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Dean (6927 KP) rated Forza Motorsport 7 in Video Games
May 16, 2021
Amazing graphics, true 4k racing (2 more)
Weather conditions
100's of cars
Loading times (6 more)
Rewind Button
So many menus
Computer AI
Multiplayer races
Grid position
Endurance races
Technically excellent Racing Simulation
A very good Racing Simulation with amazing graphics, true 4k details but with a lot of flaws.
The graphics are the highlight really so much detail on every car and track. While some of the track circuits are sparse, the city tracks especially Prague and Rio de Janeiro look great. Along with the lighting and weather conditions, including thunderstorms make it very realistic.
There is a huge variety of cars from street to every form of racing thinkable, even truck racing.
Unfortunately there are a lot of minor things that add up which are disappointing. Because of the detail in the graphics and large circuits the loading times for the races can be slow. There are so many menus to go through as well. You need to apply Mod cards before most races, like finish in top 5,3,1st, clean laps, races and turning off assists to gain more credits or xp. I'm not a fan of this system. Even after the race you have a few menus to get your rewards.
This is a tough simulation which is why no doubt there is a rewind button for when you go of track or crash. You will need it especially when the computer drivers ram into you or don't observe the racing line. It feels like cheating though. You will need the braking line on most of the time or you are very likely to overrun corners.
With this largely being track racing these are the same tracks mostly that have featured in so many previous Forza Motorsport games. How about a Monaco track? The few street tracks really do look great.
You can full simulation mode where you can do longer races, look after tyres and pit for petrol if you wish. I can't imagine many choosing this option though.
If you are a completist and want to do every race for the cups, you don't need to in order to win the cup, then prepare for the endurance races. At least 2 taking 2.5 hours and one race lasting almost 3 hours long. Why would anyone want to do one race for that long? Most races are 2-4 laps so doing a 60-80 lap race is a huge jump.
There are a wide range of multiplayer races but you really need to tune your car to the max and hope you don't get rammed off at the 1st corner to do well.
The races are big, up to 24 players or computer drivers. Often you start 12th on the grid in the computer races which can make it hard to win when the race is 2 or 3 laps until you get use to the game.
There are a few events like overtake challenges, cone races, bowling but not enough of these for much variety.
So a technically excellent Racing game which is definitely aimed more at the track racing hardcover gamer. Unfortunately it has many minor flaws that do add up which are a bit annoying. Once you win all the cups it's not one you will take for a spin that often. If you want a fun racer the Horizon series is more enjoyable.
The graphics are the highlight really so much detail on every car and track. While some of the track circuits are sparse, the city tracks especially Prague and Rio de Janeiro look great. Along with the lighting and weather conditions, including thunderstorms make it very realistic.
There is a huge variety of cars from street to every form of racing thinkable, even truck racing.
Unfortunately there are a lot of minor things that add up which are disappointing. Because of the detail in the graphics and large circuits the loading times for the races can be slow. There are so many menus to go through as well. You need to apply Mod cards before most races, like finish in top 5,3,1st, clean laps, races and turning off assists to gain more credits or xp. I'm not a fan of this system. Even after the race you have a few menus to get your rewards.
This is a tough simulation which is why no doubt there is a rewind button for when you go of track or crash. You will need it especially when the computer drivers ram into you or don't observe the racing line. It feels like cheating though. You will need the braking line on most of the time or you are very likely to overrun corners.
With this largely being track racing these are the same tracks mostly that have featured in so many previous Forza Motorsport games. How about a Monaco track? The few street tracks really do look great.
You can full simulation mode where you can do longer races, look after tyres and pit for petrol if you wish. I can't imagine many choosing this option though.
If you are a completist and want to do every race for the cups, you don't need to in order to win the cup, then prepare for the endurance races. At least 2 taking 2.5 hours and one race lasting almost 3 hours long. Why would anyone want to do one race for that long? Most races are 2-4 laps so doing a 60-80 lap race is a huge jump.
There are a wide range of multiplayer races but you really need to tune your car to the max and hope you don't get rammed off at the 1st corner to do well.
The races are big, up to 24 players or computer drivers. Often you start 12th on the grid in the computer races which can make it hard to win when the race is 2 or 3 laps until you get use to the game.
There are a few events like overtake challenges, cone races, bowling but not enough of these for much variety.
So a technically excellent Racing game which is definitely aimed more at the track racing hardcover gamer. Unfortunately it has many minor flaws that do add up which are a bit annoying. Once you win all the cups it's not one you will take for a spin that often. If you want a fun racer the Horizon series is more enjoyable.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Sound Of Glass in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Merritt Heyward has just inherited the home of her deceased husband's grandmother. A grandmother she never knew existed. Now she is packing her whole life and moving from her home in Maine to Beaufort, South Carolina. What secrets will she uncover about her husband and about herself?
Edith Heyward's whole world is turned upside down in July 1955 when on the same night, a plane explodes over small town Beaufort and her husband is killed in a car crash from watching the explosion. How will these events change her life.
These women have a very strong connection to one another. One that involves more than just Cal Heyward(Merritt's Husband). They both share a secret that they don't want the world to know.
I so enjoyed this book. This is the second book by Karen White I have read. The first being The Beach Trees. In this book, you were on the edge of your seat to see the way secrets were going to unfold. When I first started reading this book, I thought what a bitch Merritt was. But as the story unfolds you get to see what a sheltered person she is who has had to hide her emotions for so long, she's not sure how to act.
At the same time Merritt is moving to South Carolina, her step-mother and half brother are moving there as well from Georgia. Merritt has never met her brother,Owen and does not have a relationship with her step-mother, Loralee. But when they show up at her front door in a town where she is new to as well, walls start to come down and friendship and love is born.
Trying to find her way in a new town, find out who her husband was and why he kept so many secrets, and get to know family members she had no desire to know in the first place; Merritt is destined to learn more about the South, conquer her fears and become the woman she has always wanted to be.
This is an amazing novel with strong characters. You will find yourself, looking for a journal to write down all of the inspirational quotes and sayings. I highly recommend this book to all of my female friends.
Edith Heyward's whole world is turned upside down in July 1955 when on the same night, a plane explodes over small town Beaufort and her husband is killed in a car crash from watching the explosion. How will these events change her life.
These women have a very strong connection to one another. One that involves more than just Cal Heyward(Merritt's Husband). They both share a secret that they don't want the world to know.
I so enjoyed this book. This is the second book by Karen White I have read. The first being The Beach Trees. In this book, you were on the edge of your seat to see the way secrets were going to unfold. When I first started reading this book, I thought what a bitch Merritt was. But as the story unfolds you get to see what a sheltered person she is who has had to hide her emotions for so long, she's not sure how to act.
At the same time Merritt is moving to South Carolina, her step-mother and half brother are moving there as well from Georgia. Merritt has never met her brother,Owen and does not have a relationship with her step-mother, Loralee. But when they show up at her front door in a town where she is new to as well, walls start to come down and friendship and love is born.
Trying to find her way in a new town, find out who her husband was and why he kept so many secrets, and get to know family members she had no desire to know in the first place; Merritt is destined to learn more about the South, conquer her fears and become the woman she has always wanted to be.
This is an amazing novel with strong characters. You will find yourself, looking for a journal to write down all of the inspirational quotes and sayings. I highly recommend this book to all of my female friends.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Hiding in Books
Nov 14, 2019
Keller Baye is the son of a murderer, a man he is about to watch die for his crime. A man who only wants one thing from his son: revenge.
Rebecca Brown is an orphan who has been brought up by relatives in a remote Scottish house and who's thirst for knowledge about her parents and the car crash in which they died only grows keener the less those around her are prepared to talk about it.
Despite the miles between these two people they are connected by a single thread, and that thread is set to bring them together and reveal the truth.
Roughly the first part of the book tells the backgrounds of the two main characters, gradually revealing one event at a time exactly who Baye and Brown are, what drives them and how the loss of their parents has had an indelible effect on both their lives. The second half relates the events that unfold once fate has driven them together.
Both characters feel very real, especially because of the care that has clearly gone into each of their back stories. Baye in particular could have just been a mere cipher of a child who went off the rails after his father went to prison. But that one event alone conspires with many others to shape Baye into the urgent tool of his father's revenge that he decides to be.
The stories of the character's very different childhoods is engrossing, effectively told a series of anecdotes. Baye delivering justice for his cat. Brown burning the playing cards. All these seem very real because they could really happen.
When the tension starts to build in the second half of the book it's not like a spring winding up; it is more like a boiler that is getting hotter and hotter and the pressure is rising all the time. It's not clear when something is going to break but it's clear that something will go very wrong at some point.
This is a superb thriller with an excellent plot, some very good twists and written at a perfect pace, fast enough to keep the momentum up but slow enough to ratchet the tension up at the end of each chapter. An easy 5 stars and a new J Morton Potts fan.
Rating: Scenes of sadistic violence and some others of a sexual nature
Rebecca Brown is an orphan who has been brought up by relatives in a remote Scottish house and who's thirst for knowledge about her parents and the car crash in which they died only grows keener the less those around her are prepared to talk about it.
Despite the miles between these two people they are connected by a single thread, and that thread is set to bring them together and reveal the truth.
Roughly the first part of the book tells the backgrounds of the two main characters, gradually revealing one event at a time exactly who Baye and Brown are, what drives them and how the loss of their parents has had an indelible effect on both their lives. The second half relates the events that unfold once fate has driven them together.
Both characters feel very real, especially because of the care that has clearly gone into each of their back stories. Baye in particular could have just been a mere cipher of a child who went off the rails after his father went to prison. But that one event alone conspires with many others to shape Baye into the urgent tool of his father's revenge that he decides to be.
The stories of the character's very different childhoods is engrossing, effectively told a series of anecdotes. Baye delivering justice for his cat. Brown burning the playing cards. All these seem very real because they could really happen.
When the tension starts to build in the second half of the book it's not like a spring winding up; it is more like a boiler that is getting hotter and hotter and the pressure is rising all the time. It's not clear when something is going to break but it's clear that something will go very wrong at some point.
This is a superb thriller with an excellent plot, some very good twists and written at a perfect pace, fast enough to keep the momentum up but slow enough to ratchet the tension up at the end of each chapter. An easy 5 stars and a new J Morton Potts fan.
Rating: Scenes of sadistic violence and some others of a sexual nature
JT (287 KP) rated Blood Out (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I'm not quite sure what my thinking was behind watching this, I mean did I for one second think it was going to be any good with a cast list that included Luke Goss and Vinnie Jones.
I should have turned off within the first few minutes, but stuck it out till the bitter end. It was painful all the way through, Goss who has had some mainstream success with his turns in Blade II and Hell Boy II, looked like he hadn’t bothered to read the script.
Tamar Hassan will always be cast as the hard man, and this time it was Vinnie Jones playing the supporting nutter role. As for Val Kilmer and 50 Cent, they hardly make an appearance in the film, popping up on a few occasions and offering next to nothing.
So to the plot then, in short, Goss plays Michael Savion a hard nosed cop whose gang banging brother is brutally murdered. In an attempt to find the culprit and bring them to justice he goes deep undercover to get close to the killers.
Along the way Goss discovers that his brother’s pregnant fiancée is also involved and looks to try and get her out before its too late, while at the same time trying not to step on the toes of the FEDs who have their own mole in deep cover.
Did I for one second think it was going to be any good with a cast list that included Luke Goss and Vinnie Jones?
Goss is always going to be cast as an action B-movie star, and in no way is he going to be offered too many bigger roles. Why? Well he just isn’t good enough, simple as that.
The action set pieces are poor, the ending car chase and spectacular crash which sees just about everyone walk away without a scratch is hardly surprising of a film that has no believability whatsoever.
If Blood Out is supposed to depict a narrative of the street gang culture it does it poorly, the acting is shocking and the script seems like it was written by a two-year old.
This is Jason Hewitt’s début feature, and he is going to have to work very hard to redeem himself.
I should have turned off within the first few minutes, but stuck it out till the bitter end. It was painful all the way through, Goss who has had some mainstream success with his turns in Blade II and Hell Boy II, looked like he hadn’t bothered to read the script.
Tamar Hassan will always be cast as the hard man, and this time it was Vinnie Jones playing the supporting nutter role. As for Val Kilmer and 50 Cent, they hardly make an appearance in the film, popping up on a few occasions and offering next to nothing.
So to the plot then, in short, Goss plays Michael Savion a hard nosed cop whose gang banging brother is brutally murdered. In an attempt to find the culprit and bring them to justice he goes deep undercover to get close to the killers.
Along the way Goss discovers that his brother’s pregnant fiancée is also involved and looks to try and get her out before its too late, while at the same time trying not to step on the toes of the FEDs who have their own mole in deep cover.
Did I for one second think it was going to be any good with a cast list that included Luke Goss and Vinnie Jones?
Goss is always going to be cast as an action B-movie star, and in no way is he going to be offered too many bigger roles. Why? Well he just isn’t good enough, simple as that.
The action set pieces are poor, the ending car chase and spectacular crash which sees just about everyone walk away without a scratch is hardly surprising of a film that has no believability whatsoever.
If Blood Out is supposed to depict a narrative of the street gang culture it does it poorly, the acting is shocking and the script seems like it was written by a two-year old.
This is Jason Hewitt’s début feature, and he is going to have to work very hard to redeem himself.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Queen & Slim (2019) in Movies
Oct 29, 2020
Extremely Entertaining
In the first ten minutes, you have a good idea of how Queen & Slim is going to end. Two black people on a first date end up killing a cop during a traffic stop. In spite the dread of knowing where things are heading, the movie is so powerfully done that it gave me a bit of a chill as the credits were rolling.
Acting: 10
Daniel Kaluuya puts on yet another powerful performance, this time playing the role of the male love interest Slim. I love the way he chose to play this role as a man that doesn’t have it all together trying to figure things out on the fly. His counterpart Jodi Turner-Smith playing Queen is so on point as well carrying the strong emotional defensiveness of the lawyer that she is. Their chemistry drives this movie to heights I wasn’t expecting.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is beautifully shot with a number of strong sequences and setpieces that keep things interesting. Director Melina Matsoukas is a master of capturing emotional moments with well-timed closeups and long pauses. She pushes the emotions out of the viewers with tender scenes and scenes that get your blood boiling.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 9
This movie sticks, it sticks with you. It’s hard to walk away from it and not feel some way or the other. It will challenge you emotionally and mentally. It’s not perfect as it does stick to a pretty linear script, but it’s extremely memorable nonethless.
Pace: 10
Because of the constant danger the two main characters are under, the movie moves quick even when they’re just sitting around awaiting their next piece of the plan. It’s heartpounding like knowing a car crash is coming, but you’re forced to watch it anyway. There is no standing still. They’re always on the run so the pace remains uptempo.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Overall: 97
Yes Queen & Slim is pretty linear, but it works for the building of the relationship within the story. And yes you see the ending coming but there’s a true power that comes from it that makes it worth it. The conflict is great, but the dialogue solidifies it for me as a classic. See this movie.
Acting: 10
Daniel Kaluuya puts on yet another powerful performance, this time playing the role of the male love interest Slim. I love the way he chose to play this role as a man that doesn’t have it all together trying to figure things out on the fly. His counterpart Jodi Turner-Smith playing Queen is so on point as well carrying the strong emotional defensiveness of the lawyer that she is. Their chemistry drives this movie to heights I wasn’t expecting.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is beautifully shot with a number of strong sequences and setpieces that keep things interesting. Director Melina Matsoukas is a master of capturing emotional moments with well-timed closeups and long pauses. She pushes the emotions out of the viewers with tender scenes and scenes that get your blood boiling.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 9
This movie sticks, it sticks with you. It’s hard to walk away from it and not feel some way or the other. It will challenge you emotionally and mentally. It’s not perfect as it does stick to a pretty linear script, but it’s extremely memorable nonethless.
Pace: 10
Because of the constant danger the two main characters are under, the movie moves quick even when they’re just sitting around awaiting their next piece of the plan. It’s heartpounding like knowing a car crash is coming, but you’re forced to watch it anyway. There is no standing still. They’re always on the run so the pace remains uptempo.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Overall: 97
Yes Queen & Slim is pretty linear, but it works for the building of the relationship within the story. And yes you see the ending coming but there’s a true power that comes from it that makes it worth it. The conflict is great, but the dialogue solidifies it for me as a classic. See this movie.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Thing (2011) in Movies
Jan 10, 2021
This one is pretty straightforward - The Thing (2011) is an ok film that is completely dwarfed by The Thing (1982) - honestly, fuck knows why it doesn't have a different title.
This prequel to the iconic John Carpenter movie does have some decent aspects to it - it has a mostly agreeable cast and a good screenplay that's engaging, although a vast majority of the characters are hugely forgettable, and not a patch on the crew of protagonists from the 82 film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a perfectly likable leading lady, but everyone else is just kind of there. Even Joel Edgerton blends in with the furniture.
I also think it has good pacing for the most part - the opening third builds things up nicely, and when things finally kick off, it feels earned.
The attention to detail is admirable as well, with various objects and hints of past chaos found by Kurt Russell and co in the 82 film being placed perfectly.
Unfortunately, the end project suffers from a couple of things. Most infamously, the CGI is ropey, and is an ill advised addition considering the 82 film boasts some of the best practical effects in cinema history. This is made even worse by the fact that practical effects and animatronics were initially used before being smothered in digital effects to the point where it actively makes the whole movie less enjoyable. The narrative also apes the Carpenter classic a little too often for my taste, and serves more of a reminder of that film, rather than feeling like a homage.
The final act is just silly as well. After a strong build up, the climax snowballs into uninteresting bad-Predator-sequel-esque nonsense, and even saves the most laughable digital effects for last, just for good measure.
I did like the very last scene though, which genuinely ties nicely into the start of the 82 film.
Messing with such an iconic horror heavyweight comes with huge risks, and ultimately, The Thing (still really hate that they didn't use a different title) isn't the car crash that it easily could have been, but it does fall flat on really important aspects, resulting in a film that is average to the casual movie goer, and is thoroughly underwhelming for fans of its far superior predecessor.
This prequel to the iconic John Carpenter movie does have some decent aspects to it - it has a mostly agreeable cast and a good screenplay that's engaging, although a vast majority of the characters are hugely forgettable, and not a patch on the crew of protagonists from the 82 film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a perfectly likable leading lady, but everyone else is just kind of there. Even Joel Edgerton blends in with the furniture.
I also think it has good pacing for the most part - the opening third builds things up nicely, and when things finally kick off, it feels earned.
The attention to detail is admirable as well, with various objects and hints of past chaos found by Kurt Russell and co in the 82 film being placed perfectly.
Unfortunately, the end project suffers from a couple of things. Most infamously, the CGI is ropey, and is an ill advised addition considering the 82 film boasts some of the best practical effects in cinema history. This is made even worse by the fact that practical effects and animatronics were initially used before being smothered in digital effects to the point where it actively makes the whole movie less enjoyable. The narrative also apes the Carpenter classic a little too often for my taste, and serves more of a reminder of that film, rather than feeling like a homage.
The final act is just silly as well. After a strong build up, the climax snowballs into uninteresting bad-Predator-sequel-esque nonsense, and even saves the most laughable digital effects for last, just for good measure.
I did like the very last scene though, which genuinely ties nicely into the start of the 82 film.
Messing with such an iconic horror heavyweight comes with huge risks, and ultimately, The Thing (still really hate that they didn't use a different title) isn't the car crash that it easily could have been, but it does fall flat on really important aspects, resulting in a film that is average to the casual movie goer, and is thoroughly underwhelming for fans of its far superior predecessor.
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