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Cumberland (1142 KP) rated Indivisible (2018) in Movies
Nov 10, 2018
Great faith based movie
I was really looking forward to this movie when I saw the trailer. It has a few cast members that play in Grey's Anatomy, and their characters had similar personalities. I love the actors and they did a great job.
This movie is based on a true story about a military chaplain and his family. The film did a great job showing the families struggles, and how the family dynamics changed before and after deployment. I was worried that since it is a religious based movie that they would attempt to pray away PTSD or other mental health issues. I was happy to see that they didn't do that instead other characters encourage those In need to seek help. Over all I think it was a very real protrayel of the struggles military families go through. I would suggest this movie to other people who enjoy a tear jerker.
This movie is based on a true story about a military chaplain and his family. The film did a great job showing the families struggles, and how the family dynamics changed before and after deployment. I was worried that since it is a religious based movie that they would attempt to pray away PTSD or other mental health issues. I was happy to see that they didn't do that instead other characters encourage those In need to seek help. Over all I think it was a very real protrayel of the struggles military families go through. I would suggest this movie to other people who enjoy a tear jerker.
Joally (1 KP) rated the PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in Video Games
Jan 30, 2019
Visuals (5 more)
Mechanics
Characters
Quests
Quality
Free to roam
Glitches (1 more)
Voice actors
Too good to miss!
The game starts at the main quest where the MC (main character) is about to be executed when a dragon appears within the village. It is very instructive as to your controls and how you play the game. I found it relatively easy and I was a beginner to gaming at this point. The story progressed as does the side quests. Characters are almost fledged as if they could be real and there are things in the game which you can have your MC marry an NPC and build your own house etc. It is truly a work of art. There are glitches which make the game frustrating, the combat is simple and easily boring, and they reuse the same voice actors for many of the characters which makes it unbelievable in some cases. Other than that.. Skyrim is beautifully made. (It says PS3 cause there was no PS4 option)
Lowri Catryn (229 KP) rated Tau (2018) in Movies
Jan 24, 2020
Plot (1 more)
Emotional
A weird, but emotionally gripping movie.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I watched this when it first came out in 2018... at first I almost switched over as I thought it could be another cheaply made movie, with unknown actors. It took a while to get into it and also I found it slightly frustrating. However, the movie did play with my emotions and next thing I know I'm pulled in and gripped by the relationship between Julia and Tau. At first we explore the frightening and negative side of Tau and learn how powerful the AI actually is. But then towards the end we got to know the good Tau and the beautiful bond between him and Julia. I honestly started to wish that there was a real man behind Tau, unveiled to have a happy ending with Julie. Not much I can recall, but I certainly recall crying at the end for the sacrifice Tau had made for Julia.
Merissa (11800 KP) rated The Playmaker (Big Play, #1) in Books
Jan 17, 2019 (Updated May 31, 2023)
The Playmaker (Big Play #1) by Jordan Ford
This is an awesome début for Jordan Ford - it has everything here that a Young Adult Contemporary Romance should have. Tori and Colt are both fantastic characters, with enough quirks to make them interesting and 'real'. Of course, the miscommunication and confusion lead to some amazing scenes, that will make you laugh and wince at the same time.
Well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I could see, this book was a delight to read from the first page to the last. I loved the different characters and situations that were brought into it. I honestly can't wait for more! Absolutely and definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 22, 2016
Well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I could see, this book was a delight to read from the first page to the last. I loved the different characters and situations that were brought into it. I honestly can't wait for more! Absolutely and definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 22, 2016
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated Othello in Books
May 3, 2018
I'm not going to lie - the main reason I like Othello so much is circumstantial.
See, when I was seventeen, my brothers and I had to move to a completely different state. I was going into my senior year, and my new school didn't offer a real Honors English class for seniors - the only option available to me would have been to go into AP English which, in that particular school, would have ONLY prepared me to take the AP exam. It wasn't actually an English class.
I wasn't very enthusiastic about that fact, so I was put into a tiny 11th grade Honors English class instead. (There were ten of us - eight girls, and two boys.)
Things went fairly well, considering, until we came to the Shakespeare semester. The play the teacher chose was [b:Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351051208s/1420.jpg|1885548].
I'd spent a semester and a half on Hamlet when I was in 11th grade, so I was already weary when the choice was made. After the first few days of reading the play aloud in class resulted in an entire five lines of Hamlet being covered, I was desperate. For the first time ever, I was ready to bash my head into my desk in an English class in order to relieve the boredom.
I approached my English teacher, and explained that I'd already done Hamlet, and the slow pace the class was taking wasn't really working for me. I offered to read another Shakespeare play in place of Hamlet, and said that I'd even still take the Hamlet test at the end of the semester to prove that I was serious. Because he was an awesome English teacher, he agreed, and told me to just get back to him to let him know which play I was going to read on my own.
Guess which one I picked?
Compared to retreading Hamlet for the seventh time, Othello was a breath of fresh air. Othello saved my brain that semester.
In light of that, I absolutely adored Othello.
*shrugs*
Like I said, completely circumstantial. I'll have to reread it at some point, to see how it holds up when it isn't the only thing standing between me and three months of mind-numbing boredom.
See, when I was seventeen, my brothers and I had to move to a completely different state. I was going into my senior year, and my new school didn't offer a real Honors English class for seniors - the only option available to me would have been to go into AP English which, in that particular school, would have ONLY prepared me to take the AP exam. It wasn't actually an English class.
I wasn't very enthusiastic about that fact, so I was put into a tiny 11th grade Honors English class instead. (There were ten of us - eight girls, and two boys.)
Things went fairly well, considering, until we came to the Shakespeare semester. The play the teacher chose was [b:Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351051208s/1420.jpg|1885548].
I'd spent a semester and a half on Hamlet when I was in 11th grade, so I was already weary when the choice was made. After the first few days of reading the play aloud in class resulted in an entire five lines of Hamlet being covered, I was desperate. For the first time ever, I was ready to bash my head into my desk in an English class in order to relieve the boredom.
I approached my English teacher, and explained that I'd already done Hamlet, and the slow pace the class was taking wasn't really working for me. I offered to read another Shakespeare play in place of Hamlet, and said that I'd even still take the Hamlet test at the end of the semester to prove that I was serious. Because he was an awesome English teacher, he agreed, and told me to just get back to him to let him know which play I was going to read on my own.
Guess which one I picked?
Compared to retreading Hamlet for the seventh time, Othello was a breath of fresh air. Othello saved my brain that semester.
In light of that, I absolutely adored Othello.
*shrugs*
Like I said, completely circumstantial. I'll have to reread it at some point, to see how it holds up when it isn't the only thing standing between me and three months of mind-numbing boredom.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Hungry Hungry Hippos in Tabletop Games
Jul 1, 2020
I’m reviewing Hungy Hungry Hippos? Really? Who hasn’t played Hungy Hungry Hippos?! Well, my 3-year-old son, for one. And my 8-month-old daughter for two. So this one goes out to all the young’ns and those who have never had the chance to actually play this game.
Ok so let me explain this game in great detail so that anyone may grab this and get playing. Setup the hippos around the board/disc/pool area. Fill up the marble wells with marbles (food for the hangry hippos). Choose a hippo to jockey. You are now setup.
So there aren’t really turns as everyone is playing simultaneously and marbles are going to be bouncing all over the board once launched into play. Your goal: eat as many marbles as you can until the marbles are all gone. Then count up your haul to determine the winner. Like, that’s it.
Components. Actually, the components in this one are really really good. I mean, you press a lever on the hippo’s butt (the tail maybe?) and it extends the head piece, comically, toward the center of the arena to gobble up delicious marble chow. The version we have all stores neatly together and fits in the box (YAY!) very well. I have zero complaints about the components. Well, okay, one complaint – but it’s NOT the game’s fault… is it? The marbles are wee and are definitely a choking hazard. So please please please be careful around children or dumb pets who may want to chomp them.
Though I have written this review in jest thus far as a game reviewer, the real reason I am putting this out there is because my son, age 3, absolutely loves this game. So much that I oftentimes am not allowed to actually press my hippo-butt-lever so that he may get all the marbles for himself. But, he’s having fun with board games and with his family. If that’s not the point of why people play games – to have fun and bond with people – then I do not know why people play games. This is a silly one, yes, but you have to have a few of these in your collection to just be crazy with the kids. So if you see it on the shelf, looking lonely, please pick up a copy. Your young ones will love it. I promise.
Ok so let me explain this game in great detail so that anyone may grab this and get playing. Setup the hippos around the board/disc/pool area. Fill up the marble wells with marbles (food for the hangry hippos). Choose a hippo to jockey. You are now setup.
So there aren’t really turns as everyone is playing simultaneously and marbles are going to be bouncing all over the board once launched into play. Your goal: eat as many marbles as you can until the marbles are all gone. Then count up your haul to determine the winner. Like, that’s it.
Components. Actually, the components in this one are really really good. I mean, you press a lever on the hippo’s butt (the tail maybe?) and it extends the head piece, comically, toward the center of the arena to gobble up delicious marble chow. The version we have all stores neatly together and fits in the box (YAY!) very well. I have zero complaints about the components. Well, okay, one complaint – but it’s NOT the game’s fault… is it? The marbles are wee and are definitely a choking hazard. So please please please be careful around children or dumb pets who may want to chomp them.
Though I have written this review in jest thus far as a game reviewer, the real reason I am putting this out there is because my son, age 3, absolutely loves this game. So much that I oftentimes am not allowed to actually press my hippo-butt-lever so that he may get all the marbles for himself. But, he’s having fun with board games and with his family. If that’s not the point of why people play games – to have fun and bond with people – then I do not know why people play games. This is a silly one, yes, but you have to have a few of these in your collection to just be crazy with the kids. So if you see it on the shelf, looking lonely, please pick up a copy. Your young ones will love it. I promise.
Gaz Coombes recommended Africa Basil by Jorge in Music (curated)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dinosaur Island in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
In Dinosaur Island, you have successfully created a theme park of the Jurassic variety (see what I did there?), and are now tasked with managing and supervising the day-to-day operations. Think “Zoo Tycoon” on steroids. You have to collect new DNA, upgrade your facilities, build new attractions, hire specialists, oversee your workers, and create new dinosaurs to populate your park! Make sure you manage your resources wisely for maximum benefit, and keep a close eye on the security of your park to ensure the safety of your guests! The goal is to create and maintain the most successful dinosaur park!
DISCLAIMER: An expansion exists for Dinosaur Island, and I do own it, but I have yet to incorporate it into my games. Once I get some experience with the expansion, I will either amend this review or address it in a separate post! -L
Let me first begin this review by saying that there is A LOT going on in this game. Seriously, a lot. And it can be pretty overwhelming at first. But one thing I cannot praise enough about Dinosaur Island is its rulebook. It’s kind of hefty, but it is so detailed and clear (with numerous examples) that I understood how to play the game on my first read-through. And sometimes with games that have so many moving elements, total understanding from the get-go can be rare, for me especially. The excellent rulebook makes a seemingly daunting game not so scary. I always keep the rulebook on hand when I play (just to be safe!), but once I got the hang of all of the steps, I don’t really need to refer back to it anymore!
As a solo game, Dinosaur Island plays very similarly as it does in group play with a few minor differences. For one, no regular Objective cards are used – instead you use a set of specified Solo Objective cards. Next, to simulate player interaction during the Research and Market Phases, the solo player draws a card from an AI deck and eliminates the options/discards the resources listed on the card – this mimics group play in the sense that turn order changes every round and you do not always get your first pick during these phases. The remaining 2 Phases (Worker and Park) occur simultaneously and involve no player interaction, so those are played as normal. One final difference between group and solo play is that the solo player can choose to play without Plot Twist cards. A solo game is played over the course of 7 total rounds, and the overall goal of the game remains the same – amass the most Victory Points.
The trickiest part of playing Dinosaur Island solo, for me, has to do with the Solo Objectives. You have 7 Solo Objectives to be completed throughout the game, and they reward Victory Points based on the round in which they were completed – finishing objectives in earlier rounds yields a higher number of points. If you are unable to complete any objective in a given round, you must discard one (of your choice) at the end of that round. The hard thing is that depending on which objectives are currently in play, it can be difficult to complete one each round to earn those points. Some things take time (and a couple of rounds) to be able to complete – like “Reach a threat level of 15.” If you have multiple long-term objectives in play, they can really limit the number of points you can earn from them. A nice mix of objectives (both short-term and long-term) can help balance out the game a little more, but it’s ultimately a luck of the draw.
One positive thing I can say about the objectives, though, is that they really force you to come up with a multi-faceted strategy. Depending on which objectives are in play, you have to decide on a logical strategy and order in which to complete them for maximum points. You can’t just focus on one objective – you also need to be setting yourself up to complete future objectives. I never feel like I’m just going through the motions because I always need to be thinking ahead to my future rounds.
The thing I really like about Dinosaur Island as a solo game is that it is still extremely engaging. I’m not a huge fan of “Beat your own personal best” solo games, but this one keeps me so involved that I don’t mind the fact that there’s no real ‘winner.’ Since a group game doesn’t involve that much player interaction anyway, Dinosaur Island doesn’t really even necessarily feel like a solo game. Every play requires a different strategy, and that makes it feel like a new game every time. If you enjoy Dinosaur Island in a group setting, give it a try as a solo game. There’s really not much of a gameplay difference, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/solo-chronicles-dinosaur-island/
In Dinosaur Island, you have successfully created a theme park of the Jurassic variety (see what I did there?), and are now tasked with managing and supervising the day-to-day operations. Think “Zoo Tycoon” on steroids. You have to collect new DNA, upgrade your facilities, build new attractions, hire specialists, oversee your workers, and create new dinosaurs to populate your park! Make sure you manage your resources wisely for maximum benefit, and keep a close eye on the security of your park to ensure the safety of your guests! The goal is to create and maintain the most successful dinosaur park!
DISCLAIMER: An expansion exists for Dinosaur Island, and I do own it, but I have yet to incorporate it into my games. Once I get some experience with the expansion, I will either amend this review or address it in a separate post! -L
Let me first begin this review by saying that there is A LOT going on in this game. Seriously, a lot. And it can be pretty overwhelming at first. But one thing I cannot praise enough about Dinosaur Island is its rulebook. It’s kind of hefty, but it is so detailed and clear (with numerous examples) that I understood how to play the game on my first read-through. And sometimes with games that have so many moving elements, total understanding from the get-go can be rare, for me especially. The excellent rulebook makes a seemingly daunting game not so scary. I always keep the rulebook on hand when I play (just to be safe!), but once I got the hang of all of the steps, I don’t really need to refer back to it anymore!
As a solo game, Dinosaur Island plays very similarly as it does in group play with a few minor differences. For one, no regular Objective cards are used – instead you use a set of specified Solo Objective cards. Next, to simulate player interaction during the Research and Market Phases, the solo player draws a card from an AI deck and eliminates the options/discards the resources listed on the card – this mimics group play in the sense that turn order changes every round and you do not always get your first pick during these phases. The remaining 2 Phases (Worker and Park) occur simultaneously and involve no player interaction, so those are played as normal. One final difference between group and solo play is that the solo player can choose to play without Plot Twist cards. A solo game is played over the course of 7 total rounds, and the overall goal of the game remains the same – amass the most Victory Points.
The trickiest part of playing Dinosaur Island solo, for me, has to do with the Solo Objectives. You have 7 Solo Objectives to be completed throughout the game, and they reward Victory Points based on the round in which they were completed – finishing objectives in earlier rounds yields a higher number of points. If you are unable to complete any objective in a given round, you must discard one (of your choice) at the end of that round. The hard thing is that depending on which objectives are currently in play, it can be difficult to complete one each round to earn those points. Some things take time (and a couple of rounds) to be able to complete – like “Reach a threat level of 15.” If you have multiple long-term objectives in play, they can really limit the number of points you can earn from them. A nice mix of objectives (both short-term and long-term) can help balance out the game a little more, but it’s ultimately a luck of the draw.
One positive thing I can say about the objectives, though, is that they really force you to come up with a multi-faceted strategy. Depending on which objectives are in play, you have to decide on a logical strategy and order in which to complete them for maximum points. You can’t just focus on one objective – you also need to be setting yourself up to complete future objectives. I never feel like I’m just going through the motions because I always need to be thinking ahead to my future rounds.
The thing I really like about Dinosaur Island as a solo game is that it is still extremely engaging. I’m not a huge fan of “Beat your own personal best” solo games, but this one keeps me so involved that I don’t mind the fact that there’s no real ‘winner.’ Since a group game doesn’t involve that much player interaction anyway, Dinosaur Island doesn’t really even necessarily feel like a solo game. Every play requires a different strategy, and that makes it feel like a new game every time. If you enjoy Dinosaur Island in a group setting, give it a try as a solo game. There’s really not much of a gameplay difference, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/solo-chronicles-dinosaur-island/
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Objectively horrendous but a ton of fun, pretty much what one of those later MCU entries *should* feel like. A lot of fast-talking verbiage and flashiness which every single one of these stylish, ADHD biopics (which, for the record I enjoy incomparably more than the unbearable, cursory ones that get nominated for Oscars) stole from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 - which I was convinced I'd never get tired of but I confess is actually starting to get pretty rote here. Like okay do we really need to halt the already legendarily messy and borderline unfollowable plotline so you can describe what the sticker on the fucking cheese platter says? It's also one of those movies where the acting is nice but nobody actually plays a real human (for better [Chastain, Cera, Strong, Costner] or worse [poor Elba]). The dialogue is, as you can imagine, unadulterated Sorkin which leads to some very amusing cringe without the filter this time around. I like it, pretty much a collection of rousing scenes that look and play nice but don't fit together too well (at all) on the whole. Best part is easily those iconic Chastain outfits. A much better poker movie than it is a true story movie, and a lot of the banter is stilted - but worth it entirely for the title character calling Michael Cera (playing a power-hungry real life Tobey Maguire) a "green-screened little shit".
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated 22 July (2018) in Movies
Oct 22, 2018 (Updated Oct 22, 2018)
Good Direction (1 more)
Well Acted
An Important, If Terrifying Recent Tragedy
22 July is a Netflix film directed by Paul Greengrass about a brutal 2011 terrorist attack in Oslo.
This film is hard to watch.
I'm a guy that loves gory action flicks and intense horror movies, but something like this is far more disturbing to me. The film is so well made on a technical level, that at some points it actually feels like you are watching the real life massacre play out, which to me felt a little bit too real. Thankfully, I have never been affected by an act of terrorism, nor has anyone that I know, but if I had, I'm not sure how I would feel about someone making a movie like this retelling the trauma that those people went through.
I appreciate that this is an important event in recent history and shouldn't be something that is easily forgotten, but the brutal realism of this film is hard to stomach at times. It really puts you in the shoes of the victims and let's you imagine the terror and crippling fear that they must have felt.
The actor that plays the perpetrator of the attack, Anders Behring Breivik, (played by Anders Danielsen Lie,) has to be commended. He was so believable in the role that I ended up getting really angry every time that he appeared in a scene. I don't even want to know what an actor has to do to get into that headspace, but he put in an absolutely sublime performance as a deplorable scumbag.
The other standout role was Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen, one of the victims of the attack. He is the audience's main conduit into this horrific event and he is brilliant throughout the film.
The main criticism that I have is that we are shown this horrific attack in brutal detail and the aftermath of the event, with no real purpose. I am not sure what the point of this movie was other than to retell a gut wrenching, terrifying story of a real life terrorist attack. I guess, if you were to do some reaching, you could say that the fact that the film has no point echoes the fact that this brutal act of mass violence also had no point and sometimes these horrific things just happen with no real reason.
Overall, this is a very well made movie. It is full of heavy emotions and will make you think about the nature of the human mind. This is if you can get through it though, the movie is very hard to watch and I can see a good amount of folks turning off because they can't handle it, which I can totally understand.
This film is hard to watch.
I'm a guy that loves gory action flicks and intense horror movies, but something like this is far more disturbing to me. The film is so well made on a technical level, that at some points it actually feels like you are watching the real life massacre play out, which to me felt a little bit too real. Thankfully, I have never been affected by an act of terrorism, nor has anyone that I know, but if I had, I'm not sure how I would feel about someone making a movie like this retelling the trauma that those people went through.
I appreciate that this is an important event in recent history and shouldn't be something that is easily forgotten, but the brutal realism of this film is hard to stomach at times. It really puts you in the shoes of the victims and let's you imagine the terror and crippling fear that they must have felt.
The actor that plays the perpetrator of the attack, Anders Behring Breivik, (played by Anders Danielsen Lie,) has to be commended. He was so believable in the role that I ended up getting really angry every time that he appeared in a scene. I don't even want to know what an actor has to do to get into that headspace, but he put in an absolutely sublime performance as a deplorable scumbag.
The other standout role was Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen, one of the victims of the attack. He is the audience's main conduit into this horrific event and he is brilliant throughout the film.
The main criticism that I have is that we are shown this horrific attack in brutal detail and the aftermath of the event, with no real purpose. I am not sure what the point of this movie was other than to retell a gut wrenching, terrifying story of a real life terrorist attack. I guess, if you were to do some reaching, you could say that the fact that the film has no point echoes the fact that this brutal act of mass violence also had no point and sometimes these horrific things just happen with no real reason.
Overall, this is a very well made movie. It is full of heavy emotions and will make you think about the nature of the human mind. This is if you can get through it though, the movie is very hard to watch and I can see a good amount of folks turning off because they can't handle it, which I can totally understand.