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The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead
2010 | Drama, Horror
Starts brilliantly, but now starting to drag...
I love zombie films, so a zombie (or walker as the "z" word is never mentioned) tv show really appealed. And to begin with, The Walking Dead really impresses.

The first season is such a good debut, Andrew Lincoln does very well as Rick - can hardly believe it's Simon from Teachers. The visual and physical effects are fantastic and the walkers are truly scary. Character development over the initial few series too is very good and you come to care about a lot (and hate a lot) of them. The first maybe 5 series I can't really fault too much. There's dips, but it always come bouncing back with some shock deaths or interesting characters like the Governor.


The problem is with the last couple of series. Everything has become a bit too samey - meet a hostile group, become scared & abused by the group, people get killed and then Rick's group manages to overcome them. The walkers have pretty much taken a back seat. Personally I think they should try and end the series soon instead of dragging it out too far.
  
I was warned off of this book by a friend of mine, but I figured since I am FINALLY going to see the musical in January I'd give it a shot. Boy am I ever glad I did! I really enjoyed it!! This is another book that should allow half stars, because truly it is a 4.5 not a 4. The only reason it isn't 5 is that there are a few parts that drag, but not enough that I didn't enjoy the book as a whole.
Wicked tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. It is incredibly interesting to see the famous story from another character's point of view. I must admit there were things that surprised me completely. I was always fascinated by the Witch when I was younger & now she makes so much more sense. I was never afraid of her, but her Flying Monkeys were another story.
I don't want to say too much & give anything away, but let's just say the Wicked Witch never intended to be wicked, nor was she really a witch! Mind blown!!! :)
  
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
2018 | Comedy
Crazily good
I had not expected to like this film, mainly because it's a modern rom-com and most of them turn out to be pretty rubbish - but Crazy Rich Asians however is definitely not one.

It's a rom-com, so I'm afraid to say it is ridiculously predictable but I've yet to see a rom-com that isn't. However in this film it's the getting there that matters. It's funny, witty and full of a surprising amount of heart. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty much in tears by the end. It does drag a little in the middle and could have been cut a little shorter, however it's saved by a very engaging cast. It's so refreshing to see a film cast entirely made up of Asian actors and some very good ones at that. From Michelle Yeoh to Gemma Chan, it's the performances that really make this worth watching. This is probably the best modern rom-com I've seen in a long time, and while it doesn't quite match up to the classics like When Harry Met Sally, it's still a highly entertaining and emotional film.
  
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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Lie in Books

Feb 21, 2018  
The Lie
The Lie
C.L. Taylor | 2018 | Thriller
8
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Wow" - my first thought when I finally put the book down. I didn't re-read the description before starting this book and had forgotten what it was about, so I didn't really know what to expect. I think that was a perfect way to read this story - just to go along and let it drag you across the world and back again, into the past and then back to the present, never knowing when the next turn would be. This was truly a hard to put down thriller. I didn't know what was going on or who to trust, and became so caught up in Jane's story that I totally lost track of time while reading it.

This is not an unreliable narrator book, but if you're a fan of thrillers like Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train, I think you'll love this one.

<u>Warning</u> - I know some readers prefer not to read or be surprised by some topics. This novel contains scenes depicting rape and violence against women.

<I>Note: I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. </i>
  
Alice Anonymous (Project Scion)
Alice Anonymous (Project Scion)
Sophie Davis | 2018 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book. I was really glad I did as it was a super good read and would recommend it.

The story follows Alice as she goes about her life in a small town. All of this gets disrupted by Trey and his frequent visits to the store where she works.

Alice has secrets but what’s exciting is that the big secrets are hidden even to her. I enjoyed this as it bugs me in a mystery when characters allude to these secrets but just don’t tell you and drag it out for suspense.

It was good to see Alice and Trey develop during the story and not stick to classic stereotypes ie arrogant rich guy.

It is really hard to figure out who to trust as everyone seems a bit suspicious at times, some more so than others.

The story links with another series by the author but you don’t need to have read that series for this one. I’m not sure if the next book will follow the exact same characters or pick up some of the other characters but I am definitely looking forward to the next book.
  
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Sarah (7799 KP) rated Terminal (2018) in Movies

Jan 13, 2019  
Terminal (2018)
Terminal (2018)
2018 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Such a bore
I’d never really heard of this film until I saw it on Prime, I’m not even sure it’s been out at the cinema over here but I figured it couldn’t be that bad.... I was wrong.


This film is trying to be a sort of neon version of Sin City, but sadly it fails in every aspect that film succeeded. The plot is just dull and boring, with every predictable plot twist that you could think of thrown into a short 90 minute run time. The script is terrible, and I’m not sure some of the acting is any better. The usually fantastic Margot Robbie is bad in this, and her accent is downright terrible. It’s always pleasant to see Simon Pegg and it was nice to see Mike Myers back, but both were let down by the rest of this very poor film. For a film with such a short run time too, it didn’t half drag on and seems to have taken most of its plot points from other more well known (and much better) films. Now I know why this didn’t get shown in cinemas.
  
I really enjoyed the first book, None But You, and really wanted to like this one as much..... just looking down at some of the other reviews, it seems I'm not alone in not caring much for the ending.

In fact, the whole wrapping up of the story seems to drag on for longer than needs be, in my opinion, and the ending didn't seem to me realistic. Considering [i:]Persuasion[/i:] is Austen's most romantic novel, the chosen ending was decidely unromantic in many ways!

There are also a few things that don't seem to be satisfactorily concluded; I expected to hear more of the future planned for George Tuggins for one. Also I expected to hear of Mr Elliot running off with Mrs Clay and the Wentworths having something to say about that! I wasn't clear about Mr Elliot being seen earlier visiting Westgate Buildings, as in [i:]Persuasion[/i:] Mrs Smith indicates she hasn't seen him in sometime.

Overall, I liked it better than a lost of Austen sequels out there, but it could have been concluded more satisfactorily to my mind.
  
Colossal (2016)
Colossal (2016)
2016 | Comedy, Drama
An interesting idea
I remember seeing a trailer for this film when it was first released, and as didn’t play at my local cinema I hadn’t seen anything from it since until it popped up on Netflix recently.

It’s a very interesting idea and a great take on the traditional monster movie. Without going into too much detail, this film really doesn’t pan out the way I was expecting. It took me a little while to adjust to this, but I actually really enjoyed it and the ending was beyond satisfying. It was great to see Jason Sudeikis play something other than his usual type of comedy character, and Anne Hathaway was wonderful as always. I do think Dan Steven was ridiculously underused and they really could’ve given him a much better part.

The effects are a tad dodgy at times but given the low budget, it’s not a massive surprise or issue. I do think there are some slightly irritating plot holes and it does drag a little at times, but overall still a rather good film and a refreshing change to the traditional “Godzilla” style films.
  
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Andy K (10823 KP) Nov 2, 2019

I liked this quite a bit more than I thought I would. I think this movie has the distinction of being the very first I rated on Smashbomb! 😊

A Star Is Born (2018)
A Star Is Born (2018)
2018 | Drama, Romance
Pretty good!
Ok so I loved how this film captured the raw romantic start to the film, a big star bringing a women he just met to his big show making her sing, it was oh so magical.

I well and truly got lost in this emotional rollercoaster, the film opens with lady gaga In her very average job, she finishes her shift and goes to perform in a drag act/gay bar, here is where she sings her heart out and it just so happens a very drunk Bradley cooper is in there listening after he had just performed his own concert, it all stems from there you see how they get close and he brings her to all his gigs where she sings her songs on stage and she finally gets noticed and becomes a big star herself, but it's not all glamour and fame you see the ups and downs in a stars world with her husband on a downwards spiral abusing drugs and alcohol you see the struggle and see the love between them Both. Amazing story with a very unpredictable sad ending. Definitely worth the watch!