Search
Search results
Mad Skills BMX
Games and Sports
App
CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE: MAD SKILLS BMX IS OUT! Updated to make full use of the iPhone 5 screen. The...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
“It really doesn’t matter if you’re ‘Black or White”.
Due to a mixture of holiday, work commitments and sickness (I would not wish to inflict my bronchial cough on ANY cinema audience for a while) I haven’t been to the cinema in over a month… shocking. But it has given me a chance to catch up on some of the films in 2017 (and a few from last year) that I hadn’t got to see. So this will be the first of a series of such “DVD” reviews.
“Get Out” was written and directed by Jordan Peele and was his directorial debut. And a hot item on his resume it is too.
Daniel Kaluuya (“Sicario”) plays African-American Chris Washington who, nervously, takes a trip ‘upstate’ to meet the parents of his cute white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). The parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford, best known as Josh Lyman from “The West Wing”) and Missy (Catherine Keener, “ Captain Phillips”), are extremely welcoming.
But the weekend coincides with an “annual gathering” of family and friends, and events quickly take a left turn into “The Twilight Zone”, with anti-smoking hypnosis and a bizarre game of Bingo where the win is so substantial that playing becomes a ‘no brainer’. Can Chris ‘Get Out’, with his mind still intact, before it’s too late?
This is a really clever script by Peele. The film baits you into thinking this is some redneck-inter-racial-revenge flick, but actually the colour of the skin is almost irrelevant. (Or is it? This angle is left deliciously vague). Some of the filming is spectacularly creepy, with the hypnosis scene being reminiscent to me of the excellent “Under The Skin”. And never has a teaspoon in a cup of tea been a more devastating weapon.
I seemed to have talked at length this year in this blog on the subject of the “physics of horror”: the story elements hanging together in a satisfying – albeit sometimes in an unbelievable – way. “Get Out” delivers this to perfection, keeping its powder dry until the closing moments of the film before delivering a series of satisfying “Ah!” relevatory moments.
While the ‘physics’ of the film is good the ‘biology’ is bonkers, featuring a plot point from the terrible first episode of the 3rd season of the original “Star Trek” (if you can be bothered to look that up!). But I’ll forgive this, parking my incredulity, to salute what I think is one of the year’s most novel and impressive low-budget indie horror films.
“Get Out” was written and directed by Jordan Peele and was his directorial debut. And a hot item on his resume it is too.
Daniel Kaluuya (“Sicario”) plays African-American Chris Washington who, nervously, takes a trip ‘upstate’ to meet the parents of his cute white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). The parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford, best known as Josh Lyman from “The West Wing”) and Missy (Catherine Keener, “ Captain Phillips”), are extremely welcoming.
But the weekend coincides with an “annual gathering” of family and friends, and events quickly take a left turn into “The Twilight Zone”, with anti-smoking hypnosis and a bizarre game of Bingo where the win is so substantial that playing becomes a ‘no brainer’. Can Chris ‘Get Out’, with his mind still intact, before it’s too late?
This is a really clever script by Peele. The film baits you into thinking this is some redneck-inter-racial-revenge flick, but actually the colour of the skin is almost irrelevant. (Or is it? This angle is left deliciously vague). Some of the filming is spectacularly creepy, with the hypnosis scene being reminiscent to me of the excellent “Under The Skin”. And never has a teaspoon in a cup of tea been a more devastating weapon.
I seemed to have talked at length this year in this blog on the subject of the “physics of horror”: the story elements hanging together in a satisfying – albeit sometimes in an unbelievable – way. “Get Out” delivers this to perfection, keeping its powder dry until the closing moments of the film before delivering a series of satisfying “Ah!” relevatory moments.
While the ‘physics’ of the film is good the ‘biology’ is bonkers, featuring a plot point from the terrible first episode of the 3rd season of the original “Star Trek” (if you can be bothered to look that up!). But I’ll forgive this, parking my incredulity, to salute what I think is one of the year’s most novel and impressive low-budget indie horror films.
Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Grand Theft Auto V in Video Games
Jun 11, 2018
Trevor (3 more)
The story mode
Vehicle selection and vehicle physics
Size and diversity of the map
Let me cut the radio off as default in the cars (2 more)
Building skills in side quests - ehh...
Storyline economy
Trevor makes the game for me.
This is my favorite GTA game so far. I know that sounds ridiculous, of course it is, but I LOVE the story line in this one. There is something about the ease of moving between the main characters, their skill sets, and of course the way they interact, kept me wanting to move the story along and having to remember that I needed to do side quests for money and other things.
In particular, Trevor made the game for me. Steven Ogg is a tremendous actor and his voice being lent to the character of Trevor Phillips was perfect casting. I want a pre-GTA5 game where I get to play as Trevor for the whole game.
The multiplayer is my stumbling block. I like it, I get the attraction, but it has not hooked me. I have played a little in it, I enjoy the race series but that is about all.
I am looking forward to the next GTA game already.
In particular, Trevor made the game for me. Steven Ogg is a tremendous actor and his voice being lent to the character of Trevor Phillips was perfect casting. I want a pre-GTA5 game where I get to play as Trevor for the whole game.
The multiplayer is my stumbling block. I like it, I get the attraction, but it has not hooked me. I have played a little in it, I enjoy the race series but that is about all.
I am looking forward to the next GTA game already.
David McK (3369 KP) rated Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
While I doubt this novel is going to win any awards for literature, I have to say that it is a good enough read: not brilliant, but not terrible either.
Written by a ex-navy man, it's easy to see the influnece of his career in the pages: this is 'real' science-fiction, not science-fantasy, with the space battles obeying the laws of physics as we know them. The plot outline is also somewhat remniscient of the new series of BattleStar Galactica, with a smaller rag-tag force being chased by a numerically superior foe. Ironically, this book was first released at around the same time as that series came on TV, with (in this edition) the author claiming that that WAS NOT an inspiration (in the interview at the end), as if he'd been thinking of BSG it woud've been the older series.
With the way the book opens I must also admit that, at first, I thought I'd missed something: the best corollary I can think of is as if the film Aliens (that's the one with the 'S') had started without the whole prologue of them finding Ripleys life pod: you'd be able to infer what had happened, but would be feeling a bit lost at first.
Written by a ex-navy man, it's easy to see the influnece of his career in the pages: this is 'real' science-fiction, not science-fantasy, with the space battles obeying the laws of physics as we know them. The plot outline is also somewhat remniscient of the new series of BattleStar Galactica, with a smaller rag-tag force being chased by a numerically superior foe. Ironically, this book was first released at around the same time as that series came on TV, with (in this edition) the author claiming that that WAS NOT an inspiration (in the interview at the end), as if he'd been thinking of BSG it woud've been the older series.
With the way the book opens I must also admit that, at first, I thought I'd missed something: the best corollary I can think of is as if the film Aliens (that's the one with the 'S') had started without the whole prologue of them finding Ripleys life pod: you'd be able to infer what had happened, but would be feeling a bit lost at first.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Science of Discworld in Books
Nov 25, 2019
If there was an award for most misleadingly titled book, this would on the shortlist. Not only is it most definitely not about the science of Discworld, it is also not some sort of shameless cash-in on a well-loved author.
What this book is, then, is a 'popular science' book, dressed up with some (typically amusing) interludes featuring the wizards of Unseen University as they try to understand how our world can work without magic and stories. Pratchett was always keen to educate, and here he tries to condense science into a single volume, using co-authors and science writers Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen to do the hard lifting of explaining the basics and discoveries of physics, chemistry and biology.
The authors try to explain how everything really works, although they do acknowledge there is bound to be simplification (or 'lies to children') as some of the concepts are hugely complex. But it never gets boring or too difficult to read.
A superb book for anyone who just wants to understand a little bit more about science. And I still use the space elevator analogy to this day. A gem of a book, shame about the title.
What this book is, then, is a 'popular science' book, dressed up with some (typically amusing) interludes featuring the wizards of Unseen University as they try to understand how our world can work without magic and stories. Pratchett was always keen to educate, and here he tries to condense science into a single volume, using co-authors and science writers Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen to do the hard lifting of explaining the basics and discoveries of physics, chemistry and biology.
The authors try to explain how everything really works, although they do acknowledge there is bound to be simplification (or 'lies to children') as some of the concepts are hugely complex. But it never gets boring or too difficult to read.
A superb book for anyone who just wants to understand a little bit more about science. And I still use the space elevator analogy to this day. A gem of a book, shame about the title.
Dean (6925 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 5, 2020 (Updated Mar 5, 2020)
Great acting (1 more)
Fresh twist on a classic
The invisible enemy
The first thing I thought of when I saw the trailer for this was it reminded me of @Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) To be honest it has more in common with that classic thriller than other invisible man films. The opening sequence is very similar and I assume inspired by it. The acting is very good as our victim of domestic violence goes through an entire range of emotions with many thinking she is crazy. The SFX scenes are pretty good and look believable. I only noticed after this is billed as a Horror. There are a couple of jump scares and some bloody scenes but it definitely fits a Thriller more closely.
The only down side is some of the science in some scenes just wouldn't make sense in real life, rain hitting a solid object etc.
Must add the score really added to the intensity of many scenes and created a sense of being on a knife edge.
Overall a good enjoyable film. If you like a mix of thriller, with a Sci-fi angle and especially a fan of sleeping with the Enemy, you'll find this a nice surprise.
The only down side is some of the science in some scenes just wouldn't make sense in real life, rain hitting a solid object etc.
Must add the score really added to the intensity of many scenes and created a sense of being on a knife edge.
Overall a good enjoyable film. If you like a mix of thriller, with a Sci-fi angle and especially a fan of sleeping with the Enemy, you'll find this a nice surprise.
Cat-A-Pult: Endless stacking of 8-bit kittens
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
What do you say? You’ve never tried to build a huge tower of cute 8-bit cats before in your life? ...
Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel
Jason Padgett and Maureen Seaberg
Book
Jason Padgett was an ordinary, not terribly bright, 41-year-old working in his father's furniture...
Henri Poincare: A Biography Through the Daily Papers
Jean-Marc Ginoux and Christian Gerini
Book
On July 17, 2012, the centenary of Henri Poincare's death was commemorated; his name being...
Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice
Cormac Cullinan and Thomas Berry
Book
Wild Law fuses politics, legal theory, quantum physics and ancient wisdom into a fascinating story....