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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Fifty Shades of Grey in Books
May 10, 2018
So I had to read this for myself after hearing all of the mixed reviews of it. I was thinking it was going to be a lot different. I could relate a lot to this book, which is why I think I liked it so much, but it had nothing to do with the BDSM or the sex. Just their relationship as a whole. I tend to be a generally shy person when it comes to the opposite sex, and so I could understand how it was difficult for Anastasia(ANA) to discuss her feelings with Christian and send them through email instead. I am the same way. I was intrigued by their relationship because I wanted to see if he was going to bend his rules for her. They both made compromises in who they were for the other, and isn't that what a relationship is about. So, now, I can't wait to see what happen next. Anyone got book 2 on Kindle I can borrow??
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Innocent (Will Robie #1) in Books
May 10, 2018
First let me say what an awesome audio book this was. You could hear the gunshots and explosions as they went off. Another part of this book, that really got me interested, was that it was set in the Washington, D.C. area. It's interesting to read a book and recognize the places that they are talking about.
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated The Flow of History in Tabletop Games
Apr 15, 2018
Multiple use cards (2 more)
Historical technologies
Good glory to Rome style art.
Flow of history has a lot to love.
Glory to Rome is out of print. And it’s rare to find a copy for sale for less that $200. Which is a lot for a small card game. This one searches the itch but is also different enough to be its own thing. On first play it feels less swingy than GTR. I really started to see how it worked about 1/2 way through. And wished I’d done things very differently. My friend backed it on Kickstarter and now I’m wishing I had too. This needs multiple plays to be sure I love it. But I go to game night to try new things and this delivered. Kudos to the designers for trying to fill a void while still making a new game.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Isle of Dogs (2018) in Movies
Feb 4, 2019
Brilliantly done
I'll be honest, except for Grand Budapest I'm not a massive fan of Wes Anderson. So I wasn't particularly bothered about this, and even more so after seeing the trailer when it was first released at the cinema - it just looked a little too weird. However I'm pleased to say that this was a surprisingly good film.
The best thing about this film is the execution. The stop motion is absolutely superb and truly flawless, it's beautiful to see stop motion made like this. And the voice cast too are brilliant. Unlike a lot of animated films, the entire cast fits perfectly and there aren't any voices that don't fit. The plot itself is interesting, dark and definitely not a kids film. It's also surprisingly funny in parts. Some of this gets a little "talky" at times and despite the short run time, the film feels a lot longer than it actually is. But it's still worth a watch for the stop motion alone.
The best thing about this film is the execution. The stop motion is absolutely superb and truly flawless, it's beautiful to see stop motion made like this. And the voice cast too are brilliant. Unlike a lot of animated films, the entire cast fits perfectly and there aren't any voices that don't fit. The plot itself is interesting, dark and definitely not a kids film. It's also surprisingly funny in parts. Some of this gets a little "talky" at times and despite the short run time, the film feels a lot longer than it actually is. But it's still worth a watch for the stop motion alone.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Death Of Stalin (2017) in Movies
Feb 10, 2019
Needs more Jason Isaacs
This film has one of the best ensemble casts I've seen in a long time. There are some fantastic actors in this from both sides of the pond, and there isn't a single one that I'd criticise. The film itself isn't hilarious, but it is pretty funny and raises quite a few laughs. Its an ingeniously satirical take on the death of Stalin, and I'd love to see similar historical events re-enacted in the same manner, as it'd make them a lot more entertaining. It flits from scene to scene very quickly & it can be a little difficult to follow what's going on, but I don't think that really matters. For me though, the best thing about this film was Jason Isaacs. His general with a Yorkshire accent was absolutely hilarious, and I just wish he'd been in this film a lot more, as I probably would've rated it higher if he was.
Jarom Solar Norris (177 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Feb 13, 2019 (Updated Feb 13, 2019)
You may have heard that Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is a cinematic marvel, a first-of-its-kind blockbuster that innovates on animated styles in incredible fashion. Not only does it do a bunch of crazy things that all work and look amazing, but a lot of it has been documented on Twitter. Just look at this: https://twitter.com/NickTyson/status/1076942124921151488
You can find a lot of cool stuff on the twitter of animator Nick Kondo, and even the composer Daniel Pemberton has written threads on how the movie was made, and that’s awesome. While watching the movie I had a thought strike me that “This kind of story could literally only be told in animation.” And everything it does is finely-crafted work, it makes you care about the characters just as much as the people making the movie did. We can all cross our fingers that it means we’ll be seeing more animated movies in the years to come.
You can find a lot of cool stuff on the twitter of animator Nick Kondo, and even the composer Daniel Pemberton has written threads on how the movie was made, and that’s awesome. While watching the movie I had a thought strike me that “This kind of story could literally only be told in animation.” And everything it does is finely-crafted work, it makes you care about the characters just as much as the people making the movie did. We can all cross our fingers that it means we’ll be seeing more animated movies in the years to come.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
Feb 17, 2019 (Updated Mar 29, 2020)
BB-8 (2 more)
Harrison Ford
Return to practical effects instead of an over excess of cgi
It's no coincidence that one of the earliest lines in the film is 'this will make everything right'.
The first Post-Disney acquisition film in the Star Wars saga, this one had a lot of expectation on its shoulders: it had to appease those who felt 'sold out' by the prequels (i.e. largely those who grew up with the originals) while also had to appeal to a whole new generation. In other words, it had quite a tightrope to walk.
A tightrope which, by and large, it does so successfully.
It's not perfect: JJ Abrams sets up a lot of questions which Rian Johnson would later deem irrelevant (in The Last Jedi), while elements of the plot are, shall we say, more than a little familiar, but by and large...
The first Post-Disney acquisition film in the Star Wars saga, this one had a lot of expectation on its shoulders: it had to appease those who felt 'sold out' by the prequels (i.e. largely those who grew up with the originals) while also had to appeal to a whole new generation. In other words, it had quite a tightrope to walk.
A tightrope which, by and large, it does so successfully.
It's not perfect: JJ Abrams sets up a lot of questions which Rian Johnson would later deem irrelevant (in The Last Jedi), while elements of the plot are, shall we say, more than a little familiar, but by and large...
Mo (66 KP) rated Scythe in Tabletop Games
Feb 20, 2019
Different mechanics each game (1 more)
Many different means to win
It is a good game over all
This was an interesting game. I had heard a lot of good stuff about it and had to try it. In the beginning I can say I hated it, there was nothing to really do and the game seemed overly complex. Later in the game I still looked at it unfavorably, winning combat was difficult and most of the game you are shepherded by the person who first manages to get to the main bit of land on the map. In the end I started to enjoy it, with the strategies which could come into play, actually sneaking in the points, and the multipliers for being a liked person in the game. This game has a lot of potential and I hope future expansions find a way to improve the experience
Awix (3310 KP) rated 3 Faces (2018) in Movies
May 19, 2019 (Updated May 19, 2019)
Low-octane comedy-drama from Iran, as a film director and an actress (both playing themselves) set off to learn the fate of a teenage girl who has sent them a series of troubling messages. And... they drive around a lot, meet various locals, hear a lot of stories not strictly relevant to their investigation, and so on.
I went to see this with a friend of Iranian extraction and at the end I asked him if there was some kind of subtle cultural subtext going on I wasn't picking up on. And he said no, this is just a film with not much going on in it. The pace is ambling, at best, the tone curiously laid-back (the closest thing to a plot twist comes when a prize stud bull hurts its leg); there may be something going on about cultural and generational divides within Iran, but if so it's very obliquely presented. Not unpleasant to watch, but the entertainment value is ambient.
I went to see this with a friend of Iranian extraction and at the end I asked him if there was some kind of subtle cultural subtext going on I wasn't picking up on. And he said no, this is just a film with not much going on in it. The pace is ambling, at best, the tone curiously laid-back (the closest thing to a plot twist comes when a prize stud bull hurts its leg); there may be something going on about cultural and generational divides within Iran, but if so it's very obliquely presented. Not unpleasant to watch, but the entertainment value is ambient.
Serena Marie (7 KP) rated milk and honey in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Heavy Subjects
I had a lot of of fun with this book. I've never been one that's into poetry. I have nothing against it, but I never gravitate towards it. I found Milk and Honey through a lot of posts on the internet. Snippets of the book are constantly on Pinterest and Instagram. When I loved some of those snips, I decided it was worth it to pick up the book. I ate through the book in one sitting. It had me happy. It had me hurting. It had me crying. It had me feeling strong. It's a really beautiful book. To me, it read very much like a story line. You could follow it from beginning to end. The note that it ends on it's really great. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who isn't necessarily a fan of poetry or isn't familiar with it. It feels like a good stepping stone into a modern take on poetry.