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Ross (3284 KP) rated The Ritual (2017) in Movies
Apr 25, 2018
OK, this film isn't trying to do anything new. A bunch of friends decide to head off hiking and take a wrong turn/short cut into the woods. Luckily for us, they don't meet James Corden singing, instead they start to feel like they're being followed, have weird dreams and are eventually stalked by a strange giant monster (which is gradually revealed over time).
This does have a feel of the blair witch but benefits from not having that annoying "found footage" aspect where people running for their lives insist on filming the event.
The film builds tension brilliantly, has some particularly creepy moments and doesn't fall down for trying to explain what is happening too much. Rafe Spall is excellent and none of the characters make any stupid illogical decisions that cause you to shout at the screen.
This does have a feel of the blair witch but benefits from not having that annoying "found footage" aspect where people running for their lives insist on filming the event.
The film builds tension brilliantly, has some particularly creepy moments and doesn't fall down for trying to explain what is happening too much. Rafe Spall is excellent and none of the characters make any stupid illogical decisions that cause you to shout at the screen.
Not my favourite but still great
Not my favourite book in the Max Wolfe series but still very enjoyable with a very relevant and disturbing story line with great characters, twists, gritty tension, violence and humanity all written at a great pace that makes you want to continue reading well into the wee small hours of the night. I continue to love getting to know Max and adore his relationship with his daughter, Scout and their dog, Stanley with their moments adding a depth and warmth to Max that can be hidden under his strong policeman persona.
Although not my favourite, I would still highly recommend this series and Tony Parsons as a great British author and would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for a review.
Although not my favourite, I would still highly recommend this series and Tony Parsons as a great British author and would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for a review.
Jordi Sanchez (3 KP) rated Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 in Tabletop Games
Mar 8, 2019
Immersive narrative (3 more)
Plot twists!
Real cooperation
Exciting, lots of surprises every campaign
The campaign is not replayable (1 more)
Adding steps to the mechanics of the game can make you forget some things
The best experience we had on a table
The famous Pandemic cooperative game about saving the world from epidemic disease with a Legacy twist, which means, playing a campaign where new goals, rules, characters, skills will be added and lost along the game.
We loved the tension and the rewarding feeling when we won.
The game is full of surprises. The box includes some mystery boxes and a bunch of dossiers that you can only open as you advance with the campaign.
The storyline is interesting and we'll balanced. You will get help if you keep losing, and things will get more challenging if you keep winning.
We loved the tension and the rewarding feeling when we won.
The game is full of surprises. The box includes some mystery boxes and a bunch of dossiers that you can only open as you advance with the campaign.
The storyline is interesting and we'll balanced. You will get help if you keep losing, and things will get more challenging if you keep winning.
Books&Football (34 KP) rated I've Got Your Number in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Fun and serious when you don't expect it.
Contains spoilers, click to show
One the same day Poppy looses both her cell phone and her engagement ring... then she finds a phone laying about and adopts it as her own. The owner of the phone, Sam, is not happy when Poppy does not return the phone. He is even less thrilled when Poppy starts reading his messages and offering her advice on his personal life. Sam, in turn, points out that maybe Poppy's fiance is not the best match for her. Sam and Poppy end up invested in each other's lives, but will either of them admit how each feels about the other? The scene in the woods had so much tension, I needed three cold showers....
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie is surprised when James Delacorte asks for his help cataloging his private library since the two hardly know each other. But James fears that someone is stealing his rare books. Returning from his lunch break his first day on the job, Charlie finds James dead. Who killed him? Are there really missing library books?
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Wedding Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #19) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Hannah Swensen is getting married in just a few weeks, but first she has the dessert competition that her sisters signed her up for. It turns out this televised competition is anything but sweet when the backstage tension leads to murder. Can Hannah solve the case before she gets married?
The baking competition allowed food to be brought into the book seamlessly, and the competition itself was plenty of fun. It’s always great to revisit the characters, too. The murder takes a back seat early on, but it gets plenty of focus as we rush toward the ending. I do hope the wedding sticks because, while it was rushed, I do love the potential I see in this character and relationship.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-wedding-cake-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The baking competition allowed food to be brought into the book seamlessly, and the competition itself was plenty of fun. It’s always great to revisit the characters, too. The murder takes a back seat early on, but it gets plenty of focus as we rush toward the ending. I do hope the wedding sticks because, while it was rushed, I do love the potential I see in this character and relationship.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-wedding-cake-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Heirs and Graces (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #7) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Lady Georgiana is asked to come to an estate in 1930's England to teach the new heir to the dukedom proper upper society manners. This heir has just been discovered and has been raised in the Australian Outback. However, not too long after this heir arrives, Georgie has to add sleuthing to her list of things to do when someone gets a knife in the back - literally.
These trips back in time are always fun, and this one was no exception. I loved the new characters and the tension was so thick I always had a hard time putting it down.
I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Please read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-heirs-and-graces-by-rhys.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
These trips back in time are always fun, and this one was no exception. I loved the new characters and the tension was so thick I always had a hard time putting it down.
I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Please read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-heirs-and-graces-by-rhys.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) in Movies
Jun 30, 2018
I may have liked Sicario 2 more than the original. I was perfectly fine with Emily Blunt not being included, because her character wouldn't have really fit in with the story.
I think savage is the perfect word to describe this film. The release was probably not the best timing, but it does seem to accurately portray the coyotes.
Josh Brolin is on a roll this year, and I don't mind that this is his third film released in the span of a few months. Del Toro was excellent, yet again. Some of the plot dragged a bit at the end, but I was completely engaged the whole time.
I was glad that the last scene was so tension-filled, yet again, like in the last film. I won't say anything else about it, since it'd be a semi-spoiler.
I think savage is the perfect word to describe this film. The release was probably not the best timing, but it does seem to accurately portray the coyotes.
Josh Brolin is on a roll this year, and I don't mind that this is his third film released in the span of a few months. Del Toro was excellent, yet again. Some of the plot dragged a bit at the end, but I was completely engaged the whole time.
I was glad that the last scene was so tension-filled, yet again, like in the last film. I won't say anything else about it, since it'd be a semi-spoiler.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Exploding Kittens in Tabletop Games
Aug 31, 2018
Fun Game
My daughter is in love with this bonkers game! Exploding Kittens is a russian roulette style game featuring amusing art from The Oatmeal. Simple to learn, but with some quirky little rules that I have to keep looking up again and again (usually when my daughter uses them on me to full effect!). It's one of those games that isn't that exciting at the beginning of a new game, but as you near the end of the pack and you know that the exploding kitten card is coming soon, the tension and enjoyment really grows. I'm not sure of the longevity of the game though, and that's the only downside to this really. There are expansion packs available, to enhance the gameplay and increase the potential number of players, which I'd be interested to try out some time.
Otway93 (580 KP) rated the PlayStation version of Resident Evil in Video Games
Oct 21, 2019
Tension (1 more)
Storyline
Camera Angles (1 more)
Controls
Terrifying, tricky, and ever so slightly awkward.
Resident Evil is undoubtedly a horror gaming classic that has sparked 6 successful sequels and a huge number of just as successful spin-offs.
The stress and anxiety caused by this game is off the charts, with the classic soundtrack (little to no music), fixed camera angles and difficult to master controls.
The fixed camera angles make the game frightening, as you never literally never know what's around the next corner, or in some cases right in front of you.
The controls are difficult to master, very typical, but a nightmare when it comes to corners and turning, as it's very much, turn and then move unlike modern games. Plus, due to the camera angles, some of the controls tend to reverse and make it difficult to control.
The stress and anxiety caused by this game is off the charts, with the classic soundtrack (little to no music), fixed camera angles and difficult to master controls.
The fixed camera angles make the game frightening, as you never literally never know what's around the next corner, or in some cases right in front of you.
The controls are difficult to master, very typical, but a nightmare when it comes to corners and turning, as it's very much, turn and then move unlike modern games. Plus, due to the camera angles, some of the controls tend to reverse and make it difficult to control.
Ross (3284 KP) Apr 25, 2018
Sarah (7800 KP) Apr 25, 2018