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WHEN golden banded honeybees, so often likened to summer and honey sweetness, become the metaphor of a dystopian version of British Government and the Monarchy, what is one left to think?
Established British playwright Laline Paull’s debut novel, The Bees, represents just that. I may just be reading too much into the buzz, but the Oxford alumni who has had two plays performed at the Royal National Theatre must have some of the country in her subconscious as she writes.
The novel follows the life of worker honeybee Flora 717, born of the lowest class of bee society. In a world where mutation and difference is destroyed on sight, the larger-than-average Flora is saved from destruction by opportunities born from austerity in the hive, where ‘the season is deformed by rain, and the flowers shun’ the bees, so they need every available worker.
The life of the honeybee turns out to be symmetrical of Plato’s Republic and his utopia, where children are told what role they will have in life based on their ‘blood’. Plato divided the bronze craftsman, silver guardians and golden philosophers, and Paull divides bees in their ‘kin’ groups, named after flowers, and are priestesses to police, foragers who can fly outside the hive to the sanitation Flora, the lowest, and are given ‘no flower’. ‘A Flora may not make Wax for she is unclean, nor Propolis for she is clumsy, nor ever may she forage for she has no taste, but only may she serve her hive by cleaning,’ but the talented Flora 717 wants more.
Throughout the novel, Paull shows the same attachment to characters as George R R Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels; the frequent loss deepens the heartbreak Flora must overcome as she fights to defy her set fate and claim the most illegal of desires. No reader will escape the anguish that concludes each new adventure.
The hive is akin to a cult, with leaders keeping their inferiors in check, with fear, intoxication and just a little hypnosis. The cult is complete with its own religion, mantra and even a parody of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Hallowed be thy womb’, arguably my favourite part. This made the story really exciting, being on the ‘outside looking in’ as the reader, I wanted to encourage Flora to defy, but felt the fear of going against her sisters (this isn’t a cult bond word, they are all blood sisters, for only ‘the queen may breed’).
Paull’s scriptwriting has nurtured the ability to make the reader visualise her words exactly how she writes them, and that is clear within The Bees. I can see the wax panels that Flora 717 scuttles across as she travels around her hive, I can imagine the wax cribs in the nursery and know the deadly yellow and fine lines of the enemy wasp. In the ‘glass cage’ when Flora discovers the Venus Fly Trap, Paull never mentions the plant by name, but speaks only of their ‘red mouths’ with ‘white filaments’ on each ‘inner lip’, they ‘bore no pollen, the only nectar a viscous slick at the join of the petals’. But for all her beautiful imagery seeping off the pages, The Bees was not a book I have felt submerged in.
Full review on <a href="http://www.natari-himi.com">natari-himi.com</a>;
Established British playwright Laline Paull’s debut novel, The Bees, represents just that. I may just be reading too much into the buzz, but the Oxford alumni who has had two plays performed at the Royal National Theatre must have some of the country in her subconscious as she writes.
The novel follows the life of worker honeybee Flora 717, born of the lowest class of bee society. In a world where mutation and difference is destroyed on sight, the larger-than-average Flora is saved from destruction by opportunities born from austerity in the hive, where ‘the season is deformed by rain, and the flowers shun’ the bees, so they need every available worker.
The life of the honeybee turns out to be symmetrical of Plato’s Republic and his utopia, where children are told what role they will have in life based on their ‘blood’. Plato divided the bronze craftsman, silver guardians and golden philosophers, and Paull divides bees in their ‘kin’ groups, named after flowers, and are priestesses to police, foragers who can fly outside the hive to the sanitation Flora, the lowest, and are given ‘no flower’. ‘A Flora may not make Wax for she is unclean, nor Propolis for she is clumsy, nor ever may she forage for she has no taste, but only may she serve her hive by cleaning,’ but the talented Flora 717 wants more.
Throughout the novel, Paull shows the same attachment to characters as George R R Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels; the frequent loss deepens the heartbreak Flora must overcome as she fights to defy her set fate and claim the most illegal of desires. No reader will escape the anguish that concludes each new adventure.
The hive is akin to a cult, with leaders keeping their inferiors in check, with fear, intoxication and just a little hypnosis. The cult is complete with its own religion, mantra and even a parody of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Hallowed be thy womb’, arguably my favourite part. This made the story really exciting, being on the ‘outside looking in’ as the reader, I wanted to encourage Flora to defy, but felt the fear of going against her sisters (this isn’t a cult bond word, they are all blood sisters, for only ‘the queen may breed’).
Paull’s scriptwriting has nurtured the ability to make the reader visualise her words exactly how she writes them, and that is clear within The Bees. I can see the wax panels that Flora 717 scuttles across as she travels around her hive, I can imagine the wax cribs in the nursery and know the deadly yellow and fine lines of the enemy wasp. In the ‘glass cage’ when Flora discovers the Venus Fly Trap, Paull never mentions the plant by name, but speaks only of their ‘red mouths’ with ‘white filaments’ on each ‘inner lip’, they ‘bore no pollen, the only nectar a viscous slick at the join of the petals’. But for all her beautiful imagery seeping off the pages, The Bees was not a book I have felt submerged in.
Full review on <a href="http://www.natari-himi.com">natari-himi.com</a>;
Natari (73 KP) rated Christmas At The Palace in Books
Jul 19, 2019
This book takes a very ordinary romance between two people and places it in an extraordinary circumstance. Boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love. Ordinary. But boy is a prince of England and girl is a doctor in love with her career and charity work. But that isn't the only conflicts in this romance. They don't fall out over "PUTTING THE DISHES IN THE VICINITY OF THE DISHWASHER IS NOT DOING THE DISHES" like ordinary couples, but there are many ups and downs in their whirlwind romance. That is what makes the story fun to read. Stories need conflict, and human relationships provide such novelties aplenty in various guises.
But what makes this a great book is the sheer genuine interactions. It makes it pleasant, because you can believe the story. The couple are a little older, they aren't the rush of youth stumbling into a relationship, but wizened 30 year olds who are looking for more meaning in each other. It is very fast paced, and definitely a whirlwind romance spanning major milestones in the novel. However, the plot backs up the reasoning for this. You don't feel rushed. It's like a Sunday afternoon drive in bumper cars. Thrilling but relaxing.
The book is very obviously, and at times heavily, inspired by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, with telling traits of other family members and situations. But it isn't a fictionalised version of their story. It is definitely Kumari's story, it is just set in our modern world.
Characters are well rounded and deep. I like the Goofball prince. He isn't your typical prince charming, he's quite blokey but loveable. Kumari is fantastic. I love her character and her rebellious resolve. She's mature and can be quite reserved, which helps her cope better with the extreme situation the book demands. I liked how her cultural attributes were used in the book. Not in the sense of the "scandal" that that led the plot, but in the natural fit of words like amma and thatha (Sri Lankan words for mother and father). Never explained, just in use. These things are so easily taken for granted in 'white person' literature. As the white girl dating a British guy whose parents migrated from abroad, I'm fortunate to understand the story from Prince Ben's point of view. Or rather, unfortunate, as the toxicity of Brexit campaigns are polluting the UK right now and we have to watch our loved ones bear the force of idiots. I hope more books with British heros of non-white backgrounds litter our library shelves and top reads at supermarkets more quickly. I very much want people to understand that people are people. And Christmas at the Palace makes this point so beautifully. It isn't being preached, it's just telling it like it is, for better or for worse.
My favourite character is Ophelia, whose story has been set up for a sequel. She's loud but polite and acts as if she is brash, but is terrifyingly calculating. She's wonderful.
All in all, the book was an easy, enjoyable read. Normally I read non-stop but life and work happened and I had to take frequent breaks. It was easy to do with Christmas at the Palace because there are sections that separate the major points of the story. If you don't always have a lot of time to read, this is a good recommendation as you can pick it up and continue and not be missing out or having to re-read passages.
But what makes this a great book is the sheer genuine interactions. It makes it pleasant, because you can believe the story. The couple are a little older, they aren't the rush of youth stumbling into a relationship, but wizened 30 year olds who are looking for more meaning in each other. It is very fast paced, and definitely a whirlwind romance spanning major milestones in the novel. However, the plot backs up the reasoning for this. You don't feel rushed. It's like a Sunday afternoon drive in bumper cars. Thrilling but relaxing.
The book is very obviously, and at times heavily, inspired by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, with telling traits of other family members and situations. But it isn't a fictionalised version of their story. It is definitely Kumari's story, it is just set in our modern world.
Characters are well rounded and deep. I like the Goofball prince. He isn't your typical prince charming, he's quite blokey but loveable. Kumari is fantastic. I love her character and her rebellious resolve. She's mature and can be quite reserved, which helps her cope better with the extreme situation the book demands. I liked how her cultural attributes were used in the book. Not in the sense of the "scandal" that that led the plot, but in the natural fit of words like amma and thatha (Sri Lankan words for mother and father). Never explained, just in use. These things are so easily taken for granted in 'white person' literature. As the white girl dating a British guy whose parents migrated from abroad, I'm fortunate to understand the story from Prince Ben's point of view. Or rather, unfortunate, as the toxicity of Brexit campaigns are polluting the UK right now and we have to watch our loved ones bear the force of idiots. I hope more books with British heros of non-white backgrounds litter our library shelves and top reads at supermarkets more quickly. I very much want people to understand that people are people. And Christmas at the Palace makes this point so beautifully. It isn't being preached, it's just telling it like it is, for better or for worse.
My favourite character is Ophelia, whose story has been set up for a sequel. She's loud but polite and acts as if she is brash, but is terrifyingly calculating. She's wonderful.
All in all, the book was an easy, enjoyable read. Normally I read non-stop but life and work happened and I had to take frequent breaks. It was easy to do with Christmas at the Palace because there are sections that separate the major points of the story. If you don't always have a lot of time to read, this is a good recommendation as you can pick it up and continue and not be missing out or having to re-read passages.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Beyond the Line (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Story: Beyond the Line starts with the German’s surrendering in World War II, only certain forces of the German’s aren’t going down without a fight, as they shoot down a British squadron with the lone survivor Sydney Baker (Walters) finding himself trapped behind enemy lines, rescued by American William Summers (Berlin) the two team up to try and get to safety against the large number of German soldiers still in the woods.
As the number of German bodies piles up, the more German soldiers go in search for the enemy taking out their own, with the two-man army needing to face impossible odds to survive.
Characters – Sydney Baker is a nervous soldier that is on his final mission, he is involved in a plane crash after being shot down, being the lone survivor, needing to find his way through enemy lines woodland area. He must learn to be a soldier that will fight if he has any chance to survive with the help of William Summers. William Summers is an American soldier that is out for revenge against the Germans that took out his whole unit, he will kill anybody that gets his way and even pushes Sydney to become stronger in the field.
Performances – We only have two actors who get any real screen time, Chris Walters is our British solider that shows us how many soldiers weren’t ready to be in war, while Jackson Berlin does show how prepared a soldier would be to fight for the right thing. Both actors don’t put a foot wrong through the film which is nice to see, even if they don’t get challenged as much as they could be.
Story – The story here follows to soldiers that are trapped behind enemy lines, where they must fight to survive against the Germans looking to hunt down any remaining soldiers left in their land. This is a very simple story when it comes to a war story, we get the basics of surviving done without feeling like we are facing threat that you feel will put them in danger, even though they are in extreme danger. The story is told in the form of a flashback which does give us heavy vibes about how Saving Private Ryan did everything, even if it goes in its own direction. It does show us how two different people will need to work together to make it through the tough situation they find themselves in too.
War – When it comes to the war genre, one of the major factors we see a lot, is just how difficult the situation the soldiers found themselves in and how many odds they needed to overcome as well as how not everybody was in the right condition to be fighting in the first place, this give us all of that.
Settings – The film is set within woodland area, this shows us the struggles the soldiers are facing, while giving them enough cover to make it out of the situation, if they play it correctly.
Scene of the Movie – The barn.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of feeling of peril.
Final Thoughts – This is a strong look at how the war did make things difficult for the soldiers fighting, how they must overcome the odds if they want to survive.
Overall: A strong war survival story.
As the number of German bodies piles up, the more German soldiers go in search for the enemy taking out their own, with the two-man army needing to face impossible odds to survive.
Characters – Sydney Baker is a nervous soldier that is on his final mission, he is involved in a plane crash after being shot down, being the lone survivor, needing to find his way through enemy lines woodland area. He must learn to be a soldier that will fight if he has any chance to survive with the help of William Summers. William Summers is an American soldier that is out for revenge against the Germans that took out his whole unit, he will kill anybody that gets his way and even pushes Sydney to become stronger in the field.
Performances – We only have two actors who get any real screen time, Chris Walters is our British solider that shows us how many soldiers weren’t ready to be in war, while Jackson Berlin does show how prepared a soldier would be to fight for the right thing. Both actors don’t put a foot wrong through the film which is nice to see, even if they don’t get challenged as much as they could be.
Story – The story here follows to soldiers that are trapped behind enemy lines, where they must fight to survive against the Germans looking to hunt down any remaining soldiers left in their land. This is a very simple story when it comes to a war story, we get the basics of surviving done without feeling like we are facing threat that you feel will put them in danger, even though they are in extreme danger. The story is told in the form of a flashback which does give us heavy vibes about how Saving Private Ryan did everything, even if it goes in its own direction. It does show us how two different people will need to work together to make it through the tough situation they find themselves in too.
War – When it comes to the war genre, one of the major factors we see a lot, is just how difficult the situation the soldiers found themselves in and how many odds they needed to overcome as well as how not everybody was in the right condition to be fighting in the first place, this give us all of that.
Settings – The film is set within woodland area, this shows us the struggles the soldiers are facing, while giving them enough cover to make it out of the situation, if they play it correctly.
Scene of the Movie – The barn.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of feeling of peril.
Final Thoughts – This is a strong look at how the war did make things difficult for the soldiers fighting, how they must overcome the odds if they want to survive.
Overall: A strong war survival story.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Sexy Beast (2000) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Sexy Beast starts as we meet retired safecracker Gal (Winstone) living the life of luxury in a Spanish villa which he enjoys relaxing by the pool enjoying his retirement. His retirement is put to the test when brutal gangster Don Logan (Kingsley) arrives in Spain to try and force him into doing one more job for him, he won’t take no for an answer.
Reluctantly taking the job, Gal returns to London and as most heist style movies, things don’t go to plan.
Thoughts on Sexy Beast
Characters – Gal was once the go to safecracker, now he is in retirement in Spain loving his life in the sun with his pool and friends, he has zero interest in returning to the game even after Don Logan pushes him. He stays relaxed through each scene because he knows his answer will always be no. he does reluctantly return for this last job mostly to get rid of Don. Don Logan is the brutal gangster, he knows who he wants for the jobs and this time it is Gal, he will not take ‘No’ as an answer, he will get violent and his outbursts will be the things you remember the most. Teddy is the man that the job is for, a fellow gangster that wants the best men for the job. DeeDee is the wife of Gal, she will stand by Gal in every decision even after the endless insults thrown their way.
Performances – Ray Winstone is great in this leading role, he is the perfect choice for a cockney criminal who knows there is a better life out there away from London. Ben Kingsley clearly steals every single scene in this movie with his performance that is filed with so much anger and aggression, you won’t be able to take your eyes off him. Ian McShane is great too where he brings us a calmer gangster who is also filled with anger. These three take most of the spotlight away from any other performers in the film.
Story – The story follows a retired criminal that gets forced to return to the game for one final job by an aggressive gangster, where this film does stand out from the other films in this genre, is that our hero Gal is 100% not interested in returning as most film give us the idea of ‘ok, I will do it’ on an easier formula. The story does have a nice twist on how things go and gives us the characters we could believe are from this world. if you are looking for a heist storyline, you will be disappointed though as this film focuses on the idea of getting the man to do the job.
Crime/Thriller – The crime world we enter giving us gangsters which will not take no for an answer, we don’t learn enough of their previous lives in the world though, only going on reputations.
Settings – The film uses Spain for the setting which gives us the retirement feel for a Brit to take, the sun increases the idea of the heat in the scenes.
Scene of the Movie – The heated argument.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of heist action.
Final Thoughts – This is a true British crime film, it has great characters and a stunning performance from Ben Kingsley.
Overall: British Crime 101
Reluctantly taking the job, Gal returns to London and as most heist style movies, things don’t go to plan.
Thoughts on Sexy Beast
Characters – Gal was once the go to safecracker, now he is in retirement in Spain loving his life in the sun with his pool and friends, he has zero interest in returning to the game even after Don Logan pushes him. He stays relaxed through each scene because he knows his answer will always be no. he does reluctantly return for this last job mostly to get rid of Don. Don Logan is the brutal gangster, he knows who he wants for the jobs and this time it is Gal, he will not take ‘No’ as an answer, he will get violent and his outbursts will be the things you remember the most. Teddy is the man that the job is for, a fellow gangster that wants the best men for the job. DeeDee is the wife of Gal, she will stand by Gal in every decision even after the endless insults thrown their way.
Performances – Ray Winstone is great in this leading role, he is the perfect choice for a cockney criminal who knows there is a better life out there away from London. Ben Kingsley clearly steals every single scene in this movie with his performance that is filed with so much anger and aggression, you won’t be able to take your eyes off him. Ian McShane is great too where he brings us a calmer gangster who is also filled with anger. These three take most of the spotlight away from any other performers in the film.
Story – The story follows a retired criminal that gets forced to return to the game for one final job by an aggressive gangster, where this film does stand out from the other films in this genre, is that our hero Gal is 100% not interested in returning as most film give us the idea of ‘ok, I will do it’ on an easier formula. The story does have a nice twist on how things go and gives us the characters we could believe are from this world. if you are looking for a heist storyline, you will be disappointed though as this film focuses on the idea of getting the man to do the job.
Crime/Thriller – The crime world we enter giving us gangsters which will not take no for an answer, we don’t learn enough of their previous lives in the world though, only going on reputations.
Settings – The film uses Spain for the setting which gives us the retirement feel for a Brit to take, the sun increases the idea of the heat in the scenes.
Scene of the Movie – The heated argument.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of heist action.
Final Thoughts – This is a true British crime film, it has great characters and a stunning performance from Ben Kingsley.
Overall: British Crime 101
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Darkest Hour (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
As the Nazi’s sweep through Europe at the beginning of World War II the British face the difficult issue of replacing their Prime Minister. The people and members of Parliament have become disenchanted with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup). They feel his lack of action lead to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. He agrees to step down and has to name a replacement. While he would prefer to have his protégé, Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane), there is only one member of his party that all of Parliament will accept, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman). King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) is also opposed to the brash and opinionated Churchill. Bowing to the will of the opposition Churchill the King agrees to appoint him the next Prime Minister. Although he is thrilled at finally achieving his lifelong dream he has no delusions that he is facing extremely difficult times ahead. The Nazis are tearing through Europe. They have already taken Belgium and Holland they now are invading France. The Nazis have also managed to surround nearly the entire British ground force on the French beaches with no way home. Not only does he have to worry about foreign foes but also his numerous political enemies in his own party. Many oppose his brash and unpredictable nature, while others think of him as heavy drinker that is no more than an exceptional orator with little capacity to make hard decisions. He must overcome all of this to protect the English people and prepare them for the tough days ahead.
Winston Churchill is a very well know historically figure. He was known for his powerful speeches and bigger than life personality. This film takes a look at the early days of him being Prime Minister, during some of the most volatile days in the history of Europe. Not only does the story delve into the politics and struggles of Churchill to put forth his agenda in a hostile climate but also shows him at his most vulnerable. One example is after delivering his first radio address to the nation he walks home alone and to talk with and be reassured by his wife, Clementine Churchill (Kristin Scott Thomas), that his speech was good and people could hear him.
Gary Oldman is spectacular in his role as Chruchill. From the iconic speeches to the light moments with his family and personal secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), he puts forth a great performance. The supporting cast is great as well, highlighted by Mendelsohn, Scott Thomas and James. The flow of the film really worked, under direction of Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist, and Pan). The two hour and five minute run time felt shorter and the movie really moved along. There were some points that they showed some battle scenes, after all it is a World War II era film, which did feel like afterthoughts and didn’t really add anything to the movie. The tension of the moment was well done even without these scenes. Besides those scenes the movie was shot well and added to the overall feel of the movie.
This film will appeal to those who are fans of history, the World War II era specifically, and historical figures. It also is powerful and heartfelt. Really the performances of the cast are what really stuck with me and will be the reason that I watch it again.
Winston Churchill is a very well know historically figure. He was known for his powerful speeches and bigger than life personality. This film takes a look at the early days of him being Prime Minister, during some of the most volatile days in the history of Europe. Not only does the story delve into the politics and struggles of Churchill to put forth his agenda in a hostile climate but also shows him at his most vulnerable. One example is after delivering his first radio address to the nation he walks home alone and to talk with and be reassured by his wife, Clementine Churchill (Kristin Scott Thomas), that his speech was good and people could hear him.
Gary Oldman is spectacular in his role as Chruchill. From the iconic speeches to the light moments with his family and personal secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), he puts forth a great performance. The supporting cast is great as well, highlighted by Mendelsohn, Scott Thomas and James. The flow of the film really worked, under direction of Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist, and Pan). The two hour and five minute run time felt shorter and the movie really moved along. There were some points that they showed some battle scenes, after all it is a World War II era film, which did feel like afterthoughts and didn’t really add anything to the movie. The tension of the moment was well done even without these scenes. Besides those scenes the movie was shot well and added to the overall feel of the movie.
This film will appeal to those who are fans of history, the World War II era specifically, and historical figures. It also is powerful and heartfelt. Really the performances of the cast are what really stuck with me and will be the reason that I watch it again.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Island at the Top of the World (1974) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Professor Ivarsson is an expert on culture and language, he is almost forced into going on this expedition, where he gets to show off all the skills he has, while being wowed by the new location they find. Sir Anthony Ross has put together the expedition in hopes of finding his son, who has been missing for two years. He has always used his position of power and money to get what he wants and must learn to let his son live his own life. Captain Brieux is the captain of the zeppelin, he might have his own style which does clash with Anthony’s but he will take the risks others would consider. Oomiak is a local guide that is known as the most fearless in the land, he is the generic local figure that understands weak English.
Performances – The performances for the most part do feel very British, while that might be what the film was targeting, it does have a lot of, the idea that these people are better than anyone else, Donald Sinden is the highlight of this because he will get laughs from just how over the top he actually is in the performance. David Hartman doesn’t show that much charisma which might have made his character more interesting. Jacques Marin get laughs with his role, while Mako gets the laughs, he is capable of something much more entertaining.
Story – The story here follows four explorers that go in search of a mysterious island in the Artic, this will take people from different backgrounds to an unknown location with an unknown threat which they must survive. The story does feel like it is just another version of ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ or ‘The Lost World’ which can be entertaining to watch, but they aren’t the most challenging of films to watch once you have seen a few. This story does feel tamer, while trying to bring a more realistic balance with the threat being Vikings, which could work with the number of tribes around the world that don’t want human contact. The story does rely on how the visuals of the settings look with most of the running scenes which just takes more away from the story’s impact on us.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film is searching for a new world, this is always going to be appealing and once we see the new world, we are left with our jaw dropped at how beautiful it is. The fantasy sci-fi elements mix together as they show how a community of people could have survived in an isolated location away from the world for so long.
Settings – The film does rely heavily on the settings which do look wonderful, we have the open ice location before we hit the land which is a thing of beauty, even if certain parts involving peril could have looked even more threatening.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dated special effects.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most British attempts at a brand-new adventure idea, it is filled with stunning locations which only end up leaving us feeling like we have seen this all before.
Overall: The Brits will lead the way.
Performances – The performances for the most part do feel very British, while that might be what the film was targeting, it does have a lot of, the idea that these people are better than anyone else, Donald Sinden is the highlight of this because he will get laughs from just how over the top he actually is in the performance. David Hartman doesn’t show that much charisma which might have made his character more interesting. Jacques Marin get laughs with his role, while Mako gets the laughs, he is capable of something much more entertaining.
Story – The story here follows four explorers that go in search of a mysterious island in the Artic, this will take people from different backgrounds to an unknown location with an unknown threat which they must survive. The story does feel like it is just another version of ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ or ‘The Lost World’ which can be entertaining to watch, but they aren’t the most challenging of films to watch once you have seen a few. This story does feel tamer, while trying to bring a more realistic balance with the threat being Vikings, which could work with the number of tribes around the world that don’t want human contact. The story does rely on how the visuals of the settings look with most of the running scenes which just takes more away from the story’s impact on us.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film is searching for a new world, this is always going to be appealing and once we see the new world, we are left with our jaw dropped at how beautiful it is. The fantasy sci-fi elements mix together as they show how a community of people could have survived in an isolated location away from the world for so long.
Settings – The film does rely heavily on the settings which do look wonderful, we have the open ice location before we hit the land which is a thing of beauty, even if certain parts involving peril could have looked even more threatening.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dated special effects.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most British attempts at a brand-new adventure idea, it is filled with stunning locations which only end up leaving us feeling like we have seen this all before.
Overall: The Brits will lead the way.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Monster: A Novel of Extreme Horror and Gore in Books
May 9, 2018
Long exposition (3 more)
Shifting narratives
Many typos
Anticlimactic Ending
The authors of MONSTER preface the book with a warning to the readers, cautioning them about the contents of the book. They really play it up: debating whether or not the story was too dark or too extreme and needed to be censored. It's ridiculous. If you've seen the first five minutes of the remake of The Hills Have Eyes 2, you've read this book. Matt Shaw really phones it in. He seems to be doing pretty well, popping out a book every month or so, and probably making a decent bit of cash too. So you'd think he'd be able to afford an editor. MONSTER is riddled with typos that should embarrass professional writers, like the misuse of "it's" and "its" in the same sentence, and a complete lack of knowledge on how quoting dialogue works. Also, it's almost impossible to get a sense of where this book is set until they explicitly tell you. All the characters use British slang and spellings, but it's set in Indiana. Okay.
Matt Shaw says in the introduction that he writes his endings to leave the audience reeling. That's true. Because I wasted three hours or so on one of the most underwhelming, anticlimactic, predictable endings I've ever read. It felt like he was written into a corner, so he just STOPPED. That's how abruptly it ends. And yeah, we all get it. "Who's the real monster?" Really original.
Also, it's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, not NIcholas. Wikipedia is a thing. So is imdb. Do your research!
Matt Shaw says in the introduction that he writes his endings to leave the audience reeling. That's true. Because I wasted three hours or so on one of the most underwhelming, anticlimactic, predictable endings I've ever read. It felt like he was written into a corner, so he just STOPPED. That's how abruptly it ends. And yeah, we all get it. "Who's the real monster?" Really original.
Also, it's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, not NIcholas. Wikipedia is a thing. So is imdb. Do your research!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance in TV
May 21, 2018 (Updated May 21, 2018)
I Give It A Year
Mind-bogglingly weird, supposedly based-on-true-events TV movie cashing in on the recent paroxysm of monarchist schmaltz. You know the story: she's on TV, he used to be in the army, hushed intake of breath from the British establishment when it turns out the lad's seeing a lady of her particular type, and so on, and so.
Everything is very clearly presented as the tale of a modern, progressive, independent woman who ain't gonna take no nonsense from this troubled scion of a gaggle of hidebound inbreds; Meghan is the heroine who saves Harry from the crushing oppressiveness of royal tradition. You go, your grace!
Direction is bland, acting mostly indifferent, dialogue execrable. Worth watching for: the scene where Meghan ends up chasing Harry's private jet down the runway after precipitately chucking him. The subplot about Princess Diana being reincarnated as a lion. Some very surprising dialogue ('I love a dirty martini,' says the Duchess of Cornwall). Possibly the least accurate depiction of the Queen ever put on screen - she complains about how she's shown in The Crown, in a nicely meta moment.
Pervasive sense of double-think permeates the production: film is consistently down on the royals, which is odd when you consider that if Harry wasn't a royal it wouldn't actually exist. Media intrusion on the couple is also strongly frowned upon, but if making a whole movie fictionalising their lives isn't an intrusion of some sort, what is? Soon to pass into obscurity, I reckon, but an arresting, mutant production while it's with us.
Everything is very clearly presented as the tale of a modern, progressive, independent woman who ain't gonna take no nonsense from this troubled scion of a gaggle of hidebound inbreds; Meghan is the heroine who saves Harry from the crushing oppressiveness of royal tradition. You go, your grace!
Direction is bland, acting mostly indifferent, dialogue execrable. Worth watching for: the scene where Meghan ends up chasing Harry's private jet down the runway after precipitately chucking him. The subplot about Princess Diana being reincarnated as a lion. Some very surprising dialogue ('I love a dirty martini,' says the Duchess of Cornwall). Possibly the least accurate depiction of the Queen ever put on screen - she complains about how she's shown in The Crown, in a nicely meta moment.
Pervasive sense of double-think permeates the production: film is consistently down on the royals, which is odd when you consider that if Harry wasn't a royal it wouldn't actually exist. Media intrusion on the couple is also strongly frowned upon, but if making a whole movie fictionalising their lives isn't an intrusion of some sort, what is? Soon to pass into obscurity, I reckon, but an arresting, mutant production while it's with us.