Search
Search results

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Bare-Knuckle Love (Rabid Mongrels MC #1) in Books
Jan 8, 2021
I've been having a hard time getting into books lately--both paperback and e-book--so I decided to go and download some free short stories of Amazon, and this was one of them.
Admittedly, I'm a little wary of what they might be like. I've read some good freebies and I've read some pretty bad freebies. Luckily this falls into the first category for me.
First off, it made me cry twice. That very rarely happens in most M/M stories I read and the fact that it's rather dark in places--more like patches--makes it extra unusual. But I really liked their story and how their romance came about. Anyway, the first time was the dog thing. The second, it was Jason's thought in the last fight.
Secondly. There was a darkness to it but I really liked Hyde. The way he sort of tried to stop too bad a thing happening to Jason after he lost them the money made me melt a little. It was sweet. He might have been President of the MC but he wasn't an altogether bad guy.
Thirdly. Just how despite it being a short story I was a sucker for the romance between these two guys.
I look forward to more instalments with these two.
Admittedly, I'm a little wary of what they might be like. I've read some good freebies and I've read some pretty bad freebies. Luckily this falls into the first category for me.
First off, it made me cry twice. That very rarely happens in most M/M stories I read and the fact that it's rather dark in places--more like patches--makes it extra unusual. But I really liked their story and how their romance came about. Anyway, the first time was the dog thing. The second, it was Jason's thought in the last fight.
Secondly. There was a darkness to it but I really liked Hyde. The way he sort of tried to stop too bad a thing happening to Jason after he lost them the money made me melt a little. It was sweet. He might have been President of the MC but he wasn't an altogether bad guy.
Thirdly. Just how despite it being a short story I was a sucker for the romance between these two guys.
I look forward to more instalments with these two.

Bob Mann (459 KP) rated SAS: Red Notice (2021) in Movies
Mar 13, 2021
The script is dire: awful dialogue (1 more)
A truly wasted cast
Psycho vs Psycho: but poorly delivered
Oh my word, SAS: Red Notice is disappointing.
A really interesting cast, and the opportunity to do a mix of "Die Hard", "Daylight" and the finale of "Mission Impossible". And a novel take of 'good psychopath' vs 'bad psychopath'. But it's just so poorly delivered.
True that some of the McNab-guided action scenes feel refreshingly authentic. But the script is clunkingly bad (a discussion with a French girl on top of the train... #shudder) and there are story segues that shock (in a bad way): at one point our hero (Sam Huegen - most recently very good as Paul Newman in "For Olivia") walks out of a French vineyard into a winter wonderland with 6 inches of snow! Did I miss the wardrobe???!
After "Twist" this is yet another dire Sky Original movie, this time with a wasted cast. In particular, BAFTA Rising Star Noel Clarke needs to start making better film choices before getting a reputation for being in duffers.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/03/13/sas-red-notice-another-sky-original-duffer/ ).
A really interesting cast, and the opportunity to do a mix of "Die Hard", "Daylight" and the finale of "Mission Impossible". And a novel take of 'good psychopath' vs 'bad psychopath'. But it's just so poorly delivered.
True that some of the McNab-guided action scenes feel refreshingly authentic. But the script is clunkingly bad (a discussion with a French girl on top of the train... #shudder) and there are story segues that shock (in a bad way): at one point our hero (Sam Huegen - most recently very good as Paul Newman in "For Olivia") walks out of a French vineyard into a winter wonderland with 6 inches of snow! Did I miss the wardrobe???!
After "Twist" this is yet another dire Sky Original movie, this time with a wasted cast. In particular, BAFTA Rising Star Noel Clarke needs to start making better film choices before getting a reputation for being in duffers.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/03/13/sas-red-notice-another-sky-original-duffer/ ).

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Species II (1998) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
Species II adds more of everything that made the first one such a success, but unfortunately with lesser results.
It obviously has a bigger budget this time around, the spaceships in the opening shots look pretty decent (even if they are plastered with product placement), it's has noticeably more gore, more nudity, more tentacles flying out of nipples, more Marg Helgenberger, more full body shots of the aliens, but have no doubt, this sequel is the epitome of guilty pleasure trash - it's obviously a bad film, but is so much goddam fun.
The bad CGI is a slight improvement on the first film, but I can respect the numerous practical effects in use, and the aliens seen near the end look both silly and quite horrific (good old H.R. Giger). The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but when you have lines like "They could fuck the human race into extinction" being thrown around, it hard to not ironically enjoy yourself.
Ultimately, Species II is a worse film than it's predecessor (which is hardly a masterpiece in the first place) but it's loud, dumb, gory, sci-fi action that equates to that age old saying - it's so bad, it's kind of good.
It obviously has a bigger budget this time around, the spaceships in the opening shots look pretty decent (even if they are plastered with product placement), it's has noticeably more gore, more nudity, more tentacles flying out of nipples, more Marg Helgenberger, more full body shots of the aliens, but have no doubt, this sequel is the epitome of guilty pleasure trash - it's obviously a bad film, but is so much goddam fun.
The bad CGI is a slight improvement on the first film, but I can respect the numerous practical effects in use, and the aliens seen near the end look both silly and quite horrific (good old H.R. Giger). The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but when you have lines like "They could fuck the human race into extinction" being thrown around, it hard to not ironically enjoy yourself.
Ultimately, Species II is a worse film than it's predecessor (which is hardly a masterpiece in the first place) but it's loud, dumb, gory, sci-fi action that equates to that age old saying - it's so bad, it's kind of good.

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1970) in Movies
Dec 9, 2020
'It'll make you think of Dr No!' promises the poster for this almost indescribable comedy-thriller written and directed by Burgess Meredith. It didn't make me think of Dr No: it made me think of what it must be like to take hallucinogenic drugs while suffering from a bad case of the flu. The details of the plot are almost enough to defeat the English language - suffice to say that the key turning point in the story comes when the Buddha (who also narrates the story) uses his mystic powers to turn villainous Chinese-Mexican Mr Go (James Mason - yes, it's James Mason trying to play a Chinese-Mexican) into a benevolent philanthropist.
It's not just that the film is bizarre and incoherent, with plenty of gratuitous nudity, and European actors cheerfully playing Asian characters: it's also that the production values are incredibly primitive. It's almost like watching pornography without the sex (or so I would imagine). Not one element of this film is robust enough to elevate it into 'so bad it's funny' territory. It's just bad. That said, Jeff Bridges made his film debut in it, which presumably goes to show that even the least promising starts can lead to a distinguished career. But even so - for masochists and the troubled only.
It's not just that the film is bizarre and incoherent, with plenty of gratuitous nudity, and European actors cheerfully playing Asian characters: it's also that the production values are incredibly primitive. It's almost like watching pornography without the sex (or so I would imagine). Not one element of this film is robust enough to elevate it into 'so bad it's funny' territory. It's just bad. That said, Jeff Bridges made his film debut in it, which presumably goes to show that even the least promising starts can lead to a distinguished career. But even so - for masochists and the troubled only.

Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated The Lost Tapes 2 by Nas in Music
Sep 2, 2019
Nas is a legendary emcee from Queensbridge, New York. Not too long ago, he released a lavish audiovisual for his “No Bad Energy” single, released via Mass Appeal Records.
“I’m oblivious to you skeptics. What you hear you ain’t ever hear ’til I repped it. Iridescent heroes essence, please clear the exits. I chase demons outdoors, force ’em to hear the message, air ’em out. Heard some people discussing my whereabouts. Yeah, it’s been a few sightings of me, a fair amount. Never seen much, but yet I’m never in the house. Move in style, wild, exciting when I do step out.” – lyrics
‘No Bad Energy’ finds an introspective Nas detailing facts about his legendary status, his brother Jungle’s musical success, and the sacrifices his father had to make to make ends meet.
Later, he raps about other rappers who rap about other people’s lives. They never shot anyone but be shooting people in their rhymes.
Also, Nas drops gems like, “What doesn’t come out in the wash comes out in the rinse”, and “Whoever put you in the position to have a say-so should be questioned them self.”
‘No Bad Energy’ is featured on Nas’ “The Lost Tapes 2” album.
“I’m oblivious to you skeptics. What you hear you ain’t ever hear ’til I repped it. Iridescent heroes essence, please clear the exits. I chase demons outdoors, force ’em to hear the message, air ’em out. Heard some people discussing my whereabouts. Yeah, it’s been a few sightings of me, a fair amount. Never seen much, but yet I’m never in the house. Move in style, wild, exciting when I do step out.” – lyrics
‘No Bad Energy’ finds an introspective Nas detailing facts about his legendary status, his brother Jungle’s musical success, and the sacrifices his father had to make to make ends meet.
Later, he raps about other rappers who rap about other people’s lives. They never shot anyone but be shooting people in their rhymes.
Also, Nas drops gems like, “What doesn’t come out in the wash comes out in the rinse”, and “Whoever put you in the position to have a say-so should be questioned them self.”
‘No Bad Energy’ is featured on Nas’ “The Lost Tapes 2” album.

Awix (3310 KP) rated Jason and the Argonauts (1963) in Movies
Oct 5, 2019 (Updated Oct 5, 2019)
Corny but much-loved mythological fantasy film. Jason and his men go in search of a magic sheepskin, occasionally with the aid of the gods but without the assistance of modern special effects. A strong, mostly British cast do the usual sterling work while imported stars Todd Armstrong and Nancy Kovack stand around being obviously dubbed.
The script is, to be honest, all over the place: it's episodic, the writers seem to have been making it up as they went (the most memorable character wanders out of the movie half way through), and Jason doesn't actually complete the mission he sets himself at the start (maybe they were hoping for a sequel). However, for a bad movie this has some of the most wonderful special effects ever put on celluloid, namely Ray Harryhausen's brilliant hand-crafted animation. Any amount of stodgy non-acting and dubious costume design would be a small price to pay for sequences like the ones with the bronze titan Talos, the Hydra, or the mob of skeletons at the end (the skeleton battle is such a breathtaking achievement it should really be playing on loop in art galleries around the world). They don't make them like this any more. Even the bad bits are kind of bad in a good way.
The script is, to be honest, all over the place: it's episodic, the writers seem to have been making it up as they went (the most memorable character wanders out of the movie half way through), and Jason doesn't actually complete the mission he sets himself at the start (maybe they were hoping for a sequel). However, for a bad movie this has some of the most wonderful special effects ever put on celluloid, namely Ray Harryhausen's brilliant hand-crafted animation. Any amount of stodgy non-acting and dubious costume design would be a small price to pay for sequences like the ones with the bronze titan Talos, the Hydra, or the mob of skeletons at the end (the skeleton battle is such a breathtaking achievement it should really be playing on loop in art galleries around the world). They don't make them like this any more. Even the bad bits are kind of bad in a good way.

Rabbit - Habit Reminders
Productivity and Lifestyle
App
Drink more water! Stand up straight! Take a walk! We all want to develop good habits, but sometimes...

My Little Secret
Book
She’s a good girl. He’s a very bad boy. Sparks will fly when fate brings them together in this...

Carma (21 KP) rated Bad Influence (Bad Bachelors, #3) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Annie is the brains behind the Bad Bachelor website. It has brought a myriad of emotions to women around NYC and beyond. Some people are for the site and others want her to shut it down for ruining lives. Either way Annie knows it is helping most women navigate the dating world and she doesnt want to take that away from them. She has firmly stayed out of the dating world since her relationship ended years ago when she chose her family over her relationship. Joseph is never far from her thoughts but that is as close as she wants him, until she knocks him into a pond by accident.
Joseph has returned home again after making a name for himself overseas. He hasnt stopped thinking about Annie much over the years, as his ex fiancé can attest to. He is hoping to get a chance to have a good heart to heart with her and apologize for leaving her the way he did. While contemplating his thoughts at their spot by the pond he literally bumps into his past.
Annie and Joseph didnt have a great conversational past and they both fully admit it. Now that theyve gotten a second chance will they make the best of it this time or fall back into their old habits? Annie doesnt want to fall back into her past, especially while she is being threatened by someone over the Bad Bachelors website but she needs Josephs help to find out who is behind the threats.
Bad Influence is the third book in the Bad Bachelor series and a great continuation of the storylines. I received an advance copy from Netgalley without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. A 4 ½ star read, personally I found some slower parts to the story but overall a very good read. You dont have to read in any order as each is a standalone but if you want background on the other 2 main couples and/or the website I would recommend starting with book one, Bad Bachelor.
Joseph has returned home again after making a name for himself overseas. He hasnt stopped thinking about Annie much over the years, as his ex fiancé can attest to. He is hoping to get a chance to have a good heart to heart with her and apologize for leaving her the way he did. While contemplating his thoughts at their spot by the pond he literally bumps into his past.
Annie and Joseph didnt have a great conversational past and they both fully admit it. Now that theyve gotten a second chance will they make the best of it this time or fall back into their old habits? Annie doesnt want to fall back into her past, especially while she is being threatened by someone over the Bad Bachelors website but she needs Josephs help to find out who is behind the threats.
Bad Influence is the third book in the Bad Bachelor series and a great continuation of the storylines. I received an advance copy from Netgalley without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. A 4 ½ star read, personally I found some slower parts to the story but overall a very good read. You dont have to read in any order as each is a standalone but if you want background on the other 2 main couples and/or the website I would recommend starting with book one, Bad Bachelor.

Movie Critics (823 KP) rated Friend Request (2016) in Movies
Sep 24, 2017
Friend Request keeps up the pace and throws in a few neat twists to keep the plot from stagnating. What’s more, the Facebook fixation will hit a note with younger viewers, even if the message that ‘self-obsession = bad’ is a little heavy handed
Critic- Ally Wybrew
Original Score: 3 out of 5
Read Review: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/friend-request/review/
Original Score: 3 out of 5
Read Review: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/friend-request/review/