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Lenard (726 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 16, 2018
Acting (3 more)
Directing
Production Design
Editing
Burying the Lead
Meryl Streep is an American institution. Yet again, she proves that she is not finished finding new dimensions to her characters. In "The Post," she plays pioneering publisher Katherine Graham from The Washington Post. The film itself somehow manages to bury the lead in its own story. In an early scene, Streep playing Graham is at a meeting of the Board Of Directors voting whether The Post should go public. Graham never utters a word. Her advisor/attorney makes every statement for her. This is an indictment of the times, referred to later when Ben Bradlee makes an off-the-cuff remark about why her husband was given the paper in the first place. It is also a subtle clue about the quiet authority Katherine actually had, pulling all the strings though she had no voice in her own company. A later scene in which she retires to the drawing room with the other women while the men talk politics is another sign on the backward thinking times of not-so-long-age. It is here that the obstensible plot starts. Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara pulls Katherine away from the other women to reveal a story that is about to appear in the New York Times. A classified Pentagon report was leaked that detailed how the American government knew the conflict in Vietnam was unwinnable, kept the war going as a facade, and had been lying to its constituents. Nixon and Attorney General Mitchell threatened the free press with injunctions, restraining orders, and incarceration. In the resulting Supreme Court case, Justice Black found that the press is responsible to protect the governed and not the governors. Buried within is the story of the inequality of men and women and the small strides women made to exist in this patriarchal society.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Battle of the Ampere (Michael Vey, #3) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As this is the third book in the series, there is not much that I can say about it that will not spoil either of the previous books but I will do my best to avoid most specifics. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend not reading this review.
My opinions about this book have not varied greatly since I began reading the Prisoner of Cell 25. The writing quality is still not impressive, but it feels more like a middle-grade novel or low-level young adult so it isn't entirely out of place. The author continues to overuse the word said as his descriptor for almost every person who is speaking, which becomes tedious. As I am listening to the audiobook, I have mentioned before that it could compound the issue for me hearing so many "saids" in a row but in my opinion, that's just poor word choice that could be rectified quite easily.
I enjoyed how this book continued to develop the characters and world because previously I felt those aspects to be a little lacking. We learn more about the Elgen and their secretive board, though I hope that is expanded in future books. They are a shadowy corporation and the "big bad" of the series in conjunction with Hatch, but we know very little about either party.
There was more character development and added depth to their personalities. We were given internal motivation and struggles that made them more realistic and relatable. Our core group feels more developed now, although the supporting characters are still a little flat. I hope that they are fleshed out more in subsequent books.
Overall, this is a fast, easy read that is perfect for middle grade or young adult/teen who just want a fun book with an aspect of fantasy.
My opinions about this book have not varied greatly since I began reading the Prisoner of Cell 25. The writing quality is still not impressive, but it feels more like a middle-grade novel or low-level young adult so it isn't entirely out of place. The author continues to overuse the word said as his descriptor for almost every person who is speaking, which becomes tedious. As I am listening to the audiobook, I have mentioned before that it could compound the issue for me hearing so many "saids" in a row but in my opinion, that's just poor word choice that could be rectified quite easily.
I enjoyed how this book continued to develop the characters and world because previously I felt those aspects to be a little lacking. We learn more about the Elgen and their secretive board, though I hope that is expanded in future books. They are a shadowy corporation and the "big bad" of the series in conjunction with Hatch, but we know very little about either party.
There was more character development and added depth to their personalities. We were given internal motivation and struggles that made them more realistic and relatable. Our core group feels more developed now, although the supporting characters are still a little flat. I hope that they are fleshed out more in subsequent books.
Overall, this is a fast, easy read that is perfect for middle grade or young adult/teen who just want a fun book with an aspect of fantasy.
Gareth Michael Lewis (6 KP) rated The Orville in TV
Feb 26, 2018
Star Trek for a modern audience
When trailers for The Orville and for Star Trek Discovery first did the rounds, I was more excited the The Orville than STD.
The Orville captures a feel for Star Trek that STD just doesn't. It shows a hopeful future that has its problems but tries to deal with them in a diplomatic/peaceful way but isn't afraid to show its teeth if cornered.
As with many new series, The Orville struggles to find its feet and find its balance between sci-fi and comedy. This is oh so evident in the first few episodes, which aim for humour a little too much and miss the mark. By later episodes, the balance is a little better. As the crew grows into their roles, the humour is better and more focused. Instead of gags thrown in it becomes more natural like crew playing practical jokes on each other, people mentioning foibles of other crew (which is funnier if you've SEEN said foibles in an earlier episode), elevator music, love/hate relationships and some seriously great cameos and appearances from A-list stars (even some Star Trek alum). The fact that The Orville has such great pedigree in the form of so many writers, actors and directors from various Star Trek series on board shines through with every new episode
I like all the characters on the ship, and their interactions are building a family on this little ship which makes me want to watch more.
The Orville has some of the best features of a Star Trek series, great ships, uniforms, aliens and stories with some humour thrown in. I cannot wait for a season 2 and would recommend this over STD all day long.
The Orville captures a feel for Star Trek that STD just doesn't. It shows a hopeful future that has its problems but tries to deal with them in a diplomatic/peaceful way but isn't afraid to show its teeth if cornered.
As with many new series, The Orville struggles to find its feet and find its balance between sci-fi and comedy. This is oh so evident in the first few episodes, which aim for humour a little too much and miss the mark. By later episodes, the balance is a little better. As the crew grows into their roles, the humour is better and more focused. Instead of gags thrown in it becomes more natural like crew playing practical jokes on each other, people mentioning foibles of other crew (which is funnier if you've SEEN said foibles in an earlier episode), elevator music, love/hate relationships and some seriously great cameos and appearances from A-list stars (even some Star Trek alum). The fact that The Orville has such great pedigree in the form of so many writers, actors and directors from various Star Trek series on board shines through with every new episode
I like all the characters on the ship, and their interactions are building a family on this little ship which makes me want to watch more.
The Orville has some of the best features of a Star Trek series, great ships, uniforms, aliens and stories with some humour thrown in. I cannot wait for a season 2 and would recommend this over STD all day long.
Merissa (12069 KP) rated Over Raging Tides (Lady Pirates, #1) in Books
Jun 11, 2018
Over Raging Tides (Lady Pirates, #1) by Jennifer Ellision
Over Raging Tides is the first book in the Lady Pirates series, and going by this one, I can't wait to continue with this series. Grace has been a pirate since the age of seven, and is now Quartermaster and First Mate of Lady Luck, a pirate ship with an all-female crew. There is rivalry between her and Celia, the other woman who wanted the Quartermaster role. Grace's mother was taken from her when she was younger, by creatures of the sea that aren't friendly! Everyone presumes she is dead, including her love, the Captain of the ship. Things get interesting when Grace rescues two brothers from the Mordgris and brings them on-board. Her life changes and she sees things she never saw before.
This story was amazing and gripped me from the very start. The world building is amazing, and rich in history. The characters are well developed, although obviously some are more than others. One of my favourite characters is Sam, and I can't wait to see what she will do next. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was very smooth.
One word for you though - cliffhanger! This is the first book in the series so it does end with one almighty cliffhanger that will leave you wanting book two immediately. Unfortunately for me, it's not actually released yet, so I will have to wait oh-so-patiently!
For a clean, nautical adventure, with magic, mayhem, and a good dosing of rum, then I can highly recommend this book! Another corker by Jennifer Ellision.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This story was amazing and gripped me from the very start. The world building is amazing, and rich in history. The characters are well developed, although obviously some are more than others. One of my favourite characters is Sam, and I can't wait to see what she will do next. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was very smooth.
One word for you though - cliffhanger! This is the first book in the series so it does end with one almighty cliffhanger that will leave you wanting book two immediately. Unfortunately for me, it's not actually released yet, so I will have to wait oh-so-patiently!
For a clean, nautical adventure, with magic, mayhem, and a good dosing of rum, then I can highly recommend this book! Another corker by Jennifer Ellision.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Carma (21 KP) rated Condemned & Admired - The Earl's Cunning Wife (#9 Love's Second Chance Series) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Condemned and Admired (The Earls Cunning Wife) is the first book Ive read by Bree Wolf. It is an historical story involving both England and France. It is quite a long book if you are a slow reader, just as a reference. 4 stars from this reader.
Our heroine starts as Violet Winters, daughter of Viscount Silox on a night when her mother makes the ultimate sacrifice to save both her and her daughter from a life of hell.
Fast forward the story to Violette Duret and the mission she is on to save her family.
Oliver Cornell is the Earl of Cullingwood and he is tired of the rules and regulations he must follow to keep the titles in his family. He is young and just wants to have fun and enjoy himself, much to the chagrin of his father. When he wakes up on a ship headed to see he thinks he has found his ticket to freedom.
When Violette and her family pull their ship over to commandeer the vessel they dont realize the precious commodity they now have on board. When the Earl reveals his identity she realizes he could help with her plan.
Violette and Oliver set off on an adventure that brings her right back into the family life her mother fought to remove her from. Will she make it out a second time?
A well written historical story with plenty of description of times in 1800s England. I enjoyed the storyline of Violette and Oliver and look forward to reading her mothers story in Trapped and Liberated. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. I have a couple other books by Ms. Wolf on my TBR, cant wait to dive in.
Our heroine starts as Violet Winters, daughter of Viscount Silox on a night when her mother makes the ultimate sacrifice to save both her and her daughter from a life of hell.
Fast forward the story to Violette Duret and the mission she is on to save her family.
Oliver Cornell is the Earl of Cullingwood and he is tired of the rules and regulations he must follow to keep the titles in his family. He is young and just wants to have fun and enjoy himself, much to the chagrin of his father. When he wakes up on a ship headed to see he thinks he has found his ticket to freedom.
When Violette and her family pull their ship over to commandeer the vessel they dont realize the precious commodity they now have on board. When the Earl reveals his identity she realizes he could help with her plan.
Violette and Oliver set off on an adventure that brings her right back into the family life her mother fought to remove her from. Will she make it out a second time?
A well written historical story with plenty of description of times in 1800s England. I enjoyed the storyline of Violette and Oliver and look forward to reading her mothers story in Trapped and Liberated. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. I have a couple other books by Ms. Wolf on my TBR, cant wait to dive in.
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated The Wayward Prince (Mind + Machine #2) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
great follow up to book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
4 years ago, Sebastian stole The Wayward Prince from a young man called Ren. Now, Rem is back and offering Sebastian and his crew a job. Can Sebastian and Ren part again, with their hearts intact?
This is book two in the Mind + Machine series, and I would personally recommend you read book one, Machine Metal Magic, first. Jaime and Rylan plays a huge part here and there is some references to their story. Not necessary just a personal recommendation.
I really enjoyed this one! It's a great follow up to book one. Not quite a five star read but so very nearly!
It's also quite difficult to write a review for this book without giving anything away! There are plot twists all over, and I did not see a single one coming me! And the slightest slip up on my part would spoil that experience for someone else. So, this may well be very vague!
Loved Sebastian. He thinks he's a bad egg but really has a heart of gold. He loves his ship and his on-board family, waifs and strays he's picked up, or indeed, they've picked Sebastian up. And Ren? Well let's just say he's a sweetheart, and he wants to do right by everyone, even to his own heartbreak. But loved his solution to that heartbreak!
Loved the hints that come about each crew member's history! So many stories to tell, those people!
It's told from both men's point of view so we get it all from both of them and you know how happy that makes me feel!
Oh do you know what? I can't find anything wrong with this so . . . .
5 full stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
4 years ago, Sebastian stole The Wayward Prince from a young man called Ren. Now, Rem is back and offering Sebastian and his crew a job. Can Sebastian and Ren part again, with their hearts intact?
This is book two in the Mind + Machine series, and I would personally recommend you read book one, Machine Metal Magic, first. Jaime and Rylan plays a huge part here and there is some references to their story. Not necessary just a personal recommendation.
I really enjoyed this one! It's a great follow up to book one. Not quite a five star read but so very nearly!
It's also quite difficult to write a review for this book without giving anything away! There are plot twists all over, and I did not see a single one coming me! And the slightest slip up on my part would spoil that experience for someone else. So, this may well be very vague!
Loved Sebastian. He thinks he's a bad egg but really has a heart of gold. He loves his ship and his on-board family, waifs and strays he's picked up, or indeed, they've picked Sebastian up. And Ren? Well let's just say he's a sweetheart, and he wants to do right by everyone, even to his own heartbreak. But loved his solution to that heartbreak!
Loved the hints that come about each crew member's history! So many stories to tell, those people!
It's told from both men's point of view so we get it all from both of them and you know how happy that makes me feel!
Oh do you know what? I can't find anything wrong with this so . . . .
5 full stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Pumpka (57 KP) rated Wingspan in Tabletop Games
Aug 15, 2019
Replayability (4 more)
Family friendly
Easy to learn
Stunning components
Fun engine building
Wingspan, blown away again!
Wingspan continues to blow me away with each play. It’s not only very easy to teach but brings an element of engine building in a way I wasn’t expecting. Creating combos of birds that help you to make an efficient board for gaining points and scoring those all important end of round bonuses. Which change from game to game, giving wingspan replayablility in more than one way, each game encouraging you to employ new tactics. This prevents any style of meta gaming where “if you play this certain way, you will always win”!
I had the pleasure of teaching a family of two parents and two children, ages 7 and 10. Who all thoroughly enjoyed playing, the children loved the components as well as figuring out the bird combos for themselves. Having fun feeding the birds to bring them into their tableaux, the theme is well done like this. Everything fits well and hasn’t been “tacked on”. Even if you’re no bird fanatic, this game just feels lovely to play, and is honestly worth a shot if you ever have the chance to play.
The game also plays in a nice timescale, when you first start playing the game seems as if it may take a while. Then before you know it you’ve only got one action left! And it’s all over :) leaving time for another go!
Overall, a magnificent game. Although I must mention it is a light-weight game at that. IF you’re style of game is more meaty than light to medium weight. This one might not be for you entirely, BUT as I mentioned before, for the unique style of engine building, I’d highly encourage you to give it a go anyway! :)
I had the pleasure of teaching a family of two parents and two children, ages 7 and 10. Who all thoroughly enjoyed playing, the children loved the components as well as figuring out the bird combos for themselves. Having fun feeding the birds to bring them into their tableaux, the theme is well done like this. Everything fits well and hasn’t been “tacked on”. Even if you’re no bird fanatic, this game just feels lovely to play, and is honestly worth a shot if you ever have the chance to play.
The game also plays in a nice timescale, when you first start playing the game seems as if it may take a while. Then before you know it you’ve only got one action left! And it’s all over :) leaving time for another go!
Overall, a magnificent game. Although I must mention it is a light-weight game at that. IF you’re style of game is more meaty than light to medium weight. This one might not be for you entirely, BUT as I mentioned before, for the unique style of engine building, I’d highly encourage you to give it a go anyway! :)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Honestly I think I'm still recovering from the midnight screening, but it was well worth going to. Lots of fans showed up. A real mix across the board, had a lot of banter with them. Slightly disappointed with some that left before the end of the credits... seriously... you should know by now.
I don't want to really give spoilers so this is going to be brief.
I was basically in shock from about minute three of the film right through to the end.
One bit really made me cry, and that annoyed me.
I laughed a lot.
Everyone loves a pirate angel baby.
The atmosphere in the cinema was incredible and it really upped the enjoyment of the film for me. Yes, that is fairly tricky to do as it was already right up there, but there's no denying that it was way better with all those reactions. I was buzzing when I left the cinema at 3am, as was everyone else.
The only thing I would say is that I'm not really sure why people were coming out and acting so shocked... they know what films are in the pipeline and who is signed up for more films... and there's still part two to come... yes, I died a little bit inside by the end of the movie, but you know the outcome for some of the characters. Take a breath and enjoy everything.
Minor off topic (sort of) annoyance... another film with a trailer full of things that you don't see, or don't see quite the same, in the film.
Honestly I think I'm still recovering from the midnight screening, but it was well worth going to. Lots of fans showed up. A real mix across the board, had a lot of banter with them. Slightly disappointed with some that left before the end of the credits... seriously... you should know by now.
I don't want to really give spoilers so this is going to be brief.
I was basically in shock from about minute three of the film right through to the end.
One bit really made me cry, and that annoyed me.
I laughed a lot.
Everyone loves a pirate angel baby.
The atmosphere in the cinema was incredible and it really upped the enjoyment of the film for me. Yes, that is fairly tricky to do as it was already right up there, but there's no denying that it was way better with all those reactions. I was buzzing when I left the cinema at 3am, as was everyone else.
The only thing I would say is that I'm not really sure why people were coming out and acting so shocked... they know what films are in the pipeline and who is signed up for more films... and there's still part two to come... yes, I died a little bit inside by the end of the movie, but you know the outcome for some of the characters. Take a breath and enjoy everything.
Minor off topic (sort of) annoyance... another film with a trailer full of things that you don't see, or don't see quite the same, in the film.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Cabin in the Woods (2012) in Movies
Dec 29, 2019 (Updated Jan 22, 2020)
I absolutely love The Cabin in the Woods. It's masquerades as a straight up horror flick but with a ridiculous curve ball thrown in(no spoilers here, but seriously, watch it already!), that manages to subvert everything you would expect from a standard slasher type horror.
The cast are all great - Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams - all play typically heightened stereotypes of the kind of run of the mill teenage cannon fodder you usually find within the genre, and with the film's tongue firmly in cheek, it hard to not like any of them.
Then you also have Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford providing the majority of the comic relief, and the two of them together are pretty funny, and seem to be having a ball filming.
The narrative of The Cabin in the Woods is the secret ingredient here though. It's fun, it's different, and when the aforementioned twist arrives, it shifts heard pretty quickly, providing one if the most absurd and memorable final acts I've seen in a horror movie.
The gore and violence on display is truly astonishing, and it's nice to see that the effects teams on board used a lot of practical effects to achieve a lot of this, with digital effects used only when necessary. The costume designs for a certain aspect of the film are fantastic as well (still trying to avoid spoilers).
I can't for the life of me see why anyone who likes horror wouldn't get a kick out of The Cabin in the Woods. It tries to do something different, and in my opinion pulls it off with flying bloody colours, and is easily one of my favourite horrors out there.
The cast are all great - Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams - all play typically heightened stereotypes of the kind of run of the mill teenage cannon fodder you usually find within the genre, and with the film's tongue firmly in cheek, it hard to not like any of them.
Then you also have Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford providing the majority of the comic relief, and the two of them together are pretty funny, and seem to be having a ball filming.
The narrative of The Cabin in the Woods is the secret ingredient here though. It's fun, it's different, and when the aforementioned twist arrives, it shifts heard pretty quickly, providing one if the most absurd and memorable final acts I've seen in a horror movie.
The gore and violence on display is truly astonishing, and it's nice to see that the effects teams on board used a lot of practical effects to achieve a lot of this, with digital effects used only when necessary. The costume designs for a certain aspect of the film are fantastic as well (still trying to avoid spoilers).
I can't for the life of me see why anyone who likes horror wouldn't get a kick out of The Cabin in the Woods. It tries to do something different, and in my opinion pulls it off with flying bloody colours, and is easily one of my favourite horrors out there.
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated Suburbia in Tabletop Games
Feb 5, 2020 (Updated Feb 5, 2020)
Replayability (2 more)
Multiple strategies
Easy to play
Seems complex (1 more)
Very similar to Castles of the Madking Ludwig
More simple than it seems
I've been wanted this game for years, however after being terrible at the app versiom, I was worried it'd be too complex. However, I got it as part of BGG's secret santa and finally got around to playing it.
At first I was overwhelmed by just how many components there are, and how complex the rules were, but once I got playing and saw how it was just Castles of the Madking Ludwig and even had similarities to the house favorite Terraforming Mars, it became extremely simple. This is definitely a play to learn game, as we played it got easier and easier. My partner and I adopted different strategies and it's the first time I've seen him be such a poor loser (I did destroy him).
Unlike Castles, the players are building a town buying properties from the board (each property rejected gets cheaper each round) and creating combos that benifet the plauers end goals and the boards end goals. The players try and raise (or lower) their reputation and towns population while generating enough income for growth. It really tickled my management game itch, as I love those silly kairosoft games and played SimTower like it was noones business back in the day. Striving to not just reach my goals but create a realistic town. My partner and I found ourselves roleplaying a little, making jokes as he placed his trailer park by the city dump, or how he sectioned his wealthy side off from the unsavory side with a series of lakes. We really got into it and I look forward to playing it again! Also, I promise, it's not nearly as complex as it looks!
At first I was overwhelmed by just how many components there are, and how complex the rules were, but once I got playing and saw how it was just Castles of the Madking Ludwig and even had similarities to the house favorite Terraforming Mars, it became extremely simple. This is definitely a play to learn game, as we played it got easier and easier. My partner and I adopted different strategies and it's the first time I've seen him be such a poor loser (I did destroy him).
Unlike Castles, the players are building a town buying properties from the board (each property rejected gets cheaper each round) and creating combos that benifet the plauers end goals and the boards end goals. The players try and raise (or lower) their reputation and towns population while generating enough income for growth. It really tickled my management game itch, as I love those silly kairosoft games and played SimTower like it was noones business back in the day. Striving to not just reach my goals but create a realistic town. My partner and I found ourselves roleplaying a little, making jokes as he placed his trailer park by the city dump, or how he sectioned his wealthy side off from the unsavory side with a series of lakes. We really got into it and I look forward to playing it again! Also, I promise, it's not nearly as complex as it looks!
