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Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) in Movies
Jun 29, 2019
"We opened Pandora's box. And there's no closing it now."
With Godzilla (2014) Legendary Pictures was the first American studio to get it right. No idiotic US edits of the latest Japanese films. No remakes that went out of it's way to be anything but Godzilla. It was GODZILLA! Now from what I understand from an interview with Shinji Higuchi is that Legendary only has the rights to Godzilla until 2020. So what do you do in that case? Well since you only have time to make one more Godzilla film before Godzilla vs. Kong, you do the obvious; You remake Destroy All Monsters!
There is some Michael Bay level stupidity going on in some moments of this film, but I don't care. I loved it. Some of the great Toho Godzilla films have goofy science combined with forgettable human characters. This one isn't even close to being the greatest offender of this in the franchise. Besides, when it comes to Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chandler I'm going to care about their characters at least a little no matter how they're written.
The film makers really went out of their way with tons of references from Godzilla's history. They even find a way to do a subtle nod to the Shobijin which I didn't think they'd ever touch with a 10 foot pole. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's just things that are used in the film that aren't part of American pop culture like the character itself of Godzilla. There's a lot of shit that only people who have seen the original films will pick up on.
The score is great, but even greater is that they actually used Gozilla's theme which is god damn iconic and shockingly even Mothra's theme. How can you not love that? I dunno. Maybe I'm just a geek, but seeing Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan and Godzilla in a big budget Hollywood movie just blows my mind. I loved it. It's basically the American remake of Destroy All Monsters. Don't bother telling me how dumb the movie is either. I fully realize how dumb it is.
There is some Michael Bay level stupidity going on in some moments of this film, but I don't care. I loved it. Some of the great Toho Godzilla films have goofy science combined with forgettable human characters. This one isn't even close to being the greatest offender of this in the franchise. Besides, when it comes to Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chandler I'm going to care about their characters at least a little no matter how they're written.
The film makers really went out of their way with tons of references from Godzilla's history. They even find a way to do a subtle nod to the Shobijin which I didn't think they'd ever touch with a 10 foot pole. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's just things that are used in the film that aren't part of American pop culture like the character itself of Godzilla. There's a lot of shit that only people who have seen the original films will pick up on.
The score is great, but even greater is that they actually used Gozilla's theme which is god damn iconic and shockingly even Mothra's theme. How can you not love that? I dunno. Maybe I'm just a geek, but seeing Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan and Godzilla in a big budget Hollywood movie just blows my mind. I loved it. It's basically the American remake of Destroy All Monsters. Don't bother telling me how dumb the movie is either. I fully realize how dumb it is.
Sweet Paradise (Boise Montague #2)
Book
In this harrowing Caribbean noir murder mystery, we meet Private Investigator Boise Montague, a man...
Mystery Caribbean Noir
Should We Date Calculator: Love Compatibility Test
Entertainment and Social Networking
App
Prove to your crush that you two should definitely go out on a date! Should We Date Calculator...
Dead in a Week (Forensic Instincts #7)
Book
What would you do if your daughter was kidnapped and given only a week to live? Lauren...
Suspense Thriller
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2) in Books
Feb 14, 2022
28 of 230
Kindle
Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2)
By Penelope Douglas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DEVIL'S NIGHT is returning! Hiding places, chases, and all the games are back...
BANKS
Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark, it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.
But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?
You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.
I will never betray him.
So sit tight.
On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.
KAI
You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.
No one can know what I’ve turned into.
I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.
I want my life back.
But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.
So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.
I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.
*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil's Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this.
So I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I’m still not Adam of Michael but the rest I’m warming up to! I really liked Banks and I loved to see her finally be loved. Definitely recommend if you like some spice but some of it can be a bit close to the edge. Looking forward to reading more.
Kindle
Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2)
By Penelope Douglas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DEVIL'S NIGHT is returning! Hiding places, chases, and all the games are back...
BANKS
Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark, it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.
But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?
You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.
I will never betray him.
So sit tight.
On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.
KAI
You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.
No one can know what I’ve turned into.
I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.
I want my life back.
But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.
So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.
I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.
*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil's Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this.
So I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I’m still not Adam of Michael but the rest I’m warming up to! I really liked Banks and I loved to see her finally be loved. Definitely recommend if you like some spice but some of it can be a bit close to the edge. Looking forward to reading more.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons, #8) in Books
Jan 11, 2022
Another brilliantly written Bridgerton book. This one has all the elements of a thriller. Blackmail, treason, someone showing up to stop a wedding by proposing to the bride, what more could you want in a book?
This book follows Gregory and his pursuit of love, which he firmly believes in, thanks to all seven of his siblings being married and blissfully happy and in love with their chosen spouses. We start the book as he runs into a wedding and proposes to the bride and the chapter ends before we find out both who it is and what she says. It takes about half the book to find out who the bride is, and then another few chapters to find out her answer. The suspense kept me reading as I needed to find out what happened.
This book, although obviously similar to the rest of the series, was a lot faster paced and reminded me more of a thriller (without the darkness of a thriller) with the situations that the characters found themselves in.
I think that Gregory’s story may have moved up to one of my favourite Bridgerton books, although this seems to change with every book I read from the series. But this definitely seemed more like the type of book I usually read and I loved every minute of it.
As I started reading, I realised that the previous seven books didn’t really tell us a lot about Gregory, and I would put him in the same category as Francesca was when I started reading When He Was Wicked. But it was good to read about him and learn about his character so late on in the series as it meant that you didn’t really have any preconceptions about his character and how you believe he should behave in the pursuit of love which happened with all of his other siblings (again with exception of Francesca).
I really will be sad to say goodbye to this family when I read the final book in the Bridgerton series, but I hope that the Netflix adaption stays true to the tones of the books and that we get an adaptation of each book as I believe they will work very well on screen as well as in print.
This book follows Gregory and his pursuit of love, which he firmly believes in, thanks to all seven of his siblings being married and blissfully happy and in love with their chosen spouses. We start the book as he runs into a wedding and proposes to the bride and the chapter ends before we find out both who it is and what she says. It takes about half the book to find out who the bride is, and then another few chapters to find out her answer. The suspense kept me reading as I needed to find out what happened.
This book, although obviously similar to the rest of the series, was a lot faster paced and reminded me more of a thriller (without the darkness of a thriller) with the situations that the characters found themselves in.
I think that Gregory’s story may have moved up to one of my favourite Bridgerton books, although this seems to change with every book I read from the series. But this definitely seemed more like the type of book I usually read and I loved every minute of it.
As I started reading, I realised that the previous seven books didn’t really tell us a lot about Gregory, and I would put him in the same category as Francesca was when I started reading When He Was Wicked. But it was good to read about him and learn about his character so late on in the series as it meant that you didn’t really have any preconceptions about his character and how you believe he should behave in the pursuit of love which happened with all of his other siblings (again with exception of Francesca).
I really will be sad to say goodbye to this family when I read the final book in the Bridgerton series, but I hope that the Netflix adaption stays true to the tones of the books and that we get an adaptation of each book as I believe they will work very well on screen as well as in print.
Merissa (13745 KP) rated Reece (The Hawks #5) in Books
Aug 15, 2022 (Updated Aug 15, 2023)
I'm just not ready for it to be over. It's not, is it? Please tell me there's more to come!
REECE is the fifth and final book in The Hawks series, and I'm not emotionally ready for this series to be over. It just can't be! 😭 There is still so much I want to know. And I love the world they have built/are building. It simply can't be over!!!
Okay, so moving past my emotional breakdown, what can I say about this book? Reece has been a character that has tugged on my heartstrings from the very beginning, but I only knew part of his story. Now I know it all and yep, it broke my heart. Ms Roberts has a way of transferring emotions onto the page (or screen) that is second-to-none. I love how she draws me into the characters, learning what makes them tick, their foibles, and their quirks. Daena is strong, certainly stronger than she thought she was. She had a harsh lesson to learn, but learn it she did, and she won't make the same mistakes twice.
This book is full of action and suspense. Andred is clever, but will Daena and Reece figure out his game plan before hundreds die? I won't say as I don't want to inadvertently give anything away. I will say I couldn't put the book down, completely hooked on the story.
This whole series has been a fantastic world to visit, full of love, loyalty, and found family. I'm just not ready for it to be over. It's not, is it? Please tell me there's more to come! I may just have to return to the beginning and read it all again, just to tide me over.
Do I recommend it? Oh, hell yes!!! But do yourself a favour, and start at the beginning! Tristan will thank you for it! Or maybe Kaden will if you go right back. Personally, I'd start with Kaden to get the full experience.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Aug 12, 2022
Okay, so moving past my emotional breakdown, what can I say about this book? Reece has been a character that has tugged on my heartstrings from the very beginning, but I only knew part of his story. Now I know it all and yep, it broke my heart. Ms Roberts has a way of transferring emotions onto the page (or screen) that is second-to-none. I love how she draws me into the characters, learning what makes them tick, their foibles, and their quirks. Daena is strong, certainly stronger than she thought she was. She had a harsh lesson to learn, but learn it she did, and she won't make the same mistakes twice.
This book is full of action and suspense. Andred is clever, but will Daena and Reece figure out his game plan before hundreds die? I won't say as I don't want to inadvertently give anything away. I will say I couldn't put the book down, completely hooked on the story.
This whole series has been a fantastic world to visit, full of love, loyalty, and found family. I'm just not ready for it to be over. It's not, is it? Please tell me there's more to come! I may just have to return to the beginning and read it all again, just to tide me over.
Do I recommend it? Oh, hell yes!!! But do yourself a favour, and start at the beginning! Tristan will thank you for it! Or maybe Kaden will if you go right back. Personally, I'd start with Kaden to get the full experience.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Aug 12, 2022
Smoke on the Water (Mystic Beach, #3)
10.0
Rate It
Book
The sea is vast, full of legends and mystery. Under its surface hide both beautiful treasures and...
Paranormal Rockstar Romance
Lindsay (1793 KP) rated Bound Across Time (Bound #1) in Books
Jun 16, 2024
Bound Across Time is intrigued with the title. The description also pulled me in. Who doesn't like a bit of paranormal with historical fiction mixed in? I was surprised by something I usually do not read, which brings in some magic.
Bound Across Time offers a unique perspective, blending historical fiction with elements of time travel or 'time slipping '. The narrative is enriched by a female main character, a rarity in this genre. Alongside her, a male main character adds depth to the story. The book initially presents itself as a blend of paranormal romance and historical fiction, a combination that it delivers on.
Though most of the story action takes place in the castle and its grounds, I do like that the author included a bit of witchcraft and soulers. Though the pace of the book at the beginning is a bit slow, it does pick up and get a bit more interesting when things start to happen without FMC and our MMC meeting each other.
Bound Across Time weaves a tantalizing mystery into its narrative, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. The FMC's initial ignorance of her family history adds a layer of intrigue, and as the story unfolds, her research on a young man who is a ghost leads to unexpected and fascinating revelations. This element of suspense is a major draw for readers interested in historical fiction with a paranormal twist.
CeCe wants to go to Wales to use her history degree. What she finds is different from what she expected. The plot is really good. However, I was unsure if CeCe found out who she was in the plot. But it was good nonetheless. Mixing in love and witchcraft and a little magic was really good. I enjoyed it and will read more about it. The ending has me wanting more. I would have liked to hear more about CeCe and her lover.
This book may be your ally if you're a fan of witchcraft and historical fiction with a paranormal romance. I was craving to find out more about CeCe and what happened at the end. I wanted more, and there is a bit of explicit sex in this book, but nothing to offend anyone. Does CeCe and her lover have sons or not, or does CeCe have a big family? You will need to find out by reading.
Bound Across Time offers a unique perspective, blending historical fiction with elements of time travel or 'time slipping '. The narrative is enriched by a female main character, a rarity in this genre. Alongside her, a male main character adds depth to the story. The book initially presents itself as a blend of paranormal romance and historical fiction, a combination that it delivers on.
Though most of the story action takes place in the castle and its grounds, I do like that the author included a bit of witchcraft and soulers. Though the pace of the book at the beginning is a bit slow, it does pick up and get a bit more interesting when things start to happen without FMC and our MMC meeting each other.
Bound Across Time weaves a tantalizing mystery into its narrative, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. The FMC's initial ignorance of her family history adds a layer of intrigue, and as the story unfolds, her research on a young man who is a ghost leads to unexpected and fascinating revelations. This element of suspense is a major draw for readers interested in historical fiction with a paranormal twist.
CeCe wants to go to Wales to use her history degree. What she finds is different from what she expected. The plot is really good. However, I was unsure if CeCe found out who she was in the plot. But it was good nonetheless. Mixing in love and witchcraft and a little magic was really good. I enjoyed it and will read more about it. The ending has me wanting more. I would have liked to hear more about CeCe and her lover.
This book may be your ally if you're a fan of witchcraft and historical fiction with a paranormal romance. I was craving to find out more about CeCe and what happened at the end. I wanted more, and there is a bit of explicit sex in this book, but nothing to offend anyone. Does CeCe and her lover have sons or not, or does CeCe have a big family? You will need to find out by reading.
Fred (860 KP) rated The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Good game. Could be great with some house rule tweaking.
The Thing: Infected at Outpost 31 is a good game. It really gets the feel of John Carpenter's movie a far as the characters, the props & the look and layout of the outpost. That being said, the game has none of the suspense the movie has. But it can, with some house rules.
The first game I played, we had 6 players. We played the game wrong & had 3 infected. Even though we had too many infected, I was still able to pick all 3 infected. One I torched, 2 I got with the blood tests. Because the humans are able to talk about what cards are given to the captain with each mission, it's too easy to figure out the infected, unless the infected plays the game as a human & totally straight. Because of that, the game is boring as it was too easy for the humans to beat the missions & that it was a guarantee the game would get to the escape portion with no problem. During the game, the danger level didn't get past the third spot, so the danger never affected the missions. Far too easy for the humans. One friend, who was infected, played 2 sabotage cards & we easily figured out he was infected. The other 2 I guessed because of the way they acted. Not the way they acted in the game, just the way they acted. After the game, I suggested that we not be allowed to say what cards you give to the captain. I suggested we say either we can help with the mission or we cannot help. One friend disagreed & said it would be too easy for the infected to win the game by destroying 4 rooms or making 8 missions fail. I disagree.
Due to the arguments of my one friend, we decided it was up to the captain as to whether the cards were told during their missions. This doesn't work because only an infected would want to not have the cards said. As I mentioned, in the first game the danger level only moved up to the third spot. In the second game, we played with 8 players. The danger level only moved up once. Once! There is no suspense when the captain looks at his cards & says "No sabotage." because it's known the infected are playing the game as human, because they'll give themselves up otherwise. And once you're found out, you're left out for much of the game. I was infected in the second game. The first infected in fact. Every time I was chosen for a mission, it was with 3 or 4 player teams & would have been too easy to figure out I was the infected if I sabotaged the mission. So, I played the game straight to the end. It was only when my friend accused me of being infected & I gave up my "tell" that he was adamant I was infected. So again, it had nothing to do with the game, but rather reading my face.
So, basically, if you wanted, you could hand out the blood sample cards, accuse people of being infected, read their faces & guess who's infected without having to bother with the nonsense of the missions. Give the guesser 2 blood tests, because you're guaranteed to still be in danger level 1 & have 2 blood tests anyway. If the missions were exciting, I'd be all for it, but most of them aren't. It's just seeing who has the right cards, which with so many players, you're guaranteed to beat it.
And so, my suggestion of not being allowed to tell what cards you're given is one of the ways to fix this game. Yes, it may be easier for the infected to cause trouble, but without this change, there is no trouble, no sense of danger, no chance for the infected to win, unless they get lucky & get in on the escape. Without that chance of causing trouble, the game is monotonous & is just a big guess at the end. Another way I thought of fixing the game is throwing in a random card during a mission. Just draw an extra card, without looking at it, mix it in with other cards & then see what happens. That may seem unfair because then the mission may be too easily won (even more easily than they already are) & so I suggested another way. If a mission parameter is to have a choice of number of players, for example 4-5 players, then the captain can only choose a 4 player team & the 5th player would be a random card. This way, not every mission will have a random card drawn for it.
Anyway, I do like the game, but feel it could be made into a great game with some kind of tweak to fix this major problem.
The first game I played, we had 6 players. We played the game wrong & had 3 infected. Even though we had too many infected, I was still able to pick all 3 infected. One I torched, 2 I got with the blood tests. Because the humans are able to talk about what cards are given to the captain with each mission, it's too easy to figure out the infected, unless the infected plays the game as a human & totally straight. Because of that, the game is boring as it was too easy for the humans to beat the missions & that it was a guarantee the game would get to the escape portion with no problem. During the game, the danger level didn't get past the third spot, so the danger never affected the missions. Far too easy for the humans. One friend, who was infected, played 2 sabotage cards & we easily figured out he was infected. The other 2 I guessed because of the way they acted. Not the way they acted in the game, just the way they acted. After the game, I suggested that we not be allowed to say what cards you give to the captain. I suggested we say either we can help with the mission or we cannot help. One friend disagreed & said it would be too easy for the infected to win the game by destroying 4 rooms or making 8 missions fail. I disagree.
Due to the arguments of my one friend, we decided it was up to the captain as to whether the cards were told during their missions. This doesn't work because only an infected would want to not have the cards said. As I mentioned, in the first game the danger level only moved up to the third spot. In the second game, we played with 8 players. The danger level only moved up once. Once! There is no suspense when the captain looks at his cards & says "No sabotage." because it's known the infected are playing the game as human, because they'll give themselves up otherwise. And once you're found out, you're left out for much of the game. I was infected in the second game. The first infected in fact. Every time I was chosen for a mission, it was with 3 or 4 player teams & would have been too easy to figure out I was the infected if I sabotaged the mission. So, I played the game straight to the end. It was only when my friend accused me of being infected & I gave up my "tell" that he was adamant I was infected. So again, it had nothing to do with the game, but rather reading my face.
So, basically, if you wanted, you could hand out the blood sample cards, accuse people of being infected, read their faces & guess who's infected without having to bother with the nonsense of the missions. Give the guesser 2 blood tests, because you're guaranteed to still be in danger level 1 & have 2 blood tests anyway. If the missions were exciting, I'd be all for it, but most of them aren't. It's just seeing who has the right cards, which with so many players, you're guaranteed to beat it.
And so, my suggestion of not being allowed to tell what cards you're given is one of the ways to fix this game. Yes, it may be easier for the infected to cause trouble, but without this change, there is no trouble, no sense of danger, no chance for the infected to win, unless they get lucky & get in on the escape. Without that chance of causing trouble, the game is monotonous & is just a big guess at the end. Another way I thought of fixing the game is throwing in a random card during a mission. Just draw an extra card, without looking at it, mix it in with other cards & then see what happens. That may seem unfair because then the mission may be too easily won (even more easily than they already are) & so I suggested another way. If a mission parameter is to have a choice of number of players, for example 4-5 players, then the captain can only choose a 4 player team & the 5th player would be a random card. This way, not every mission will have a random card drawn for it.
Anyway, I do like the game, but feel it could be made into a great game with some kind of tweak to fix this major problem.