Taylor Dooley
Cast (1 more)
Younger actors ability to act
Superheroes in Training
Seeing and enjoying the peculiar adventure of sharkboy and Lavagirl as a young teen a sequel was always wanted, when first advertised I had another Sonic The Hedgehog movie moment like "OH NO"
As a father with two monsters of my own who love sharkboy & Lavagirl they watched this before me and edged me to watch it with them...
Anyway, graphics continued from SB&LG was an appreciated touch as million dollar graphics don't always make the movie (although they help) a random casting with cute but weak acting and a plot unworthy of it's predecessor, we can be heroes is a nostalgic walk down memory lane that is both family friendly, fun (at least were the adult heroes are involved) and is more like a preschool edition of Disney's Sky High movie.
Best thing about the movie was the return of original Lavagirl actress Taylor dooley.
Appreciate the effort by Netflix, but maybe something more for the original fans next time around.
Plot: children of heroes attempt to rescue captured parents from an "evil" alien invasion ......or something like that.
As a father with two monsters of my own who love sharkboy & Lavagirl they watched this before me and edged me to watch it with them...
Anyway, graphics continued from SB&LG was an appreciated touch as million dollar graphics don't always make the movie (although they help) a random casting with cute but weak acting and a plot unworthy of it's predecessor, we can be heroes is a nostalgic walk down memory lane that is both family friendly, fun (at least were the adult heroes are involved) and is more like a preschool edition of Disney's Sky High movie.
Best thing about the movie was the return of original Lavagirl actress Taylor dooley.
Appreciate the effort by Netflix, but maybe something more for the original fans next time around.
Plot: children of heroes attempt to rescue captured parents from an "evil" alien invasion ......or something like that.