The Controversial Princess (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology Book 1)
10.0
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Her father is the King of England. She is the Controversial Princess. Regarded as down to...
Careless Whiskers
9.0
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When librarian Charlie Harris' daughter is falsely accused of murder, he and his faithful feline...
Six Sweets Under
5.0
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In a cute new culinary cozy from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, budding chocolatier Becca...
David McK (3731 KP) rated Troy (2004) in Movies
Apr 28, 2020 (Updated Aug 25, 2024)
At the time of writing this review (2020), there was actually surprisingly few such films: of the top of my head, I can only really think of "Robin Hood", "Kingdom of Heaven", and this.
With quite a few big names in its cast - Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole and Eric Bana to name a few - this retells the story of the siege of Troy (although said siege doesn't seem to last as long as originally told), following Paris (Orlando Bloom) elopement with the wife of Menelaus of Troy (Brendan Gleeson) Helen (Diane Kruger), giving an excuse for Agememnon (a scenery chewing Brian Cox) to go to war against that city.
While this does have some bruising action scenes - the beach landing, and Achilles Vs Hector are my personal favourite - unfortunately large swathes of the film are bogged down by necessary exposition, and I have to say that the face of this version of Helen of Sparta (or Troy) may not be able to launch the fleet of a thousand ships that she is described as in the original texts (where she is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world).
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated French Quarter Fright Night in Books
Sep 4, 2024
I’m so glad that a new publisher picked up this series. It was wonderful to visit Ricki and her friends again. I enjoyed getting to see some of the relationships grow in this book, even if Ricki’s relationship with the detective isn’t really realistic. I also enjoyed seeing Hollywood pop up here. The mystery itself is strong with some nice surprises before we reach the logical ending. It was fun to visit the city during Halloween. As always, I laughed several times while reading. We also get some recipes inspired by vintage cookbooks at the end of the book, including several appropriate for the season. Fans will be just as happy as I was that Ricki and her friends are back.
A Killing in Costumes
7.0
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Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Death on the Golden Mile in Books
Apr 17, 2025
The plot employs a few mystery cliches, and I did roll my eyes a couple of times at them. I also spotted a key clue early on. Overall, the mystery is good, however, with an ending that did surprise me. We don’t see quite as much of the supporting players as we might, but I did appreciate the updates on them. That also includes a little forward progress on Clark’s wife’s murder, an ongoing story. I did spot a couple of timeline issues, but they were more annoying than anything else. We meet the suspects at one time, but it wasn’t long before I was able to keep them all straight. As always, I enjoyed the vacation setting of the series. Those who enjoyed the first two books will be glad they picked this one up.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Dracula Untold (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Dracula Untold, as the name implies, is an origin story for the pop culture father-of-all-vampires. Luke Evans bears the mantle of Prince Vlad Tepes of the Dracula Clan. (Not Count, but Prince.) What about the King, you ask? Well, they didn’t cover this, but there is no King.
Luke Evans is one of my favorite actors in Hollywood right now, and he does this role justice. The rest of the cast contributed solid performances as well, as best they could with sub par script, and poor direction. Charles Dance was a particular pleasure to witness.
This film is Gary Shore’s directorial debut, and it’s easy to see the marks of a neophyte director. Had it been in the hands of someone more experienced, it would have been a juggernaut of a Fall film. Even so, he did pretty well enough, all things considered. According to his work history, Shore was an electrician until 1998, then disappeared until 2014. This is his second film so far this year.
Dracula Untold opens with the story of Vlad the Impaler, as told by his son. Vlad was shipped off to the Turks to become a trained and conditioned weapon. He earned his title by impaling an entire village for the Turkish army. Vlad was a deadly force on the battlefield, but they eventually allowed him to go home, where he could start a family and rule Transylvania. It is painfully obvious that the usual blood-thirsty character was meant to become a hero for this new tale.
The Turks return to take more boys, like they did him, but he refuses. This draws the Turks’ ire, and they demand retribution for the insult and insubordination. Desperate, he seeks out a monster in the mountains who was the REAL first vampire — a man who made a deal with a demon.
Vlad is granted temporary powers, paying a heavy price in the process. After this, the story really ramps up.
This film left me feeling as if something was missing. I attribute this to missing explanations, plot holes (like the lack of King), and several other missteps. Normally, I can look past plot holes. A strong enough movie will keep me from noticing them until I’m rethinking it later. In this case, they were too distracting. The music was unimpressive and not at all memorable. The one liners were forced and distracting, instead of powerful and emotional.
This movie is worth seeing if you’re a fan of vampires in general or Dracula in particular. That said, I wouldn’t advise high expectations. Great aspects were abundant, but there were just as many failings. If you feel compelled to see it, wait until you can see it at home, and save the money.
The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History
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The rags-to-riches story of one of America’s wealthiest and least-known financial giants,...
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Away ~ Meditation & mindfulness to sleep, relax, focus, breathe
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Those days when your night was shorter than anything you can measure. Those moments when you'd love...