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David McK (3475 KP) rated Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
While I doubt this novel is going to win any awards for literature, I have to say that it is a good enough read: not brilliant, but not terrible either.
Written by a ex-navy man, it's easy to see the influnece of his career in the pages: this is 'real' science-fiction, not science-fantasy, with the space battles obeying the laws of physics as we know them. The plot outline is also somewhat remniscient of the new series of BattleStar Galactica, with a smaller rag-tag force being chased by a numerically superior foe. Ironically, this book was first released at around the same time as that series came on TV, with (in this edition) the author claiming that that WAS NOT an inspiration (in the interview at the end), as if he'd been thinking of BSG it woud've been the older series.
With the way the book opens I must also admit that, at first, I thought I'd missed something: the best corollary I can think of is as if the film Aliens (that's the one with the 'S') had started without the whole prologue of them finding Ripleys life pod: you'd be able to infer what had happened, but would be feeling a bit lost at first.
Written by a ex-navy man, it's easy to see the influnece of his career in the pages: this is 'real' science-fiction, not science-fantasy, with the space battles obeying the laws of physics as we know them. The plot outline is also somewhat remniscient of the new series of BattleStar Galactica, with a smaller rag-tag force being chased by a numerically superior foe. Ironically, this book was first released at around the same time as that series came on TV, with (in this edition) the author claiming that that WAS NOT an inspiration (in the interview at the end), as if he'd been thinking of BSG it woud've been the older series.
With the way the book opens I must also admit that, at first, I thought I'd missed something: the best corollary I can think of is as if the film Aliens (that's the one with the 'S') had started without the whole prologue of them finding Ripleys life pod: you'd be able to infer what had happened, but would be feeling a bit lost at first.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) in Movies
Oct 17, 2019
That Song
So this movie, why does this movie get hated on so much. Well one- no micheal myers in it. Two- the plot doesnt connect to the other movies. Three- the plot makes no sense. Four- the title of the film, lies their are no witches. Their are many reasons why this movie gets hated on. That why so many people love it, well because it is so different from the others, it is a oringal film, it is so weird, its so bad its good. Their are other reasons why people love this movie. So what happens in it you may say well....
Hospital emergency room Dr. Daniel "Dan" Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin), the daughter of a murder victim, uncover a terrible plot by small-town mask maker Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), a madman who's planning a Halloween mass murder utilizing an ancient Celtic ritual. The ritual involves a boulder stolen from Stonehenge, the use of Silver Shamrock masks and a triggering device contained in a television commercial -- all designed to kill millions of children.
Also that damn song, that annoying song that plays on the tv.
So would i reccordmend this movie, well yes i would. It is so different from the others, its own movie.
Hospital emergency room Dr. Daniel "Dan" Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin), the daughter of a murder victim, uncover a terrible plot by small-town mask maker Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), a madman who's planning a Halloween mass murder utilizing an ancient Celtic ritual. The ritual involves a boulder stolen from Stonehenge, the use of Silver Shamrock masks and a triggering device contained in a television commercial -- all designed to kill millions of children.
Also that damn song, that annoying song that plays on the tv.
So would i reccordmend this movie, well yes i would. It is so different from the others, its own movie.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Lil Pump by Lil Pump in Music
Oct 19, 2019 (Updated Nov 9, 2019)
Gross
This is bad, not in usual Hip Hop terms as in "I just spat a bad ass rhyme", no, this is bad as in wack.
Lil Pump has rose to meteoritic fame and wealth and the reason why? His stuff speaks to kids of that age where swearing and talking about drugs upsets mummy and daddy.
This is mumble rap. I'm not hating on mumble rap, Some artists are artists. Pump however shouts a line, then says Ouu and then repeats the formula the entire album Ouu.
So we've established he can't rap, lyrically it's just offensive. Now I have a lot of horribly misogynistic hip hop but somehow this feels worse because there is no artistic element. Lil Pump shouts things like "I f##ked your daughter" Ouu, yeah, that is the base level, women are nothing but botches to abide and drugs are new and clever according to Pump. It really is playground level.
What about the beats? Ok anyone knows my output knows I sometimes play with distortion but Pump takes it up so it distorts and the base blows and I bet he giggles like a toddler and goes "that's great Ouu".
Utterly terrible
Lil Pump has rose to meteoritic fame and wealth and the reason why? His stuff speaks to kids of that age where swearing and talking about drugs upsets mummy and daddy.
This is mumble rap. I'm not hating on mumble rap, Some artists are artists. Pump however shouts a line, then says Ouu and then repeats the formula the entire album Ouu.
So we've established he can't rap, lyrically it's just offensive. Now I have a lot of horribly misogynistic hip hop but somehow this feels worse because there is no artistic element. Lil Pump shouts things like "I f##ked your daughter" Ouu, yeah, that is the base level, women are nothing but botches to abide and drugs are new and clever according to Pump. It really is playground level.
What about the beats? Ok anyone knows my output knows I sometimes play with distortion but Pump takes it up so it distorts and the base blows and I bet he giggles like a toddler and goes "that's great Ouu".
Utterly terrible
Vegas (725 KP) rated Locked Up (2017) in Movies
Jul 16, 2019 (Updated Jul 16, 2019)
Why was she even sent to this place for a minor "crime" (1 more)
Plot holes
Not one to watch with your granny
An American teen in Asia gets bullied and retaliates, causing her to be sent to a correctional facility which was more like a Hellhole prison.
She is forced into situations that are awkward and uncomfortable to watch at times and doesn't make for easy viewing, so isn't a lets relax with a family friendly Sunday afternoon type film
That being said, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either, it is a, watch to pass the time film, but then forget about afterwards.
There are a lot of plot holes especially as to why on earth she ended up in this place, randomly after barely a mention of a "trial" (a 30 second to a minute scene) and how this place, looking like a high tech facility can be a front for the goings on behind the facade with nobody checking on the running of the place, even if corruption is rife i cant see how it got like this... I know we are supposed not to think of things like that but sometimes questions need to be asked of films.
She is forced into situations that are awkward and uncomfortable to watch at times and doesn't make for easy viewing, so isn't a lets relax with a family friendly Sunday afternoon type film
That being said, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either, it is a, watch to pass the time film, but then forget about afterwards.
There are a lot of plot holes especially as to why on earth she ended up in this place, randomly after barely a mention of a "trial" (a 30 second to a minute scene) and how this place, looking like a high tech facility can be a front for the goings on behind the facade with nobody checking on the running of the place, even if corruption is rife i cant see how it got like this... I know we are supposed not to think of things like that but sometimes questions need to be asked of films.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies
Jul 3, 2019
Disappointing
Like many films nowadays, this is yet another sequel that we didn't need. The first two MIB sequels were let's face it pretty poor, and I'm afraid to say this 4th installment is not much better.
It was nice to see MIB back on the big screen, however the problem with this film is that it doesn't have any of the magic of the original. It's lacking in humour, a decent plot and some funny and unique aliens. Instead we get a few odd jokes that raise a brief smile, a predictable and done to death plot and a lot of rather silly, pathetic and rather irritating aliens. They've tried to recapture the pairing of Thor and Valkyrie with the casting of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, but the issue is this film just doesn't have the scriptwriters that Marvel has to give such a great cast something good to work with. The cast in this is truly fantastic and they do the best they can, it's just a shame that they've been let down by a very poor script with some cliched and predictable character types.
This isnt terrible by any means and it is at least vaguely enjoyable, but altogether a rather disappointing return for MIB to the big screen.
It was nice to see MIB back on the big screen, however the problem with this film is that it doesn't have any of the magic of the original. It's lacking in humour, a decent plot and some funny and unique aliens. Instead we get a few odd jokes that raise a brief smile, a predictable and done to death plot and a lot of rather silly, pathetic and rather irritating aliens. They've tried to recapture the pairing of Thor and Valkyrie with the casting of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, but the issue is this film just doesn't have the scriptwriters that Marvel has to give such a great cast something good to work with. The cast in this is truly fantastic and they do the best they can, it's just a shame that they've been let down by a very poor script with some cliched and predictable character types.
This isnt terrible by any means and it is at least vaguely enjoyable, but altogether a rather disappointing return for MIB to the big screen.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Institute in Books
Nov 26, 2019
Would make a great film
Supernatural abilities and horrific events are nothing new for Stephen King, but this is the first time we've seen his take on The Maze Runner/X-Men and most other recent YA novels or films. And it's really rather good.
I wouldn't say it's up there with his knockout classics or epic stories, but this is a hugely entertaining read with some endearing and well developed characters. Even the kids in this are a lot more likeable than most other whinging teens that feature as protagonists in other novels, and it's just proof that King really does know how to do characters. The story itself is interesting and a neat new take on the supernatural/superhero powers that we're so used to seeing nowadays. My biggest issue is the ending. It's not terrible or even bad at all, it just comes across as very anticlimactic after the huge build up and is rather a bit of a letdown. It just seems a little too clean and wrapped up all too quickly.
Still I struggled to put this down, especially the further I got into it, and if you like stories about supernatural abilities then this is definitely one to read.
I wouldn't say it's up there with his knockout classics or epic stories, but this is a hugely entertaining read with some endearing and well developed characters. Even the kids in this are a lot more likeable than most other whinging teens that feature as protagonists in other novels, and it's just proof that King really does know how to do characters. The story itself is interesting and a neat new take on the supernatural/superhero powers that we're so used to seeing nowadays. My biggest issue is the ending. It's not terrible or even bad at all, it just comes across as very anticlimactic after the huge build up and is rather a bit of a letdown. It just seems a little too clean and wrapped up all too quickly.
Still I struggled to put this down, especially the further I got into it, and if you like stories about supernatural abilities then this is definitely one to read.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Last Christmas (2019) in Movies
Nov 27, 2019
Lacking in romance & comedy
The trailer made this film look awful, and whilst it isnt quite as bad as it looked, it left me feeling rather underwhelmed.
For a rom-com set at Christmas, it's surprisingly lacking in romance, comedy and even festive spirit. The romance feels rather forced and there isn't any sort of spark between the two main characters at all, so it's quite unbelievable. I like Emilia Clarke, but even she can't save the lack of connection. There are a few funny lines in the film, but the rest of the script seems out of place, badly written and the intended humour falls flat. And trying to be relevant with some Brexit references doesn't work either.
Even the plot itself isn't great. It varies from typical rom-com to a predictable twist and even the George Michael/Wham theme didn't work. I was expected to be overwhelmed with music but instead you'd barely notice this was meant to be the theme at all. Admittedly the twist may go some way to explaining some of my above niggles, but not all of them. This is one of those strange films that isn't good but isn't terrible enough to hate every minute of it either. Definitely not a christmas classic though!
For a rom-com set at Christmas, it's surprisingly lacking in romance, comedy and even festive spirit. The romance feels rather forced and there isn't any sort of spark between the two main characters at all, so it's quite unbelievable. I like Emilia Clarke, but even she can't save the lack of connection. There are a few funny lines in the film, but the rest of the script seems out of place, badly written and the intended humour falls flat. And trying to be relevant with some Brexit references doesn't work either.
Even the plot itself isn't great. It varies from typical rom-com to a predictable twist and even the George Michael/Wham theme didn't work. I was expected to be overwhelmed with music but instead you'd barely notice this was meant to be the theme at all. Admittedly the twist may go some way to explaining some of my above niggles, but not all of them. This is one of those strange films that isn't good but isn't terrible enough to hate every minute of it either. Definitely not a christmas classic though!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Saw: The Final Chapter (2010) in Movies
Jan 17, 2020
The Game Ends
So this is how it ends, all the lead up and ends on a low note, i expected soo much more, and it ends up disappointed, which is sad because i really liked 1-6 alot and i expected to like this alot. In the end, the final chapter wasnt the final chapter cause in 2017 their made anethor one, a sort of reboot/reintroduction to the franchise. Than this year that going to reboot it again. So all in all this wasnt the final chapter. Just the final chapter for 1-6.
The Plot: As a fierce battle rages over Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrible legacy, survivors seek support from a fellow survivor and self-help guru, who has a few dark secrets of his own. Meanwhile, crooked cop Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) seeks revenge against Jigsaw's wife and an author who has his own story.
Also what did the saw franchsie need, it needed 3d, and of course their choice the final chapter to do 3d. I watched it in 2d and what was ment to be 3d parts were bad, because you can tell their were ment to be watching in 3d, but your watching it in 2d.
Anyways a disappointed finale to a overall great franchise.
The Plot: As a fierce battle rages over Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrible legacy, survivors seek support from a fellow survivor and self-help guru, who has a few dark secrets of his own. Meanwhile, crooked cop Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) seeks revenge against Jigsaw's wife and an author who has his own story.
Also what did the saw franchsie need, it needed 3d, and of course their choice the final chapter to do 3d. I watched it in 2d and what was ment to be 3d parts were bad, because you can tell their were ment to be watching in 3d, but your watching it in 2d.
Anyways a disappointed finale to a overall great franchise.
West of Eden
Book
West of Eden is the definitive story of Hollywood, told, in their own words, by the people on the...