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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Die Hard (1988) in Movies
Nov 30, 2019
Peak action
I am absolutely incapable of understanding why anyone wouldn't like Die Hard. It's level of adoration is there for a reason.
The plot is simple and brilliant - When New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to meet his wife at her company Christmas party in Los Angeles, he is unwittingly caught in a hostage situation when the building is seized by terrorists, lead by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). With the help of a police Sgt. on the outside (Reginald VelJohnson), McClane takes it upon himself to save his wife, and take down Gruber.
Die Hard takes a little while to set up, as we're intorduced to all the key characters, and it takes a while for everyone to catch on to what is happening. However, when the action starts, it's literally non stop. The practical effects, and fantastic stunt work make the action scenes a stand out of the genre, and they still stand up today.
The script is hugely corny at times, but is pulled off with aplomb by Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. John McClane is one of the most likable protagonists in cinema history. He's calm, badass, and stands up for what is right. It's hard to imagine anyone else but Willis pulling off some of his one liners.
Equally, Hans Gruber is one of the most likable bad guys in cinema history. He's ruthless, yet charming, and gives John a proper hard time.
Most importantly, Die Hard is just stupidly entertaining. What was released initially as another action film of the decade, with a then relatively unknown Bruce Willis, quickly became a legitimate classic.
The plot is simple and brilliant - When New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to meet his wife at her company Christmas party in Los Angeles, he is unwittingly caught in a hostage situation when the building is seized by terrorists, lead by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). With the help of a police Sgt. on the outside (Reginald VelJohnson), McClane takes it upon himself to save his wife, and take down Gruber.
Die Hard takes a little while to set up, as we're intorduced to all the key characters, and it takes a while for everyone to catch on to what is happening. However, when the action starts, it's literally non stop. The practical effects, and fantastic stunt work make the action scenes a stand out of the genre, and they still stand up today.
The script is hugely corny at times, but is pulled off with aplomb by Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. John McClane is one of the most likable protagonists in cinema history. He's calm, badass, and stands up for what is right. It's hard to imagine anyone else but Willis pulling off some of his one liners.
Equally, Hans Gruber is one of the most likable bad guys in cinema history. He's ruthless, yet charming, and gives John a proper hard time.
Most importantly, Die Hard is just stupidly entertaining. What was released initially as another action film of the decade, with a then relatively unknown Bruce Willis, quickly became a legitimate classic.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated A Parfait Murder in Books
Dec 9, 2019
Can Tally Clear Her Cousin of the Parfait Crime?
The country fair is in fully swing, and Tully Jones is hopping between her ice cream store and the booth she’s set up at the fair. Things get even more complicated when her cousin Bree’s ex-husband Sonny walks back into town after fifteen years. Bree is considering going after him for years of back child support, but before that can happen, he slaps her with a paternity suit, trying to claim that Alice isn’t really his daughter. The next day, Sonny’s lawyer is shot inside the haunted rodeo attraction at the fair, and the only other person in the ride is Bree. Tally can’t believe her cousin would do something like this, and Bree flat out denies it. But who else could it have been?
This is a great third book in the series. I loved the twist on the locked room puzzle presented here. There are several good suspects and clues that kept me reading as Tully worked to match the right suspect with the ability to pull off the crime. I also love the characters. Tully and her family are strong, and their relationships go through quite a bit here. I appreciate the growth it showed us for them. Naturally, the suspects are just as strong. I also appreciated that the characters understood why the police were focusing on Bree. They disagreed, but they worked to change their minds. Naturally, as an ice cream lover, I also enjoyed the ice cream descriptions. The book left me smiling and yearning for ice cream.
This is a great third book in the series. I loved the twist on the locked room puzzle presented here. There are several good suspects and clues that kept me reading as Tully worked to match the right suspect with the ability to pull off the crime. I also love the characters. Tully and her family are strong, and their relationships go through quite a bit here. I appreciate the growth it showed us for them. Naturally, the suspects are just as strong. I also appreciated that the characters understood why the police were focusing on Bree. They disagreed, but they worked to change their minds. Naturally, as an ice cream lover, I also enjoyed the ice cream descriptions. The book left me smiling and yearning for ice cream.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Body of Ash (Victoria Cage Necromancer #3) in Books
Jan 26, 2020
Fab series
Contains spoilers, click to show
Fire, fire, burning higher, fairy better fight.
Victoria’s a necromancer, fairy, Blood Queen… hot freaking mess. Her identity is so twisted up in supernatural nonsense, that all she wants to do is go back to embalming bodies and coffin brochures. Being in love should make things easier, but when your beau’s a bear and you’ve got a fairy suitor waiting in the wings, romance is just another complication.
While preparing the victims of a tragic fire for their funerals, Victoria discovers that their deaths were not accidents, as the police have ruled. Soon, she’s hot on the trail of a Firestarter who’s been scorching their way through the surrounding counties. It’s about more than murder and flame, though.
Bodies with their hearts missing. A dark coven. And a gate to hell.
It’s not long before Victoria goes from the hunter, to the hunted. But she’ll do whatever it takes to bring the arsonist to justice—even if that means getting a few burns along the way.
I love this series!!
Body of ash we rejoin Tori as she battles to stop killer arsonists and a hellmouth being opened. Tori is struggling to keep out of fey politics as well staying of the radar as a necromancer. Her personal relationships with Kyle and Liam are getting harder to seperate when she relies on Liam and the fey to save Kyle's life. Also things with Terrance the detective becomes a little bit strained when he realises the damage magic has done this time. I almost cried as we watched Tori home and family business burn.
Really good series!
Recommended
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Victoria’s a necromancer, fairy, Blood Queen… hot freaking mess. Her identity is so twisted up in supernatural nonsense, that all she wants to do is go back to embalming bodies and coffin brochures. Being in love should make things easier, but when your beau’s a bear and you’ve got a fairy suitor waiting in the wings, romance is just another complication.
While preparing the victims of a tragic fire for their funerals, Victoria discovers that their deaths were not accidents, as the police have ruled. Soon, she’s hot on the trail of a Firestarter who’s been scorching their way through the surrounding counties. It’s about more than murder and flame, though.
Bodies with their hearts missing. A dark coven. And a gate to hell.
It’s not long before Victoria goes from the hunter, to the hunted. But she’ll do whatever it takes to bring the arsonist to justice—even if that means getting a few burns along the way.
I love this series!!
Body of ash we rejoin Tori as she battles to stop killer arsonists and a hellmouth being opened. Tori is struggling to keep out of fey politics as well staying of the radar as a necromancer. Her personal relationships with Kyle and Liam are getting harder to seperate when she relies on Liam and the fey to save Kyle's life. Also things with Terrance the detective becomes a little bit strained when he realises the damage magic has done this time. I almost cried as we watched Tori home and family business burn.
Really good series!
Recommended
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated “P” is for Peril in Books
Jan 18, 2020
Missing Doctor Leads Kinsey to Peril
Nine weeks ago, Dr. Dowan Purcell vanished without a trace. Now, his ex-wife, Fiona, has hired PI Kinsey Millhone to figure out what happened to him. Kinsey isn’t sure she can cover any ground that the police haven’t already covered because they have been as thorough as they can be, but she gamely agrees anyway. Soon, she is caught in a web of speculation. It seems everyone has a theory, from Fiona to Dr. Purcell’s current wife, Crystal, to family and friends. But can Kinsey find any clue to figure out what actually happened to him?
The mystery starts well as always, and I was soon caught up in the case. There is a very strong sub-plot that helped draw me further into the story. I love Kinsey and the other regulars, so it is always fun to spend time with them, and the new characters are just as strong. Even the weather, a cold November rain, helped add the right atmosphere to the book. Then I got to the ending. The book just stops. It’s very abrupt. While I have a theory on what happened and why, it would have been nice to have it confirmed, especially since I can come up with another equally as compelling theory on what happened and why. These kinds of endings work for literary novels, but are frustrating for mystery readers. Fans of the series will still be glad they read this entry, but new readers definitely shouldn’t jump in here since there are stronger books in the series.
The mystery starts well as always, and I was soon caught up in the case. There is a very strong sub-plot that helped draw me further into the story. I love Kinsey and the other regulars, so it is always fun to spend time with them, and the new characters are just as strong. Even the weather, a cold November rain, helped add the right atmosphere to the book. Then I got to the ending. The book just stops. It’s very abrupt. While I have a theory on what happened and why, it would have been nice to have it confirmed, especially since I can come up with another equally as compelling theory on what happened and why. These kinds of endings work for literary novels, but are frustrating for mystery readers. Fans of the series will still be glad they read this entry, but new readers definitely shouldn’t jump in here since there are stronger books in the series.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Grabbers (2012) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Fun Creature Feature
388. Grabbers. Aliens attack Ireland, must be for the women. One night off the coast of Ireland a piece of a meteor comes crashing down into the ocean, and with it, a multi-legged mouth essentially that seems to just eat anything alive that gets in the way, and its making its way to land. Story centers on a small fishing town that's about to be invaded, and the two police taking care of it. As with many stories of small Irish towns, most of the population are drunk, racists, oh wait, it's made by the Irish, so it's ok then. The two officers, O'Shea, an alcoholic, suffering from the past, and Lisa, who is there only temporarily and takes her job seriously... of course. They clash, they flirt, O'Shea gets jealous when investigating the creatures they visit a scientist dude that isn't shy about flirting with Lisa. So after a few attacks, randomly around, they come to the conclusion that they won't attack you if you're intoxicated, tho there is no evidence of this at all, except that the town's biggest drunk has survived, hmm. So the plan is to round up the town folk in the bar, get drunk, and wait for reinforcements. It was an amusing movie, definitely fits into the 'B-Movie' variety. Like I said though, the alcohol thing, only seems to work when the story needed it too, plenty of tipsy people were getting turned into snacks, then again it's not really a movie you have to think all that much about, my bad. Enjoy. Filmbufftim on FB
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Silent House in Books
Mar 14, 2020
A pretty good debut
This is a pretty good debut thriller from this author and one which is fairly unique given that it focuses on the deaf community. I say pretty good and not excellent because I found it a little tedious in parts.
The story starts well with the gruesome discovery of the body of little Lexi ... she has been brutally murdered in her own bed but in a house inhabited by a family of deaf people, no one heard a thing. Paige is called as an interpreter for the Police but on finding out she has a connection to the family, rather than distance herself, she becomes embroiled in the investigation leading to her receiving threats herself. Sounds good right? Well yes, overall it is but it just takes a while to get there.
The characters are ok but a little one-dimensional. The pace was good in part but there were quite large sections of dialogue where nothing much happened when I found myself skim-reading, which is never a good sign. The real winner here is the glimpse into the life of the deaf community which, not being deaf myself, was a real eye opener and clearly the author knows what she's talking about.
Not the best book I've ever read but certainly not the worst either and I would recommend it to others if only to get a little insight into the challenges faced by the deaf on a daily basis.
My thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The story starts well with the gruesome discovery of the body of little Lexi ... she has been brutally murdered in her own bed but in a house inhabited by a family of deaf people, no one heard a thing. Paige is called as an interpreter for the Police but on finding out she has a connection to the family, rather than distance herself, she becomes embroiled in the investigation leading to her receiving threats herself. Sounds good right? Well yes, overall it is but it just takes a while to get there.
The characters are ok but a little one-dimensional. The pace was good in part but there were quite large sections of dialogue where nothing much happened when I found myself skim-reading, which is never a good sign. The real winner here is the glimpse into the life of the deaf community which, not being deaf myself, was a real eye opener and clearly the author knows what she's talking about.
Not the best book I've ever read but certainly not the worst either and I would recommend it to others if only to get a little insight into the challenges faced by the deaf on a daily basis.
My thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated Past Crimes in Books
Feb 13, 2020
Captivating Debut
Army ranger Van Shaw hasn’t been home in ten years, and he has no plans to return until he gets a letter from his estranged grandfather, the man who raised him, asking him to return. Van arrives to find his grandfather on the floor bleeding from a very recent gunshot wound. Van knows he is the best person to find out what happened to his grandfather. The man made his living as a thief, something he was training Van in until Van turned his back on that life and joined the army. But Van still knows the old man’s friends, and they might tell him things they wouldn’t tell the police. Can he use his contacts to find out what happened?
This book is definitely darker than my typical cozies, but I knew that when I picked it up. While I didn’t find the violence or sex excessive, I did feel the foul language could have been toned down some. The plot was a little slow to hook me, and some flashbacks to Van’s childhood didn’t really help that feeling. However, I did get hooked and was along for the twists, turns, and action sequences we got. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the end. The characters are all solid, which helps. I don’t normally like rooting for criminals, but since Van is reformed, it is easy to root for him. The rest are very real and I enjoyed getting to know them. I’m glad I gave this debut a chance, and I definitely plan to move on to the next in the series.
This book is definitely darker than my typical cozies, but I knew that when I picked it up. While I didn’t find the violence or sex excessive, I did feel the foul language could have been toned down some. The plot was a little slow to hook me, and some flashbacks to Van’s childhood didn’t really help that feeling. However, I did get hooked and was along for the twists, turns, and action sequences we got. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the end. The characters are all solid, which helps. I don’t normally like rooting for criminals, but since Van is reformed, it is easy to root for him. The rest are very real and I enjoyed getting to know them. I’m glad I gave this debut a chance, and I definitely plan to move on to the next in the series.
Sisters, Secrets and Sacrifice: The True Story of WWII Special Agents Eileen and Jacqueline Nearne
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Two sisters. Two special agents. One War. Sisters, Secrets and Sacrifice is the incredible true...
Sudan Days
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Sudan Days gives a grass roots picture of British colonial rule in Africa in the second quarter of...
Bodies in the Back Garden: True Stories of Brutal Murders Close to Home
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For the killer, there is always the problem of getting rid of the body. Muswell Hill murderer Dennis...
Andy K (10823 KP) Nov 30, 2019