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Ross (3284 KP) rated Squeeze Me in Books
Oct 13, 2020
It's hard to satirise the most absurd president in history
I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am quite a big fan of Carl Hiaasen, having discovered his quirky corrupt Floridian crime novels as a recommendation for fans of Chris Brookmyre. His books are filled with pollution, government corruption, and bizarre things happening to extreme characters.
Squeeze Me follows the strange disappearance of a rich old fan of the president (who isn't explicitly named but is a bulky chap who likes a tanning bed and has a younger, more attractive wife) at one of her many charity balls near her winter Florida home. Coincidentally, pest control expert Angie Armstrong is asked to dispose of a large, engorged python from the property. There then follows a rollicking tale of cover-ups, dodgy gangsters, racial intolerance, extra-marital affairs and murder, and a small appearance from everyone's favourite governor-turned-hobo-eco-terrorist.
This book is fairly typical of Hiaasen, with all the different characters crossing paths through unlikely events and plots. However, his books are famed for their extreme, unbelievable bad guys: the hoods hired to do a corrupt supposedly honest businessman/government official's dirty work. We have had someone in the past whose hand was bitten off and replaced with a weed-whacker, someone who was hooked on steroids and raped by a dolphin etc. This book is sadly lacking of such characters, as all the bad guys are fairly textbook thugs or criminals.
Also, Hiaasen readers are used to the unbelievable corruption at the hands of government officials, but when the real life president is so corrupt and unethical, any such corruption will struggle in comparison to the real thing. The president is more of a bumbling oaf who hires one man purely to service his sunbeds, another as a body double to test them out before he uses them. His racial hatred of non-North Americans is present, but becomes a small part of his character here.
This is a book about the bizarre adulation towards the president in those who are in his outer inner circle and clamouring for his attention, and the industry that builds up around them.
It is a little bit of a letdown from Hiaasen's best work, but still a great crime and corruption caper.
I am quite a big fan of Carl Hiaasen, having discovered his quirky corrupt Floridian crime novels as a recommendation for fans of Chris Brookmyre. His books are filled with pollution, government corruption, and bizarre things happening to extreme characters.
Squeeze Me follows the strange disappearance of a rich old fan of the president (who isn't explicitly named but is a bulky chap who likes a tanning bed and has a younger, more attractive wife) at one of her many charity balls near her winter Florida home. Coincidentally, pest control expert Angie Armstrong is asked to dispose of a large, engorged python from the property. There then follows a rollicking tale of cover-ups, dodgy gangsters, racial intolerance, extra-marital affairs and murder, and a small appearance from everyone's favourite governor-turned-hobo-eco-terrorist.
This book is fairly typical of Hiaasen, with all the different characters crossing paths through unlikely events and plots. However, his books are famed for their extreme, unbelievable bad guys: the hoods hired to do a corrupt supposedly honest businessman/government official's dirty work. We have had someone in the past whose hand was bitten off and replaced with a weed-whacker, someone who was hooked on steroids and raped by a dolphin etc. This book is sadly lacking of such characters, as all the bad guys are fairly textbook thugs or criminals.
Also, Hiaasen readers are used to the unbelievable corruption at the hands of government officials, but when the real life president is so corrupt and unethical, any such corruption will struggle in comparison to the real thing. The president is more of a bumbling oaf who hires one man purely to service his sunbeds, another as a body double to test them out before he uses them. His racial hatred of non-North Americans is present, but becomes a small part of his character here.
This is a book about the bizarre adulation towards the president in those who are in his outer inner circle and clamouring for his attention, and the industry that builds up around them.
It is a little bit of a letdown from Hiaasen's best work, but still a great crime and corruption caper.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Hannie Caulder (1971) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
You'll Have a Blast Watching This
Set in the western frontier days, a woman seeks revenge after a gang of bandits abuse her and kill her husband.
Acting: 8
No one is winning any awards, but they get the job done. Raquel Welch holds her own in her primary role as Hannie Caulder. She’s tough as nails and I love the perfect timing with which she delivers her quips. It’s fun watching her kick all the ass. Shout-out to Robert Culp as well playing the role of gunslinger Thomas Luther Price. He approaches his role with the calm demeanor of one that only kills when he has to. Both actors killed it.
The ones playing the bandits, however, did not. it was like watching the Three Stooges try and be bad guys. Fortunately they didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the movie as it made me want them to get theirs even more.
Beginning: 10
First ten minutes does the job of a true beginning: Sets up the plot while getting you excited to watch the rest of the movie. By the end of it, you know who’s bad, who’s good, and who needs to be avenged. Let the rest of the movie commence!
Characters: 8
Loved the protagonists as characters, not so much the bad guys as mentioned above. The villains were bumbling idiots who seemed to do bad things off sheer luck. Fortunately Hannie and her motivation for revenge was enough to carry the story. While I thought they could’ve put more clothes on the poor girl (she spends most of the movie in a poncho with nothing underneath), her rise to becoming a gunslinger was fun to watch.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are some really beautiful shots I adored in the movie. At the very beginning, we see Hannie standing over her dead husband against the backdrop of her burning home. It feels almost poetic. Beautiful shots of the landscape are captured so perfectly. The gun battles were also shot in such a way that the deaths felt more realistic which was a nice touch.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
You want fun? Check! Cool gun fights? Check! A quest for revenge that you can get behind? Done and done. I would be surprised if you didn’t have a blast during the film’s 85-minute runtime.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 10
Plot: 8
Much like Wonder Woman, the only thing this movie really suffers from is an unnecessary romance. it felt forced and happened way too quick. Hannie, like Diana, doesn’t need a man, not even in the slightest. Even if Thomas hadn’t trained her, I feel like she would have learned her way around a gun as her desire for revenge was so strong. You don’t need to fall in love to have a desire to kick ass. If anything, throwing love into the mix should have made Hannie question her motives. The rest of the story, though linear, was solid.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 87
I don’t say this lightly: I really enjoyed this movie. As campy as it can feel at times, a strong female lead makes it unique and memorable. If you like westerns, or even if you just like good movies, check this one out now for free on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Acting: 8
No one is winning any awards, but they get the job done. Raquel Welch holds her own in her primary role as Hannie Caulder. She’s tough as nails and I love the perfect timing with which she delivers her quips. It’s fun watching her kick all the ass. Shout-out to Robert Culp as well playing the role of gunslinger Thomas Luther Price. He approaches his role with the calm demeanor of one that only kills when he has to. Both actors killed it.
The ones playing the bandits, however, did not. it was like watching the Three Stooges try and be bad guys. Fortunately they didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the movie as it made me want them to get theirs even more.
Beginning: 10
First ten minutes does the job of a true beginning: Sets up the plot while getting you excited to watch the rest of the movie. By the end of it, you know who’s bad, who’s good, and who needs to be avenged. Let the rest of the movie commence!
Characters: 8
Loved the protagonists as characters, not so much the bad guys as mentioned above. The villains were bumbling idiots who seemed to do bad things off sheer luck. Fortunately Hannie and her motivation for revenge was enough to carry the story. While I thought they could’ve put more clothes on the poor girl (she spends most of the movie in a poncho with nothing underneath), her rise to becoming a gunslinger was fun to watch.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are some really beautiful shots I adored in the movie. At the very beginning, we see Hannie standing over her dead husband against the backdrop of her burning home. It feels almost poetic. Beautiful shots of the landscape are captured so perfectly. The gun battles were also shot in such a way that the deaths felt more realistic which was a nice touch.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
You want fun? Check! Cool gun fights? Check! A quest for revenge that you can get behind? Done and done. I would be surprised if you didn’t have a blast during the film’s 85-minute runtime.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 10
Plot: 8
Much like Wonder Woman, the only thing this movie really suffers from is an unnecessary romance. it felt forced and happened way too quick. Hannie, like Diana, doesn’t need a man, not even in the slightest. Even if Thomas hadn’t trained her, I feel like she would have learned her way around a gun as her desire for revenge was so strong. You don’t need to fall in love to have a desire to kick ass. If anything, throwing love into the mix should have made Hannie question her motives. The rest of the story, though linear, was solid.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 87
I don’t say this lightly: I really enjoyed this movie. As campy as it can feel at times, a strong female lead makes it unique and memorable. If you like westerns, or even if you just like good movies, check this one out now for free on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated I Declare War (2013) in Movies
Jan 4, 2018
Not Bad
I Declare War is the first film I chose in my quest to watch 365 films in 2018. It won't go down as a classic, but rather a film you're glad you watched at least once. Honestly, had it been a film about anything else, it could've been a classic. The subject matter made it hard to stay intrigued. You're entertained sure, but in the back of your mind, you're constantly reminding yourself that this is kids playing a game. With no real stakes. In the woods.
That's the plot, guys. A game of War played with fake weapons by kids in the woods. There were some funny moments that gave me a chuckle. One quote in particular caught me off guard: "God is so gay." Hilarious. I also thought writer Jason Lapeyre did an excellent job of capturing the fun blend between reality and pretend and how blurred those lines can be when kids use their imaginations. Friendships get tested in the spirit of competition. We all know how much kids hate to lose.
Decent, not classic. Even better, you can check it out on Vudu right now for free. I give it a 70.
That's the plot, guys. A game of War played with fake weapons by kids in the woods. There were some funny moments that gave me a chuckle. One quote in particular caught me off guard: "God is so gay." Hilarious. I also thought writer Jason Lapeyre did an excellent job of capturing the fun blend between reality and pretend and how blurred those lines can be when kids use their imaginations. Friendships get tested in the spirit of competition. We all know how much kids hate to lose.
Decent, not classic. Even better, you can check it out on Vudu right now for free. I give it a 70.
Dean Connelly (17 KP) rated Batman: Return to Arkham in Video Games
Jan 10, 2018
You get to be Batman (3 more)
Voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill
Both storylines are worthy of any comic book or movie
Just everything about it
I’ll get committed to this Asylum any day.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was never a fan of these sort of games but it came out and I love it. You’ve got the best Batman and the best Joker in 2 of the best games I’ve ever played. Asylum you are stuck to Arkham Island and there isnt much you can do, City I feel is the best, more characters, more gadgets, more abilities, bigger environment, bigger bad guys to fight, loads more trophies. There also is side missions ranging from helping Bane to facing off against Deadshot. What I really love is that no character is the same from previous movies or TV series, I mean Poison Ivy is seriously fit, Freeze looks futuristic, Catwoman looks like a prostitute, you can play as Catwoman, challenges on both Games are good, city’s is tougher though. If you love a good game or a fan of the Dark Knight like me, you won’t be disappointed
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Stairs (2019) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Toby Osmond (3 more)
Story
Tom Paton
Alana Wallace
Don't Go Down
This movie is everything you would hope for in a Tom Paton flick and a hell of a lot more. A high concept psychological horror/thriller like you wouldnt believe that plays in the sci-fi genre realm. So yeah its a mind melding genre bending smorgasboard.
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated 21 Bridges (2019) in Movies
Dec 11, 2019
The New Training Day
Chadwick Boseman has so much on screen charisma in this movie he could quite soon be one of the biggest names in Hollywood, his performance was utterly compelling. When an actor doesn't even have to speak and you know what they are thinking off by their eyes then that is special. In fact the entire cast is very strong with spot on performances from all of them,
This is a very strong film, if you liked Training Day here is another film with cops and bad guys (or are they one and the same?). Boseman is a detective who lives for the badge out to stop two robbers who have left a bloodbath of cops behind them.Can Boseman solve the mystery and stop the robbers or will he simply get revenge?
The only loss of points for me was I guessed the 'twist' from the beginning, otherwise it could have been even more of a great must watch film
This is a very strong film, if you liked Training Day here is another film with cops and bad guys (or are they one and the same?). Boseman is a detective who lives for the badge out to stop two robbers who have left a bloodbath of cops behind them.Can Boseman solve the mystery and stop the robbers or will he simply get revenge?
The only loss of points for me was I guessed the 'twist' from the beginning, otherwise it could have been even more of a great must watch film
Obsession
Book
A thrilling standalone novel from New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer L. Armentrout, author...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Deathmaker (Dragon Blood, #2) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
I received this copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.
Im a huge fan of Lindsay Buroker so when she offered me the chance to read this, I jumped at the chance.
Its part two in her Dragon Blood series and takes place a little time after the first. This one is more like her Emperors Edge series with it being heavy on the action and light on the romance, though there is enough to make you happy. Its more subtle than that of the first, which is what I really like about the authors books.
I grew to like Tolemek/the Deathmaker early on in this, despite him being one of the bad guys, and I think Cas had the same problem. Hes unlike the rest of the pirates she ends up meeting. Tolemek doesnt like hurting women, unlike some of the others, and over time he softens towards Cas and she gets under his skin. It was all rather sweet reading.
If youre a fan of the author then you need to read this. If youve never read anything by her, why not?
Im a huge fan of Lindsay Buroker so when she offered me the chance to read this, I jumped at the chance.
Its part two in her Dragon Blood series and takes place a little time after the first. This one is more like her Emperors Edge series with it being heavy on the action and light on the romance, though there is enough to make you happy. Its more subtle than that of the first, which is what I really like about the authors books.
I grew to like Tolemek/the Deathmaker early on in this, despite him being one of the bad guys, and I think Cas had the same problem. Hes unlike the rest of the pirates she ends up meeting. Tolemek doesnt like hurting women, unlike some of the others, and over time he softens towards Cas and she gets under his skin. It was all rather sweet reading.
If youre a fan of the author then you need to read this. If youve never read anything by her, why not?
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