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Darren (1599 KP) rated The King (2019) in Movies
Nov 27, 2019
Verdict: Another King Fighting Film
Story: The King starts as the war between the English and the Scots continues to rage on, King Henry IV (Mendlesohn) is getting tired of the bloodshed and disloyalty being found in his own soldiers and with his health getting worse he recalls his son Hal (Chalamet) to his side.
As Hal find himself in a new power, he doesn’t know who to trust, so he turns to Falstaff (Edgerton) to help him in battle, with in latest battle being with the future French king The Dauphin (Pattinson).
Thoughts on The King
Characters – Hal is the young prince that would become King, a role he isn’t ready for, he doesn’t want to see large scale bloodshed like his father’s reign, but finds his country in war from all sides, he wants to end the battles and will look for solutions, which don’t always work for him. Falstaff is the man Hal turns to for advice when it comes to conflict, he thought under King Richard and he knows how to outsmart an enemy, first he must give up his drinking problem though. The Dauphin is next in line to be king of France, he is leading the armies into battle and doesn’t want any part of a deal with the King of England.
Performances – Timothee Chalamet is strong in the leading role, continuing to put himself on the right path to do anything he wants to in the future. Joel Edgerton is always a great supporting star in any movie, this is no different, while Robert Pattinson as the villainous soon to be king does a great job too.
Story – The story here follows a young king taking his place on the throne while his country is involved in wars that he never started and now he wants to end, hoping to find a more peaceful way to end the battles, forcing him to learn the truth about the bitter war between the nations. This is one of those stories which once again puts our history out there for the world to see with the English being seen as an all-conquering nation that always believed they were right, the spin is seeing how the young king wants to try and find a more peaceful way to end things, but just doesn’t get a chance to solve these problems. The pacing follows everything we have seen before, not making this standout on any means whatsoever, which just leads us to disappointment once again.
Biopic/History – This is a film that claims to tell the story of a real king and how he was brave, just like every single one through the years, we don’t know what he was like or what the battles were like, we only know the outcome.
Settings – The settings show us how the kingdoms are beautiful and how the battlefields are covered in blood and bodies.
Scene of the Movie – The battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is the same typical history story.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the period piece dramas that does everything it needs to without giving us the complete truth to what is happening with the real history.
Overall: Simple Royalty Film.
As Hal find himself in a new power, he doesn’t know who to trust, so he turns to Falstaff (Edgerton) to help him in battle, with in latest battle being with the future French king The Dauphin (Pattinson).
Thoughts on The King
Characters – Hal is the young prince that would become King, a role he isn’t ready for, he doesn’t want to see large scale bloodshed like his father’s reign, but finds his country in war from all sides, he wants to end the battles and will look for solutions, which don’t always work for him. Falstaff is the man Hal turns to for advice when it comes to conflict, he thought under King Richard and he knows how to outsmart an enemy, first he must give up his drinking problem though. The Dauphin is next in line to be king of France, he is leading the armies into battle and doesn’t want any part of a deal with the King of England.
Performances – Timothee Chalamet is strong in the leading role, continuing to put himself on the right path to do anything he wants to in the future. Joel Edgerton is always a great supporting star in any movie, this is no different, while Robert Pattinson as the villainous soon to be king does a great job too.
Story – The story here follows a young king taking his place on the throne while his country is involved in wars that he never started and now he wants to end, hoping to find a more peaceful way to end the battles, forcing him to learn the truth about the bitter war between the nations. This is one of those stories which once again puts our history out there for the world to see with the English being seen as an all-conquering nation that always believed they were right, the spin is seeing how the young king wants to try and find a more peaceful way to end things, but just doesn’t get a chance to solve these problems. The pacing follows everything we have seen before, not making this standout on any means whatsoever, which just leads us to disappointment once again.
Biopic/History – This is a film that claims to tell the story of a real king and how he was brave, just like every single one through the years, we don’t know what he was like or what the battles were like, we only know the outcome.
Settings – The settings show us how the kingdoms are beautiful and how the battlefields are covered in blood and bodies.
Scene of the Movie – The battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is the same typical history story.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the period piece dramas that does everything it needs to without giving us the complete truth to what is happening with the real history.
Overall: Simple Royalty Film.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Gnaw (2017) in Movies
Dec 3, 2019
Verdict: Slow Build, Great Ending
Story: Gnaw starts when Jennifer Conrad (Mitchell) escapes from her abusive husband, to start a new life in a small apartment complex, where the handyman Terry (Gass) takes her under his wing, trying to make her feel welcome. When one of the neighbours spends hours crying at night before killing herself.
Jennifer must deal with her ex-husband Boyd (Johnson) finding her, just as she gets a pet turtle and more painfully an uncomfortable bite, which just seems to keep getting worse.
Thoughts on Gnaw
Characters – Jennifer has been struck in an abusive relationship which she has gotten the courage to leave behind her, this does leave her in a small apartment complex where she must try to start a new life. Things seem positive, when she bumps into an old friend who wants to help her get a job, only things start going badly after her neighbour’s suicide and bites which appear on her skin, with no explanation behind them. She must face her own past, deal with a problem before moving on with her own life. Terry Lumley is the friendly handyman that offers Jennifer all the support while staying the apartments. Boyd is the abusive ex-husband and police officers, making it harder for Jennifer to escape him, he has always put her down and wants to keep his control over her. Claudette runs the apartments she doesn’t get on with anybody, just wants to see money coming in.
Performances – Penelope Mitchell in the leading role is the star of the show here, being able to show the pain she is running from and the hope she is fighting for. Kyle Gass is the next best thing in the film, where he does bring moments of laughter in his kind natured character. The rest of the cast do a solid job without being tested with what they have to do.
Story – The story here follows an abuse victim that is trying to escape her own life’s pain only to find herself dealing with the latest problem which has come her way in the form of a bite. This story does manage to show us how difficult getting out of an abusive relationship can be for the victim, where starting a new life can take more time than people believe, this side of the story is the strongest part because it shows the real horrors of Jennifer’s life. When we get into the mystery about the bites, it does go on the routine way, until we learn the truth, which makes both sides of the story get connected nicely.
Horror – The horror side of the film mixes the reality of being abused by a partner with the unknown of mysterious bites being found on the body and why they are there.
Settings – Most of the film remains in the hotel complex which is a place where people go to start life again.
Special Effects – When it comes to the effects we see what happens with the bites getting worse and the revel of what is behind it.
Scene of the Movie – The showdown in the room.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The job interview.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice slow build horror that tries to reflect the ideas of the horror being in real life rather than needing supernatural elements.
Overall: Horror that tests the reality of life.
Story: Gnaw starts when Jennifer Conrad (Mitchell) escapes from her abusive husband, to start a new life in a small apartment complex, where the handyman Terry (Gass) takes her under his wing, trying to make her feel welcome. When one of the neighbours spends hours crying at night before killing herself.
Jennifer must deal with her ex-husband Boyd (Johnson) finding her, just as she gets a pet turtle and more painfully an uncomfortable bite, which just seems to keep getting worse.
Thoughts on Gnaw
Characters – Jennifer has been struck in an abusive relationship which she has gotten the courage to leave behind her, this does leave her in a small apartment complex where she must try to start a new life. Things seem positive, when she bumps into an old friend who wants to help her get a job, only things start going badly after her neighbour’s suicide and bites which appear on her skin, with no explanation behind them. She must face her own past, deal with a problem before moving on with her own life. Terry Lumley is the friendly handyman that offers Jennifer all the support while staying the apartments. Boyd is the abusive ex-husband and police officers, making it harder for Jennifer to escape him, he has always put her down and wants to keep his control over her. Claudette runs the apartments she doesn’t get on with anybody, just wants to see money coming in.
Performances – Penelope Mitchell in the leading role is the star of the show here, being able to show the pain she is running from and the hope she is fighting for. Kyle Gass is the next best thing in the film, where he does bring moments of laughter in his kind natured character. The rest of the cast do a solid job without being tested with what they have to do.
Story – The story here follows an abuse victim that is trying to escape her own life’s pain only to find herself dealing with the latest problem which has come her way in the form of a bite. This story does manage to show us how difficult getting out of an abusive relationship can be for the victim, where starting a new life can take more time than people believe, this side of the story is the strongest part because it shows the real horrors of Jennifer’s life. When we get into the mystery about the bites, it does go on the routine way, until we learn the truth, which makes both sides of the story get connected nicely.
Horror – The horror side of the film mixes the reality of being abused by a partner with the unknown of mysterious bites being found on the body and why they are there.
Settings – Most of the film remains in the hotel complex which is a place where people go to start life again.
Special Effects – When it comes to the effects we see what happens with the bites getting worse and the revel of what is behind it.
Scene of the Movie – The showdown in the room.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The job interview.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice slow build horror that tries to reflect the ideas of the horror being in real life rather than needing supernatural elements.
Overall: Horror that tests the reality of life.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Black Christmas (2019) in Movies
Dec 13, 2019
Verdict: All Over the Place
Story: Black Christmas starts as we meet our sorority sisters Riley (Poots), Kris (Shannon), Marty (Donoghue), Jesse (O’Grady), Helena (Adams) and Fran (Morris) who are preparing for the Christmas break, with Riley having history with the alpha sorority, which never got dealt with by the authorities.
They decide to get revenge through song and soon find themselves getting picked of by a masked killer, where they need to find themselves fighting to survive.
Thoughts on Black Christmas
Characters – Riley is previously a victim of sexual assault by one of the rich college students, 3-years-later she is still dealing with the effects, being the big sister to the rest of the sisters and is one of the few that worries about the locations of the other girls. Kris has been on a crusade to get equality, she spends most of the time preaching about how men have it easy and mostly gets annoying. Marty is another member of the sorority and like Jesse, we don’t learn much more about any of the other girls.
Performances – Imogen Poots is a talent actress when she is given something to work with, she is the strongest of a weak story, where nobody comes off like they are giving a good acting performance.
Story – The story is meant to be following a group of sorority sisters that get picked off and attacked by a masked killer over the Christmas break. Well, where do we start to break this story down, first thing, this isn’t any sort of remake or sequel to either movie seen before, it uses the location of the house and one look at a death, don’t think this is a remake. Secondly, we spend more time trying to get the message over about men thinking they can walk all over women and the only good men in life are nervous wrecks around the women. Thirdly, this is meant to be a horror and doesn’t even know what tone to stick to. Finally, the trailer gives away everything. This is a social message that uses an existing horror franchise to try and get a point over, without using any sort of subtitle approach.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film is almost non-excitant, it tries to use the slow slasher traits early on, which show glimpses, only to go, ‘you know what, we want to do an action horror now’ by the end. The mystery is also poor, because we get zero potential suspects and the only person it could be is revealed in the trailer.
Settings – The college location is fine, though it is the weird college I have ever seen.
Special Effects – When it comes to the effects, we get basic horror ones, sadly, the film decides to hide away from showing any actual gore, even though the injuries are designed to show it.
Scene of the Movie – Nate grabs an axe.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The girls leave a party at what they say is midnight, we cut to one that left early and it is suddenly 10.45, seriously can people not tell the time?
Final Thoughts – This is a very bad social message horror that spends more time banging you over the head with the message, than actually giving us a coherent story or any scare.
Overall: Social Message, without a scare.
Story: Black Christmas starts as we meet our sorority sisters Riley (Poots), Kris (Shannon), Marty (Donoghue), Jesse (O’Grady), Helena (Adams) and Fran (Morris) who are preparing for the Christmas break, with Riley having history with the alpha sorority, which never got dealt with by the authorities.
They decide to get revenge through song and soon find themselves getting picked of by a masked killer, where they need to find themselves fighting to survive.
Thoughts on Black Christmas
Characters – Riley is previously a victim of sexual assault by one of the rich college students, 3-years-later she is still dealing with the effects, being the big sister to the rest of the sisters and is one of the few that worries about the locations of the other girls. Kris has been on a crusade to get equality, she spends most of the time preaching about how men have it easy and mostly gets annoying. Marty is another member of the sorority and like Jesse, we don’t learn much more about any of the other girls.
Performances – Imogen Poots is a talent actress when she is given something to work with, she is the strongest of a weak story, where nobody comes off like they are giving a good acting performance.
Story – The story is meant to be following a group of sorority sisters that get picked off and attacked by a masked killer over the Christmas break. Well, where do we start to break this story down, first thing, this isn’t any sort of remake or sequel to either movie seen before, it uses the location of the house and one look at a death, don’t think this is a remake. Secondly, we spend more time trying to get the message over about men thinking they can walk all over women and the only good men in life are nervous wrecks around the women. Thirdly, this is meant to be a horror and doesn’t even know what tone to stick to. Finally, the trailer gives away everything. This is a social message that uses an existing horror franchise to try and get a point over, without using any sort of subtitle approach.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film is almost non-excitant, it tries to use the slow slasher traits early on, which show glimpses, only to go, ‘you know what, we want to do an action horror now’ by the end. The mystery is also poor, because we get zero potential suspects and the only person it could be is revealed in the trailer.
Settings – The college location is fine, though it is the weird college I have ever seen.
Special Effects – When it comes to the effects, we get basic horror ones, sadly, the film decides to hide away from showing any actual gore, even though the injuries are designed to show it.
Scene of the Movie – Nate grabs an axe.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The girls leave a party at what they say is midnight, we cut to one that left early and it is suddenly 10.45, seriously can people not tell the time?
Final Thoughts – This is a very bad social message horror that spends more time banging you over the head with the message, than actually giving us a coherent story or any scare.
Overall: Social Message, without a scare.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated #murdertrending in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><strong>I don't know if this is something related to psychology, but <em>#Murdertrending</em> is both creepy and engrossing at the same time.</strong></h2>
I found myself reading this quicker than I normally would have (if we're not counting the days I procrastinated), and while I should have turned away from this book in horror instantly, I didn't. Maybe that says something about me or human nature in general. 🙈
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> gives off <em>Hunger Games</em> vibes</h3>
We have Dee Guerrera, a girl who is supposedly guilty of murdering her stepsister and is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison for those who are convicted of murdering someone. <strong>The entire prison is full of killers, and they never know when they'll be the next person whose murder will be publicized for all to see.</strong> It's <em>Hunger Games</em> without fighting amongst the inmates, or rather capital punishment for the entertainment of millions of people.
(And Death Row Breakfast Club, which is a fitting name for Dee and her friends.)
<h3>I can't tell if I'm disappointed in the last few scenes.</h3>
<em>#Murdertrending</em> gave off that video game vibe sometimes - Press X and get a reagent! - as Dee found herself facing off against the government-sanctioned killers who are in charge of killing the inmates one by one. Fortunately for Dee and the reader's cruel enjoyment, she still has some obstacles in her way.
<h3>To be honest, this felt tied to current politics in the US</h3>
Maybe this is me being very critical and overthinking, but McNeil's latest book felt really relevant to what is currently going on today (added on with the social media snippets). Only this one is more fictionalized and brutal with a lot more death and blood. And heads rolling, among other disturbing things.
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> is very plot-driven</h3>
If you're looking for character development, there won't be much of it. McNeil's latest novel is plot-driven to the core, fast-paced and action-packed.
<h3>That ending though...</h3>
I did NOT see that coming - I mean, I <em>should</em> have, but I didn't. McNeil kept me distracted from what was really going on in the story - there is so much going on that I didn't focus on being a step ahead and putting it all together before the story came together on its own.
<h3>This smells of a sequel?!?!?!</h3>
I have no clue if this is true or not (sounds like it is according to various sources and Google searches), but I am all for a sequel if it happens since I am immensely curious about what happens to the characters who survive the first novel. (Do I sound like a horrible person now?)
<h2><em><strong>#Murdertrending</strong></em><strong> is deliciously dark and twisted - it's very plot-driven and action-packed that will keep you turning the pages despite how gross it may make you feel.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/murdertrending-by-gretchen-mcneil/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><strong>I don't know if this is something related to psychology, but <em>#Murdertrending</em> is both creepy and engrossing at the same time.</strong></h2>
I found myself reading this quicker than I normally would have (if we're not counting the days I procrastinated), and while I should have turned away from this book in horror instantly, I didn't. Maybe that says something about me or human nature in general. 🙈
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> gives off <em>Hunger Games</em> vibes</h3>
We have Dee Guerrera, a girl who is supposedly guilty of murdering her stepsister and is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison for those who are convicted of murdering someone. <strong>The entire prison is full of killers, and they never know when they'll be the next person whose murder will be publicized for all to see.</strong> It's <em>Hunger Games</em> without fighting amongst the inmates, or rather capital punishment for the entertainment of millions of people.
(And Death Row Breakfast Club, which is a fitting name for Dee and her friends.)
<h3>I can't tell if I'm disappointed in the last few scenes.</h3>
<em>#Murdertrending</em> gave off that video game vibe sometimes - Press X and get a reagent! - as Dee found herself facing off against the government-sanctioned killers who are in charge of killing the inmates one by one. Fortunately for Dee and the reader's cruel enjoyment, she still has some obstacles in her way.
<h3>To be honest, this felt tied to current politics in the US</h3>
Maybe this is me being very critical and overthinking, but McNeil's latest book felt really relevant to what is currently going on today (added on with the social media snippets). Only this one is more fictionalized and brutal with a lot more death and blood. And heads rolling, among other disturbing things.
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> is very plot-driven</h3>
If you're looking for character development, there won't be much of it. McNeil's latest novel is plot-driven to the core, fast-paced and action-packed.
<h3>That ending though...</h3>
I did NOT see that coming - I mean, I <em>should</em> have, but I didn't. McNeil kept me distracted from what was really going on in the story - there is so much going on that I didn't focus on being a step ahead and putting it all together before the story came together on its own.
<h3>This smells of a sequel?!?!?!</h3>
I have no clue if this is true or not (sounds like it is according to various sources and Google searches), but I am all for a sequel if it happens since I am immensely curious about what happens to the characters who survive the first novel. (Do I sound like a horrible person now?)
<h2><em><strong>#Murdertrending</strong></em><strong> is deliciously dark and twisted - it's very plot-driven and action-packed that will keep you turning the pages despite how gross it may make you feel.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/murdertrending-by-gretchen-mcneil/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Knight Assassin in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Am I alone to say that this sort of felt like history + Downton Abbey + a little Arabian mythology? Perhaps it's the royal technicalities that make me think of Downton Abbey with its lords and ladies, despite the fact the book seems to be set around the Crusades and everyone seemed to be fighting over the Holy Land.
I was actually a bit reluctant to accept Knight Assassin for review for a few reasons:
1. It didn't sound very appealing A girl's mother gets murdered and she wants revenge. Then she meets a guy from her past who actually ends up being her enemy. Nope... not really for me, though the last part is semi-intriguing.
2. I don't know that much about the Knights Templar. I don't even remember that one book I read and it was nominated for a state award once.
3. I had a pretty big review pile already
However, as I got started, I realized I was underestimating, and I actually enjoyed it in most cases. But what really started to get the ball rolling?
Zayn's mother gets accused of witchcraft and burned to death.
I know it sounds really mean and really odd of me that it would catch my attention. But think about it. If that happened to me (or any of us really), I would be looking for revenge as well after I get over my initial shock, which could last for who knows how long.
Zayn gah, I keep putting an e at the end. One Direction, this is not the time to slip into a review is probably by far one of the strongest heroines I've read about. She goes through so many trials throughout the book from her mother's murder to rape to finding out what she really is and hasn't broken down for most of the book. Definitely shorter than me, but Zayn seems to be pretty impulsive for a good half of the book.
For the first half, there's a lot of flashbacks throughout the beginning to Zayn's childhood, in which I sort of found pointless. I'm not exactly sure what the connection really is, aside from how she meets Guy de Molay and Earic Goodwin. It's not until the second half where the interesting stuff happens and there's not as many flashbacks, but the first half by all means isn't boring at all. I find that Zayn has a lot of backstory, which frankly makes her less of a pancake (flat characters).
The ending though, felt like a stand alone, but it didn't feel like a stand alone. I'm surprised this isn't a series to be honest. However, if you're the type who enjoys reading a bit of history and a little mythology, perhaps you should consider Knight Assassin. It's a nice change from other genres (particularly aliens and angels at the moment) as there aren't many books set in the late 1100s.
<b>Random Thought:</b>
<blockquote>I will never recover my male ego, so long as Zayn is around to humble me.</blockquote>
Perhaps where there's a Carter, Jace, Daemon or a Herondale, there needs to be a Zayn. She might be able to keep their ego in check... well, particularly the third one. ;)
--------------------
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Owls
Advance review copy provided by publisher for review
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/03/arc-review-knight-assassin-by-rima-jean.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
I was actually a bit reluctant to accept Knight Assassin for review for a few reasons:
1. It didn't sound very appealing A girl's mother gets murdered and she wants revenge. Then she meets a guy from her past who actually ends up being her enemy. Nope... not really for me, though the last part is semi-intriguing.
2. I don't know that much about the Knights Templar. I don't even remember that one book I read and it was nominated for a state award once.
3. I had a pretty big review pile already
However, as I got started, I realized I was underestimating, and I actually enjoyed it in most cases. But what really started to get the ball rolling?
Zayn's mother gets accused of witchcraft and burned to death.
I know it sounds really mean and really odd of me that it would catch my attention. But think about it. If that happened to me (or any of us really), I would be looking for revenge as well after I get over my initial shock, which could last for who knows how long.
Zayn gah, I keep putting an e at the end. One Direction, this is not the time to slip into a review is probably by far one of the strongest heroines I've read about. She goes through so many trials throughout the book from her mother's murder to rape to finding out what she really is and hasn't broken down for most of the book. Definitely shorter than me, but Zayn seems to be pretty impulsive for a good half of the book.
For the first half, there's a lot of flashbacks throughout the beginning to Zayn's childhood, in which I sort of found pointless. I'm not exactly sure what the connection really is, aside from how she meets Guy de Molay and Earic Goodwin. It's not until the second half where the interesting stuff happens and there's not as many flashbacks, but the first half by all means isn't boring at all. I find that Zayn has a lot of backstory, which frankly makes her less of a pancake (flat characters).
The ending though, felt like a stand alone, but it didn't feel like a stand alone. I'm surprised this isn't a series to be honest. However, if you're the type who enjoys reading a bit of history and a little mythology, perhaps you should consider Knight Assassin. It's a nice change from other genres (particularly aliens and angels at the moment) as there aren't many books set in the late 1100s.
<b>Random Thought:</b>
<blockquote>I will never recover my male ego, so long as Zayn is around to humble me.</blockquote>
Perhaps where there's a Carter, Jace, Daemon or a Herondale, there needs to be a Zayn. She might be able to keep their ego in check... well, particularly the third one. ;)
--------------------
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Owls
Advance review copy provided by publisher for review
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/03/arc-review-knight-assassin-by-rima-jean.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2656699288">Scythe</a>; - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998629500">Thunderhead</a>; - ★★★★★
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3080800725">The Toll</a> - ★★★★★
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I thought Scythe will be my favorite book of the year, but then I read Thunderhead. It is a shame that I won’t be able to read The Toll this year - but I am honestly so honored to have a chance to read this series in my lifetime. Neal, please let me kiss your immortality ring!
Thunderhead is a continuation of The Arc of Scythe series, where we follow two characters, Citra and Rowan, in their journey to become apprentices of Scythe Faraday. With many twists and turns, which I don’t want to spoil for you all, Thunderhead begins exactly where Scythe finished. And it only gets better from here!
While in Scythe, the main focus of the book was the introduction to the world of Scythes, their beliefs, their challenges, their destiny, in Thunderhead, we get to know the Thunderhead better. The mind behind all the success of humankind, the brains behind how we managed to beat immortality. The Thunderhead sees everything and it can control everything - except the Schythedom.
<b><i>“The end doesn’t always justify the means, dear.” she said. “But sometimes it does. Wisdom is knowing the difference.”</i></b>
This book was so powerful in so many ways. The bravery of Scythe Citra, now known as Scythe Anastasia. The determination of Rowan. Thunderhead and the power and wisdom it holds, but is unable to share it. The sacrifice of Scythe Curie. The friendship that slowly turns to love and trust between Citra and Rowan and their fights to bring fairness and justice, both of them fighting for the same goal, but in their own different ways.
Thunderhead was everything I was hoping it to be and more. It was all I ever wanted from it. The writing, the mini entries of thoughts from the Thunderhead or the diary excerpts that keep you engaged chapter after chapter are such a refreshing way to read a book.
I think this series will end up being my favorite one of all time, and I cannot wait to get to The Toll and get the ending I am hoping I will get. Thunderhead finishes with an enormous cliff-hanger, that makes you beg for the next book.
I recommend this book so, so much and in real life I cannot stop talking about it. Please pick up a copy and give it a try. If you don’t instantly fall in love with it, you can glean me.
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2656699288">Scythe</a>; - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998629500">Thunderhead</a>; - ★★★★★
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3080800725">The Toll</a> - ★★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Book-Review-Banner-15.png"/>;
I thought Scythe will be my favorite book of the year, but then I read Thunderhead. It is a shame that I won’t be able to read The Toll this year - but I am honestly so honored to have a chance to read this series in my lifetime. Neal, please let me kiss your immortality ring!
Thunderhead is a continuation of The Arc of Scythe series, where we follow two characters, Citra and Rowan, in their journey to become apprentices of Scythe Faraday. With many twists and turns, which I don’t want to spoil for you all, Thunderhead begins exactly where Scythe finished. And it only gets better from here!
While in Scythe, the main focus of the book was the introduction to the world of Scythes, their beliefs, their challenges, their destiny, in Thunderhead, we get to know the Thunderhead better. The mind behind all the success of humankind, the brains behind how we managed to beat immortality. The Thunderhead sees everything and it can control everything - except the Schythedom.
<b><i>“The end doesn’t always justify the means, dear.” she said. “But sometimes it does. Wisdom is knowing the difference.”</i></b>
This book was so powerful in so many ways. The bravery of Scythe Citra, now known as Scythe Anastasia. The determination of Rowan. Thunderhead and the power and wisdom it holds, but is unable to share it. The sacrifice of Scythe Curie. The friendship that slowly turns to love and trust between Citra and Rowan and their fights to bring fairness and justice, both of them fighting for the same goal, but in their own different ways.
Thunderhead was everything I was hoping it to be and more. It was all I ever wanted from it. The writing, the mini entries of thoughts from the Thunderhead or the diary excerpts that keep you engaged chapter after chapter are such a refreshing way to read a book.
I think this series will end up being my favorite one of all time, and I cannot wait to get to The Toll and get the ending I am hoping I will get. Thunderhead finishes with an enormous cliff-hanger, that makes you beg for the next book.
I recommend this book so, so much and in real life I cannot stop talking about it. Please pick up a copy and give it a try. If you don’t instantly fall in love with it, you can glean me.
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Darren (1599 KP) rated The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) in Movies
Mar 14, 2020
Verdict: Beautiful Movie
Story: The Peanut Butter Falcon starts as we meet a down syndrome young man Zak (Gottsagen) who dreams of being a wrestler, but is stuck in a care home sharing a room with Carl (Dern) under the care of Eleanor (Johnson), he has been trying to escape before and when he finally does, he meets Tyler (LaBeouf) a rebel who is fighting for his place in a fishing world.
As Tyler reluctantly agrees to help Zak, the two go on an adventure through the outdoors to make it to the wrestling school to live his dream of becoming a wrestler like his hero Salt Water Redneck (Church), even though Eleanor is trying to find him before it is too late.
Thoughts on The Peanut Butter Falcon
Characters – Zak is a down syndrome young man that is living in a nursing home with nobody else offering him a place to live, he loves wrestling and wants to make this his dream to become a wrestler, which sees him running away from the nursing home, meeting Tyler and having his first adventure. Tyler is a drifter working on the local fishing area, that has found himself getting into trouble with the locals, needing to go on the run, where he ends up meet Zak, reluctantly teaching him about life. Eleanor is the carer that has always looked after Zak, she has become concerned about his desire to move away and after he runs away, she must go in search of him, needing to learn more about opening up to his own desire in life.
Performances – Zack Gottsagen is wonderful in the leading role showing all the delight and pain his character is going through. Shia LaBeouf is going down the right path here, doing the roles which require him to show his skills rather than cash heavy roles. Dakota Johnson is great too, with the supporting cast that all work wonderfully through the film.
Story – The story here follows a young down syndrome man who decides to run away from the nursing home he is living in, with dreams of becoming a wrestler where he meets a lost drifter who teaches him more about life, while chasing his dream. This is a story that is similar to the story of Mark Twain with a fresh approach, with one of the clear messages being, not to judge somebody on a disability they have, they can achieve as much as anybody else. This is a joy to watch as a story, seeing how the two bond and just have a life adventure.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure side of this film, sees two unlikely men at different stages of their lives spending a couple of days together learning about life, it is inspiring to see how people might react to life, while getting a couple of laughs along the way, with the friendship.
Settings – The film uses the back-water locations to show the drifter lifestyle to which Zak has fallen into and one that Tyler can navigate.
Scene of the Movie – The match.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Nothing really.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful movie that can be enjoyed by all, one that has a clear message about treating everyone equal and one that will leave you feeling good by the end.
Overall: True Delight.
Story: The Peanut Butter Falcon starts as we meet a down syndrome young man Zak (Gottsagen) who dreams of being a wrestler, but is stuck in a care home sharing a room with Carl (Dern) under the care of Eleanor (Johnson), he has been trying to escape before and when he finally does, he meets Tyler (LaBeouf) a rebel who is fighting for his place in a fishing world.
As Tyler reluctantly agrees to help Zak, the two go on an adventure through the outdoors to make it to the wrestling school to live his dream of becoming a wrestler like his hero Salt Water Redneck (Church), even though Eleanor is trying to find him before it is too late.
Thoughts on The Peanut Butter Falcon
Characters – Zak is a down syndrome young man that is living in a nursing home with nobody else offering him a place to live, he loves wrestling and wants to make this his dream to become a wrestler, which sees him running away from the nursing home, meeting Tyler and having his first adventure. Tyler is a drifter working on the local fishing area, that has found himself getting into trouble with the locals, needing to go on the run, where he ends up meet Zak, reluctantly teaching him about life. Eleanor is the carer that has always looked after Zak, she has become concerned about his desire to move away and after he runs away, she must go in search of him, needing to learn more about opening up to his own desire in life.
Performances – Zack Gottsagen is wonderful in the leading role showing all the delight and pain his character is going through. Shia LaBeouf is going down the right path here, doing the roles which require him to show his skills rather than cash heavy roles. Dakota Johnson is great too, with the supporting cast that all work wonderfully through the film.
Story – The story here follows a young down syndrome man who decides to run away from the nursing home he is living in, with dreams of becoming a wrestler where he meets a lost drifter who teaches him more about life, while chasing his dream. This is a story that is similar to the story of Mark Twain with a fresh approach, with one of the clear messages being, not to judge somebody on a disability they have, they can achieve as much as anybody else. This is a joy to watch as a story, seeing how the two bond and just have a life adventure.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure side of this film, sees two unlikely men at different stages of their lives spending a couple of days together learning about life, it is inspiring to see how people might react to life, while getting a couple of laughs along the way, with the friendship.
Settings – The film uses the back-water locations to show the drifter lifestyle to which Zak has fallen into and one that Tyler can navigate.
Scene of the Movie – The match.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Nothing really.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful movie that can be enjoyed by all, one that has a clear message about treating everyone equal and one that will leave you feeling good by the end.
Overall: True Delight.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Lady Vanishes (1938) in Movies
Aug 5, 2019
A Film That Never Quite Steadies Itself
When a woman disappears after a train ride, iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood), who was on the same train, is trying to prove that the woman was even there to begin with and get to the bottom of what’s going on. I always root for the classics (50’s or earlier) because of my immense respect for film and also wanting to recommend some hidden gems. Unfortunately this one fell a bit short for me and here’s why…
Acting: 10
I thought the performances were quite on par for the course. Lockwood delivers her lines with a sincerity and truth that almost manages to keep me engaged. I wish her character was more interesting, but that’s not her fault. She had a job and she did that job in stellar fashion along with some of the other main actors/actresses that came along for this ride.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 2
These characters were about as interesting as canned chicken noodle soup, not the kind you get from PF Chang’s. No, these are Great Value characters all day and they bored me to tears. I wanted someone, ANYONE, to make me care and I just couldn’t bring myself to latch on to any of them. You know what I always say and it bears repeating: When you have weak characters, you’re not even giving your story a fighting chance. Good characters are like the tires on a fine car. The car means nothing if it doesn’t have a means in which to be transported.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
I never really felt like much was happening. There are flashes, sure, but I just couldn’t get a grasp on the stakes for some reason. I waited, believe me I did, but I left the viewing wanting much more than what I got.
Entertainment Value: 7
Memorability: 10
I know this is going to seem ass-backwards from everything I’ve written up to this point, but I scored this category so high because of the attempt at an original story. No, it wasn’t perfect. Yes, the execution could have been much better. However, I do feel like this is a film that needs to be respected within its time.
Pace: 5
Things never really steadied for me as I found myself continuously looking at the clock. While it picks up slightly towards its conclusion, it never really gains the steam that I was looking for. For me, there was just too much of too much, meaning it kept veering off into different directions before properly getting to the end of one road.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 10
As I mentioned, things definitely pick up steam at the end until you get to a thrilling conclusion. When it was all said and done, I found myself asking, “Why the hell couldn’t the rest of the movie be like this?” It was almost like there was a different director for the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Definitely ties a nice bow on things.
Overall: 68
As of this review, The Lady Vanishes has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 88% Audience Score. I plan to watch this movie again because it missed me the first time. Maybe the second time around I’ll pick up on the magic I seem to be missing.
Acting: 10
I thought the performances were quite on par for the course. Lockwood delivers her lines with a sincerity and truth that almost manages to keep me engaged. I wish her character was more interesting, but that’s not her fault. She had a job and she did that job in stellar fashion along with some of the other main actors/actresses that came along for this ride.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 2
These characters were about as interesting as canned chicken noodle soup, not the kind you get from PF Chang’s. No, these are Great Value characters all day and they bored me to tears. I wanted someone, ANYONE, to make me care and I just couldn’t bring myself to latch on to any of them. You know what I always say and it bears repeating: When you have weak characters, you’re not even giving your story a fighting chance. Good characters are like the tires on a fine car. The car means nothing if it doesn’t have a means in which to be transported.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
I never really felt like much was happening. There are flashes, sure, but I just couldn’t get a grasp on the stakes for some reason. I waited, believe me I did, but I left the viewing wanting much more than what I got.
Entertainment Value: 7
Memorability: 10
I know this is going to seem ass-backwards from everything I’ve written up to this point, but I scored this category so high because of the attempt at an original story. No, it wasn’t perfect. Yes, the execution could have been much better. However, I do feel like this is a film that needs to be respected within its time.
Pace: 5
Things never really steadied for me as I found myself continuously looking at the clock. While it picks up slightly towards its conclusion, it never really gains the steam that I was looking for. For me, there was just too much of too much, meaning it kept veering off into different directions before properly getting to the end of one road.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 10
As I mentioned, things definitely pick up steam at the end until you get to a thrilling conclusion. When it was all said and done, I found myself asking, “Why the hell couldn’t the rest of the movie be like this?” It was almost like there was a different director for the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Definitely ties a nice bow on things.
Overall: 68
As of this review, The Lady Vanishes has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 88% Audience Score. I plan to watch this movie again because it missed me the first time. Maybe the second time around I’ll pick up on the magic I seem to be missing.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Iceman (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Story: Iceman starts when Ho Ying (Yen) gets awoken from a frozen sleep of 400-years in the modern time, he must look to adapt fast to a world different from his own. Ying isn’t the only one to make it to the modern time, his brothers Sao (Wang) and Niehu (Yu) arrive as they look to hunt him down after all these years after he is meant to of betrayed his emperor.
Ying must use the people willing to help him in May (Huang) to locate the Golden Wheel of Time, to prove that he is innocent to stop his brother’s from hunting him down.
Thoughts on Iceman
Characters – Ying was once one of the emperor’s most trusted imperial guards, he is betrayed and framed for treason before getting frozen in time. He gets defrosted in the modern time, where he must go in search for the Golden Wheel of Time to prove his true innocence and protect the world from his own brothers. Sao and San Ko are the two brothers that have also, they are causing more havoc in their hunt for Ying which has drawn more police presence. May is the young lady that takes Ying in, teaches him about the modern day unaware of the true danger that could come their direction. Cheung is running a military chase for Ying, he has learnt the power of the Golden Wheel of Time and believes that he can use it for his own good.
Performances – Donnie Yen is the main attraction to this film, we know he can handle the action which is does with ease, it is when it needs to work on the comedy side of things when his performance goes downhill. Baoqiang Wang and Kang Yu are both entertaining enough in their roles, while Simon Yam brings much needed seriousness to the film. Shengyi Huang is the strongest part of the comedy in the film.
Story – The story follows three brothers and former imperial guards in ancient China, find themselves waking up in the modern time, still at battle for the action that happened in the ancient times. This story is an ambitious idea and it does work for the idea of having the fish out of water situation created for the imperial guards. We do go through the idea of needing to figure out how survive in the new surrounding, which does work too and seeing the twists along the way with the flashbacks does fill in moments of blanks in the storyline. Parts of the storyline can come off confusing though because we do seem to have a lot going on and it does feel like if you blink you might miss something.
Action/Comedy – The action in this film is easily the highlight of it, we get to see Donnie Yen doing his fighting sequences which are always entertaining to watch. The comedy however falls flat resorting to fart jokes, May is the only one that gets proper laughs.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show how the ancient men must adapt to the modern world with the different type of locations they visit.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are good in places, but weak if others, when it comes to the roaring faces they particular look weak.
Scene of the Movie – Bridge fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Fart Jokes.
Final Thoughts – This is an easy watch action sci-fi film, if you want martial arts entertainment this will give you what you need.
Overall: Enjoyable action film.
Ying must use the people willing to help him in May (Huang) to locate the Golden Wheel of Time, to prove that he is innocent to stop his brother’s from hunting him down.
Thoughts on Iceman
Characters – Ying was once one of the emperor’s most trusted imperial guards, he is betrayed and framed for treason before getting frozen in time. He gets defrosted in the modern time, where he must go in search for the Golden Wheel of Time to prove his true innocence and protect the world from his own brothers. Sao and San Ko are the two brothers that have also, they are causing more havoc in their hunt for Ying which has drawn more police presence. May is the young lady that takes Ying in, teaches him about the modern day unaware of the true danger that could come their direction. Cheung is running a military chase for Ying, he has learnt the power of the Golden Wheel of Time and believes that he can use it for his own good.
Performances – Donnie Yen is the main attraction to this film, we know he can handle the action which is does with ease, it is when it needs to work on the comedy side of things when his performance goes downhill. Baoqiang Wang and Kang Yu are both entertaining enough in their roles, while Simon Yam brings much needed seriousness to the film. Shengyi Huang is the strongest part of the comedy in the film.
Story – The story follows three brothers and former imperial guards in ancient China, find themselves waking up in the modern time, still at battle for the action that happened in the ancient times. This story is an ambitious idea and it does work for the idea of having the fish out of water situation created for the imperial guards. We do go through the idea of needing to figure out how survive in the new surrounding, which does work too and seeing the twists along the way with the flashbacks does fill in moments of blanks in the storyline. Parts of the storyline can come off confusing though because we do seem to have a lot going on and it does feel like if you blink you might miss something.
Action/Comedy – The action in this film is easily the highlight of it, we get to see Donnie Yen doing his fighting sequences which are always entertaining to watch. The comedy however falls flat resorting to fart jokes, May is the only one that gets proper laughs.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show how the ancient men must adapt to the modern world with the different type of locations they visit.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are good in places, but weak if others, when it comes to the roaring faces they particular look weak.
Scene of the Movie – Bridge fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Fart Jokes.
Final Thoughts – This is an easy watch action sci-fi film, if you want martial arts entertainment this will give you what you need.
Overall: Enjoyable action film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Fans all around the world have been waiting for the fifth and final installment of the film adaption of Stephanie Meyer’s best selling book series, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 2” and without skipping a beat, part two begins right where its predecessor left off.
Bella opens her eyes with heightened vampire senses and embraces her new life as a wife, a mother and more importantly as a vampire. With her uncontrollable thirst she and Edward go for a run in the woods so that she can learn to hunt. She suddenly becomes enamored with her sudden speed and amazing strength. There certainly is no need for Edward to show her the tools of the trade as with Bella’s new found strength she is able to do that on her own.
Another perk to being vampire newlyweds who for that matter don’t have to rest or eat certainly leaves room for only one other thing to do and they sure love doing it! This finally provides the audience with a much steamier scene then in the last installment and in my opinion exactly how the writer intended it to be.
When Renesmee is born she is half vampire and half human and therefore poses no risk to anybody. Unfortunately for the Cullen family, she is mistaken to be one of the “immortal children”. In the past the “immortal children” were done away with by the Volturi as they posed a huge risk because being children they had no self control and posed a risk of showing humans that there were in fact monsters that had been living among them. This leads to a massive showdown with the leader of the Volturi, Aro and his cohorts against the Cullens and other clans who have come to their aid along with Jacob and his wolf pack. Will Bella and Edward get the “happily ever after” they so desire?
This is probably the hardest review that I have had to write and I say that because I am as a lot of you already know one of the biggest Twilight fans out there. This installment, film wise, is my favorite one because of all of the action and suspense. Parts of the film will surprise you and parts will tug on your heart strings but all in all, it is the best film of all of them by far.
You would at least need to know the back story before getting in to it or you will be completely lost! The cinematography and colors against the Northwest backdrops are beautiful. Bill Condon did a great job! I am not a fan by any means of computer generated humans, especially babies so I could have done without that but honestly how else could they have portrayed little Renesmee as she grew at such a fast rate?
This film is worth seeing and the guys will get at least some really cool fighting scenes and pretty ladies to look at while taking there girlfriends to see this film. All joking aside it is a fantastic story and should be not be missed. There is a reason why they bring in the big bucks and its not just because of teen girls going to see Jacob taking his shirt off.
Bella opens her eyes with heightened vampire senses and embraces her new life as a wife, a mother and more importantly as a vampire. With her uncontrollable thirst she and Edward go for a run in the woods so that she can learn to hunt. She suddenly becomes enamored with her sudden speed and amazing strength. There certainly is no need for Edward to show her the tools of the trade as with Bella’s new found strength she is able to do that on her own.
Another perk to being vampire newlyweds who for that matter don’t have to rest or eat certainly leaves room for only one other thing to do and they sure love doing it! This finally provides the audience with a much steamier scene then in the last installment and in my opinion exactly how the writer intended it to be.
When Renesmee is born she is half vampire and half human and therefore poses no risk to anybody. Unfortunately for the Cullen family, she is mistaken to be one of the “immortal children”. In the past the “immortal children” were done away with by the Volturi as they posed a huge risk because being children they had no self control and posed a risk of showing humans that there were in fact monsters that had been living among them. This leads to a massive showdown with the leader of the Volturi, Aro and his cohorts against the Cullens and other clans who have come to their aid along with Jacob and his wolf pack. Will Bella and Edward get the “happily ever after” they so desire?
This is probably the hardest review that I have had to write and I say that because I am as a lot of you already know one of the biggest Twilight fans out there. This installment, film wise, is my favorite one because of all of the action and suspense. Parts of the film will surprise you and parts will tug on your heart strings but all in all, it is the best film of all of them by far.
You would at least need to know the back story before getting in to it or you will be completely lost! The cinematography and colors against the Northwest backdrops are beautiful. Bill Condon did a great job! I am not a fan by any means of computer generated humans, especially babies so I could have done without that but honestly how else could they have portrayed little Renesmee as she grew at such a fast rate?
This film is worth seeing and the guys will get at least some really cool fighting scenes and pretty ladies to look at while taking there girlfriends to see this film. All joking aside it is a fantastic story and should be not be missed. There is a reason why they bring in the big bucks and its not just because of teen girls going to see Jacob taking his shirt off.