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Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives
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Full-tilt, hardcore, down-home, and groundbreaking, the women of country music speak volumes with...
Music Essays
World of SUVs: Online
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Hello Friend! Ready for an adventure? Cool! Sit behind the wheel of your SUV and get ready for fun...
Trials Frontier
Games
8.0
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“Looking like the real deal.” – POCKET CAFÉ “Loads of depth and a neat multiplayer...
Struck Dead (Forensic Instincts #10)
Book
The fragile line between life and death… Families that will never be the same… When a tragic...
Suspense Mystery Thriller
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Hardcore Henry (2016) in Movies
Oct 24, 2017 (Updated Oct 24, 2017)
An Original Thrill
The trailers for this movie had me intrigued from the get go, then the reviews were released and they just made me want to see this movie even more, so going in my hype level was pretty high and Hardcore Henry still managed to exceed my expectations. I mean, its not going to win any Oscars, but if you are looking for a non stop over the top action thrill ride, then wade right in. There is no holds barred here, this is proper action done in a unique way. The method of shooting isn’t perfect, it uses a great deal of shaky cam, so much so that it ends up obscuring some of the fast paced fight scenes and stunt choreography, which is a shame as the stunts are really spectacular and they only ramp up as the movie progresses. I loved Sharlto Copley in District 9, but he hasn’t wowed me since then, until I saw his performance in this movie. This performance really shows how diverse he is and there is a certain musical number involving him that is definitely one of the highlights of the movie, but I won’t spoil it here. In fact I can’t really say anything about his character without spoiling him other than his name is Jimmy and he is awesome.
The villain in this movie is ripped straight out of a cheesy video game, but he is kind of so bad that he’s good. He looks like the Targaryan brother from Game Of Thrones, he sounds like someone doing a bad John Malkovich impression and he has telekinesis powers to boot. His powers are never explained, but he is basically a jedi without a lightsabre from an 80’s electronic music video. Actually, comparing this movie to a video game is probably the most accurate way to describe it. Think a modern sci fi game that plays like classic Doom and you aren’t far off, which in my opinion is one of the most epic concepts ever conceived. However the concept is only the starting blocks of a project like this one, the execution has to be great as well to stop the movie from only ever being remembered as a throwaway neat idea. Thankfully the execution is effective here both figuratively and literally. This is one of they movies where you feel like a kid again while you watch it and it is glorious to experience from start to finish. The special effects are actually pretty good for what is presumably a pretty low budget film, over the top and fantastically ridiculous, but they add to the madness of the piece and they are a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack is pretty spot on too, it perfectly melds with the insane, fast paced, badass tone that the filmmakers were aiming for and helps to keep that high octane feel going for the duration of the flick.
Hardcore Henry is not a perfect movie by any stretch, but for what it is it delivers in a big way. It is highly entertaining and whether you enjoy this style of movie or not, it is hard to take your eyes off of the screen for the hour and a half that it is on for, this movie is going to grip you and take you for a high stakes mental ride whether you like it or not. If you are into over the top action and ridiculous stunts and set pieces, then I could not recommend this movie more.
The villain in this movie is ripped straight out of a cheesy video game, but he is kind of so bad that he’s good. He looks like the Targaryan brother from Game Of Thrones, he sounds like someone doing a bad John Malkovich impression and he has telekinesis powers to boot. His powers are never explained, but he is basically a jedi without a lightsabre from an 80’s electronic music video. Actually, comparing this movie to a video game is probably the most accurate way to describe it. Think a modern sci fi game that plays like classic Doom and you aren’t far off, which in my opinion is one of the most epic concepts ever conceived. However the concept is only the starting blocks of a project like this one, the execution has to be great as well to stop the movie from only ever being remembered as a throwaway neat idea. Thankfully the execution is effective here both figuratively and literally. This is one of they movies where you feel like a kid again while you watch it and it is glorious to experience from start to finish. The special effects are actually pretty good for what is presumably a pretty low budget film, over the top and fantastically ridiculous, but they add to the madness of the piece and they are a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack is pretty spot on too, it perfectly melds with the insane, fast paced, badass tone that the filmmakers were aiming for and helps to keep that high octane feel going for the duration of the flick.
Hardcore Henry is not a perfect movie by any stretch, but for what it is it delivers in a big way. It is highly entertaining and whether you enjoy this style of movie or not, it is hard to take your eyes off of the screen for the hour and a half that it is on for, this movie is going to grip you and take you for a high stakes mental ride whether you like it or not. If you are into over the top action and ridiculous stunts and set pieces, then I could not recommend this movie more.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Machete (2010) in Movies
Jan 19, 2018
Fun Watch
Machete was a bit of a miss for me. I understood the direction that directors Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez were heading for. I just didn't quite...get it. As a salesperson, I'm taught to push the "why", not the "how". For me, the "why" of this film left a lot to be desired.
It's not that I didn't like Machete, rather it didn't hook me. Half cheesy action film, half telenovela, it definitely has some shining moments. Danny Trejo (Machete) plays a tough badass as he does in most films. His hardcore attitude makes him instantly lovable and they give him more attitude than ever in this role. Not only does he destroy a lot of tough guys, he manages to find time to slay the ladies as well. Oh yes, the ladies love Machete and Machete loves the ladies.
Props to Robert De Niro as well in his role as The Senator. Hearing his country accent makes you almost forgot this was the same guy that said, "You talkin' to me?" (Taxi Driver is on my list for this October!). You're supposed to hate him as he plays a villain, but you can't help but love him at the same time.
A handful of action sequences left me with raised eyebrows. My favorite in particular was Cheech Marin in the church with the double shotgun action. Talk about money!
Fun movie and worth at least one watch. Seeing Machete seek revenge on The Senator after being double-crossed (the plot) managed to keep me entertained but not quite jumping-for-joy excited. I give it a solid 76.
It's not that I didn't like Machete, rather it didn't hook me. Half cheesy action film, half telenovela, it definitely has some shining moments. Danny Trejo (Machete) plays a tough badass as he does in most films. His hardcore attitude makes him instantly lovable and they give him more attitude than ever in this role. Not only does he destroy a lot of tough guys, he manages to find time to slay the ladies as well. Oh yes, the ladies love Machete and Machete loves the ladies.
Props to Robert De Niro as well in his role as The Senator. Hearing his country accent makes you almost forgot this was the same guy that said, "You talkin' to me?" (Taxi Driver is on my list for this October!). You're supposed to hate him as he plays a villain, but you can't help but love him at the same time.
A handful of action sequences left me with raised eyebrows. My favorite in particular was Cheech Marin in the church with the double shotgun action. Talk about money!
Fun movie and worth at least one watch. Seeing Machete seek revenge on The Senator after being double-crossed (the plot) managed to keep me entertained but not quite jumping-for-joy excited. I give it a solid 76.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Never Have I Ever in Books
Jul 4, 2019
Excellent domestic Thriller
This was my first Joshilyn Jackson read I can see why she is popular, this was a very well written book with some great multi layered characters in it. My understanding is Jackson is generally a more contemporary women’s fiction writer; so this turn at the domestic thriller is a bit of a change and I hope she keeps with it as it’s refreshing to get a really well written complicated protagonist in this genre.
I started off pretty unsure if I was going to get into it as we are in the world of American middle class suburban housewives and for me that generally is a big fat yawner of a world. I was getting ready to get the big old eye-rolls out but it wasn’t necessary just as I thought I knew where the book was going it went somewhere else and then proceeded to just get better and better.
Amy Whey is living in suburbia with her husband, step daughter and new baby. She has her neighbourhood best friend Charlotte (but I do wonder who the hell really abbreviates that to Char!?!) all in all very nice and normal life until the mysterious Angelica Roux moves into the neighbourhood and starts to pry into the past. As we learn more about Amy I went through constant shifts in my feelings to the character, meanwhile Roux is a full on hardcore manipulative bad ass and the constant back and forth is pretty tense.
A very compelling page turner of a thriller.
My thanks to the author, publisher Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I started off pretty unsure if I was going to get into it as we are in the world of American middle class suburban housewives and for me that generally is a big fat yawner of a world. I was getting ready to get the big old eye-rolls out but it wasn’t necessary just as I thought I knew where the book was going it went somewhere else and then proceeded to just get better and better.
Amy Whey is living in suburbia with her husband, step daughter and new baby. She has her neighbourhood best friend Charlotte (but I do wonder who the hell really abbreviates that to Char!?!) all in all very nice and normal life until the mysterious Angelica Roux moves into the neighbourhood and starts to pry into the past. As we learn more about Amy I went through constant shifts in my feelings to the character, meanwhile Roux is a full on hardcore manipulative bad ass and the constant back and forth is pretty tense.
A very compelling page turner of a thriller.
My thanks to the author, publisher Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Liverpool: Gangs, Vice and Packet Rats: 19th Century Crime and Punishment
Book
Now world famous for football and music, in the nineteenth century Liverpool had a very different...
Dan The Man
Games
App
With nearly 10 MILLION installs and growing each day, it’s easy to see why Dan the Man has been...
Minecraft Mobestiary: An Official Minecraft Book from Mojang
Book
Written by a naturalist who has made it his life's work to study Minecraft's mobs, and illustrated...