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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Murder Any Witch Way ( Brimstone Bay book 1) in Books
Mar 3, 2023 (Updated Mar 3, 2023)
25 of 235
Kindle
Murder Any Witch Way ( Brimstone Bay book 1)
By N.M. Howell
⭐⭐⭐
Being a witch is hard. It's even harder when you live in a town that doesn't believe in witches.When young witch River Halloway moves to sleepy Brimstone Bay for her very first journalist job, she doesn't expect to cover anything ground-breaking. That is, until a paranormal festival comes to town and a body is found on opening night. Now, with all evidence pointing towards a witch, River must find the true killer before she becomes the prime suspect.Or worse, the next murder victim.So much for it being a sleepy little town.
It was ok and I liked it but it could have been so much better. I think it lacked a little personality the characters were a little flat. It was a quick ok to good read with masses of potential.
Kindle
Murder Any Witch Way ( Brimstone Bay book 1)
By N.M. Howell
⭐⭐⭐
Being a witch is hard. It's even harder when you live in a town that doesn't believe in witches.When young witch River Halloway moves to sleepy Brimstone Bay for her very first journalist job, she doesn't expect to cover anything ground-breaking. That is, until a paranormal festival comes to town and a body is found on opening night. Now, with all evidence pointing towards a witch, River must find the true killer before she becomes the prime suspect.Or worse, the next murder victim.So much for it being a sleepy little town.
It was ok and I liked it but it could have been so much better. I think it lacked a little personality the characters were a little flat. It was a quick ok to good read with masses of potential.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Devil Wears Prada (2006) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
Story: The Devil Wears Prada starts as newly graduated journalist Andy Sachs (Hathaway) gets a chance to work as the second assistant to editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Streep) at a high fashion magazine. Andy is one of many applicates only she doesn’t have the knowledge of the fashion world, unlike the first assistant Emily (Blunt).
Andy must learn to get through the cold nature of Miranda who always looks down on her and everybody, to get through a year which could put her in a position in the journalist world she has always been dreaming off.
Thoughts on The Devil Wears Prada
Characters – Miranda Priestly is the feared editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, her presence makes her employees dress to impress, everybody in the industry respects her opinion and for some reason she decides to take on Andy, she pushes Andy to the limits to see if she is good enough to work or her, like all the employees. Andy Sachs is a journalist graduate who is looking to a job in any publication, she doesn’t understand the fashion industry with this job being her gateway to her dream job, but she must learn fast or face being eaten alive in this industry. Her time in the job sees her change who she once was, pushing her friends and boyfriend away. This one-year job could see her future open, but her friendships vanish. Emily is the first assistant under Miranda, she knows the ins and outs of the business and has been waiting for this role for years. She doesn’t like Andy because she doesn’t have the same desire in the fashion industry. Nigel is the only person in the office that Andy gets along with, he does help put her on the right track for success under Miranda.
Performances – Meryl Streep is fantastic in this leading role, she brings a horrible boss to life, without making her seem like a truly horrible person, just somebody career driven. Anne Hathaway is wonderful too, to start with it seemed weird that she wasn’t considered the right body shape for position in the fashion world, but it does make perfect sense with how this world is working. Emily Blunt brings what should be a small role, to be one of the most interesting and entertaining part of the film. Stanley Tucci is a delight in the supporting role being the moral compass for the Andy character.
Story – The story follows a recent graduated journalist that takes a job working under one of the most notoriously difficult editors in the industry, here she must learn the industry to stand a chance to above water in this world, while gaining the experience she requires for her own success. This story first shows how difficult finding the first job for experience could be for any former student trying to get int the industry, it shows how fast the learning curve could be, how you can be looked upon as a replacement for others job too. It shows us how careers can take over lives if you let them which is important for how Andy changes through the story. most importantly it shows us just how you should never forget where you came from and the people that were there for you when you needed them. You will also get to have a laugh at how the fashion industry is considered to operate at the pace which could make or break careers in no time.
Comedy – The comedy in this film come from seeing how the world operates, seeing Andy needing to learn fast, the relationship with Emily and just how everyone can act over the top about the smallest detail.
Settings – The film is set mostly in New York, it shows how the business lives can move at such a pace it would be hard to keep up.
Scene of the Movie – Andy sees a real side of Miranda.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not understand brand names.
Final Thoughts – This is an enjoyable comedy with wonderful performances from the whole cast.
Overall: Enjoyable comedy.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/23/meryl-streep-weekend-the-devil-wears-prada-2006/
Andy must learn to get through the cold nature of Miranda who always looks down on her and everybody, to get through a year which could put her in a position in the journalist world she has always been dreaming off.
Thoughts on The Devil Wears Prada
Characters – Miranda Priestly is the feared editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, her presence makes her employees dress to impress, everybody in the industry respects her opinion and for some reason she decides to take on Andy, she pushes Andy to the limits to see if she is good enough to work or her, like all the employees. Andy Sachs is a journalist graduate who is looking to a job in any publication, she doesn’t understand the fashion industry with this job being her gateway to her dream job, but she must learn fast or face being eaten alive in this industry. Her time in the job sees her change who she once was, pushing her friends and boyfriend away. This one-year job could see her future open, but her friendships vanish. Emily is the first assistant under Miranda, she knows the ins and outs of the business and has been waiting for this role for years. She doesn’t like Andy because she doesn’t have the same desire in the fashion industry. Nigel is the only person in the office that Andy gets along with, he does help put her on the right track for success under Miranda.
Performances – Meryl Streep is fantastic in this leading role, she brings a horrible boss to life, without making her seem like a truly horrible person, just somebody career driven. Anne Hathaway is wonderful too, to start with it seemed weird that she wasn’t considered the right body shape for position in the fashion world, but it does make perfect sense with how this world is working. Emily Blunt brings what should be a small role, to be one of the most interesting and entertaining part of the film. Stanley Tucci is a delight in the supporting role being the moral compass for the Andy character.
Story – The story follows a recent graduated journalist that takes a job working under one of the most notoriously difficult editors in the industry, here she must learn the industry to stand a chance to above water in this world, while gaining the experience she requires for her own success. This story first shows how difficult finding the first job for experience could be for any former student trying to get int the industry, it shows how fast the learning curve could be, how you can be looked upon as a replacement for others job too. It shows us how careers can take over lives if you let them which is important for how Andy changes through the story. most importantly it shows us just how you should never forget where you came from and the people that were there for you when you needed them. You will also get to have a laugh at how the fashion industry is considered to operate at the pace which could make or break careers in no time.
Comedy – The comedy in this film come from seeing how the world operates, seeing Andy needing to learn fast, the relationship with Emily and just how everyone can act over the top about the smallest detail.
Settings – The film is set mostly in New York, it shows how the business lives can move at such a pace it would be hard to keep up.
Scene of the Movie – Andy sees a real side of Miranda.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not understand brand names.
Final Thoughts – This is an enjoyable comedy with wonderful performances from the whole cast.
Overall: Enjoyable comedy.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/23/meryl-streep-weekend-the-devil-wears-prada-2006/
Read my review here: https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/the-spider-and-the-fly-by-claudia-rowe/
As you may have noticed from the other reviews, this book is <i>not</i> a retelling of a serial killer's crimes, how he did them, how he got away for so long, and eventually, how he got caught. This is much more about a (platonic) relationship between journalist and killer.
Rowe is a journalist who becomes <i>obsessed</i> with Kendall, a convicted convicted serial killer of eight women, and at times, reading about this deep fascination gets a little uncomfortable. Openly admitting that she feels a sense of importance and flattery at having so much on Kendalls attention seems pretty disgusting, but she then admits that she now knows these feelings were inappropriate and has come to realise that her obsession got the better of her.
I have to agree with other reviews, that this book is a little all over the place. Rowes writing is absolutely gorgeously put all the way through, its really poetic, its just that the structure is a bit off. Topics skip all over the place and it can sometimes be hard to grasp how one thing connects to the next.
In the end, I actually really enjoyed this novel even though it wasnt a classic true crime kinda novel. It was interesting seeing the correspondence between the two of them and getting the feel for how someone like Kendall works in a different way to us. Im not really interested to read all about the Attica riots, so that will be a new addition to my bookshelf soon, Im sure!
If you like going through a true crime novel finding out what the killer did in chronological order, what drove them to do it and some of the more gruesome details of their crimes, then this probably isnt the novel for you, but if you like something a little more personal and moving I would recommend giving this one a try.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review!
As you may have noticed from the other reviews, this book is <i>not</i> a retelling of a serial killer's crimes, how he did them, how he got away for so long, and eventually, how he got caught. This is much more about a (platonic) relationship between journalist and killer.
Rowe is a journalist who becomes <i>obsessed</i> with Kendall, a convicted convicted serial killer of eight women, and at times, reading about this deep fascination gets a little uncomfortable. Openly admitting that she feels a sense of importance and flattery at having so much on Kendalls attention seems pretty disgusting, but she then admits that she now knows these feelings were inappropriate and has come to realise that her obsession got the better of her.
I have to agree with other reviews, that this book is a little all over the place. Rowes writing is absolutely gorgeously put all the way through, its really poetic, its just that the structure is a bit off. Topics skip all over the place and it can sometimes be hard to grasp how one thing connects to the next.
In the end, I actually really enjoyed this novel even though it wasnt a classic true crime kinda novel. It was interesting seeing the correspondence between the two of them and getting the feel for how someone like Kendall works in a different way to us. Im not really interested to read all about the Attica riots, so that will be a new addition to my bookshelf soon, Im sure!
If you like going through a true crime novel finding out what the killer did in chronological order, what drove them to do it and some of the more gruesome details of their crimes, then this probably isnt the novel for you, but if you like something a little more personal and moving I would recommend giving this one a try.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review!
Putin
Chris Hutchins and Alexander Korobko
Book
Putin is the highly personal biography of Russia's leader - a man many regard as the world's most...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Outlast in Video Games
Nov 7, 2020
Survivor The Asylum
Outlast- is a excellent survival first person horror game set inside a asylum.
The game revolves around a freelance investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum, located deep in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado.
Outlast, the player assumes the role of investigative journalist Miles Upshur, as he navigates a dilapidated psychiatric hospital in Leadville, Colorado that is overrun by homicidal patients. The game is played from a first-person perspective and features some stealth gameplay mechanics. The player can walk, run, crouch, jump, climb ladders and vault over objects. Unlike most games, however, the player doesn't have a visible health bar on the screen and is unable to attack enemies. The player must instead rely on stealth tactics such as hiding in lockers, sneaking past enemies, staying in the shadows and hiding behind or under things in order to survive. Alternatively, the player can attempt to outrun their pursuer. If the player dies, the game will reset to the most recent checkpoint.
Most of the hospital is unlit, and the only way for the player to see while in the dark is through the lens of a camcorder equipped with night vision. Using the night vision mode will slowly consume batteries, forcing the player to scavenge for additional batteries found throughout the asylum. Outlast makes heavy use of traditional jump scares and audio cues, which alert the player if an enemy has seen them.
GameSpot gave the game a positive review as well stating that "Outlast isn't really a game of skill, and as it turns out, that makes sense. You're not a cop or a soldier or a genetically enhanced superhero. You're just a reporter. And as a reporter, you don't possess many skills with which you can fend off the hulking brutes, knife-wielding stalkers, and other homicidal maniacs who lurk in the halls of the dilapidated Mount Massive Asylum. You can't shoot them, or punch them, or rip pipes from the walls to clobber them with. You can only run and hide".
The aslyum setting is creepy, horrorfying, scary and terrorfying.
Its a excellent survival horror game.
The game revolves around a freelance investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum, located deep in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado.
Outlast, the player assumes the role of investigative journalist Miles Upshur, as he navigates a dilapidated psychiatric hospital in Leadville, Colorado that is overrun by homicidal patients. The game is played from a first-person perspective and features some stealth gameplay mechanics. The player can walk, run, crouch, jump, climb ladders and vault over objects. Unlike most games, however, the player doesn't have a visible health bar on the screen and is unable to attack enemies. The player must instead rely on stealth tactics such as hiding in lockers, sneaking past enemies, staying in the shadows and hiding behind or under things in order to survive. Alternatively, the player can attempt to outrun their pursuer. If the player dies, the game will reset to the most recent checkpoint.
Most of the hospital is unlit, and the only way for the player to see while in the dark is through the lens of a camcorder equipped with night vision. Using the night vision mode will slowly consume batteries, forcing the player to scavenge for additional batteries found throughout the asylum. Outlast makes heavy use of traditional jump scares and audio cues, which alert the player if an enemy has seen them.
GameSpot gave the game a positive review as well stating that "Outlast isn't really a game of skill, and as it turns out, that makes sense. You're not a cop or a soldier or a genetically enhanced superhero. You're just a reporter. And as a reporter, you don't possess many skills with which you can fend off the hulking brutes, knife-wielding stalkers, and other homicidal maniacs who lurk in the halls of the dilapidated Mount Massive Asylum. You can't shoot them, or punch them, or rip pipes from the walls to clobber them with. You can only run and hide".
The aslyum setting is creepy, horrorfying, scary and terrorfying.
Its a excellent survival horror game.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2020
Nice enough
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood follows the story of a friendship between a journalist (Matthew Rhys) and tv presenter/personality Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). And I’ll start off by saying that going into this film, I didn’t have a clue who Mr Rogers was, so this was all rather unknown for me. The only reason I decided to watch it was because of Tom Hanks, although overall I did find this to be a nice film.
Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers is rather disturbing, but in a good way as he puts in a stellar performance. Matthew Rhys’ Lloyd Vogel starts off with a huge amount of cynicism and wariness of Rogers, and that’s exactly how this film made me feel at the beginning. Hanks as Rogers is rather creepy and comes across as very strange. However throughout the course of the film as Lloyd discovers more about Rogers, so did I and it really helped me enjoy this film more. And whilst I don’t know who Fred Rogers is, Hanks’ performance was spot on as an old school kids tv presenter. Matthew Rhys as well puts in a great turn as the hardened journalist who does have a heart after all, and I think he’s such an underrated actor.
The styling of this film too is very good. The use of the toys and miniature cities and buildings is a genius move, and brings such a fun and magical feel to the entire film. To begin with I worried it would be out of place, but there’s enough whimsical and childlike aspects in this so that it all fits together perfectly.
However, despite the rather fun side and the great performances, for me I found the story a little lacking. It’s almost too cutesy and sweet at times, even considering the serious parts of the family drama. I also found it dragged as well in parts and I got a little bored with the Rogers based show scenes. This is still a good film, I just think I’m not particularly sold on the whole Fred Rogers thing especially as this has only told me a limited amount about who he really is!
Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers is rather disturbing, but in a good way as he puts in a stellar performance. Matthew Rhys’ Lloyd Vogel starts off with a huge amount of cynicism and wariness of Rogers, and that’s exactly how this film made me feel at the beginning. Hanks as Rogers is rather creepy and comes across as very strange. However throughout the course of the film as Lloyd discovers more about Rogers, so did I and it really helped me enjoy this film more. And whilst I don’t know who Fred Rogers is, Hanks’ performance was spot on as an old school kids tv presenter. Matthew Rhys as well puts in a great turn as the hardened journalist who does have a heart after all, and I think he’s such an underrated actor.
The styling of this film too is very good. The use of the toys and miniature cities and buildings is a genius move, and brings such a fun and magical feel to the entire film. To begin with I worried it would be out of place, but there’s enough whimsical and childlike aspects in this so that it all fits together perfectly.
However, despite the rather fun side and the great performances, for me I found the story a little lacking. It’s almost too cutesy and sweet at times, even considering the serious parts of the family drama. I also found it dragged as well in parts and I got a little bored with the Rogers based show scenes. This is still a good film, I just think I’m not particularly sold on the whole Fred Rogers thing especially as this has only told me a limited amount about who he really is!
Hag 12 Down (6 KP) rated Night Film in Books
Dec 30, 2017
This Book is a challenge, but in a good way.
Brilliant, haunting, breathtakingly suspenseful, Night Film is a superb literary thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster debut Special Topics in Calamity Physics.
On a damp October night, the body of young, beautiful Ashley Cordova is found in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. By all appearances her death is a suicide - but investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. Though much has been written about the dark and unsettling films of Ashley's father, Stanislas Cordova, very little is known about the man himself. As McGrath pieces together the mystery of Ashley's death, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of New York City and the twisted world of Stanislas Cordova, and he begins to wonder - is he the next victim?
This is a page turner that makes you want to be in the mystery. You will want to watch the Horror films yourself.
On a damp October night, the body of young, beautiful Ashley Cordova is found in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. By all appearances her death is a suicide - but investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. Though much has been written about the dark and unsettling films of Ashley's father, Stanislas Cordova, very little is known about the man himself. As McGrath pieces together the mystery of Ashley's death, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of New York City and the twisted world of Stanislas Cordova, and he begins to wonder - is he the next victim?
This is a page turner that makes you want to be in the mystery. You will want to watch the Horror films yourself.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Monsters (2010) in Movies
May 4, 2018
Whack
When a probe crash lands in Central America, large creatures form and begin to take over. Journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) is hired by his boss to find his daughter, who is stranded in Central America, and bring her home.
Acting: 8
Very strong performances from the two stars of the film. The acting was far from the problem here. It was everything else. Whitney Able plays Sam Wynden, the woman Andrew was hired to rescue. Her display of emotions are well-ranged and believable. You can feel her dismay, her fear as she moves from one scene to the next. Truly a talent that I enjoyed watching work in her craft.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 3
Conflict: 3
Genre: 0
Memorability: 2
Pace: 1
Plot: 7
Resolution: 5
Overall: 40
Nothing eventful really happens for the majority of the film. Like nothing. Not even exaggerating. I could rip this film apart, but you see the numbers. I don't need to waste my time. Don't waste yours either. Stay away from Monsters. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Acting: 8
Very strong performances from the two stars of the film. The acting was far from the problem here. It was everything else. Whitney Able plays Sam Wynden, the woman Andrew was hired to rescue. Her display of emotions are well-ranged and believable. You can feel her dismay, her fear as she moves from one scene to the next. Truly a talent that I enjoyed watching work in her craft.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 3
Conflict: 3
Genre: 0
Memorability: 2
Pace: 1
Plot: 7
Resolution: 5
Overall: 40
Nothing eventful really happens for the majority of the film. Like nothing. Not even exaggerating. I could rip this film apart, but you see the numbers. I don't need to waste my time. Don't waste yours either. Stay away from Monsters. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Passenger (Professione: reporter) (1975) in Movies
Apr 14, 2019 (Updated Apr 14, 2019)
Existential meditation on identity and purpose from Michelangelo Antonionioni. Jaded journalist (Nicholson) finds the man in the next hotel room has died and decides to switch identities with him and make a fresh start (they are in a remote part of Africa and he is a close lookalike, which makes this somewhat plausible). He soon discovers the man whose life he has stolen had secrets of his own, and finds himself hunted by people in search of both his identities.
A film about the desire to be reborn and also to destroy oneself. Or, possibly, just about Jack Nicholson having a somewhat premature mid-life crisis, walking out on his old life and acquiring a rather younger girlfriend (Schneider). Either way, Nicholson is on startlingly restrained and effective form (this was made back when he was a serious leading man), and there are some technically brilliant moments scattered throughout the film. It is always enjoyable to watch, even if it does seem sometimes that it is rather less profound and meaningful than the director thinks it is.
A film about the desire to be reborn and also to destroy oneself. Or, possibly, just about Jack Nicholson having a somewhat premature mid-life crisis, walking out on his old life and acquiring a rather younger girlfriend (Schneider). Either way, Nicholson is on startlingly restrained and effective form (this was made back when he was a serious leading man), and there are some technically brilliant moments scattered throughout the film. It is always enjoyable to watch, even if it does seem sometimes that it is rather less profound and meaningful than the director thinks it is.
Amy Curtis (49 KP) rated A Christmas Prince (2017) in Movies
Dec 23, 2018 (Updated Dec 30, 2018)
Jolly (1 more)
Easy watch
Standard Christmas film
Contains spoilers, click to show
What with Christmas just around the corner, I decided to give this a go. It's a lovely film to watch with the build up to Christmas. At times I felt like there wasn't much going on. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas so that could add to why I didn't score it as highly. The plot itself was very good and unique for a Christmas film. It features a young aspiring journalist, Amber who is about to marry a prince in Aldovia. When she arrives in the country she has to be aware of what she can and cannot do as the Queen to be. Prince Richard is under a lot of stress following his royal duties. It is soon discovered that money was being taken out of the royal account. I just felt that it was a bit obvious who was behind changing the figures and it could have had more of a build up. Overall a good film but don't make the same mistake I did and watch the second one first without realising!