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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Into The Forest (2016) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
A light, pretty take on the bonds of family during hard times gets brutalized halfway through by one of the hardest to watch scenes of 2015 before becoming a powerfully emotional apocalypse tale about how much of your life is actually necessary. This has been criticized up and down for not using a 'harrowing' enough crisis to set the scene, and look I'm just going to tell you right now that I understand why you all think this is 'millennial' but this right here would be my living nightmare. I'm that character in every pre/post-apocalyptic movie who loses their shit after the power goes out in the first five minutes - I don't even go tent camping, like I *need* that shit. To quote Kumail Nanjiani from šš©š¦ ššŖšØ ššŖš¤š¬: "I'm going to be the first guy to die. I die so the other characters get to find out something weird is going on". Also a big plus that this doesn't turn into some finger-shaking technophobic lecture as it no doubt would have under any other circumstances. No I don't take a ton of stock in this rather simple story on the surface but the real beauty of it is brought to life with these all-in performances, earthly visuals, together with the *deeply* rich and evocative score. It's such a bracingly haunting yet unforgettably sensual experience, and it has one of the more sound 'good thing, bad thing, good thing, bad thing...' structures for the genre. Very lovely.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Forever, Jack (Eversea, #2) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
Well, I read book 1, Eversea, back when I went on holiday last month and fell in love with Jack Eversea.
In this, we see the lengths he goes to to make it right for the girl he loves, Keri Ann, and so she isnāt dragged into the backstabbing world that heās grown weary of. And if possible I fell even harder for him.
But in the five months heās been gone from her life, Keri Ann, has tried to move on and heās got a job on his hands getting back in her good books. I didnāt blame Keri Anne for not taking him back instantly after what happened at the end of Eversea, but at the same time I was willing them almost desperately to get back together because they are one hell of a good couple.
Audrey annoyed the hell out of me again. I wasnāt a fan in the first and she angered me more in this one. How desperate can you be not to ruin your image to threaten a girl youāve never really taken the time to know or talk to? She hacked me off big time at the beginning; I could have smacked her and at the end, too.
The life of a celebrity never does run smooth.
I loved Eversea but thereās something about Forever, Jackā¦thereās so much more emotion in it and I was sucked in whole-heartedly. I am now a die-hard fan of Natasha Boyd and look forward to reading future books.
In this, we see the lengths he goes to to make it right for the girl he loves, Keri Ann, and so she isnāt dragged into the backstabbing world that heās grown weary of. And if possible I fell even harder for him.
But in the five months heās been gone from her life, Keri Ann, has tried to move on and heās got a job on his hands getting back in her good books. I didnāt blame Keri Anne for not taking him back instantly after what happened at the end of Eversea, but at the same time I was willing them almost desperately to get back together because they are one hell of a good couple.
Audrey annoyed the hell out of me again. I wasnāt a fan in the first and she angered me more in this one. How desperate can you be not to ruin your image to threaten a girl youāve never really taken the time to know or talk to? She hacked me off big time at the beginning; I could have smacked her and at the end, too.
The life of a celebrity never does run smooth.
I loved Eversea but thereās something about Forever, Jackā¦thereās so much more emotion in it and I was sucked in whole-heartedly. I am now a die-hard fan of Natasha Boyd and look forward to reading future books.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night's Edge in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I just finished Maggie Shayne's short story, Her Best Enemy, and enjoyed it a lot. Yes, the plot is rushed and I didn't believe they could love each other that soon at the end, but it was a really fun story! I would have liked it better if Ms. Shayne had left them just starting out in their promising relationship and not dropping the L-bomb at the end - it felt too forced and cheesy. But as I said before, it was very fun, and an easy and fast read too! :)
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
Conduct Unbecoming: A Memoir
Book
Desmond O'Malley's career coincided with one of the most intense periods in Irish political life. In...
Miss Perfect
Book
Looking back from Ireland, Miss Madge Perfect remembers the time when social work was her life -...
Flawed Angel (The Fall #1)
8.0
Rate It
Book
When war breaks out between the angels, Luna Grayson finds herself with a one way ticket to exile....
Rodney Barnes (472 KP) rated Detroit: Become Human in Video Games
Mar 28, 2019
Interactive Gold
If you like the interactive type choice games, then Detroit Become Human is for you. I was really intrigued by the trailers for this game and thought , why not. I was not disappointed. You follow the story of Marcus, Kara and Connor. Their fate depends on you! Yes...choices made in this game affects the outcome of their particular storyline. It means their life or death. Yes you will find yourself getting attached to these characters and then a choice you make can mean the end of their life. These are not people you are controlling...they are androids. Androids who have developed a sense of right and wrong amd want to be independent and treated the same as humans. Of course there are many different outcomes. It can end good for everyone involved, end bad for everyone involved or a mixture. Again...it depends on you. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves the "interactive movie" type games. I am sure you will love it as much as I do.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Dans ma peau (2002) in Movies
Jun 27, 2018
"Dans ma peau" is a film that got me into French cinema (along with Martyrs, but this is a different breed of film). It's both horrific and real. An allegory about the pressure of life, specifically as a woman, protagonist Esther injures her leg at a party and develops a fixation on the wound. She begins to mutilate the wound further, using the pain as a distraction from office politics and a hard decision in her romantic life.
Brief interlude: if you struggle with self harm, do yourself a favor and either avoid this film, or watch when you're in a good frame of mind.
This movie is filmed in an innocuous way. That is to say, it doesn't FEEL like a horror movie. In fact, it's hard to even call it that, despite the horrific content. There are scenes which stretch on to the point where the audience is horribly uncomfortable. But they're also REAL. How many times have you felt inadequate or embarrassed and wished you could disappear? That's what this film embodies.
Brief interlude: if you struggle with self harm, do yourself a favor and either avoid this film, or watch when you're in a good frame of mind.
This movie is filmed in an innocuous way. That is to say, it doesn't FEEL like a horror movie. In fact, it's hard to even call it that, despite the horrific content. There are scenes which stretch on to the point where the audience is horribly uncomfortable. But they're also REAL. How many times have you felt inadequate or embarrassed and wished you could disappear? That's what this film embodies.
Midge (525 KP) rated Breaking the Rules in Books
Dec 10, 2018
Isabelle LaFayette attempts but fails, to end her own life in what her mother calls a selfish act. Her suicide attempt haunts her, along with her other past regrets and the inability to forgive herself.
Jack Riley comes into Isabelleās life and becomes her first love. He makes her feel alive, but she cruelly pushes him away, mistakenly believing that she doesn't deserve to be happy. Can she find the strength to confront her pain and be released from her troublesome past?
Isabelle needs to break the rules that have been imprisoning her. It is the only way for her to move on and piece her heart back together again.
Izzy, as she is known to her friends, is an extremely likeable character and I could really empathise with her. I thought this book was very insightful and thought-provoking. Although I thought that some of the dialogue between Izzy and her new beau, Nick Sterling, was a little repetitive, I found it a very enjoyable read, The author's writing has depth and the ending was very good.
Jack Riley comes into Isabelleās life and becomes her first love. He makes her feel alive, but she cruelly pushes him away, mistakenly believing that she doesn't deserve to be happy. Can she find the strength to confront her pain and be released from her troublesome past?
Isabelle needs to break the rules that have been imprisoning her. It is the only way for her to move on and piece her heart back together again.
Izzy, as she is known to her friends, is an extremely likeable character and I could really empathise with her. I thought this book was very insightful and thought-provoking. Although I thought that some of the dialogue between Izzy and her new beau, Nick Sterling, was a little repetitive, I found it a very enjoyable read, The author's writing has depth and the ending was very good.
Bandaging the Blitz
Phyll MacDonald Ross and I.D. Roberts
Book
In 1938, eighteen-year-old Phyllis Ellsworth packs her bags, says goodbye to her anxious parents and...