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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Europe. The very name brings up images of rich traditions, centuries-old stunning architecture, fine cuisine, historic artwork, and of course culture and sophistication. Europe has endured wars, plagues, and hordes of unruly soccer fans and has remained intact. Perhaps its greatest challenge is about to arrive in the form of Deuce Bigalow, pool cleaner, fish lover, and male Gigolo.
Rob Schneider returns as Deuce, who has given up his man-whoring ways and married the girl of his dreams. As the film opens, we learn that Deuce was widowed on his honeymoon and has carried a torch for his departed wife for years. The fact that the torch in question is actually her artificial limb is a creepy sentiment that further isolates Deuce from those around him.
After a day at the beach goes horribly wrong, Deuce happily accepts an invitation from his friend T.J. (Eddie Griffin), and travels to Amsterdam for some time away. With the artificial limb in tow, Deuce arrives and learns that a mysterious killer has been dispatching Europe’s top gigolos and before you can say “space cake” T.J. is implicated in the murders and on the run, forcing Deuce to go back to his man-whoring in an effort to learn who is behind the killings.
Since Deuce witnessed the aftermath of a recent killing, he is convinced that the killer is a woman and that only by dating those clients of the recently departed can he find the proof needed to free T.J.
Of course Deuce doesn’t get the cream of society. His clients are a mixed bag that makes his Janes from the first film seem normal. There is the lady with the gaping hole in her throat, a lady whose ears put Dumbo’s to shame, a giant with an infant fetish, and a woman with a male sex organ for a nose.
It is against this backdrop that Deuce meets Eva (Hanna Verboom), an artist with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the daughter of the police inspector
investigating the case. Deuce is taken with the charming Eva which leads to even more conflict for the widowed Deuce.
As if his life could not get any worse, Deuce is at odds with the European Society of Man Pimps who constantly go out of their way to taunt Deuce and his inclusion in their profession.
Over the next 90 minutes a constant barrage of crude jokes ensues ranging from the gross to the juvenile. Yet despite the ongoing crude and sophomoric humor, I found myself laughing as did the majority of the audience at my screening.
While I can see how many critics will not like this film due to a very basic story, thin characters and crudeness, the film works very well as a mindless comedy.
The characters are not expanded from their roles in the original and do not need to be. We know that Deuce is an easy going loser with a heart of gold and that is all we need to know.
Schneider and Griffin work well with one another and the constant euphemisms such as Mangina, He-Hoe and Hegina flow often only to be followed by new and even more creative phrases.
If you are a fan of the original and do not get offended easily than this is going to be your film. It isn’t trying to break new ground, it is trying to make you laugh, and for this critic, despite the films flaws, I laughed constantly throughout, and in many cases harder than I have at any film in recent years.
Rob Schneider returns as Deuce, who has given up his man-whoring ways and married the girl of his dreams. As the film opens, we learn that Deuce was widowed on his honeymoon and has carried a torch for his departed wife for years. The fact that the torch in question is actually her artificial limb is a creepy sentiment that further isolates Deuce from those around him.
After a day at the beach goes horribly wrong, Deuce happily accepts an invitation from his friend T.J. (Eddie Griffin), and travels to Amsterdam for some time away. With the artificial limb in tow, Deuce arrives and learns that a mysterious killer has been dispatching Europe’s top gigolos and before you can say “space cake” T.J. is implicated in the murders and on the run, forcing Deuce to go back to his man-whoring in an effort to learn who is behind the killings.
Since Deuce witnessed the aftermath of a recent killing, he is convinced that the killer is a woman and that only by dating those clients of the recently departed can he find the proof needed to free T.J.
Of course Deuce doesn’t get the cream of society. His clients are a mixed bag that makes his Janes from the first film seem normal. There is the lady with the gaping hole in her throat, a lady whose ears put Dumbo’s to shame, a giant with an infant fetish, and a woman with a male sex organ for a nose.
It is against this backdrop that Deuce meets Eva (Hanna Verboom), an artist with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the daughter of the police inspector
investigating the case. Deuce is taken with the charming Eva which leads to even more conflict for the widowed Deuce.
As if his life could not get any worse, Deuce is at odds with the European Society of Man Pimps who constantly go out of their way to taunt Deuce and his inclusion in their profession.
Over the next 90 minutes a constant barrage of crude jokes ensues ranging from the gross to the juvenile. Yet despite the ongoing crude and sophomoric humor, I found myself laughing as did the majority of the audience at my screening.
While I can see how many critics will not like this film due to a very basic story, thin characters and crudeness, the film works very well as a mindless comedy.
The characters are not expanded from their roles in the original and do not need to be. We know that Deuce is an easy going loser with a heart of gold and that is all we need to know.
Schneider and Griffin work well with one another and the constant euphemisms such as Mangina, He-Hoe and Hegina flow often only to be followed by new and even more creative phrases.
If you are a fan of the original and do not get offended easily than this is going to be your film. It isn’t trying to break new ground, it is trying to make you laugh, and for this critic, despite the films flaws, I laughed constantly throughout, and in many cases harder than I have at any film in recent years.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, is a young man whose life is going nowhere fast. At 23, he describes himself as in between jobs and spends his free time playing bass in a struggling band. But Scott does have a girlfriend named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), never mind that she is still in high school and things are about as chaste as they can get. Undaunted, Scott keeps plugging away despite the supportive taunts of his gay roomie Wallace (Kieran Culkin), and the members of his band.
Things change for Scott when he meets a girl named Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), at a party. Ramona shows no interest in Scott but he’s inexplicably drawn to her and eventually gets the roller blading delivery girl to go out with him, despite the strong protests of his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick), and his drummer/ex-girlfriend Kim (Allison Pine). The upswing Scott’s life takes at meeting the girl of his dreams and his band’s shot at a recording deal is tempered by the complications of choosing between Knives, who is becoming more clingy, and Ramona, who brings with her a lot of angry baggage.
This baggage actually comes in the form of seven evil exes whom Scott must battle and defeat if he wishes to continue dating her. Scott accepts the challenge and finds himself in a life and death battle with some true psychos, all of whom have strange powers and appear out of nowhere to pummel Scott. I will not spoil the surprises but suffice it to say that the exes are played by some great names, and each one brings plenty of humor to go with the action.
Action and music blend well with comedy and romance and the video game-inspired fight sequences complete with numerous inside jokes for gamers are truly a delight. The frantic sequences mix music, and over the top action with cartoonish gags and humor in a winning formula. Seeing Scott take flying leaps across a room to battle for Ramona and rebounding from one pummeling after another is great fun. Scott give as good as he gets, learning at times that brains will win out over brawn.
The film has a frantic pacing that Director Edgar Wright never lets get out of control. Like his great work in Shaun of the Dead, Wright keeps the characters and their relationships at the center of the film, making them not only relatable but easy to root for despite the bizarre scenario the characters find themselves in.
The film is based on a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley and delivers a fun adventure that should delight fans of the novel as well as video gamers everywhere. The film knows who its audience is and plays the zany plot with a wink and smile and does not get caught up with intricate plotlines and overly complex characters. Instead the movie keeps the attention on the action and the great cast of characters. Cera does his best work yet in the title role and Culkin nearly steals every scene he is in as does Wong. Jason Schwartzman shines as the uber villain Gideon and rounds out the effective cast in this pleasant surprise of the summer.
Things change for Scott when he meets a girl named Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), at a party. Ramona shows no interest in Scott but he’s inexplicably drawn to her and eventually gets the roller blading delivery girl to go out with him, despite the strong protests of his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick), and his drummer/ex-girlfriend Kim (Allison Pine). The upswing Scott’s life takes at meeting the girl of his dreams and his band’s shot at a recording deal is tempered by the complications of choosing between Knives, who is becoming more clingy, and Ramona, who brings with her a lot of angry baggage.
This baggage actually comes in the form of seven evil exes whom Scott must battle and defeat if he wishes to continue dating her. Scott accepts the challenge and finds himself in a life and death battle with some true psychos, all of whom have strange powers and appear out of nowhere to pummel Scott. I will not spoil the surprises but suffice it to say that the exes are played by some great names, and each one brings plenty of humor to go with the action.
Action and music blend well with comedy and romance and the video game-inspired fight sequences complete with numerous inside jokes for gamers are truly a delight. The frantic sequences mix music, and over the top action with cartoonish gags and humor in a winning formula. Seeing Scott take flying leaps across a room to battle for Ramona and rebounding from one pummeling after another is great fun. Scott give as good as he gets, learning at times that brains will win out over brawn.
The film has a frantic pacing that Director Edgar Wright never lets get out of control. Like his great work in Shaun of the Dead, Wright keeps the characters and their relationships at the center of the film, making them not only relatable but easy to root for despite the bizarre scenario the characters find themselves in.
The film is based on a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley and delivers a fun adventure that should delight fans of the novel as well as video gamers everywhere. The film knows who its audience is and plays the zany plot with a wink and smile and does not get caught up with intricate plotlines and overly complex characters. Instead the movie keeps the attention on the action and the great cast of characters. Cera does his best work yet in the title role and Culkin nearly steals every scene he is in as does Wong. Jason Schwartzman shines as the uber villain Gideon and rounds out the effective cast in this pleasant surprise of the summer.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Knight and Day (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Knight and Day, directed by James Mangold (previous director of 3:10 to Yuma and Walk the Line), is an uninspiring, uninteresting action movie. Getting both of those words to work with the phrase “action movie” is quite a challenge, but somehow, through a group effort, it was pulled off. The movie itself gets boring primarily because the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have little to no chemistry between them both. Useless action sequences merely add to the feeling that all those involved were ruining a great premise for an action/date movie.
The plot of the movie started out fun and original, but again, the lack of a spark between the two leads just led to disinterest. The director made ample use of what I’ll call the “invisible montage,” wherein one of the main characters is semi-conscious, and what happens to them is revealed in a series of blurred, but outlandishly crazy situations only a few seconds in length and increasing in surrealism. This was a clever, if overused technique, but oftentimes the entire movie felt like longer episodes of these montages, with little reason for each to be happening other than to fill the quota for requisite action sequences. Because of some poor foreshadowing in the beginning of the film, even the finale became extremely predictable and had no weight.
Tom Cruise, playing the bizarrely comic spy Roy Miller, manages to pull his weight in his role. Cruise’s special kind of natural crazy is actually an advantage to the character he is playing. His unpredictability and his utter charm kept me, at the very least, entertained throughout the film.
Cameron Diaz, playing clueless midwesterner June Havens is obviously the weak link here. She can’t seem to keep up with Cruise’s character on screen, and aside from a few cutesy moments in the film, is outclassed by her co-star, and often by members of the supporting cast as well. Diaz doesn’t have a reputation for doing in-depth character studies of her portrayals, but the very least she could do is drop the same confused face she uses for most of the movie.
Together, Cruise and Diaz lack the chemistry that would have made this a decent movie without forcing the audience to shut off the emotional parts of their brains. In fact, the key make-out scene between the two of them was so clichéd as to be boring. Looking back at the entire movie, I believe that after their first few minutes together, the rest of their interactions just felt forced.
As for the rest of the cast, I have no special complaints or accolades, but I would like to single out one individual, and say that I would have loved to see more of Peter Sarsgaard. It’s immediately obvious that knows what he is doing on screen, and he deserved a much larger role than the one given to him.
In summary, Knight and Day is definitely worth skipping out on. Wait a week and soon enough some real 4th of July action blockbusters will be coming out. We’ll be sure to let you know which ones are the real deal and which ones are the duds. It’s just too bad this one was a dud, because it definitely had a lot of potential.
The plot of the movie started out fun and original, but again, the lack of a spark between the two leads just led to disinterest. The director made ample use of what I’ll call the “invisible montage,” wherein one of the main characters is semi-conscious, and what happens to them is revealed in a series of blurred, but outlandishly crazy situations only a few seconds in length and increasing in surrealism. This was a clever, if overused technique, but oftentimes the entire movie felt like longer episodes of these montages, with little reason for each to be happening other than to fill the quota for requisite action sequences. Because of some poor foreshadowing in the beginning of the film, even the finale became extremely predictable and had no weight.
Tom Cruise, playing the bizarrely comic spy Roy Miller, manages to pull his weight in his role. Cruise’s special kind of natural crazy is actually an advantage to the character he is playing. His unpredictability and his utter charm kept me, at the very least, entertained throughout the film.
Cameron Diaz, playing clueless midwesterner June Havens is obviously the weak link here. She can’t seem to keep up with Cruise’s character on screen, and aside from a few cutesy moments in the film, is outclassed by her co-star, and often by members of the supporting cast as well. Diaz doesn’t have a reputation for doing in-depth character studies of her portrayals, but the very least she could do is drop the same confused face she uses for most of the movie.
Together, Cruise and Diaz lack the chemistry that would have made this a decent movie without forcing the audience to shut off the emotional parts of their brains. In fact, the key make-out scene between the two of them was so clichéd as to be boring. Looking back at the entire movie, I believe that after their first few minutes together, the rest of their interactions just felt forced.
As for the rest of the cast, I have no special complaints or accolades, but I would like to single out one individual, and say that I would have loved to see more of Peter Sarsgaard. It’s immediately obvious that knows what he is doing on screen, and he deserved a much larger role than the one given to him.
In summary, Knight and Day is definitely worth skipping out on. Wait a week and soon enough some real 4th of July action blockbusters will be coming out. We’ll be sure to let you know which ones are the real deal and which ones are the duds. It’s just too bad this one was a dud, because it definitely had a lot of potential.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
Following up the success of “Transformers” was not easy task, and thankfully Director Michael Bay and the amazing wizards at Industrial Light and Magic are up to the challenge as “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is the rare sequel that outdoes the original in almost every way.
The film once again stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky who is still dating the lovely Mikaela (Megan Fox), as he prepares to head east for college.
Mikaela is unable to head east with Sam as she must stay behind to help her recently paroled father. Sam and his parents head off to his college campus and leave his transforming Camero Bumblebee at home.
At the same time, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), and the rest of the heroic Autobots have joined forces with the government in an effort to locate and remove any remaining Decepticon threat. The special unit has worked well for two years as they have not only managed to contain the threat, but have kept their existence on Earth a secret until a mission in Shanghai escalates and has giant robots racing through the streets creating a path of destruction.
The aftermath of the mission causes some in authority to question the need for the Autobots and despite concerns that a major offensive is in the planning, the movements of the team are curtailed.
Sam and Mikaela are soon reunited when a shard from the All Spark is stolen. Sam also starts to have visions of mysterious alien symbols making him the prime target of the recently resurrected Megatron (Hugo Weaving), and his minions.
It is learned that the life essences of the Autobots and Decepticons may have a supply located on Earth and that Megatron will stop at nothing to locate it even if it means destroying the sun and all life on earth in the process.
What follows is a spectacular and extended series of battles which range from the city, to the countryside and deserts and pyramids of Egypt.
The new film has a surprisingly good amount of humor in it, which is needed as the film has a run time of over 2.5 hours and does take its time getting started in the first 40 minutes.
While the plot may be fairly basic and a bit convoluted, the real stars of the film are the action sequences, and Michael Bay ups the ante on explosions, destruction, and robot mayhem. It is clear that a lot of money was spent on the film and it is all up there on the screen. Lavish battles between the robotic forces and the military unfold often and the finale is an extended battle sequences that is amongst the most ambitious and lavish in action film history.
LaBeouf and Fox do the best with their parts even though they are not given much to do except run, jump, and look attractive when they are not interacting with their CGI Co stars.
That being said, the film knows what its audience is as does not try to reinvent what worked so well in the previous film. Instead its focus is on giving you more of what the audience loved and in that we get much more of the robots in combat and more of Megan Fox is skimpy tops and shorts.
The lavish and amazing visuals and action carry the film and establish Transformers as a heavyweight franchise for summers to come.
The film once again stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky who is still dating the lovely Mikaela (Megan Fox), as he prepares to head east for college.
Mikaela is unable to head east with Sam as she must stay behind to help her recently paroled father. Sam and his parents head off to his college campus and leave his transforming Camero Bumblebee at home.
At the same time, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), and the rest of the heroic Autobots have joined forces with the government in an effort to locate and remove any remaining Decepticon threat. The special unit has worked well for two years as they have not only managed to contain the threat, but have kept their existence on Earth a secret until a mission in Shanghai escalates and has giant robots racing through the streets creating a path of destruction.
The aftermath of the mission causes some in authority to question the need for the Autobots and despite concerns that a major offensive is in the planning, the movements of the team are curtailed.
Sam and Mikaela are soon reunited when a shard from the All Spark is stolen. Sam also starts to have visions of mysterious alien symbols making him the prime target of the recently resurrected Megatron (Hugo Weaving), and his minions.
It is learned that the life essences of the Autobots and Decepticons may have a supply located on Earth and that Megatron will stop at nothing to locate it even if it means destroying the sun and all life on earth in the process.
What follows is a spectacular and extended series of battles which range from the city, to the countryside and deserts and pyramids of Egypt.
The new film has a surprisingly good amount of humor in it, which is needed as the film has a run time of over 2.5 hours and does take its time getting started in the first 40 minutes.
While the plot may be fairly basic and a bit convoluted, the real stars of the film are the action sequences, and Michael Bay ups the ante on explosions, destruction, and robot mayhem. It is clear that a lot of money was spent on the film and it is all up there on the screen. Lavish battles between the robotic forces and the military unfold often and the finale is an extended battle sequences that is amongst the most ambitious and lavish in action film history.
LaBeouf and Fox do the best with their parts even though they are not given much to do except run, jump, and look attractive when they are not interacting with their CGI Co stars.
That being said, the film knows what its audience is as does not try to reinvent what worked so well in the previous film. Instead its focus is on giving you more of what the audience loved and in that we get much more of the robots in combat and more of Megan Fox is skimpy tops and shorts.
The lavish and amazing visuals and action carry the film and establish Transformers as a heavyweight franchise for summers to come.
Darren (1599 KP) rated An Acceptable Loss (2018) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: An Acceptable Loss starts as Libby (Sumpter) takes a new job in education, her former career saw her working under the Vice President Rachel (Curtis) being part of a campaign known as ‘Total Victory’ which saw her career change. Libby’s new job shows how she doesn’t have any forms of communication and one of the students Martin (Tavassoli) has taken an extra interest in her life, following her around, spying her on her.
Rachel now being President sends her Chief of Staff Adrian (Hephner) and former lover of Libby to make sure she isn’t going to spill the beans on what happened in this case, all while Libby is trying to make sure she can just get on with her life.
Thoughts on An Acceptable Loss
Characters – Libby once worked for the Vice President on one of the most controversial projects in defence and dealing with potential terrorist against America, she has left this job because of what happened trying to find a new career in education, she wants to stay off the radar with how she lives, which sees her avoid her former colleagues and fellow members of the faculty. Rachel is the former Vice-President, now President who is trying to tie up the loose ends of operation Total Victory, this will see her challenge Libby on whether she will expose the truth of her actions. Martin is a student that has taken an interest in Libby following her around spying on her looking for some kind of answer. Adrian is the Chief of Staff and former lover of Libby’s, he has been assigned to keep Libby quiet.
Performances – Tika Sumpter does give us a strong performance, we do see how her guilt is controlling her life, while showing how she will do what she can to fix her mistake. Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film because every time she is on camera we seeing everything upped to the next level. Ben Tavassoli and Jeff Hepnher both complete the main cast and both do a solid enough role.
Story – The story follows a former staff worker for the Vice President and one of the major parts of a project which saw many people killed, she has moved on with her life away from politics, hoping to one day tell the truth against the now current President. This story is a heavy political set up which shows us just how they will do anything to cover up any secrets, the story does jump around between the two times and careers that Libby has which does just come and go way to often. The problem with this story comes from the fact this could have been a lot more intense because of the subject matter we are going into.
Thriller – The could be a thriller that is truly one of the most intense movies of the year, because the subject could have been showing bigger consequences instead of a couple of friendly conversations.
Settings – The film is set in the everyday location, it shows how easy it could be to get people coming after somebody who might hold a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Jamie Lee Curtis scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does become very predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a predictable thriller that does tackle a bigger subject matter that goes through cover ups, we are saved by Jamie Lee Curtis scene stealing performance.
Overall: Predictable, through entertaining.
Rachel now being President sends her Chief of Staff Adrian (Hephner) and former lover of Libby to make sure she isn’t going to spill the beans on what happened in this case, all while Libby is trying to make sure she can just get on with her life.
Thoughts on An Acceptable Loss
Characters – Libby once worked for the Vice President on one of the most controversial projects in defence and dealing with potential terrorist against America, she has left this job because of what happened trying to find a new career in education, she wants to stay off the radar with how she lives, which sees her avoid her former colleagues and fellow members of the faculty. Rachel is the former Vice-President, now President who is trying to tie up the loose ends of operation Total Victory, this will see her challenge Libby on whether she will expose the truth of her actions. Martin is a student that has taken an interest in Libby following her around spying on her looking for some kind of answer. Adrian is the Chief of Staff and former lover of Libby’s, he has been assigned to keep Libby quiet.
Performances – Tika Sumpter does give us a strong performance, we do see how her guilt is controlling her life, while showing how she will do what she can to fix her mistake. Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film because every time she is on camera we seeing everything upped to the next level. Ben Tavassoli and Jeff Hepnher both complete the main cast and both do a solid enough role.
Story – The story follows a former staff worker for the Vice President and one of the major parts of a project which saw many people killed, she has moved on with her life away from politics, hoping to one day tell the truth against the now current President. This story is a heavy political set up which shows us just how they will do anything to cover up any secrets, the story does jump around between the two times and careers that Libby has which does just come and go way to often. The problem with this story comes from the fact this could have been a lot more intense because of the subject matter we are going into.
Thriller – The could be a thriller that is truly one of the most intense movies of the year, because the subject could have been showing bigger consequences instead of a couple of friendly conversations.
Settings – The film is set in the everyday location, it shows how easy it could be to get people coming after somebody who might hold a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Jamie Lee Curtis scenes.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does become very predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a predictable thriller that does tackle a bigger subject matter that goes through cover ups, we are saved by Jamie Lee Curtis scene stealing performance.
Overall: Predictable, through entertaining.
The Bandersnatch (199 KP) rated The High Lord (Black Magician Trilogy, #3) in Books
Nov 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Released in 2003 The High Lord is the penultimate ending to Sonea's story......starting a year after beating a bully in a fight. Sonea has received the respect she deserves but still faces the challenge of her guardian and the High Lord of the guild Akkarin. After being Surprised by Akkarin with a book on Black Magic Sonea is pulled into learning black magic and attempting to protect the city and the country from a group known as the Icani. After going through hell and being thrown out of the guild and being exiled the pair return and aid their fellow magicians in the attack......resulting in may magicians dead including Akkarin and Sonea pregnant with his child.
My opinion of this book was that of a decent conclusion to a good storyline. I do think however that the love storyline between Sonea and Akkarin is a little cliché. Otherwise It was a decent book. I have to admit the fighting between magicians would make a decent movie montage.
Born in Kew, Melbourne Australia on October 23rd 1969 Trudi Canavan spent her formative years being extremely creative in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. Canavan decided to become a professional artist and went to the Melbourne college of Decoration achieving an advanced certificate in promotional display as well as an award for the highest aggregate mark in art subjects in 1988.
During the early 1990's Canavan worked for the Australian magazine Aurealis (a magazine for Australian science-fiction and fantasy work) as well as starting her own business The Telltale art which specialised in graphical design services. By working for Aurealis Canavan was able to write in her spare time.
In 1999 Canavan managed to win the Aurealis award for best fantasy short story with whispers of the mist children and cementing her work further with the release of the Magicians Guild in 2001 (book one of The Black Magician trilogy) the successive books The Novice (2002) and The Black Magician (2003) brought Canavan both widespread acclaim and nominations for both the Aurealis best Fantasy novel and Best Novel Ditmar Category. All three books ended up in the top ten Science Fiction books for Australia.
Canavan's second Trilogy Age of Five was also well received with the first book reaching No3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best sellers list and staying in the top ten for six weeks. Canavan went on to write a prequel/sequel to the black magician trilogy known as the magicians apprentice in 2009 this was followed by the traitor spy trilogy which was released between 2010 and 2012. Trudi Canavan now holds a vast array of written works under her belt which can be split into three book series and a group of short stories.
My opinion of Trudi Canavan is that she is a very dedicated writer. Excellent with detail and writing a strong character and story. I definitely respect her work ethic since she is both a writer and a graphic designer. I definitely would love to talk with her and have a discussion about books and writing in general. She is up there with Prof J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin and Lewis Carroll in my books.
And there you have it a book for all the ages, definitely under the banner of Quality reading, I am positive this trilogy could end up being the NEXT it thing if they were ever made into a Movie Trilogy.
My opinion of this book was that of a decent conclusion to a good storyline. I do think however that the love storyline between Sonea and Akkarin is a little cliché. Otherwise It was a decent book. I have to admit the fighting between magicians would make a decent movie montage.
Born in Kew, Melbourne Australia on October 23rd 1969 Trudi Canavan spent her formative years being extremely creative in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. Canavan decided to become a professional artist and went to the Melbourne college of Decoration achieving an advanced certificate in promotional display as well as an award for the highest aggregate mark in art subjects in 1988.
During the early 1990's Canavan worked for the Australian magazine Aurealis (a magazine for Australian science-fiction and fantasy work) as well as starting her own business The Telltale art which specialised in graphical design services. By working for Aurealis Canavan was able to write in her spare time.
In 1999 Canavan managed to win the Aurealis award for best fantasy short story with whispers of the mist children and cementing her work further with the release of the Magicians Guild in 2001 (book one of The Black Magician trilogy) the successive books The Novice (2002) and The Black Magician (2003) brought Canavan both widespread acclaim and nominations for both the Aurealis best Fantasy novel and Best Novel Ditmar Category. All three books ended up in the top ten Science Fiction books for Australia.
Canavan's second Trilogy Age of Five was also well received with the first book reaching No3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best sellers list and staying in the top ten for six weeks. Canavan went on to write a prequel/sequel to the black magician trilogy known as the magicians apprentice in 2009 this was followed by the traitor spy trilogy which was released between 2010 and 2012. Trudi Canavan now holds a vast array of written works under her belt which can be split into three book series and a group of short stories.
My opinion of Trudi Canavan is that she is a very dedicated writer. Excellent with detail and writing a strong character and story. I definitely respect her work ethic since she is both a writer and a graphic designer. I definitely would love to talk with her and have a discussion about books and writing in general. She is up there with Prof J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin and Lewis Carroll in my books.
And there you have it a book for all the ages, definitely under the banner of Quality reading, I am positive this trilogy could end up being the NEXT it thing if they were ever made into a Movie Trilogy.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Hell House LLC (2015) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
I'd heard very little about Hell House LLC before watching it and hadn't even seen the trailer either. But, it had been highly recommended by a few people and had been sitting on my Amazon Prime watch-list for some time anyway, so I decided to give it a shot. It's a found footage horror, which has been done to death now, so it's easy to go into another one feeling cynical and apprehensive. However, there is still the occasional hidden gem out there waiting to be found and, for me, Hell House LLC turned out to be one of them.
The plot surrounds a Halloween house tour in an old abandoned hotel in a small American town. On opening night, as dozens of thrill-seekers descend on the house to enjoy the various mannequins and lighting effects that have been setup to try and scare them, there is an incident down in the basement. Panic ensues as everyone tries to locate the exits and there are a number of mysterious deaths, along with numerous injuries. We see a YouTube video that somebody recorded during their tour, but they didn't quite make it to the basement to capture what went on, so all we see is them making a hasty exit. Five years on and the hotel is now boarded up, while the whole tragedy remains unexplained. Now though, the sole survivor of the crew responsible for putting on the event has approached a documentary crew with a bunch of video tapes that were recorded by the team in the run-up to opening night, so hopefully the truth will finally be revealed.
We begin with the team driving to the hotel for the first time, before going inside to check it all out. They've put on Halloween house tours before, but this one is a bit of a challenge due to the derelict nature of the hotel. First they need to get power to the place, in order to setup safety cameras in every room and corridor, strobe lighting etc. Then they start setting up the various rooms, working out themes and hiring a small group of actors to dress up and scare people during the tour. Early on in the movie, these scenes are interspersed with interviews from reporters, photographers and historians who recount some of the troubled history of the hotel and give us a bit more detail as to what happened during and after the events of the tours opening night.
The crew of five are all staying in the hotel as they work towards the big day, all the while documenting their progress and the various challenges they encounter. The place is seriously creepy anyway and the movie takes it's time in establishing the characters and making sure you're familiar with everything they've installed and the general layout of the hotel before mysterious things start happening, usually at night while everyone is trying to sleep. At first, things are basic enough that it's easy for them to accuse someone of trying to prank the others, but they soon start to increase in intensity and creepiness. Despite all common sense, preparations still continue for the big night which, as we already know, turns out to be a big mistake.
I really liked Hell House LLC. I'm still not actually sure what happened down in the basement, or afterwards for that matter, but the build up to it really did work well for me and there were some very effective and genuinely unsettling moments. And I do love feeling unsettled by a movie!
The plot surrounds a Halloween house tour in an old abandoned hotel in a small American town. On opening night, as dozens of thrill-seekers descend on the house to enjoy the various mannequins and lighting effects that have been setup to try and scare them, there is an incident down in the basement. Panic ensues as everyone tries to locate the exits and there are a number of mysterious deaths, along with numerous injuries. We see a YouTube video that somebody recorded during their tour, but they didn't quite make it to the basement to capture what went on, so all we see is them making a hasty exit. Five years on and the hotel is now boarded up, while the whole tragedy remains unexplained. Now though, the sole survivor of the crew responsible for putting on the event has approached a documentary crew with a bunch of video tapes that were recorded by the team in the run-up to opening night, so hopefully the truth will finally be revealed.
We begin with the team driving to the hotel for the first time, before going inside to check it all out. They've put on Halloween house tours before, but this one is a bit of a challenge due to the derelict nature of the hotel. First they need to get power to the place, in order to setup safety cameras in every room and corridor, strobe lighting etc. Then they start setting up the various rooms, working out themes and hiring a small group of actors to dress up and scare people during the tour. Early on in the movie, these scenes are interspersed with interviews from reporters, photographers and historians who recount some of the troubled history of the hotel and give us a bit more detail as to what happened during and after the events of the tours opening night.
The crew of five are all staying in the hotel as they work towards the big day, all the while documenting their progress and the various challenges they encounter. The place is seriously creepy anyway and the movie takes it's time in establishing the characters and making sure you're familiar with everything they've installed and the general layout of the hotel before mysterious things start happening, usually at night while everyone is trying to sleep. At first, things are basic enough that it's easy for them to accuse someone of trying to prank the others, but they soon start to increase in intensity and creepiness. Despite all common sense, preparations still continue for the big night which, as we already know, turns out to be a big mistake.
I really liked Hell House LLC. I'm still not actually sure what happened down in the basement, or afterwards for that matter, but the build up to it really did work well for me and there were some very effective and genuinely unsettling moments. And I do love feeling unsettled by a movie!
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of PuPaiPo Space Deluxe in Video Games
Jan 21, 2020
Quick Gameplay (2 more)
Challenging
Adorable design
A Fun Fast Game
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is a fun, fast paced game in which you battle wave after wave of enemies, shooting and dodging in order to survive and continue to the next stage. Each stage has it's own unique design which come with their own unique looking NPC's for you to dodge and shoot.
From developers BolHut, who also made the challenging yet entertaining game 'You Died But A Necromancer Revived You', have brought their adorable sprites to Nintendo Switch once again with their remastered deluxe edition of their very first game PuPaiPo Space.
You have a choice of characters to play as such as a rocket man, a pink octopus, a wooden character and a star man (not their official names), and with the choice to gather your friends and all play at once, you can enjoy a challenging battle to find the legendary space pizza. So gather your friends for a fun head to head co-op and see who can get the highest score and reach the pizza first, or play solo and take every slice for yourself!
The bosses of this game are challenging and fun to battle, as each loss is a learning curve in order for the player to learn each bosses move set, so that the next time you face them you can beat them with ease. Each sprite whether it's a common NPC, a boss, or the player themselves, has it's own unique personality that makes each design stand out from one another on screen, meaning you shouldn't get lost whilst flying around the armada of bullets and rockets fired.
The backgrounds for each stage give every level it's own personality as well, as each one comes with it's own types of enemies from fish in the deep water levels, to the fiery asteroids and bombs of the space levels. This keeps the game play interesting as there isn't much you can do with a shoot and dodge game, so each stage has to feel fresh and BolHut have managed to do just that with their retro art style and unique designs.
Among the battlefield, you'll also come across a variety of cool little power-ups that will aid you in your quest for the space pizza, from bigger bullets, to faster bullets, to a simple shield that helps add a little extra life to your character as you do your best to dodge the incoming dangers.
Overall the game is a fun and fast paced experience that you can either jump into to kill some time, or set up for a group of friends and challenge one another to see who can reach the pizza. It looks amazing on the switch and the sprites are adorable and unique to BolHut's style. I hope this company continues to bring more games out onto the Nintendo Switch because their designs and game play are always challenging and unique, which allows them to stand out among the ever growing library of indie games on the market.
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is available on PC and will be available on Nintendo Switch on Thursday 23rd January 2020, but is available to pre-order now at a discounted price. However, talking of price, the release price of this game is £3.99 and any game that's this fun for under £5 is worth every penny, so go get this game, select which character you like best, give them a name that's better than any of the names I've given them in this review and find that delicious space pizza!
From developers BolHut, who also made the challenging yet entertaining game 'You Died But A Necromancer Revived You', have brought their adorable sprites to Nintendo Switch once again with their remastered deluxe edition of their very first game PuPaiPo Space.
You have a choice of characters to play as such as a rocket man, a pink octopus, a wooden character and a star man (not their official names), and with the choice to gather your friends and all play at once, you can enjoy a challenging battle to find the legendary space pizza. So gather your friends for a fun head to head co-op and see who can get the highest score and reach the pizza first, or play solo and take every slice for yourself!
The bosses of this game are challenging and fun to battle, as each loss is a learning curve in order for the player to learn each bosses move set, so that the next time you face them you can beat them with ease. Each sprite whether it's a common NPC, a boss, or the player themselves, has it's own unique personality that makes each design stand out from one another on screen, meaning you shouldn't get lost whilst flying around the armada of bullets and rockets fired.
The backgrounds for each stage give every level it's own personality as well, as each one comes with it's own types of enemies from fish in the deep water levels, to the fiery asteroids and bombs of the space levels. This keeps the game play interesting as there isn't much you can do with a shoot and dodge game, so each stage has to feel fresh and BolHut have managed to do just that with their retro art style and unique designs.
Among the battlefield, you'll also come across a variety of cool little power-ups that will aid you in your quest for the space pizza, from bigger bullets, to faster bullets, to a simple shield that helps add a little extra life to your character as you do your best to dodge the incoming dangers.
Overall the game is a fun and fast paced experience that you can either jump into to kill some time, or set up for a group of friends and challenge one another to see who can reach the pizza. It looks amazing on the switch and the sprites are adorable and unique to BolHut's style. I hope this company continues to bring more games out onto the Nintendo Switch because their designs and game play are always challenging and unique, which allows them to stand out among the ever growing library of indie games on the market.
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is available on PC and will be available on Nintendo Switch on Thursday 23rd January 2020, but is available to pre-order now at a discounted price. However, talking of price, the release price of this game is £3.99 and any game that's this fun for under £5 is worth every penny, so go get this game, select which character you like best, give them a name that's better than any of the names I've given them in this review and find that delicious space pizza!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I'm part of a reading challenge on this app called Habitica where I have to read a book turning into a movie this year, so <em>Everything, Everything</em> kind of got picked because of that. (I know it's problematic. The reading challenges are the only reasons why I chose to read the book.)
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted at <a title="The Iron Traitor" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-the-iron-traitor-by-julie-kagawa.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i><b>Note:</b> Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste</i>
<b><u>Before Reading:</b></u>
I thought I had to wait an additional 3 weeks maximum to get my hands on the county library's ebook copy of The Iron Traitor.
But then a genie decided to grant my wish – or was it because there were more holds on it? – and the county library bought a second copy, much to my enthusiasm and glee that I wouldn't have to wait for about 3 weeks (all I'm going to respond to your envy, L, is to go put yourself on the hold list before it gets bigger or buy a copy. Sorry! Dx).
And then I realized I was going to have juggle with multiple books (more than the usual). >_< I feel like making an anime face that's saying, "OMG, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and then facepalming. Or doing a classic headdesk with the hair fanning out. :p
So I essentially had to wing it out and check it out on the last day it would be held for me... and then attempt to finish it within 3 weeks.
Looks like I need to lock myself in my room again and turn off the – oh, wait. I can't turn off the laptop. It's an ebook. -_- Mother, we need to have a mother-daughter talk of going to the library ASAP.
Looks like my challenge for the next 21 days is to avoid doing tasks that can be put off until a bit later. (I'll fail alright... but all that matters is that I'll hopefully not have to stick myself to the hold list and wait for a few more months.) o_o
Despite all that, I was still literally "dancing" on books.
But there's no torturous cliffhanger at the end like it was in The Eternity Cure, is there Julie? :O x30
<b><u>After Reading:</b></u>
No. Just. NO. *shakes head in a "Nope, that wasn't what I just read. Nope. I don't believe this at all. I'm sleeping and someone needs to pinch me and then I'll be awake and everyone will be living a happily ever after, despite the fact they're not real." (I wish they were. :p)*
You know what? Forget that I asked that last question about torturous cliffhangers. It's going to happen.
And it shall be EXCRUSIATING.
Simply because I – and possibly many others – have to wait a year. >_< Julie, you are officially an evil author.
But I still love your writing. Why? Because while it may be set in the same world as Books 1-4 in the series, it's still amazingly well-written and there are still surprises in store that are totally unexpected.
(psst! Recommendation! Go. Read the series if you haven't; you have a lot of awesomeness to catch up to! :o)
But I'm still not happy with the ending.
I'll deal with it. And survive.
I think. O_o
Oh, and I was thankfully spared from having to deal with reading so many books. *phew* On the bright side of everything, I'm also spared from staying on the hold list. Not that I mind rereading The Iron Traitor.
And I forgot another thing... can I have a gremlin? :D? Razor's simply adorable.
<blockquote>Sometimes, the simplest answers are the hardest to see.</blockquote>
<i><b>Note:</b> Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste</i>
<b><u>Before Reading:</b></u>
I thought I had to wait an additional 3 weeks maximum to get my hands on the county library's ebook copy of The Iron Traitor.
But then a genie decided to grant my wish – or was it because there were more holds on it? – and the county library bought a second copy, much to my enthusiasm and glee that I wouldn't have to wait for about 3 weeks (all I'm going to respond to your envy, L, is to go put yourself on the hold list before it gets bigger or buy a copy. Sorry! Dx).
And then I realized I was going to have juggle with multiple books (more than the usual). >_< I feel like making an anime face that's saying, "OMG, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and then facepalming. Or doing a classic headdesk with the hair fanning out. :p
So I essentially had to wing it out and check it out on the last day it would be held for me... and then attempt to finish it within 3 weeks.
Looks like I need to lock myself in my room again and turn off the – oh, wait. I can't turn off the laptop. It's an ebook. -_- Mother, we need to have a mother-daughter talk of going to the library ASAP.
Looks like my challenge for the next 21 days is to avoid doing tasks that can be put off until a bit later. (I'll fail alright... but all that matters is that I'll hopefully not have to stick myself to the hold list and wait for a few more months.) o_o
Despite all that, I was still literally "dancing" on books.
But there's no torturous cliffhanger at the end like it was in The Eternity Cure, is there Julie? :O x30
<b><u>After Reading:</b></u>
No. Just. NO. *shakes head in a "Nope, that wasn't what I just read. Nope. I don't believe this at all. I'm sleeping and someone needs to pinch me and then I'll be awake and everyone will be living a happily ever after, despite the fact they're not real." (I wish they were. :p)*
You know what? Forget that I asked that last question about torturous cliffhangers. It's going to happen.
And it shall be EXCRUSIATING.
Simply because I – and possibly many others – have to wait a year. >_< Julie, you are officially an evil author.
But I still love your writing. Why? Because while it may be set in the same world as Books 1-4 in the series, it's still amazingly well-written and there are still surprises in store that are totally unexpected.
(psst! Recommendation! Go. Read the series if you haven't; you have a lot of awesomeness to catch up to! :o)
But I'm still not happy with the ending.
I'll deal with it. And survive.
I think. O_o
Oh, and I was thankfully spared from having to deal with reading so many books. *phew* On the bright side of everything, I'm also spared from staying on the hold list. Not that I mind rereading The Iron Traitor.
And I forgot another thing... can I have a gremlin? :D? Razor's simply adorable.
<blockquote>Sometimes, the simplest answers are the hardest to see.</blockquote>