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James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Brightburn (2019) in Movies
Jun 27, 2019
A dark, dark twist on the superhero genre.
Before I start, a disclaimer: I drastically misinterpreted the story of this movie from the trailer.
Another disclaimer: I really don't like horror movies!
Yes, this is a horror movie. Not the scariest, I imagine. Having not seen many to compare it to, I can only guess. But it had its jump-scares, and its gory scenes, and a constant, overwhelming tension that made you feel like the next second will contain something that will make you leap from your seat.
The story is an interesting one, that hasn't yet been done to death. What if Superman grew up evil? At no point does this film act like, or compare itself to, a superhero film, but that's the basic premise.
This ticks all the boxes for a standard horror flick - strong, beautiful female, slightly annoying husband punching above his weight, and a creepy-looking kid who you just know is going to be evil.
Some scenes are graphically violent, some were uncomfortably creepy, others were just kinda funny. Fans of horror movies will probably feel a little underwhelmed here, because as much as I was scared out of my mind for most of it, true horror aficionados will likely expect more scares for their money. Similarly, if you enjoy comic book movies, this REALLY isn't the film for you. The premise might have its roots in the superhero genre, but Superman, it isn't!
Unexpected scares aside, it wasn't a bad movie, really. The ending had a nice spin to it that you don't see all that often. There's also footage over the early credits that suggests this film may be the beginning of a larger universe - a concept begun with the MCU and since adopted by a number of studios and franchises. While few have seen even a glimpse of Marvel's success, this has the same amount of potential as Godzilla's Monsterverse, at least.
If you pay for your cinema tickets, save your money for something more worthy. If you have a monthly pass and can see whatever you want, catch this one if you're bored sometime. Failing that, watch it at home so you can leave the lights on and not look like a baby!
Another disclaimer: I really don't like horror movies!
Yes, this is a horror movie. Not the scariest, I imagine. Having not seen many to compare it to, I can only guess. But it had its jump-scares, and its gory scenes, and a constant, overwhelming tension that made you feel like the next second will contain something that will make you leap from your seat.
The story is an interesting one, that hasn't yet been done to death. What if Superman grew up evil? At no point does this film act like, or compare itself to, a superhero film, but that's the basic premise.
This ticks all the boxes for a standard horror flick - strong, beautiful female, slightly annoying husband punching above his weight, and a creepy-looking kid who you just know is going to be evil.
Some scenes are graphically violent, some were uncomfortably creepy, others were just kinda funny. Fans of horror movies will probably feel a little underwhelmed here, because as much as I was scared out of my mind for most of it, true horror aficionados will likely expect more scares for their money. Similarly, if you enjoy comic book movies, this REALLY isn't the film for you. The premise might have its roots in the superhero genre, but Superman, it isn't!
Unexpected scares aside, it wasn't a bad movie, really. The ending had a nice spin to it that you don't see all that often. There's also footage over the early credits that suggests this film may be the beginning of a larger universe - a concept begun with the MCU and since adopted by a number of studios and franchises. While few have seen even a glimpse of Marvel's success, this has the same amount of potential as Godzilla's Monsterverse, at least.
If you pay for your cinema tickets, save your money for something more worthy. If you have a monthly pass and can see whatever you want, catch this one if you're bored sometime. Failing that, watch it at home so you can leave the lights on and not look like a baby!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Retribution (Dark Hunters #19) in Books
Sep 20, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Harm no human...
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster....
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.
I love this series to be honest there's not a Kenyon book I don't enjoy! Loved learning about Jess and Abigail the story was so involved not sure I'd enjoy the plagues though!
I enjoy the relationships in this book as we don't normally get so many Dark Hunters in one place!
The bonus chapter was even more special showing a very rare occasion of Artemis doing something nice for Ash! Oh and Simi no book is complete without Simi and her BBQ sauce.
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster....
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.
I love this series to be honest there's not a Kenyon book I don't enjoy! Loved learning about Jess and Abigail the story was so involved not sure I'd enjoy the plagues though!
I enjoy the relationships in this book as we don't normally get so many Dark Hunters in one place!
The bonus chapter was even more special showing a very rare occasion of Artemis doing something nice for Ash! Oh and Simi no book is complete without Simi and her BBQ sauce.
Merge Dragons!
Games
9.3
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Discover dragon legends, magic, quests, and a secret land of entertainment and mystery in the world...
Cradle of Empires
Games and Travel
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When boring, uninventive match-3 puzzles prevail and all hope is lost, it all comes down to one...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) in Movies
Dec 4, 2021
Well then, colour me surprised because I didn't absolutely hate this.
I'm a big fan of the Resident Evil games. So much so that the entirety of the original movie franchise actively annoyed me with every passing entry. This reboot makes a decent effort to stay faithful to the source material, and that alone commands some semblance of respect. The general atmosphere is very Resident Evil, many of the set pieces seem familiar, but there's just something missing. The cast boasts some great talent - Donal Logue, Hannah John-Kamen, and Neal McDonough are amongst the ranks - but all of them seem to be doing the best they can with a poor script, a script which is pretty much all the characters saying their names to eachother, and spouting exposition like there's no tomorrow. There's also the issue of the narrative content. Honestly, I'm just longing for a straight up adaption of the first game, a minimilast tense-as-hell thriller set in the original mansion. Welcome to Raccoon City sort of delivers in that respect, but also opts to cram in the plot of the second game, and even smatterings of the third. For a film that seems to be setting up a new series, that's a whole lot of content to burn through in one film. It results in a narrative that comes across as choppy. There's a little too much going on for it to flow properly. I also hated how Leon Kennedy was portrayed as a big dumb fuck. Show the man some respect! On top of this, the CGI is pretty damn atrocious throughout. The practical effects here and there look genuinely great, but there's a lot of undercooked effects work that managed to pull me out proceedings, especially in the final set piece.
Despite its shortcomings however, WTRC is a pretty entertaining video game adaption. It can be underwhelming at times, but it's aesthetic is pretty spot on, and it's so far removed from the initial film series that I can't help but kind of dig it, and I'll happily take it over any of those movies. Genuinely hoping a sequel happens.
I'm a big fan of the Resident Evil games. So much so that the entirety of the original movie franchise actively annoyed me with every passing entry. This reboot makes a decent effort to stay faithful to the source material, and that alone commands some semblance of respect. The general atmosphere is very Resident Evil, many of the set pieces seem familiar, but there's just something missing. The cast boasts some great talent - Donal Logue, Hannah John-Kamen, and Neal McDonough are amongst the ranks - but all of them seem to be doing the best they can with a poor script, a script which is pretty much all the characters saying their names to eachother, and spouting exposition like there's no tomorrow. There's also the issue of the narrative content. Honestly, I'm just longing for a straight up adaption of the first game, a minimilast tense-as-hell thriller set in the original mansion. Welcome to Raccoon City sort of delivers in that respect, but also opts to cram in the plot of the second game, and even smatterings of the third. For a film that seems to be setting up a new series, that's a whole lot of content to burn through in one film. It results in a narrative that comes across as choppy. There's a little too much going on for it to flow properly. I also hated how Leon Kennedy was portrayed as a big dumb fuck. Show the man some respect! On top of this, the CGI is pretty damn atrocious throughout. The practical effects here and there look genuinely great, but there's a lot of undercooked effects work that managed to pull me out proceedings, especially in the final set piece.
Despite its shortcomings however, WTRC is a pretty entertaining video game adaption. It can be underwhelming at times, but it's aesthetic is pretty spot on, and it's so far removed from the initial film series that I can't help but kind of dig it, and I'll happily take it over any of those movies. Genuinely hoping a sequel happens.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in Books
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 11, 2017)
I discovered Turkish delight through this book...
This is a must read for children, as the mystical elements are fascinating, but are lost when reading it as an adult.
First published in 1950, this is one of the most classic portal fantasies ever written. Four children are sent from London to an old house in the country during the evacuations of World War II. Through a magic wardrobe, they enter the fantasy land of Narnia, which is a jumbled mixture of Greek mythology, Bible stories, and Arthurian romances, with a bit of Medieval Bestiaries thrown in.
The White Witch has made herself Queen of Narnia, and put it under the spell of an ever-constant winter. With the arrival of the children and the lion Aslan, an old prophecy is met, spring comes to Narnia, and there is a major clash between the good and evil Narnians on who gets to dominate Narnia.
I like the book better than the film just because of the amount of detail used by the master of fantasy C. S. Lewis.
First published in 1950, this is one of the most classic portal fantasies ever written. Four children are sent from London to an old house in the country during the evacuations of World War II. Through a magic wardrobe, they enter the fantasy land of Narnia, which is a jumbled mixture of Greek mythology, Bible stories, and Arthurian romances, with a bit of Medieval Bestiaries thrown in.
The White Witch has made herself Queen of Narnia, and put it under the spell of an ever-constant winter. With the arrival of the children and the lion Aslan, an old prophecy is met, spring comes to Narnia, and there is a major clash between the good and evil Narnians on who gets to dominate Narnia.
I like the book better than the film just because of the amount of detail used by the master of fantasy C. S. Lewis.
Clare Parrott (294 KP) rated After the Storm (KGI, #8) in Books
Nov 9, 2017 (Updated Nov 9, 2017)
Ok so I get why some people didn't like the latest adventure in the KGI series. Yes it wasn't set in so far flung place, God knows where. Killing bad guys to rescue the damsel in distress but you got to see Donovan how he really is, his passion for rescuing women and children from the clutches of evil and his longing to settle down with his own girl and play happy families just like his brothers.
Donovan for all his muscles and hardness is a pussycat really.
"Donovan wouldn't hurt a hair on your head, nor would he hurt you emotionally. He's just not wired that way"
I loved "After The Storm" it's just as good as the others in the series but just different :-)
Page 210, O.M.G that was fabulous and Rusty's story is going to be great, I can't wait for that.
For those who DNF shame on you, you missed the best bits. Oh well, your loss. <br/>
Roll on the next in the series Maya can't write fast enough for me x
Donovan for all his muscles and hardness is a pussycat really.
"Donovan wouldn't hurt a hair on your head, nor would he hurt you emotionally. He's just not wired that way"
I loved "After The Storm" it's just as good as the others in the series but just different :-)
Page 210, O.M.G that was fabulous and Rusty's story is going to be great, I can't wait for that.
For those who DNF shame on you, you missed the best bits. Oh well, your loss. <br/>
Roll on the next in the series Maya can't write fast enough for me x
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Dark Works (the Lamp Series, Book 2) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I received this book as a member giveaway through LibraryThing for an honest review.
I was amazed by the characters in this series. They were so real but also had a uniqueness to them. [Jason Cunningham] did a magnificent job of taking you into the struggle between good and evil and showing you the shades of grey most of us get caught up in. [The Lamp Series Omnibus] as the name suggests is four complete novels that follow Violet, Levi, Jenny and Micah as they try to come to terms with what is right and wrong. Also they must decide how best to protect those they love.
As a comic book fan and someone who loves to read about struggles of conscience this series kept me coming back for more. I was vaguely reminded of [The Stand] except this was focused on one city.It is never made clear if it goes beyond. They mystery involved also keeps you on your seat.
[Cunningham] has written a must read for fans of many types of genres.
I was amazed by the characters in this series. They were so real but also had a uniqueness to them. [Jason Cunningham] did a magnificent job of taking you into the struggle between good and evil and showing you the shades of grey most of us get caught up in. [The Lamp Series Omnibus] as the name suggests is four complete novels that follow Violet, Levi, Jenny and Micah as they try to come to terms with what is right and wrong. Also they must decide how best to protect those they love.
As a comic book fan and someone who loves to read about struggles of conscience this series kept me coming back for more. I was vaguely reminded of [The Stand] except this was focused on one city.It is never made clear if it goes beyond. They mystery involved also keeps you on your seat.
[Cunningham] has written a must read for fans of many types of genres.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Society of Light (the Lamp Series, Book 3) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I received this book as a member giveaway through LibraryThing for an honest review.
I was amazed by the characters in this series. They were so real but also had a uniqueness to them. [Jason Cunningham] did a magnificent job of taking you into the struggle between good and evil and showing you the shades of grey most of us get caught up in. [The Lamp Series Omnibus] as the name suggests is four complete novels that follow Violet, Levi, Jenny and Micah as they try to come to terms with what is right and wrong. Also they must decide how best to protect those they love.
As a comic book fan and someone who loves to read about struggles of conscience this series kept me coming back for more. I was vaguely reminded of [The Stand] except this was focused on one city.It is never made clear if it goes beyond. They mystery involved also keeps you on your seat.
[Cunningham] has written a must read for fans of many types of genres.
I was amazed by the characters in this series. They were so real but also had a uniqueness to them. [Jason Cunningham] did a magnificent job of taking you into the struggle between good and evil and showing you the shades of grey most of us get caught up in. [The Lamp Series Omnibus] as the name suggests is four complete novels that follow Violet, Levi, Jenny and Micah as they try to come to terms with what is right and wrong. Also they must decide how best to protect those they love.
As a comic book fan and someone who loves to read about struggles of conscience this series kept me coming back for more. I was vaguely reminded of [The Stand] except this was focused on one city.It is never made clear if it goes beyond. They mystery involved also keeps you on your seat.
[Cunningham] has written a must read for fans of many types of genres.