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Nikki Allegretti (6 KP) rated A Court of Wings and Ruin in Books
Oct 13, 2017
When is Paraphrasing Bad....Always.
Contains spoilers, click to show
There are a couple reasons why I rated ACOWAR 6 stars. In all honesty, it's the weakest of the three books in the trilogy. In order of strongest to weakest it's: ACOMAF, ACOTAR, ACOWAR.
The first reason: it was rushed. This story would have been 100 times better if she had taken her time and split it into two books. I absolutely adore SJM's writing and her initials are inked on my body forever, so it's not like I'm bashing her writing. I love her. It was just rushed. There were things that would have been better to have been spread out.
The second reason: unnecessary deaths and unnecessary revivals. I won't go into details on that because I don't want to spoil anything specific.
The third reason: this one hurts me the most. I've seen the movie Troy about 432451542 times. (Yes exaggerations.) There were lines from Troy that were paraphrased in this book and that bothers me. It is one thing to get inspired by a movie, it's another to paraphrase it. I will show my work.
-in the meeting with the high lords, Tamlin says something along the lines of ..leave in the middle of the night...blah blah...but Feyre says "The sun was shining when I left you."
--in the movie, Troy, Helen's husband says something along the lines of I see no prince I see someone who would take a man's wife in the middle of the night. Paris responds with "the sun was shining when your wife left you."
My other example:
-Mor and Feyre are standing on a hill watching a battle and Mor is pacing and says "get the men back into lines"
--in Troy, Achilles is on a hill watching a battle and he says "get them back into lines" while Odysseus yells "Get the men back into lines."
It's all small things that would go unnoticed if you didn't watch the movie 53751432 times. So it just bothered me, a lot. I'll still read her work. I'll still love her, but those two scenes bothered me to no end
The first reason: it was rushed. This story would have been 100 times better if she had taken her time and split it into two books. I absolutely adore SJM's writing and her initials are inked on my body forever, so it's not like I'm bashing her writing. I love her. It was just rushed. There were things that would have been better to have been spread out.
The second reason: unnecessary deaths and unnecessary revivals. I won't go into details on that because I don't want to spoil anything specific.
The third reason: this one hurts me the most. I've seen the movie Troy about 432451542 times. (Yes exaggerations.) There were lines from Troy that were paraphrased in this book and that bothers me. It is one thing to get inspired by a movie, it's another to paraphrase it. I will show my work.
-in the meeting with the high lords, Tamlin says something along the lines of ..leave in the middle of the night...blah blah...but Feyre says "The sun was shining when I left you."
--in the movie, Troy, Helen's husband says something along the lines of I see no prince I see someone who would take a man's wife in the middle of the night. Paris responds with "the sun was shining when your wife left you."
My other example:
-Mor and Feyre are standing on a hill watching a battle and Mor is pacing and says "get the men back into lines"
--in Troy, Achilles is on a hill watching a battle and he says "get them back into lines" while Odysseus yells "Get the men back into lines."
It's all small things that would go unnoticed if you didn't watch the movie 53751432 times. So it just bothered me, a lot. I'll still read her work. I'll still love her, but those two scenes bothered me to no end
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Dec 2, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ahh, the Dark Tower, Stephen King's epic tale that spans 8 core books and crosses over with almost everything he has ever written as well as some he hasn't (unofficially of course). A Saga that has inspired many and disappointed a few (well I'm told the end of book 7 is self indulgent, I'm only at book 4 and that was a while ago). Anway, the Dark Tower books are epic and so they try to put all this epicness in to a hour and a half film and when you consider that IT is only one book and that took 2 films with another possibly on the way and the Stand is only one book and has a hole mini series you can imagine that there is a bit of editing of the source material.
The Dark Tower bring three of the characters from the books; Roland, the gunslinger, Jake, a boy from our world and the Man in Black aka Walter. Unlike the books the film focus' mainly on Jake, a boy who is having dreams about Roland and Walter and who is being hunted by Walter's forces.
The story line is loosely based on the books as Roland hunts the Man in Black across not only his own world but ours as well and attempts to kill him in revenge for his father's death whilst Walter is attempting to destroy the Dark Tower and bring darkness to all the worlds.
Interestingly, although there are many nods and easter eggs to Kings other works, the film version of The Dark Tower is linked more to the Shining and Doctor Sleep than IT or the Stand as it gives Jake 'The Shine' and makes it an integral part of the plot.
As long as you're not expecting too much of the books 'The Dark Tower' is quite a good film, it has a slightly more Sci-Fi feel that the books and the final battle would feel at home in most first person shooter games but, when seen either as it's own thing or possibly as a tie in to the two shining films it's quite a good action film.
The Dark Tower bring three of the characters from the books; Roland, the gunslinger, Jake, a boy from our world and the Man in Black aka Walter. Unlike the books the film focus' mainly on Jake, a boy who is having dreams about Roland and Walter and who is being hunted by Walter's forces.
The story line is loosely based on the books as Roland hunts the Man in Black across not only his own world but ours as well and attempts to kill him in revenge for his father's death whilst Walter is attempting to destroy the Dark Tower and bring darkness to all the worlds.
Interestingly, although there are many nods and easter eggs to Kings other works, the film version of The Dark Tower is linked more to the Shining and Doctor Sleep than IT or the Stand as it gives Jake 'The Shine' and makes it an integral part of the plot.
As long as you're not expecting too much of the books 'The Dark Tower' is quite a good film, it has a slightly more Sci-Fi feel that the books and the final battle would feel at home in most first person shooter games but, when seen either as it's own thing or possibly as a tie in to the two shining films it's quite a good action film.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Beautiful Shining People in Books
Aug 5, 2023
“”Beautiful, shining kami in the sky. All different. All unique. Just like us”…After that, whenever we went camping, I would always tell my parents I couldn’t wait until nightfall so I could see the beautiful shining people in the sky.”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!
JT (287 KP) rated The Book of Eli (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
A solid effort from the Hughes Brothers as they take on a post apocalyptic style western. Denzel Washington plays Eli a lone traveler who is following a path with a destination only he knows about. In his possession a book, so valuable to the resurrection of the human race that he’ll stop at nothing to protect it.
A story based around religion is not always going to be for everyone but if anything the cast is a shining light in an otherwise scrappy film.
Gary Oldman plays the true archetypal villain, looking like a cowboy but sounding like a biblical reverend, he truly knows how to play the bad guy. Washington gives an equally decent performance but is some way off his best.
The cinematography is stunning and the desolate landscape depicts a true reflection of the aftermath of nuclear war. It’s grainy and gritty but needed to pack more of a punch. The brief action and fight scenes are well choreographed and the twist in tale at the end should be enough raise a few questions in the car park.
A story based around religion is not always going to be for everyone but if anything the cast is a shining light in an otherwise scrappy film.
Gary Oldman plays the true archetypal villain, looking like a cowboy but sounding like a biblical reverend, he truly knows how to play the bad guy. Washington gives an equally decent performance but is some way off his best.
The cinematography is stunning and the desolate landscape depicts a true reflection of the aftermath of nuclear war. It’s grainy and gritty but needed to pack more of a punch. The brief action and fight scenes are well choreographed and the twist in tale at the end should be enough raise a few questions in the car park.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Predator (1987) in Movies
Sep 2, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)
Dug in like an Alabama Tic
Here we have a shining example of a crazy genre mash up that nails it first try.
Predator starts off as another 80s action fest, full of one liners, muscles, and explosions. It's ridiculous in all the right ways. (Dutch and Dillon's gratuitous muscles hand shake will always remain one of the most stupid-but-incredible shots committed to film)
As we all know, Predator takes a turn near the halfway mark into sci-fi-horror territory, introducing us to one of the most iconic on screen alien species ever.
The Predator design is badass, and the inevitable unmasking is pretty nasty.
As the movie draws to it's climax, the showdown between Dutch and The Predator is exciting and inventive, and cements Predator as one of the very best Arnold Schwarzenegger films.
Throw in a healthy amount of violence and some Little Richard and we have a hugely enjoyable action film to enjoy over and over.
It's a damn shame that none of the sequels have ever come close to the original and best. Maybe one day...
Predator starts off as another 80s action fest, full of one liners, muscles, and explosions. It's ridiculous in all the right ways. (Dutch and Dillon's gratuitous muscles hand shake will always remain one of the most stupid-but-incredible shots committed to film)
As we all know, Predator takes a turn near the halfway mark into sci-fi-horror territory, introducing us to one of the most iconic on screen alien species ever.
The Predator design is badass, and the inevitable unmasking is pretty nasty.
As the movie draws to it's climax, the showdown between Dutch and The Predator is exciting and inventive, and cements Predator as one of the very best Arnold Schwarzenegger films.
Throw in a healthy amount of violence and some Little Richard and we have a hugely enjoyable action film to enjoy over and over.
It's a damn shame that none of the sequels have ever come close to the original and best. Maybe one day...
PhoebeLV (147 KP) rated 1408 (2007) in Movies
Jul 28, 2020
Great Acting (2 more)
Great Characters
Enjoyable Storyline
One of the best supernatural movies
Contains spoilers, click to show
1408 follows the story of Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a man who writes ‘true-horror’ books for a living; he stays in ‘haunted’ hotels and locations for his inspiration. One day, he receives a postcard of the Dolphin Hotel telling him not to stay in room 1408. Despite the warnings of the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson), he proceeds to stay in there anyway.
Before watching this, I considered it being The Shining all over again. However, it was not. Apart from the hotel and the book writing, it was quite different.
Enslin starts by seeing a few ghosts and then strange things start happening.
In the middle, it starts messing with your head and you think ‘was this before the hotel? is this real? is he imagining everything?’. I know I did.
I couldn’t really find any bad things with this and I would 100% recommend this to any horror fan and Stephen King book lover.
Before watching this, I considered it being The Shining all over again. However, it was not. Apart from the hotel and the book writing, it was quite different.
Enslin starts by seeing a few ghosts and then strange things start happening.
In the middle, it starts messing with your head and you think ‘was this before the hotel? is this real? is he imagining everything?’. I know I did.
I couldn’t really find any bad things with this and I would 100% recommend this to any horror fan and Stephen King book lover.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Colorado Kid in Books
May 30, 2020
A weak story
Anyone who has read my other book reviews knows I'm a huge Stephen King fan. He's my favourite author, so it really pains me to say that this is probably the weakest book of his I've ever read (and I've read most of them!).
This is a short story that's been published separately, and I think this is the first mistake. It isnt a strong enough story to support being published on it's own. And the story itself is a massive problem. It's well written with some decent characters, but the story is barely there. There's some intrigue but sadly the ending of the story is very lacking. I know it isnt a horror and is meant to be a true crime style novel, but I was hoping for something similar to Joyland which was rather good. And sadly this is nothing like it.
This isnt awful, as it's well written enough to keep you reading but it's in no way a shining example of King's usual standard.
This is a short story that's been published separately, and I think this is the first mistake. It isnt a strong enough story to support being published on it's own. And the story itself is a massive problem. It's well written with some decent characters, but the story is barely there. There's some intrigue but sadly the ending of the story is very lacking. I know it isnt a horror and is meant to be a true crime style novel, but I was hoping for something similar to Joyland which was rather good. And sadly this is nothing like it.
This isnt awful, as it's well written enough to keep you reading but it's in no way a shining example of King's usual standard.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Rough Night (2017) in Movies
May 9, 2018
Not my kind of film
I’ll be frankly honest, I have a very particular sense of humour and mainstream comedies like this really aren’t my thing. So I’d potentially take what I say with a pinch of salt, as I knew I wouldn’t like this before I even watched it.
For me, the humour just wasn’t my thing and apart from a few odd remarks, I didn’t find the film particularly funny. The story itself is very predictable and it’s obviously trying to repeat the success of Bridesmaids, with a pretty poor result. I really don’t like Scarlett Johansson in this, it’s not really her usual type of film and this shows as her acting comes across as pretty poor. And I also absolutely despised the character of Alice (the best friend), she was that irritating I almost wanted to turn the film off. The only shining light in this film really is Kate McKinnon. She’s the only one who is actually any good and you can tell comedy is her thing. She was the best thing about this film (same as Ghostbusters too imo), and I dread to think how dire it would have been without her.
For me, the humour just wasn’t my thing and apart from a few odd remarks, I didn’t find the film particularly funny. The story itself is very predictable and it’s obviously trying to repeat the success of Bridesmaids, with a pretty poor result. I really don’t like Scarlett Johansson in this, it’s not really her usual type of film and this shows as her acting comes across as pretty poor. And I also absolutely despised the character of Alice (the best friend), she was that irritating I almost wanted to turn the film off. The only shining light in this film really is Kate McKinnon. She’s the only one who is actually any good and you can tell comedy is her thing. She was the best thing about this film (same as Ghostbusters too imo), and I dread to think how dire it would have been without her.
A beautiful documentary series
Let's face it, you really can't go wrong with a David Attenborough documentary series. He's never made anything less than brilliant, and this Dynasties series is no exception.
Focusing each episode on a different species, the crew have really gone all out on the cinematography to make a truly stunning series. They've spent years filming each set of animals to give you an insight into their lives, which is fairly heartbreaking at times as they don't leave anything out, not even the sadder realities of animal life. My favourites out of the series were definitely the tigers and penguins, shining an informative look into how they bring up their young.
I loved as well how they include a brief behind the scenes segment at the end of each episode, getting to see a little more truth behind the documentary. And it's nice to see how dedicated the crew are to their work and that sometimes human intervention isn't actually a bad thing.
The series also highlights important points about the environment and conservation, and I really hope more people would watch this and get an understanding of the effects we're having on wildlife.
Focusing each episode on a different species, the crew have really gone all out on the cinematography to make a truly stunning series. They've spent years filming each set of animals to give you an insight into their lives, which is fairly heartbreaking at times as they don't leave anything out, not even the sadder realities of animal life. My favourites out of the series were definitely the tigers and penguins, shining an informative look into how they bring up their young.
I loved as well how they include a brief behind the scenes segment at the end of each episode, getting to see a little more truth behind the documentary. And it's nice to see how dedicated the crew are to their work and that sometimes human intervention isn't actually a bad thing.
The series also highlights important points about the environment and conservation, and I really hope more people would watch this and get an understanding of the effects we're having on wildlife.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019 (Updated Jul 2, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I saw the film opening weekend and sat next to an eight-year-old boy who was going to his first horror movie. Considering the original Child's Play was the first horror movie I watched after being scarred by It and The Shining, I could appreciate how this film would effect that boy. As a gateway to the genre, Child's Play is and will serve a purpose. The scares are simple and the terror tame. In this iteration, a doll with built-in artificial intelligence and wireless connectivity names itself Chucky after being given to the solitary Andy. The doll had been given a bug right before the worker who built him committed suicide (not an important plot point). Chucky imprints himself onto Andy and all he wants to do is please his best friend. Unfortunately, Andy is a little weird and doesn't make friends easily. But he does make friends with two neighbor children who expose Andy and Chucky to gore. A murderous plan is set into motion and the only person who can prevent a Robopocalypse before the Buddi2 dolls are put onto market is Andy.
