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Violent night (2022)
Violent night (2022)
2022 | Action, Comedy
7
7.0 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A Ton of Fun
The 2022 “Christmas” movie VIOLENT NIGHT was mis-marketed a year ago as ads made it appear that this was just another “slasher” flick, when…in fact…it is a fun action flick that settles the DIE HARD Christmas movie debate once and for all.

Compared to VIOLENT NIGHT, DIE HARD is not a Christmas movie for VIOLENT NIGHT (which is a DIE HARD knock-off) is MOST DEFINITELY a Christmas Movie, but instead of former Cop John McClane thwarting bad guys, it is SANTA CLAUS.

Yes, you read that right, Santa Claus.

Director Tommy Wirkola got the idea for VIOLENT NIGHT when watching another Christmas Classic - HOME ALONE. He thought that the traps Kevin sets up for the crooks would really do some physical damage to people and decided to make a movie that did just that…add a dash of “Die Hard with Santa Claus” and…voila…you got yourself a fun action flick.

David Harbour (STRANGER THINGS) hits just the right notes as a burned out Santa Claus who just wants to get through the night, but when he is stranded in an isolated compound (when his reindeer are scared away by gunfire) he must decide to stay and help or stay out of the way.

Jon Leguizamo (MOULIN ROUGE) is the “Hans Gruber” of this piece - a mercenary named SCROOGE and he is a “good enough” villain. While Leah Brady is “charming enough” as the little girl that Santa decides to help. All the rest of the hostages and mercenaries (including CHRISTMAS VACATION’s Beverly D’Angelo) are underwritten “cannon fodder” for the action that takes place.

And…that is just fine as this is an action/comedy flick, so the enjoyment lies in the creativity that Santa (and others) use in dispatching the bad guys. Candy Canes, Christmas Stars, Ice Skates and…yes…SnowThrowers are all used to the advantage of the good guys (and the ultimate demise of the bad guys).

It’s not going to win any Oscars, but Violent Night is a fun “anti-Holiday” action film that the older folks in the crowd will enjoy later at night after the kiddo-s go to bed.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

P.S.: Violent Night is streaming for free (with your Amazon Prime subscription) or you can rent or own it in many of the usual ways.
  
The Escort (Night Series #2)
The Escort (Night Series #2)
2018 | Crime, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
excellent follow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book two in the Night Series, but you don't need to have read book one, One Night first. I recommend you DO though, cos that book is HOT!!!

This one is more a slow burner, heat wise, but both Ethan and Joe have lusted after the other for over a year. When Ethan reveals he has a stalker, Joe goes all ALPHA male on him, and finally admits to himself at least, how he really feels about Ethan.

From the moment Ethan saw Joe, he knew he would be his, he'd wait til Joe finally rid himself of his silly "no mixing work and pleasure" rule. Joe wants Ethan, more than anyone he ever met, he just needs to see past the fact that Ethan is staff.

Like I said, more of a slow burner, it takes time for the guys to FINALLY admit to themselves who they really want, but once they do, its on, baby!

I'm not one for early profession of love and forever, but, while the guys use those words to THEMSELVES, its not till the very end of the book, they admit their feeling to each other. It's right and proper for this book and these guys.

Cam and Gabe pop up here too, so that's Brownie points from me!

I liked that Ethan manages to keep his secret net worth from, not only Joe, but US too, til right at the end. WE don't get told that news though, at all! Loved that Ethan didn't keep his money, too.

Excellent follow up, keep them coming! Loving these!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Taken 2 (2012)
Taken 2 (2012)
2012 | Mystery
7
5.9 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Today, we’ve got a review of “TAKEN 2” … YES …. believe it or not, they made a sequal to “TAKEN”.
You’d think that after all the bad guys Liam Neeson’s character, former C.I.A. operative Bryan Mills,
killed in the original “TAKEN” there would be none left …. WRONG …. I guess even in action
movies, the bad guys have families, friends, and fellow criminals who would want revenge and despite the fact that they are villains and deserve whatever sort of punishment the protagonist can dish out.

It is a year after the events in “TAKEN” and retired intelligence agent Bryan Mills (Neeson), is trying to

adjust to life as a civilian security expert working in the private sector while dealing with the fact that his daughter is dating and attempting to pass her driver’s test (for the third time). After Maggie’s step-father walks out on Maggie and Lenore, Bryan invites them to spend time with him in Istanbul after completing a job there.

However, before the vacation begins the happy reunion is ruined when Murad Hoxha (Rade Serbedzia)
the father of the main antagonist in “TAKEN”, kidnaps Lenore and attempts to kidnap
Maggie as well in retaliation for the death of his son.

The film does require some at times absurd leaps of faith and knowledge to drive the story but If you are

coming for acting, a complex story, and such, your simply in the wrong place.

If a fresh batch of bad guys just itching to get their collective butts kicked by Neeson is what you want,

then it will deliver. At the end of the screening the crowd at the theater stood up and gave the film a standing ovation while coincidentally the audience screamed ‘AWESOME’!
  
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Juame Collet-Serra recommended Die Hard (1988) in Movies (curated)

 
Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard (1988)
1988 | Action

"I have to mention this as one of my favorites. I’ve been lucky enough to work with [producer] Joel Silver. It rewrote the rules on the modern thriller. It set the stage for the expectation that every question needs to be answered, and it has to be big, fun, and emotional, and a movie that can do everything. I try to do Die Hard in every movie that I do, by fulfilling that promise of delivering from the first frame. Obviously many more movies have done that — like Hitchcock — but as a movie that potentially could have gone many ways, it became a masterpiece. Before this movie, you could potentially believe that the bad guys are just bad guys; they don’t have motivation or are dumb. This guy had smart plans and dialogue, and set the bar high. Other movies have met it, but this was one of the first ones and I was blown away when I saw it. As much as I’ve liked other movies, at that time, Die Hard has had more of an influence on my work than the other ones of the time."

Source
  
American Girl on Saturn (Saturn, #1)
American Girl on Saturn (Saturn, #1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The start was a little iffy for me, it didn't flow smoothly and I got a little confused but when the boys of SAS showed up I didn't care so much anymore.

I enjoyed the gentle romance of Chloe and Milo. It was sweet and I loved the fireflies and treehouse and midnight meetings... sigh. I also enjoyed reading the cammeraderie between the guys and by the end, the girls and guys together. Like an extended family.

There was just a point about 65% where I started to lose interest. It seemed to be a lot of the same stuff going on and I got a little bored and then the drama hit--the one where boy and girl have a big misunderstanding--and I wanted to hit both of them. I know something had to happen but it was just so cliché.

I was pretty happy when they resolved the matter but by then I'd sort of lost interest in the story and was just skimming the text, looking for interesting bits.

Not a bad book but one not quite to my tastes.