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Shadow Factories: Britain's Production Facilities and the Second World War
Book
Wartime is costly. Whilst the human cost is a burden which remains part of our every waking thoughts...
FM
Fix My Knee: A Guide to Preventing and Healing from Injury and Strain
Book
In 2015, there were roughly 10.4 million patient visits to doctors' offices because of common knee...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Black Widow (2021) in Movies
Jul 16, 2021
It should have happened way sooner, but finally, Black Widow is here, and in short, it's pretty damn good.
There are many questions that hang over the future of the MCU and the direction that they are going. With so many cogs in motion via the various limited series on Disney+ and the impending multiverse, this first theatrical realease of phase four is a welcome and grounded change of pace, focusing on a story set in a time period we've already seen before, more specifically, set between the events of Civil War and Infinity War.
Natasha Romanoff is a rich character. Her backstory has been teased a handful of times throughout the series, but her big moment in the spotlight really gets into it. The narrative is nicely paced, fairly dialogue heavy in places, but allows the story arc space to breathe. The set pieces peppered throughout are decent, including a stupidly entertaining finale, but they never detract from the many character moments between Natasha and her "family".
The cast are absolutely solid. Scarlett Johansson is Natasha Romanoff through and through. Her presence in the MCU all this time has been a welcome one. She is bolstered by a stacked supporting cast also. Florence Pugh is great as usual, and a fine addition to the ever growing MCU roster, as is David Harbour. It's always a pleasure to see Rachel Weisz in anything. Same for Ray Winstone, even when he's playing an awful shitpiece.
A couple of minore gripes - The Taskmaster we get here is certainly not the Taskmaster comic fans may be familiar with. The way they are slipped into the narrative makes sense, but I hope the "real" Taskmaster is out there somewhere. The version we have here is parallel to the version of Deadpool we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, essentially a mute henchman which is a shame.
I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the editing, especially in the more action heavy segments, but it's not enough to de-rail what is a triumphant and overdue solo effort for a truly beloved character.
If this is indeed the last time we see Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow (which I'm sceptical about, what with the multiverse incoming and all that), then it's a fitting send off.
There are many questions that hang over the future of the MCU and the direction that they are going. With so many cogs in motion via the various limited series on Disney+ and the impending multiverse, this first theatrical realease of phase four is a welcome and grounded change of pace, focusing on a story set in a time period we've already seen before, more specifically, set between the events of Civil War and Infinity War.
Natasha Romanoff is a rich character. Her backstory has been teased a handful of times throughout the series, but her big moment in the spotlight really gets into it. The narrative is nicely paced, fairly dialogue heavy in places, but allows the story arc space to breathe. The set pieces peppered throughout are decent, including a stupidly entertaining finale, but they never detract from the many character moments between Natasha and her "family".
The cast are absolutely solid. Scarlett Johansson is Natasha Romanoff through and through. Her presence in the MCU all this time has been a welcome one. She is bolstered by a stacked supporting cast also. Florence Pugh is great as usual, and a fine addition to the ever growing MCU roster, as is David Harbour. It's always a pleasure to see Rachel Weisz in anything. Same for Ray Winstone, even when he's playing an awful shitpiece.
A couple of minore gripes - The Taskmaster we get here is certainly not the Taskmaster comic fans may be familiar with. The way they are slipped into the narrative makes sense, but I hope the "real" Taskmaster is out there somewhere. The version we have here is parallel to the version of Deadpool we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, essentially a mute henchman which is a shame.
I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the editing, especially in the more action heavy segments, but it's not enough to de-rail what is a triumphant and overdue solo effort for a truly beloved character.
If this is indeed the last time we see Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow (which I'm sceptical about, what with the multiverse incoming and all that), then it's a fitting send off.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Frank & Lola (2016) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Frank is a brilliant chef that has started dating the younger Lola, he gets jealous easily which makes him want to know who every man in Lola’s life is as he starts to look to solve her problems. Lola is a college graduate in fashion that is in Vegas, she is dating Frank and starts working for the charismatic Keith, she knows what will make Frank jealous as she starts to use him to get what she wants. Keith knows people in Vegas, he offers jobs to talent, which will see him follow a strict code of not trying to date them, he will always offer people job if he believes they deserve the change. Patricia is Lola’s mother that hasn’t always been as close with her daughter.
Performances – We have such a great cast here, Michael Shannon gives one of his most average performances of his career, Imogen Poots struggles to make an impact, Justin Long gets his moments, but not enough. Most of this comes from such dull characters they must try to bring to life.
Story – The story is the hardest part to describe because it seems to follow a chef that is trying to do anything to clean up his girlfriends past, only to get caught up in the middle of just what might be true or not. The problem with the story comes from the poor dialogue which makes it hard to connect the story together, it seems to create scenes which put Frank’s mind in one direction only for the next one to change it, this happens too often and becomes annoying because we can’t get invested in his story. we did get some heavy themes which do just get glanced over which only confuses in the end.
Crime/Romance – The crime side of the film comes from what Frank will do for Lola, he is driven by his love for her which shows him where to go with his actions.
Settings – The film has two main settings, Las Vegas and Paris, both are used to show the busy side of the lives of the people we are follow.
Scene of the Movie – Job offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The story is too heavy on changing direction too often.
Final Thoughts – This is a dull romantic thriller that just drags along at a snails pace, never using the talent to its strengths.
Overall: Bitterly disappointing.
Performances – We have such a great cast here, Michael Shannon gives one of his most average performances of his career, Imogen Poots struggles to make an impact, Justin Long gets his moments, but not enough. Most of this comes from such dull characters they must try to bring to life.
Story – The story is the hardest part to describe because it seems to follow a chef that is trying to do anything to clean up his girlfriends past, only to get caught up in the middle of just what might be true or not. The problem with the story comes from the poor dialogue which makes it hard to connect the story together, it seems to create scenes which put Frank’s mind in one direction only for the next one to change it, this happens too often and becomes annoying because we can’t get invested in his story. we did get some heavy themes which do just get glanced over which only confuses in the end.
Crime/Romance – The crime side of the film comes from what Frank will do for Lola, he is driven by his love for her which shows him where to go with his actions.
Settings – The film has two main settings, Las Vegas and Paris, both are used to show the busy side of the lives of the people we are follow.
Scene of the Movie – Job offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The story is too heavy on changing direction too often.
Final Thoughts – This is a dull romantic thriller that just drags along at a snails pace, never using the talent to its strengths.
Overall: Bitterly disappointing.
Fotor HDR – HDR Camera & High Resolution Images Creator
Photo & Video and Utilities
App
Capture life’s full range on the go! Perfectly compatible with iOS 8. In addition, we have...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Snow's Seduction (A Snow White Werewolf Tale, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This is supposed to be a Snow White retelling but I really couldnt see it. Regardless, its an erotic fairytale retelling which is right up my alley. Its heavy on the erotica while still having enough plot to push the story forward. Normally I would be aggravated that this story is divided into three parts but I knew that going in and already had the rest of the story so I didnt have to wait for the rest.
I love friends to lovers stories, especially childhood friends. I would like to say I enjoyed the premise to this story but honestly I thought it was stupid. I wish I had better word but there it is. Now you may be saying but you knew that going in! Honestly, I was hoping it was going to be a menage. I guess it was just wishful thinking, because what I got instead was the age old hey let me ask my male friend how to seduce this other male but wait my friend wants me trope.
All in all, definitely worth the read.
I love friends to lovers stories, especially childhood friends. I would like to say I enjoyed the premise to this story but honestly I thought it was stupid. I wish I had better word but there it is. Now you may be saying but you knew that going in! Honestly, I was hoping it was going to be a menage. I guess it was just wishful thinking, because what I got instead was the age old hey let me ask my male friend how to seduce this other male but wait my friend wants me trope.
All in all, definitely worth the read.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
Surprisingly non-awful
CGI aliens invade in search of ancient mystical plot coupons, forcing Batman and Wonder Woman to recruit a bunch of other superheroes (the Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg) in an attempt to fend them off.
Now, you can scratch your head at some of the creative choices made here - Why the all-pervading atmosphere of heavy metal gloom? Why these particular characters? Where's Green Lantern? Why not use a better-known villain? And so on - but on its own terms, this is a competently assembled film, for the most part. (This may be due to the fact that credited director Zach Snyder departed the production prematurely and was replaced by Joss Whedon.)
I stress 'for the most part' as there are still bits of this movie which just plain make no sense whatsoever, and there's a 'plot twist' (in the broadest sense of the term) which feels contrived and tonally wrong on pretty much every level. But at least they seem to be trying to treat these iconic characters with respect, and while this isn't up to the same standard as Wonder Woman it could have been much, much worse.
Now, you can scratch your head at some of the creative choices made here - Why the all-pervading atmosphere of heavy metal gloom? Why these particular characters? Where's Green Lantern? Why not use a better-known villain? And so on - but on its own terms, this is a competently assembled film, for the most part. (This may be due to the fact that credited director Zach Snyder departed the production prematurely and was replaced by Joss Whedon.)
I stress 'for the most part' as there are still bits of this movie which just plain make no sense whatsoever, and there's a 'plot twist' (in the broadest sense of the term) which feels contrived and tonally wrong on pretty much every level. But at least they seem to be trying to treat these iconic characters with respect, and while this isn't up to the same standard as Wonder Woman it could have been much, much worse.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A View to a Kill (1985) in Movies
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Fourteenth Bond movie, known in Hong Kong as 'Indestructible Iron Man Fights the Electronic Gang'. (Which is pretty accurate, to be honest.) Rogue eugenic superman Zorin (Walken) has slightly Goldfingerish plan to artificially inflate the value of silicon chips; Bond has to stop him (obvs).
Bond gets it on with a record-breaking four different people in the course of the movie, including the villain's chief heavy, which may explain why he looks so exhausted most of the time. Or this may be due to Roger Moore's own advanced age (he was apparently dismayed to discover he was older than the parents of leading lady Tanya Roberts). Very much an example of Bond-movie-as-Bond-movie, i.e. a knockabout light-hearted action spectacular with only occasional pretensions to being a serious thriller or having anything meaningful to say about the world. Some decent chases and set pieces, helped by an occasionally effective soundtrack. Pleasantly distracting to watch but it's hardly going to rock your boat, let alone your world. It's possible that the opening sequence, in which Bond invents (gosh wow!) snowboarding , is the most glaringly dated moment of any major film in history.
Bond gets it on with a record-breaking four different people in the course of the movie, including the villain's chief heavy, which may explain why he looks so exhausted most of the time. Or this may be due to Roger Moore's own advanced age (he was apparently dismayed to discover he was older than the parents of leading lady Tanya Roberts). Very much an example of Bond-movie-as-Bond-movie, i.e. a knockabout light-hearted action spectacular with only occasional pretensions to being a serious thriller or having anything meaningful to say about the world. Some decent chases and set pieces, helped by an occasionally effective soundtrack. Pleasantly distracting to watch but it's hardly going to rock your boat, let alone your world. It's possible that the opening sequence, in which Bond invents (gosh wow!) snowboarding , is the most glaringly dated moment of any major film in history.
David McK (3752 KP) rated Alien Hunters (Alien Hunters, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Hmmm ... I'm not quite sure how to classify this.
Science-fiction? Certainly.
Comedy? In parts, yes.
Perhaps some classification in line with [b: The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy|372299|The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy A Trilogy in Five Parts|Douglas Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322913171s/372299.jpg|42028477], or even with [b: Red Dwarf: infinty Welcomes Careful Drivers|70956|Red Dwarf Omnibus (Red Dwarf Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers & Better Than Life) |Grant Naylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348229137s/70956.jpg|68744].
I actually picked this up as part of a freebie the author was doing when I felt like a change of pace after reading several heavy(ish), 'serious' books in a row, more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else.
This was definitley a lot lighter fare than any of the books I had read in recent memory - I think I zipped through it in something like 2 or 3 days - raising the occassional wry chuckle, but failing to leave any permanent mark on my memory.
In food terms, like eating a biscuit rather than a full meal - tides you over, but never fully satisfies!
Science-fiction? Certainly.
Comedy? In parts, yes.
Perhaps some classification in line with [b: The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy|372299|The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy A Trilogy in Five Parts|Douglas Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322913171s/372299.jpg|42028477], or even with [b: Red Dwarf: infinty Welcomes Careful Drivers|70956|Red Dwarf Omnibus (Red Dwarf Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers & Better Than Life) |Grant Naylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348229137s/70956.jpg|68744].
I actually picked this up as part of a freebie the author was doing when I felt like a change of pace after reading several heavy(ish), 'serious' books in a row, more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else.
This was definitley a lot lighter fare than any of the books I had read in recent memory - I think I zipped through it in something like 2 or 3 days - raising the occassional wry chuckle, but failing to leave any permanent mark on my memory.
In food terms, like eating a biscuit rather than a full meal - tides you over, but never fully satisfies!
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Stairs (2019) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Toby Osmond (3 more)
Story
Tom Paton
Alana Wallace
Don't Go Down
This movie is everything you would hope for in a Tom Paton flick and a hell of a lot more. A high concept psychological horror/thriller like you wouldnt believe that plays in the sci-fi genre realm. So yeah its a mind melding genre bending smorgasboard.
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).