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Maggie for Hire (Maggie MacKay #1)
Maggie for Hire (Maggie MacKay #1)
Kate Danley | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My name is Maggie MacKay. When monsters show up in Los Angeles, I get the call to haul 'em back to the dimension where they belong.

It's a living.

But I just got word my uncle has teamed up with the forces of darkness to ruin my life. Actually, everyone's lives. Everyone's gonna die if I don't find a magical object before the coming apocalypse. This is going to make the next family reunion a little awkward.

Come along with me, my sidekick elf Killian, and my crazy family for a snarky urban fantasy adventure with attitude.

WARNING: This book contains cussing, brawling, and unladylike behavior. Proceed with caution.

Well I really enjoyed this book it was a quick read,fast paced and well written! I loved Maggie and her whole kickass attitude. Although there was a bit of sexual tension between her and Killian it didn't take over the whole book. Loved how balanced it was. Short chapters that kept you reading!
  
Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
I don't know why, but for some reason Asia (and Japan in particular) seems to have a thing for Giant Monsters (think Godzilla) and for Giant Robots (think BattleTech).

Or, as they're called in this series (and elsewhere? I don't know) Kaiju and Jaegers respectively.

This is a sequel to the best non-Godzilla Godzilla movie (in all but name), this time starring Star Wars own John Boyega as its reluctant hero, as the son of the "we're cancelling the apocalypse" hero from the first move, and who gets drawn back into the whole military training around the Jaegers 10 years after the events of that last movie.

Just in time, then, for him to be in place as the undersea breaches reopen and more of those Kaiju to come through ...

Dumb fun, but seemingly lacking something (although you can actually see what's happening in the battles this time around!) compared to the original, or to the various 'official' Godzilla/King Kong/etc movies.
  
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Nicholas Cage recommended Apocalypse Now (1979) in Movies (curated)

 
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
1979 | Action, Drama, War

"I saw Apocalypse Now really with everybody else, so Marlon Brando was there, and my uncle was showing the movie, and Dennis Hopper was there and [Marc Marrie], and … I don’t think Marrie was there, but everybody … Let’s see. Larry was there. They were watching the movie for the first time, and I must’ve been about, gosh, what was I? 12, 13? I don’t know, but it really put a big effect in me, and I was blown away by the scope of the film. I don’t think there really was a movie like that before with the helicopter sequences, and with Brando’s performance with Dennis Hopper was… I mean, he was really going off the rails in that, and that had a big impact on me as well, in terms of my own later choices with film performance. I wanted to get a little more Dennis Hopper or less Dennis Hopper with some of the stuff that I was doing, so that had a big impact."

Source
  
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John Cusack recommended The Shining (1980) in Movies (curated)

 
The Shining (1980)
The Shining (1980)
1980 | Horror

"Well The Shining I thought a lot about, because we did Stephen King’s 1408, which was another movie set in a hotel room, and the madness of that. But I think just seeing it in theaters, you know — I think it’s when you saw it. My mom was from Boston, so we used to go to Nantucket, and it was the summer and I remember I snuck away in the afternoon to go see it, at around 4 or 6 o’clock or something, and when I came back out it was dark and I had to walk down this dark street alone. And I remember being really, I mean really scared coming out of that theater; like, I did not want to leave the street lights to walk home. The other experience I remember was I saw Apocalypse Now in the theaters and I remember coming out of that and I almost couldn’t speak. Stunned."

Source
  
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Gruff Rhys recommended California 99 by Jimmie Haskell in Music (curated)

 
California 99 by Jimmie Haskell
California 99 by Jimmie Haskell
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This 1971 album by Hollywood arranger Jimmie Haskell is a rare case of the Topographical Album. It reimagines a future sovereign state of California in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake along the San Andreas fault - creating a gigantic inland lagoon where most of So-Cal sits today. If you're a Mapster that's into Maps - then this is the record for you - and from that perspective this has the greatest sleeve ever made. (Folds out into a giant map of said post apocalypse America). For heritage rock completists: this record features a cover of the Band's 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and Joe Walsh ( who would soon be joining the Eagles) features heavily on a couple of tunes. Generally though, Approach with caution - even though it's a fun record and a bold attempt at a new musical micro-genre, it also has the faint unwelcome smell of the rock opera."

Source
  
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Nothing (0 more)
Too much to say (0 more)
The Dark Phoenix??
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have to begin by saying is I am glad Fox is done with the X men. This bad excuse for a Dark Phoenix story was by far the worst of the lot. I thought the Apocalypse movie was bad. They made one worse! I know there is only so much you can do in a movie but to call this The Dark Phoenix was not the right movie title. Maybe it should have been called X Men: The Alien Invasion. That's all this movie was...a story about Jean Grey getting the Phoenix powers and Aliens trying to get her and steal the powers to rebuild their race. That's the storyline. It seems there wasn't even an effort to tell the story half way right. But at the expense of going on a rant, Fox is done so maybe now Marvel can do the X men justice. My recommendation...don'r waste your time on this abomination.
  
Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness
Keith Carabine, Joseph Conrad, Gene M. Moore | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
5
6.2 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is undoubtedly most famous today for being the story behind the film Apocalypse Now and really comparisons between the two are inevitable.

The story itself is a story within a story, being related by a sailor on a ship while it is waiting at anchor in the Thames estuary. To pass the time he tells his crewmates of the time he spent several years previously working for a trading consortium in Africa, piloting a boat to the trading station up river to pick up ivory.

His manager is wary of the man who runs the trading station - Mr Kurtz. He believes he is ultimately after his job. It is clear that Kurtz is a very talismanic and polarising figure, some hating him and others talking about him as if he is some sort of deity. The narrator cannot wait to meet him but suffers many delays (including having to repair his boat) before he can set off up river. By the time he does the weight of expectation and anticipation has created his own expectations of what he will find. But what will the reality be?

This is s slim volume, and to be honest a slim plot. But the brilliance is in the telling of the story. Conrad carefully evokes the feeling of the oppressive heat and frustration of not being able to head up the river. But once underway the jungle closes in and is claustrophobic and full of mystery and hidden dangers. The attraction is not in the tale itself but in the way it is told.

By the time the trading post is reached the expectations of Kurtz have been raised in the reader as much as in the narrator and events unfold in an unexpected direction.

As with Apocalypse Now the journey up the river is everything and the eventual destination looms until it consumes the characters and dictates their actions.

A word of caution about the language used. The 'N' word is frequently used and sometimes in a derogatory manner so if this offends it is best to avoid.

Overall, a diverting read and a masterclass in using descriptions to set the tone for the reader. But probably not essential.
  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
Honestly struggled to get on board with this one.
I generally don't like musicals (with a couple of exceptions) and Anna and the Apocalypse certainly doesn't change my mind in that respect, but everything surrounding fell a bit flat for me as well.

For one, none of the characters are remotely likable, apart from Anna herself. By the time people start getting chowed on, it's hard to care. It takes its time building up, treating us all to four full forgettable songs before anything properly kicks off, and when it does it's all a bit meh.
In terms of zombie action, it's not the worst I've ever seen, but it's one of those films that likes to cut away instead of showing off any decent effects.

The music itself is just quite bland. It's certainly going for a Glee type feel with what it's doing, so for me personally it's just a huge miss. I'm sure there are plenty out there who enjoy Glee, and therefore will probably get something out of the music on show here which is fine, just not for me.
There's one scene to be fair, where Anna leaves her house with her headphones in, completely unaware of the carnage unfolding around her whilst singing. This bit was actually pretty entertaining and amusing, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the scene that set off the whole idea process.
The film can't quite decide what genre it's going for however. Is it a musical, is it a zombie horror, is it a Christmas movie? I'm sure the advertising campaign would have you think it's all three, but it just doesn't do any of them justice. Most of the jokes fall flat - I will admit that I audibly laughed once during the whole thing...

Ultimately, Anna and the Apocalypse ultimately draws comparisons with its more superior peers, such as Shaun of the Dead, but the truth it's no where as witty or groundbreaking. Since SOTD, the zombie comedy sub genre has been done to death, and these days, it takes something special to really stand out. This film takes a punt, and genuinely tries something new, but it's not executed well enough to rise above the pack.
  
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ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Ice in Books

Dec 31, 2017  
The Ice
The Ice
Laline Paull | 2018 | Crime, Thriller
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thoughtful thriller
If a book has "apocalypse" somewhere, anywhere, in the description, I'm pretty much guaranteed to at least attempt to read it. The Polar ice caps are a bit of a buzzword (buzz phrase?) at the moment, and this centres around an impending environmental disaster. Business vs. Ecology.

In The Ice, everyone wants to exploit the land under what was once protected by ice. Tom and Sean both love the Arctic: Tom is an environmental campaigner, Sean is a businessman who wants to make lots of money and get a Knighthood. This follows the accident that causes Tom's death and the Coroners investigation that occurs three years after his death.

I loved the story and the characters were easy to like (or dislike!). I especially liked the little excerpts from the books written by Polar explorers at the beginning of each chapter. These were largely written by the trailblazers: the men who made the first journeys in to the arctic in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a lovely touch, I felt. Well worth reading.
  
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
2016 | Action, Sci-Fi
New characters (0 more)
I love the xmen as a small kid i used to read the comics over and over .ive seen all the xmen movies this one is not that great not terrible but not awesome apocalypse is one of there most powerful characters .the last few movies with the new cast i really liked .first class and the one where they go back n forth in time.i really liked psylocke storm and death angel .but honestly they could have done better.the special effects were good.idk it needs something new .dark phoenix should be good .i dont rember seeing wolverine rouge (who is my fav)ice man .but just like the comics they constantly come and go.if u like xmen you will like this movie.i wish i could write a xmen movie team up with say spiderman and a crazy villian like mestphito (spelt wrong sorry)and throw in a love story gambit and rouge collousis and kitty pryde.some thing to give the movie character and feeling.cant wait for the next one