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AirBeam turns your iDevices into a realtime audio and video surveillance system. AirBeam streams...
Ross (3284 KP) rated Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) in Movies
Nov 28, 2017
This follow on film stays with the family after the events of the first film left the family reunited but with something decidedly not right about Josh, the father (played by The Conjuring's Patrick Wilson, who I really can't take to).
Everything seems to get back to normal for a short time with the family reunited and moving on from the trauma they've been through. But this doesn't last long and soon strange things start happening again, this time focused around the baby.
For me, this film fell down a little as many horror sequels do, trying to build on tiny parts of the original story rather than carrying on from it. I found the parts where the reality and past of the presence that haunted Josh in his childhood really engaging and exciting and creepy, but felt this should have been explored so much more.
Rose Byrne is good again, somehow keeping the family together through all the unpleasantness.
One thing that did spoil this for me was when, after a particularly creepy scene in which a ghost child's foot steps were heard running through the house, my 3 year old son decided to get up and run through to my bedroom so I suddenly heard footsteps eerily similar to those on the film directly above my head.
A decent follow on with some interesting exploration of small aspects of the first film, but largely more of the same.
Everything seems to get back to normal for a short time with the family reunited and moving on from the trauma they've been through. But this doesn't last long and soon strange things start happening again, this time focused around the baby.
For me, this film fell down a little as many horror sequels do, trying to build on tiny parts of the original story rather than carrying on from it. I found the parts where the reality and past of the presence that haunted Josh in his childhood really engaging and exciting and creepy, but felt this should have been explored so much more.
Rose Byrne is good again, somehow keeping the family together through all the unpleasantness.
One thing that did spoil this for me was when, after a particularly creepy scene in which a ghost child's foot steps were heard running through the house, my 3 year old son decided to get up and run through to my bedroom so I suddenly heard footsteps eerily similar to those on the film directly above my head.
A decent follow on with some interesting exploration of small aspects of the first film, but largely more of the same.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Mirage in Books
Jan 15, 2018
The Mirage tells an alternate version of history. Where the world is rocked by a terrorist attack on the Tigris & Euphrates World Trade Towers in Baghdad on 11/9/01. The planes were hijacked by Christian fundamentalists from the Third World country of America.
Years after the attack on the superpower, a homicide bomber is captured in the United Arab States (UAS) & questioned. He tells a strange story of a mirage. This mirage is one where the UAS is the super power & America is poor & broken. He argues that this is not true reality...that in the real world the USA is the super power & was attacked on 9/11 by Muslims. Gradually the Homeland Security officers in Arabia begin to unravel the story & start to believe this crazy bomber.
The story is very well written & makes you stop & think without at doubt. At times it is humorous (The Quail Hunter from Crawford, TX who takes his enemies out on hunts & accidently shoots them or the crazy man in TX who is always looking for someone or something but can't seem to find it or remember who or what he's looking for or David Koresh leading the reisitance in America or Timothy McVeigh appearing as a protector to one of the invaders). This was well worth the time. The only reason it gets 4 stars from me is that it is a book you can't put down or read in small chunks. You need to read it straight through to keep everything straight, but it is well worth the time!
Years after the attack on the superpower, a homicide bomber is captured in the United Arab States (UAS) & questioned. He tells a strange story of a mirage. This mirage is one where the UAS is the super power & America is poor & broken. He argues that this is not true reality...that in the real world the USA is the super power & was attacked on 9/11 by Muslims. Gradually the Homeland Security officers in Arabia begin to unravel the story & start to believe this crazy bomber.
The story is very well written & makes you stop & think without at doubt. At times it is humorous (The Quail Hunter from Crawford, TX who takes his enemies out on hunts & accidently shoots them or the crazy man in TX who is always looking for someone or something but can't seem to find it or remember who or what he's looking for or David Koresh leading the reisitance in America or Timothy McVeigh appearing as a protector to one of the invaders). This was well worth the time. The only reason it gets 4 stars from me is that it is a book you can't put down or read in small chunks. You need to read it straight through to keep everything straight, but it is well worth the time!
Li Hughes (285 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Aug 5, 2017
(FYI, I meant to rate this a 9/10 but my mouse is borked. Have to wait 4 weeks to fix the rating.)
This is an amazing movie to wash Star Wars 1-3 from the collective palate. (To be fair, I didn't HATE those movies...they just didn't live up to the rest of the series.) This is basically a restart, but without losing any of the history that was already built up.
It is much more a straight-up war movie than any of the rest of the series. Death and violence were definitely present before, but always with a "galaxy far, far away" feeling to them. In Rogue One, every injury and death is immediate, not gory but much more real than Obi-Wan winking out of existence or Luke's hand shearing off with minor discomfort. The ending definitely continues in that vein: I love the sharp reality of it and the flavor it gives to rewatches of the original movies now, but it was so painful to watch in the theater!
My biggest gripe was simply the CGI done for young Leia and Tarkin. Leia wasn't too bad, just enough off that it makes my eyes want to slide off without quite knowing why. But Tarkin was awkward and just weird looking. If you're going to recreate characters for whatever reason, either put the money in to get the CGI right or if the effects simply aren't up to that yet, wait until they are.
This is an amazing movie to wash Star Wars 1-3 from the collective palate. (To be fair, I didn't HATE those movies...they just didn't live up to the rest of the series.) This is basically a restart, but without losing any of the history that was already built up.
It is much more a straight-up war movie than any of the rest of the series. Death and violence were definitely present before, but always with a "galaxy far, far away" feeling to them. In Rogue One, every injury and death is immediate, not gory but much more real than Obi-Wan winking out of existence or Luke's hand shearing off with minor discomfort. The ending definitely continues in that vein: I love the sharp reality of it and the flavor it gives to rewatches of the original movies now, but it was so painful to watch in the theater!
My biggest gripe was simply the CGI done for young Leia and Tarkin. Leia wasn't too bad, just enough off that it makes my eyes want to slide off without quite knowing why. But Tarkin was awkward and just weird looking. If you're going to recreate characters for whatever reason, either put the money in to get the CGI right or if the effects simply aren't up to that yet, wait until they are.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Bletchley Circle - Season 1 in TV
Feb 8, 2019 (Updated Feb 8, 2019)
This short series, set post world war II, follows the lives of four women who previously held very important yet highly classified and secret roles during the war.
Susan, the main protagonist, has the Daily Times each day to compete the crossword (a small way to keep get highly intelligent mind engaged) and realises there might be a link and pattern emerging during a couple recent murders of women. She notifies the police but they can't see the pattern themselves so she reconnects with some of her former colleagues from Bletchley to discover what has happened and they try and predict and prevent the next murder from happening.
They end up putting themselves in very dangerous positions and Susan's husband starts to get suspicious that his wife may be dabbling in an extramarital affair due to her recent absences and secrecy.
The characters are all very likable in their own ways and each brings different strengths to the table.
It's refreshing to see a group of women building each other up rather than belittling each other with cattiness. It's also refreshing to see such strong and intelligent women portrayed in this series.
I felt myself going along with this group of ladies, as a fellow investigator, figuring out the connection between the cases and predicting whodunit.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I really felt the fear and energy the ladies went through as the uncovered the reality.
My only gripe is that the series wasn't long enough!
Susan, the main protagonist, has the Daily Times each day to compete the crossword (a small way to keep get highly intelligent mind engaged) and realises there might be a link and pattern emerging during a couple recent murders of women. She notifies the police but they can't see the pattern themselves so she reconnects with some of her former colleagues from Bletchley to discover what has happened and they try and predict and prevent the next murder from happening.
They end up putting themselves in very dangerous positions and Susan's husband starts to get suspicious that his wife may be dabbling in an extramarital affair due to her recent absences and secrecy.
The characters are all very likable in their own ways and each brings different strengths to the table.
It's refreshing to see a group of women building each other up rather than belittling each other with cattiness. It's also refreshing to see such strong and intelligent women portrayed in this series.
I felt myself going along with this group of ladies, as a fellow investigator, figuring out the connection between the cases and predicting whodunit.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I really felt the fear and energy the ladies went through as the uncovered the reality.
My only gripe is that the series wasn't long enough!
Zach Smith (62 KP) rated Tomb Raider (2018) in Movies
Mar 23, 2019
Three tries and I finally got through it.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was intrigued when the reboot became a reality, however I believe they dropped the ball in advertising and the movie no longer became a priority. I finally had the opportunity to view it and stopped the viewing withing fifteen minutes. I tried again several times later and on the third try today I made it through the entire movie. The secret is getting through the initial boring begining. You want to pay attention to the narration at the begining where Laura Crofts father is narrating, after that feel free to check out for awhile. This generally is used for character development, which they do, kind of, its just not very interesting.
Once Laura sets off following her fathers footsteps looking for this forbidden island its like a new movie. The pace of the movie picks up and we finally get moving towards the plot of the movie. The new acotr playing Laura Croft Alicia Vikander fits the role well, however you will grow tired of her "wimper" whe she is in distress or fighting which I believe "weakens" her character. So go out and give it a try, my Snore Factore raiting is 6/10 for the first 30 minutes and that is adjusted once the movie actually starts to a 3/10.
Once Laura sets off following her fathers footsteps looking for this forbidden island its like a new movie. The pace of the movie picks up and we finally get moving towards the plot of the movie. The new acotr playing Laura Croft Alicia Vikander fits the role well, however you will grow tired of her "wimper" whe she is in distress or fighting which I believe "weakens" her character. So go out and give it a try, my Snore Factore raiting is 6/10 for the first 30 minutes and that is adjusted once the movie actually starts to a 3/10.
Michael Adams (5 KP) rated Egg, Inc. in Apps
Jun 5, 2019
Idle play (2 more)
Can be F2P
No ads unless you purposely watch a video
Awesome idle game
Egg Inc is a great idle game that requires very little time investment on the user. You can spend lots of times in one sitting if you'd like, but most of my playing is once a day in 5 minute or less intervals.
The basic concept is you make chickens who lay eggs, upgrade certain items to increase egg value, then advance to the next unlocked egg that will be layed and restart the process. Once you hit a point (or at anytime really) where you are having a hard time progressing, you prestige and start over. Every prestige makes your egg value multiplier raise. The cool thing is you can actually "beat" this game! What I mean by that is you can complete all the objectives and trophies, though you can still play after of course.
I played this game F2P for quite a long time before I bought anything, so it is doable! I believe over the course of 3 years I have "beaten" this game twice (meet all objectives before a new patch would add more) and only purchased about $10 worth of stuff (piggy bank breaks and silo upgrade). There are no ads unless you want there to be by watching a video. Also, they have a very cool augmented reality feature!
All in all this is a great game and one I will be playing for years to come!
The basic concept is you make chickens who lay eggs, upgrade certain items to increase egg value, then advance to the next unlocked egg that will be layed and restart the process. Once you hit a point (or at anytime really) where you are having a hard time progressing, you prestige and start over. Every prestige makes your egg value multiplier raise. The cool thing is you can actually "beat" this game! What I mean by that is you can complete all the objectives and trophies, though you can still play after of course.
I played this game F2P for quite a long time before I bought anything, so it is doable! I believe over the course of 3 years I have "beaten" this game twice (meet all objectives before a new patch would add more) and only purchased about $10 worth of stuff (piggy bank breaks and silo upgrade). There are no ads unless you want there to be by watching a video. Also, they have a very cool augmented reality feature!
All in all this is a great game and one I will be playing for years to come!
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Measure of a Lady in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I love me some Deeanne Gist, but I have never had a novel make me as angry as this one.
Everything about this novel was so obnoxious and contradictory that I wanted to scream. Rachel is an overbearing sister who is trying to set a good example for them, but, in reality, she is just a control freak who has been uprooted from all she has ever known and clearly does not like change since she does not even try to adapt to her new surroundings. What makes her character even more frustrating is that she tends to break all the rules that she sets forth for her siblings, mainly her sister.
Her younger sister is a whole other can of worms. While the brother seems almost nonexistent in the novel, only appearing when needed for furthering the story, Rachel's sister has grasp onto to this new found freedom, since Rachel cannot control her because she is too busy breaking her rules for being a lady. The younger sister takes this freedom and runs with it, wreaking all sorts of havoc while her bad attitude ever increases.
Out of all of Gist's books, this seems to be the most sensual. In her other books, the relationship of the protagonists seems more important than their hormonal need for each other. I felt like I was reading an 80's romance novel with the way they lusted after each other.
I am giving it two starts only because of its one redeeming factor: Gist's lovely style.
Everything about this novel was so obnoxious and contradictory that I wanted to scream. Rachel is an overbearing sister who is trying to set a good example for them, but, in reality, she is just a control freak who has been uprooted from all she has ever known and clearly does not like change since she does not even try to adapt to her new surroundings. What makes her character even more frustrating is that she tends to break all the rules that she sets forth for her siblings, mainly her sister.
Her younger sister is a whole other can of worms. While the brother seems almost nonexistent in the novel, only appearing when needed for furthering the story, Rachel's sister has grasp onto to this new found freedom, since Rachel cannot control her because she is too busy breaking her rules for being a lady. The younger sister takes this freedom and runs with it, wreaking all sorts of havoc while her bad attitude ever increases.
Out of all of Gist's books, this seems to be the most sensual. In her other books, the relationship of the protagonists seems more important than their hormonal need for each other. I felt like I was reading an 80's romance novel with the way they lusted after each other.
I am giving it two starts only because of its one redeeming factor: Gist's lovely style.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Palmetto Poison (Caroline Slade Mystery Series, #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
This was my first Carolina Slade (or Slade as she prefers to be called) mystery. I do think I would have liked to read or listen to the others first just to better understand some of Slade's fears and reactions to things. There are lots of references to previous events, with enough explanation that there's no problem understanding what is going on, but I am very curious about her past now.
After the Governor's brother-in-law is charged with possessing and distrusting prescription medications illegally, Slade's boss asks her to look into the matter. As soon as she starts investigating though, people start dying, and no one seems to want to cooperate with her investigation.
She really has a lot to deal with in this story - the Governor is angry at her continued snooping, there is a black SUV stalking her, her boyfriend's ex-wife shows up on the trail of said boyfriend's missing sister, and her teenage daughter thinks Slade is too old to have a handle on reality. Even so, I occasionally found her stubborn and unreasonable enough to make me want to slap her. I really think she behaves the way she does out of fear after her past experiences, though, so it doesn't make her less likable.
I think anyone who is a fan of the Temperance Brennan (Slade and Wayne reminded me a bit of Tempe and Andrew Ryan) or Kay Scarpetta novels would enjoy this one.
Disclaimer - I was provided with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
After the Governor's brother-in-law is charged with possessing and distrusting prescription medications illegally, Slade's boss asks her to look into the matter. As soon as she starts investigating though, people start dying, and no one seems to want to cooperate with her investigation.
She really has a lot to deal with in this story - the Governor is angry at her continued snooping, there is a black SUV stalking her, her boyfriend's ex-wife shows up on the trail of said boyfriend's missing sister, and her teenage daughter thinks Slade is too old to have a handle on reality. Even so, I occasionally found her stubborn and unreasonable enough to make me want to slap her. I really think she behaves the way she does out of fear after her past experiences, though, so it doesn't make her less likable.
I think anyone who is a fan of the Temperance Brennan (Slade and Wayne reminded me a bit of Tempe and Andrew Ryan) or Kay Scarpetta novels would enjoy this one.
Disclaimer - I was provided with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Catching Jordan in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Catching Jordan is the first book in the series Hundred Oaks. Before reading this book I read Breathe, Annie, Breathe which is book #5 in the series. (Here is my review for the book).
I love this book. I love the writing style. I love that it's about football. I love the relationships. I love that it's genuine.
The story has twists that keep you guessing on where the story is going to go next. I love that Jordan is the QB of a high school football team, which is not normal but could absolutely be reality. It shows that girls can have a leadership role in a sport typically deemed for guys. I enjoy sports and having a book about football and a love story made it that much more enjoyable.
The chemistry in Catching Jordan is phenomenal. There is a connection between the characters that is deeply felt. The connection is between the team, the friends, the families. It's all well-written with charisma floating off the pages that you'll see these people come alive. You will feel that you have been friends with Jordan, Ty and Henry for years.
Catching Jordan is not simply a love story. It's so so so much more; It's about going for your dreams, overcoming obstacles and never giving up believing they will happen. You will undoubtedly finish this book with a smile on your face
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sports stories and love who love having a female role model.
Catching Jordan is the first book in the series Hundred Oaks. Before reading this book I read Breathe, Annie, Breathe which is book #5 in the series. (Here is my review for the book).
I love this book. I love the writing style. I love that it's about football. I love the relationships. I love that it's genuine.
The story has twists that keep you guessing on where the story is going to go next. I love that Jordan is the QB of a high school football team, which is not normal but could absolutely be reality. It shows that girls can have a leadership role in a sport typically deemed for guys. I enjoy sports and having a book about football and a love story made it that much more enjoyable.
The chemistry in Catching Jordan is phenomenal. There is a connection between the characters that is deeply felt. The connection is between the team, the friends, the families. It's all well-written with charisma floating off the pages that you'll see these people come alive. You will feel that you have been friends with Jordan, Ty and Henry for years.
Catching Jordan is not simply a love story. It's so so so much more; It's about going for your dreams, overcoming obstacles and never giving up believing they will happen. You will undoubtedly finish this book with a smile on your face
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sports stories and love who love having a female role model.