
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Forever Purge (2021) in Movies
Jun 30, 2021
Following the abolition of the Purge at the end of the “Purge Election Year”; the Holiday where all crime is legal for twelve hours is restored due to radical elements fueling fears of illegal immigration and the increase in crime immigrants will bring to the largely crime-free country.
It is not made clear what happened with the new President who was a staunch critic of the Purge and only that it has been restored so citizens prepare for its return by arming up, barricading themselves, or paying for armed security in a fortified locale.
It is against this backdrop that Adela (Ana de Reguera) has come to America fleeing the violence in her country as she enters illegally and finds work. Dylan Tucker (Josh Lucas) is a wealthy Rancher who along with his family hires friends and family of Adela though having some disdain for them and what they stand for.
The Purge comes and goes with the main cast unaffected and as they prepare to resume their lives; roving bands of armed gangs have continued to Purge in violation of the law similar to those who took to the street in protest of the election and plans to eliminate the Purge years prior.
This new group is well organized and has no issues taking on law enforcement and the military forcing Dylan, Adela, and their family and friends to flee for their lives. As the terror spreads, their only safety is to try to make it to Mexico who along with Canada has agreed to a six hour window to allow people to cross to escape the violence.
As the danger mounts, the severity of the movement is known as the authorities seem powerless to control and stop what is called The Forever Purge.
The film uses a slightly different formula than the prior films which focused mainly on a group of people trying to survive the night and the terrors that come with Purge Night. There is a greater emphasis on racism and Xenophobia this time around directed more towards foreigners than minorities and poverty-stricken individuals but the underlying message is the same.
This time around we are given a longer timeframe of terror and more social commentary as there are elements from the film which seem eerily inspired by headlines past and present which makes the film even more chilling.
While the story is rather bare and the characters do not get much development; the movie should give fans of the series what they look forward to although it lacks the dramatic tension of the previous films.
In the end “The Forever Purge” is an interesting new chapter in the series but not one of the stronger entries and serves as an effective finale to the series should this turn out to be the final film.
3 stars out of 5

Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated Insomnia in Books
Feb 7, 2019
I really connected with the main characters, especially Ralph Roberts, and felt quite a bond towards them, although it did take a little longer to warm to Lois.
There were times I laughed out loud, felt a little scared, could feel the joy of the characters and (trying not to give anything away) felt their pain when close people passed away and the sheer terror or trauma felt at these losses.
I did take a long time to read this book but that was mainly down to my personal circumstances and some deep things I was going through at the time.
Some parts were complete non-sensical but still, I could see in a vivid plethora of colours exactly what was happening. I have to say I was going at the pace of understanding of the characters too - when they were confused and weren't sure what was next, I also felt the same. I have to say the ending and climatic moments weren't as I expected. I'm not even sure what I expected, if anything! But I wasn't able to second guess the main scenarios and felt compelled to continue reading to the end. Between reading sessions, I was literally itching to want to continue!
I would highly recommend this as an intrinsically described, oftentimes sarcastic, but also very witty read.

Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated The Hobbit Trilogy (2015) in Movies
Jun 14, 2019
So yes - the films are super long but personally I didn't feel the length of the film (as some bad films feel twice as long and you just scream HURRY UP AND END) where as with The Hobbit at the end of Unexpected Journey I couldn't wait for the next one.
Obviously with this being made years after, the Actors from LOTR would have unfortunately aged but Sir. Ian Mckellen looks not a day older and although Orlando Bloom is obviously not in his early twenties anymore, it was easy to overlook. Bilbo Baggins had to be a different actor but I definitely think Martin Freeman was the man for the job. I also loved that in the beginning Elijah Wood made an appearance, making it genuinely feel like part of the LOTR we've all come to love.
The Battle of the Five Armies was the main film I have qualms with, after countless googles I still don't understand the Five Armies part, but that could just be me! Also, when Smaugs rain of terror is finally ended it sort of felt bittersweet and kind of Anti Climactic as it happens rather quickly into the film.

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Crazies (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
During a game of baseball local Farmer Rory Hamill arrives interrupting the game with shotgun in tow. This odd incident soon leads to more and shows that that something definitely isn’t right as the locals begin losing their minds.
In the new film “The Crazies”, a remake of the classic original film by horror legend George Romero, the audience is taken on a bizarre trip as a an ideal small community becomes the setting of unimagined terror and chaos.
Before the movie, I researched the original and read a comic series in order to get a better grasp on the source material.
Sadly the final product did not live up to my expectations as the film plays out in a very stale manner and it seems that Director Breck Eisner was unsure what direction he wanted to the film to take.
I felt like I was watching a re-packaged “28 Days later” with a little bit of “Quarantine” mixed in, Honestly the movie was so boring to me that I found myself trying to find anything in it that could keep my attention.
Thankfully the film does have some great special FX which for me is the saving grace of the film. While I had expected a bit more form the source material which was rife with possibilities, “The Crazies” plays out as a rather mundane horror film that offers very little that is new and fresh.

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