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Headhunter (2009)
Movie
Martin Vinge, (35), former notorious journalist, now successful headhunter with a complicated...

David McK (3562 KP) rated John Wick (2014) in Movies
Mar 11, 2023
Well, that was ... something different.
Perhaps Keanu Reeeve's best role since the Matrix, with Keanu portraying the feared hitman John Wick, who comes out of retirement following the death of his wife when his house is ransacked, his car stolen and his puppy (a last gift from said wife) killed by a young generation of Russian mobsters.
The elders of all who fear the Baba Yaga.
AKA the boogeyman. Or John Wick.
So a pretty straightforward revenge plot, with Reeves on a rampage of destruction as he hunts down those responsible, with some pretty intense (and brilliantly choreographed) action scenes, and with hints of a larger world of underground assassins with the inclusion of the designated safe-ground of the Continental Hotel(s), and with the gold coins that act as a sort of payment/token of favour.
Perhaps Keanu Reeeve's best role since the Matrix, with Keanu portraying the feared hitman John Wick, who comes out of retirement following the death of his wife when his house is ransacked, his car stolen and his puppy (a last gift from said wife) killed by a young generation of Russian mobsters.
The elders of all who fear the Baba Yaga.
AKA the boogeyman. Or John Wick.
So a pretty straightforward revenge plot, with Reeves on a rampage of destruction as he hunts down those responsible, with some pretty intense (and brilliantly choreographed) action scenes, and with hints of a larger world of underground assassins with the inclusion of the designated safe-ground of the Continental Hotel(s), and with the gold coins that act as a sort of payment/token of favour.

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Extraction in Video Games
Jan 26, 2022
The latest game in the immensely popular Rainbow Six series has arrived with Rainbow Six: Extraction.
The series features intense squad-based action as players form teams to infiltrate, extract, eliminate, and survive various missions.
Using stealth, tech, weapons, and patience; players have to find the best way to enter a location, avoid or eliminate enemies, and complete objectives while working as a cohesive unit.
This time around the enemy is a parasitic alien race and players must form three-person squads or venture through the locales solo or with a single partner.
Players will select an operative; each with a primary and secondary weapon and two tactical devices such as grenades, mines, revive shots, armor, and drones. As time goes on and players level up; new technology can be researched and used as having the right loadout is essential. Players will also have unique skilsl ranging from gun emplacements, medical, cloaking, and more which can be used in a limited situation and must be replenished as the missions unfolds.
Missions are set in three zones such as New York, San Francisco, Alaska, and more become available as players reach a certain level and naturally they become progressively harder and more intense.
Each zone has random missions and when players select a locale, difficulty level, and their operative; they will encounter missions ranging from elimination, extraction, scanning, and targeting specific strategic locales.
The enemy is very cunning and ruthless and can cloak, shape-shift, and explode amongst their myriad of hostile actions, and players must attack, evade, and work with one another to complete the missions and survive. At the end of a level; players can opt to enter an airlock and move to the next segment or return to an exfiltration zone to end the mission.
This is where the real tactics of the game come into play as health is limited as can be ammunition so players who encounter a difficult mission where they sustain damage or lose a player have to make a hard choice. Players do not die in the game as they are enveloped with a stasis foam should they sustain enough damage.
As such the remaining team must decide to carry the downed player to an Extraction Pod or leave them behind so they can carry on or they can flee to safety. This is not always an easy decision as seeing your team decimated and barely making it to safety with only a small amount of health makes even the most determined player think twice about venturing back in.
Should a player be lost; their experience is deducted from the player and will remain deducted until the character is rescued on a future mission. Seeing your roster of skilled Operatives reduced to a couple of unproven newbies is very humbling and thankfully the maps are very detailed and engaging as players will get very used to playing in the locales frequently before new areas are made available to them.
The action of the game is intense as players can use stealth or run and gun depending on the mission and the variety of enemies and missions is good.
I do wish the Quick Play would allow players to select the skill level they would like to play in and that there was a server list to select from; that being said; at $39.99 and available on Game Pass; Rainbow Six Extraction is a great deal as the cross-play enabled game ensures plenty of players to venture into danger with but like the best games of the series; having the right group of players is essential as I have lost many players due to wild cards not following mission objectives.
Intense, engaging, and deeply entertaining; Rainbow Six Extraction delivers even if it does differ from what fans have come to expect.
4 stars out of 5
The series features intense squad-based action as players form teams to infiltrate, extract, eliminate, and survive various missions.
Using stealth, tech, weapons, and patience; players have to find the best way to enter a location, avoid or eliminate enemies, and complete objectives while working as a cohesive unit.
This time around the enemy is a parasitic alien race and players must form three-person squads or venture through the locales solo or with a single partner.
Players will select an operative; each with a primary and secondary weapon and two tactical devices such as grenades, mines, revive shots, armor, and drones. As time goes on and players level up; new technology can be researched and used as having the right loadout is essential. Players will also have unique skilsl ranging from gun emplacements, medical, cloaking, and more which can be used in a limited situation and must be replenished as the missions unfolds.
Missions are set in three zones such as New York, San Francisco, Alaska, and more become available as players reach a certain level and naturally they become progressively harder and more intense.
Each zone has random missions and when players select a locale, difficulty level, and their operative; they will encounter missions ranging from elimination, extraction, scanning, and targeting specific strategic locales.
The enemy is very cunning and ruthless and can cloak, shape-shift, and explode amongst their myriad of hostile actions, and players must attack, evade, and work with one another to complete the missions and survive. At the end of a level; players can opt to enter an airlock and move to the next segment or return to an exfiltration zone to end the mission.
This is where the real tactics of the game come into play as health is limited as can be ammunition so players who encounter a difficult mission where they sustain damage or lose a player have to make a hard choice. Players do not die in the game as they are enveloped with a stasis foam should they sustain enough damage.
As such the remaining team must decide to carry the downed player to an Extraction Pod or leave them behind so they can carry on or they can flee to safety. This is not always an easy decision as seeing your team decimated and barely making it to safety with only a small amount of health makes even the most determined player think twice about venturing back in.
Should a player be lost; their experience is deducted from the player and will remain deducted until the character is rescued on a future mission. Seeing your roster of skilled Operatives reduced to a couple of unproven newbies is very humbling and thankfully the maps are very detailed and engaging as players will get very used to playing in the locales frequently before new areas are made available to them.
The action of the game is intense as players can use stealth or run and gun depending on the mission and the variety of enemies and missions is good.
I do wish the Quick Play would allow players to select the skill level they would like to play in and that there was a server list to select from; that being said; at $39.99 and available on Game Pass; Rainbow Six Extraction is a great deal as the cross-play enabled game ensures plenty of players to venture into danger with but like the best games of the series; having the right group of players is essential as I have lost many players due to wild cards not following mission objectives.
Intense, engaging, and deeply entertaining; Rainbow Six Extraction delivers even if it does differ from what fans have come to expect.
4 stars out of 5

Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Beguiled (2017) in Movies
Nov 19, 2017 (Updated Nov 19, 2017)
Colin Farrell (2 more)
Bad lighting for interior scenes
All emotion was drained
Really wanted to love it
Tonight I watch both versions back-to-back as the original Eastwood version is one of my favorite of his films. This new version removes any emotion form most of the characters and situations and leaves us nothing to replace it. I don't mind if the movie is told from the "female" point of view, whatever that means, but the screenplay for this story still has to be interesting, emotional and intense and this has none. The actors (except Colin Farrell who is awful in everything) do the best with the material they are given; however, this more "sterilized" version of the story doesn't hold a candle to the original. I generally think Sofia Coppola is overrated as a director and would never have gone anywhere in Hollywood without her last name.

Book Divas (227 KP) rated Schism in Books
Dec 12, 2017
This book was such an adrenaline rush that I was left feeling like I wanted or better yet, needed to jump out of my skin. The story line was an intense and thrilling ride from beginning to end and the characters were unique and their individualities shined through. The world building puts you smack dab in the virus riddled world and you quickly find yourself immersed in the thick of things.
My heart felt for what these children and young adults have had to endure and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. This read deserves more than five teacups {stars} and truly a must read. This debut novel is a HIT and a dystopian masterpiece.
{I received a copy when I signed up to host the book promotion and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own}.
My heart felt for what these children and young adults have had to endure and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. This read deserves more than five teacups {stars} and truly a must read. This debut novel is a HIT and a dystopian masterpiece.
{I received a copy when I signed up to host the book promotion and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own}.

Niten. NR (75 KP) rated The Hidden Blade (2004) in Movies
Jul 27, 2017
Masatoshi Nagase (3 more)
Takako Matsu
Cinematography
The Hidden blade/Demons Claw technique.
Subtle but brilliant
A brilliant samurai drama/romance that has some quality katana (sword) action.
We follow the path of Munezo, a samurai of a rural clan set in the early 1860's. Whilst Japan is changing with the times, Munezo show us how crucial his qualities of loyalty, respect, courage and self control and really are. Although not all of the Samurai are as moral as himself, Munezo has the fortitude to carry out his duties by his own standards. The relationship between Munezo and his once house keeper Kei is a beautiful and subtle thing, showing the world of film that kissing and sex scenes are unnecessary. The action scenes are intense and emotionally complex. And then there's the Demons Claw but, I'll let you find out about that yourself..... Enjoy.
We follow the path of Munezo, a samurai of a rural clan set in the early 1860's. Whilst Japan is changing with the times, Munezo show us how crucial his qualities of loyalty, respect, courage and self control and really are. Although not all of the Samurai are as moral as himself, Munezo has the fortitude to carry out his duties by his own standards. The relationship between Munezo and his once house keeper Kei is a beautiful and subtle thing, showing the world of film that kissing and sex scenes are unnecessary. The action scenes are intense and emotionally complex. And then there's the Demons Claw but, I'll let you find out about that yourself..... Enjoy.

Olivia (102 KP) rated The Female of the Species in Books
Mar 27, 2019 (Updated Mar 27, 2019)
1/3rd Hard Candy, 1/3rd American Psycho 2, and 1/3rd Netflix's The End of the Fxxxing World
This book was perfect. I don't think I can really say anything negative about it. I found myself unable to tear my eyes from the pages for even a moment. I guess if I really had to nitpick, the ending was a little predictable. But that in no way takes away from the rest of the story or McGinnis' masterful writing.
I've heard a few people say it was intense, hard to finish. I personally, did not have that trouble. Then again, I watched and read a lot of stuff I probably shouldn't have at a really young age and am probably, at least slightly, emotionally stunted. I can definitely see where other readers are coming from though. So, as much as I highly recommend this book, proceed with caution.
I've heard a few people say it was intense, hard to finish. I personally, did not have that trouble. Then again, I watched and read a lot of stuff I probably shouldn't have at a really young age and am probably, at least slightly, emotionally stunted. I can definitely see where other readers are coming from though. So, as much as I highly recommend this book, proceed with caution.

Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Corporate Citizen (Roma Series Book Five) in Books
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)
We get brought back to Boston. Boston got two murders that bring Binca and gang with her all but Dante. What could be up with the US Military and now another mafia member named Peterson?
We meet up with Nick Adams and some named Magician. Who is he? Loki help Binca and gang and what do they want with a drug that named Barney? We run into the mastermind LB. Who does kill LB? How is Farese involved? What will ever happen to Farese? You will need to read to find out.
Gabriel Valjan bring you once again though intense investigation. What will happen to the group and Binca? Why all the murders and what does Farese want. There a mystery of men that seem to disappear along with one or two people, Nick help Alex and Erica. What the mystery with the pill and PTSD?
We meet up with Nick Adams and some named Magician. Who is he? Loki help Binca and gang and what do they want with a drug that named Barney? We run into the mastermind LB. Who does kill LB? How is Farese involved? What will ever happen to Farese? You will need to read to find out.
Gabriel Valjan bring you once again though intense investigation. What will happen to the group and Binca? Why all the murders and what does Farese want. There a mystery of men that seem to disappear along with one or two people, Nick help Alex and Erica. What the mystery with the pill and PTSD?