Sold on a Monday
5.0
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From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired...
GreatDepression Historical Fiction journalist newspaper mob
The Iron Warrior (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #3)
9.4
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The Iron Prince—my nephew—betrayed us all. He killed me. Then, I woke up. Waking...
The Thirteenth Guardian
10.0
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Michelangelo concealed an explosive truth in his famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine...
Biblical Apocalyptic Fantasy Science Fiction Young Adult
I Kissed a Girl
6.0
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Can an up-and-coming horror actress and the makeup artist for her newest "creature feature" turn...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Viy (Spirit of Evil) (1967) in Movies
Sep 21, 2021
Not the longest of films, which is just as well as the pacing may require patience on the part of the viewer; after a very eerie sequence early on, there's a long wait until the stuff with the protagonist's vigil in the second half. Nevertheless, it's worth it, mainly because the special effects are remarkably good, well up to the standard of equivalent western films of the same period (and probably better). Not particularly scary or graphic by modern standards, but the climax has a creepy sort of power to it and the overall impression is of a classy and well-made film; if there's a political subtext to it, it's very well-hidden.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
The much repeated classic score by Jerry Goldsmith never fails to impress.
There’s a striking ‘Deltan’ heroine in the shapely form of Indian model Persis Khambatta (who sadly died very young).
And a twist in Alan Dean Foster’s story is genuinely clever (for those who know their space history).
However, all of this is outweighed by a story that is treacle-like in its telling. It’s a classic example of “look at how clever we are”, with special effects overriding everything else. A scene where Kirk travels to the Enterprise takes 5 minutes and 56 seconds (I looked up the Goldsmith track length): a scene involving nothing more than Scotty’s smug looks and Kirk’s awed reaction shots. Later in the movie, there are ENDLESS shots of the Enterprise travelling towards the centre of the cloud. Yawn! FOR F**CK’S SAKE GET ON WITH IT!!!
If this grand-standing was the quiet interlude between high-octane action sequences, then it might be partly forgiven. But even the action scenes are little less than soporific.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Evil Dead II (1987) in Movies
Feb 9, 2022
Picking up immediately after the first one concludes, the narrative dives headfirst into another night of chaos for Ash Williams, stuck in a possessed cabin in the middle of nowhere. The breakneck pacing never relents, ensuring that the entire runtime is horrifically entertaining. The serious tone of the first isn't completely replaced, but a dark, slapstick-comedy coat of paint is laid on thick, and it works perfectly with just how absurd proceedings become. This aspect is also bolstered by Bruce Campbell. He manages to be a badass protagonist, but his physical comedy performance is perfectly on point, and his descent into utter madness is well realised. The physical effects work is nothing short of spectacular, and Raimis unique shooting style benefits from a bigger budget.
Evil Dead II is a true, all-time horror great. It's frequently hilarious, flat out ridiculous, has generous lashings of gore, and still manages to deliver some solid scares in spite of its goofiness.
Absolutely. Fucking. Perfect.
Senjutsu: Battle For Japan
Tabletop Game
Senjutsu is a 1-4 Player Samurai Duelling Game with slick Deck Construction mechanics, simultaneous...
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Flash Gordon (1980) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
Directed by Mike Hodges and starring Sam J. Jones, Brian Blessed, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow and many more great names of the time, Flash Gordon went through some turbulent times in bringing the character to the big screen, but over the years the film has built a cult following and fans love the film.
Flash Gordon may have its flaws, such as some of the dodgy special effects such as seeing the background through semi-translucent characters but this all adds to the charm of the film, it does for me and although you can certainly see these issues much more on the big screen it doesn’t distract you from the fun and craziness of the film.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Firestarter (1984) in Movies
May 13, 2022
The effects work is top notch for the time, delighting in its multiple explosions and impressive fire stunts, and they make for some memorable moments, especially when Charlie goes full Carrie during the climax, all set to an 80s-as-fuck Tangerine Dream soundtrack
There are certainly better Stephen King adaptions out there, but Firestarter is a competent sci-fi horror that deserves its spot in amongst the big boys of the genre during this era. Interested to see how the upcoming remake holds up in comparison.