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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Dig (2021) in Movies
Feb 6, 2021 (Updated Feb 6, 2021)
True-life Anglo-Saxon chronicle is brought to the screen as another wartime hats-and-fags tale of class and repression. Posh woman hires blunt-but-brilliant working-class bloke to examine her mounds (don't snipe, the film does the same gag, more or less); what ensues reminded me, for a while at least, of a big-budget version of Ted and Ralph with Carey Mulligan playing Charlie Higson's part.
Really a film of two halves: the first part, which is very quiet and still and all about figures in a landscape with Vaughan Williams-esque music playing, I found was much engaging than the second, which is not particularly focused and turns into a bit of a soap opera (there's a forbidden romance, terminal illness, political squabbling over who gets to run the dig and keep the treasure, etc, etc). Decent performances from a strong cast and it looks good in a fairly cinematic way, but by the end it seemed to me that archaeology in general and Sutton Hoo in particular had rather been forgotten about, which seemed like a shame.
Really a film of two halves: the first part, which is very quiet and still and all about figures in a landscape with Vaughan Williams-esque music playing, I found was much engaging than the second, which is not particularly focused and turns into a bit of a soap opera (there's a forbidden romance, terminal illness, political squabbling over who gets to run the dig and keep the treasure, etc, etc). Decent performances from a strong cast and it looks good in a fairly cinematic way, but by the end it seemed to me that archaeology in general and Sutton Hoo in particular had rather been forgotten about, which seemed like a shame.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Prince of Darkness (1987) in Movies
Feb 15, 2021
John Carpenter is rightly considered a master of his craft, especially in the horror genre, and Prince of Darkness is yet another prime example of why.
The overall tone of PoD is one of constant dread, thanks in no small part to Carpenters' fantastic score work (probably my favourite film music of his), and also his directing style. It's a portfolio of wonderful shots, plenty of them are creepy as hell, and there's an air of mystery to compliment it all. The narrative is never clear cut, even by then end. The viewer has a solid idea of what if happening, but it's not a handled in a hand holding way, and leaves a load of questions in its wake, well still being satisfying in its conclusion.
It has a decent cast headed by Halloween alumni Donald Pleasence, and features the talents of Lisa Blout and era fixture Victor Wong, and an engaging screenplay. The dialogue is plentiful here, but none of it comes across like dead weight, and the finished product is a competent and unsettling religious horror.
The overall tone of PoD is one of constant dread, thanks in no small part to Carpenters' fantastic score work (probably my favourite film music of his), and also his directing style. It's a portfolio of wonderful shots, plenty of them are creepy as hell, and there's an air of mystery to compliment it all. The narrative is never clear cut, even by then end. The viewer has a solid idea of what if happening, but it's not a handled in a hand holding way, and leaves a load of questions in its wake, well still being satisfying in its conclusion.
It has a decent cast headed by Halloween alumni Donald Pleasence, and features the talents of Lisa Blout and era fixture Victor Wong, and an engaging screenplay. The dialogue is plentiful here, but none of it comes across like dead weight, and the finished product is a competent and unsettling religious horror.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Love and Monsters (2021) in Movies
May 10, 2021
Man, I was expecting some good old fashioned silly nonsense out of this, but it turned out to be a whole buttload of fun, and stupidly wholesome.
Dylan O'Brien plays a perfect down-on-his-luck, sort of loser who everyone can relate to, and makes for a hugely likable lead. The story of Joel and his dog, Boy, wondering a post apocalyptic, monster-infested America is an engaging one, full of decent set pieces, great CG work, and colourful characters. It almost feels like a family friendly version of The Last of Us, which is absolutely fine with me whilst we wait for the HBO series to land. It's certainly the closest thing we have to a Fallout movie. The pacing is spot on, with plenty of funny moments (and a sharp script), a good dose of heartwarming inner turmoil, and well placed moments of peril, ensuring that proceedings never become boring.
Love and Monsters is a blast. I have everything crossed that it will get a sequel!
Dylan O'Brien plays a perfect down-on-his-luck, sort of loser who everyone can relate to, and makes for a hugely likable lead. The story of Joel and his dog, Boy, wondering a post apocalyptic, monster-infested America is an engaging one, full of decent set pieces, great CG work, and colourful characters. It almost feels like a family friendly version of The Last of Us, which is absolutely fine with me whilst we wait for the HBO series to land. It's certainly the closest thing we have to a Fallout movie. The pacing is spot on, with plenty of funny moments (and a sharp script), a good dose of heartwarming inner turmoil, and well placed moments of peril, ensuring that proceedings never become boring.
Love and Monsters is a blast. I have everything crossed that it will get a sequel!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Blood Charged (Dragon Blood, #3) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
So this has taken me a long time to finish, especially considering that this is a Lindsay Buroker book and that I'm a huge fan.
I think I know why though.
I read for the romance element of books and in this we'd already met the characters and they were already couples, so that aspect was already in place and I didn't get to read it happening because it already had.
Lindsay is really good at writing steam-punk books (check out her Emperor's Edge series!) while still adding a romantic side-plot. With this newer series it has previously focused on the romance more but like I mentioned this was slightly lacking in that respect.
The adventure they went on for me wasn't as engaging as some of her other books, which is why it's taken me forever to finish this and I'm not too sure if I want to continue the series if it's following Ridge, Sardelle, Tomolek, Ahn and the rest of the team on the hunt for Dragon blood.
I think I know why though.
I read for the romance element of books and in this we'd already met the characters and they were already couples, so that aspect was already in place and I didn't get to read it happening because it already had.
Lindsay is really good at writing steam-punk books (check out her Emperor's Edge series!) while still adding a romantic side-plot. With this newer series it has previously focused on the romance more but like I mentioned this was slightly lacking in that respect.
The adventure they went on for me wasn't as engaging as some of her other books, which is why it's taken me forever to finish this and I'm not too sure if I want to continue the series if it's following Ridge, Sardelle, Tomolek, Ahn and the rest of the team on the hunt for Dragon blood.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
4.5 stars
I'm a bit picky with my historical reads. But since this would be my first full length mm historical romance, I thought I'd give it a go. And it turned into something I really enjoyed. It was paranormal and action packed and romantic. I couldn't ask for more, really.
I really liked both Griffin and Whyborne. Griffin was the sort of bad boy of the Victorian era I would never have guessed existed and Whyborne was the smart, bookish type that liked to be invisible to everyone around him. Except that wasn't possible with Griffin. He noticed him and accepted him and it was kinda sweet.
The storyline was very engaging and I was continually cheering my two guys on to figure it out and to get that person or other. And at the end I almost cried. I cant go into details without spoiling it but this is not some boring, average historical fiction based mm romance. It's very good.
I'm a bit picky with my historical reads. But since this would be my first full length mm historical romance, I thought I'd give it a go. And it turned into something I really enjoyed. It was paranormal and action packed and romantic. I couldn't ask for more, really.
I really liked both Griffin and Whyborne. Griffin was the sort of bad boy of the Victorian era I would never have guessed existed and Whyborne was the smart, bookish type that liked to be invisible to everyone around him. Except that wasn't possible with Griffin. He noticed him and accepted him and it was kinda sweet.
The storyline was very engaging and I was continually cheering my two guys on to figure it out and to get that person or other. And at the end I almost cried. I cant go into details without spoiling it but this is not some boring, average historical fiction based mm romance. It's very good.
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