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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV

Jun 15, 2019

Black Mirror - Season 5

2019 | Drama, Sci-Fi

6.4

(17 Ratings)

TV Season Rating

Not up to it’s usual high standard

Black Mirror is known for having a dark and futuristic take on modern society, and this is why it has always succeeded. It’s bleak and harrowing at times and whilst it’s not a happy programme to watch, it’s bloody good. The problem with series 5 is that it feels like an entirely different show, and not for the better.

Whilst each episode has it’s own take on modern society and technology (VR, social media and musical pop culture), none of this felt particularly new or unique. Don’t get me wrong, the episodes aren’t bad at all. But they’re just not brilliant. There are good performances (Andrew Scott especially) and the storylines are vaguely interesting, they just don’t get pushed far enough into the dark and bleak Black Mirror world we’re used to. Not only that, but none of these stories have particularly bad endings. It all just feels a little bit meh and after the rather wonderful Bandersnatch, I’d been looking forward to another great season. Sadly, it’s been a bit of a letdown. I’m really hoping that this is just a blip and that the next series is back on form, and not a sign that Black Mirror has run out of decent ideas...

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Guards! Guards! Discworld Novel 8 in Books

Mar 19, 2018

A great introduction to the City Watch

You've got to hand it to Terry Pratchett, he knows how to write a good fantasy novel.

Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.

The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.

A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.

Kudos

Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Cover Me - Single by Camille Miller in Music

Jun 17, 2019

Camille Miller is a German-born singer-songwriter who was raised on military bases all over Canada. Not too long ago, she released a cool indie-alternative tune, entitled, “Cover Me”.

“Stand before me, let me your soul. Let me feel the warmth of your touch. Hearts unguarded, bodies perfect in their flaws. I can’t do this on my own. Modern life through the telephone staring in and fading out. We’re all covered in lonely, we’re all covered in doubt.” – lyrics

‘Cover Me’ contains a relatable narrative, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with indie-pop and alternative elements. Also, the track possesses a tasty guitar solo.

“Thinking about how technology and social media sometimes make us doubt ourselves. How something that can brilliantly bring us together, can also keep us separated in ways we have never experienced before. How the need and want of human interaction is so important and deeply needed.” – Camille Miller

Camille Miller was brought up on a hearty diet of Motown, Carly Simon, The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and the Rolling Stones.

With the sound of these greats of yesteryear oozing through her veins, she continues her global trend of turning listeners into lifelong fans.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/camille-miller-cover-me/

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girl Who Lived Twice in Books

Mar 19, 2020

I can't quite let go of the Millennium series and Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, despite the fact that the late author no writes the books. This novel, however, is timely, covering the topic of Russian trolls and their impact on social media and politics. We get short snippets in each chapter told from the point of view of a variety of characters, so the story moves fairly quickly. Lagercrantz lacks Larrson's meticulous detail and his exploration into the character's psyches, as well as the true intense reporter that shined in Larrson; the trade-off: the books do seem to move at a somewhat quicker pace.

Still, Lisbeth and Blomkvist just don't seem the same as they were in Larrson's world, and I miss my old friends. There's also a lot of focus on Everest in this book--it's plot-related, but it gets to be a bit much. More Lisbeth and Mikael, less mountain, please. It makes the story more complicated than it needed to be, perhaps. Still, there's plenty to keep us entertained, including more from Lisbeth and her sister's dark past.

Overall, a fairly engaging read, but lacking that special flavor and special Lisbeth/Mikael zest that Larrson always brought to the series. 3.5 stars.