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Vegas (725 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Dec 23, 2018 (Updated Dec 23, 2018)
The cast (2 more)
The suspense
The story
Grips you from the start
Not having seen any of the previously mentioned film as yet, I cannot compare this,, so I am not judging based on them.
A very good cast works well together to bring a story to life that sounds like it shouldn't work, 3 blindfolded people on a boat, with flashbacks... It can't work.. Can it?
The answer to that for me is, yes it can - It starts well, grabbing your attention right away, before having a flashback explaining what is going on... These flashbacks work well, which sometimes isn't the case in films and actually are probably more important than the scenes along the river (which are also shorter than the flashbacks)
The terror the people feel when faced with the unexplained happenings is pitched just right and it isn't a gore based film - it is a survival film...
So as long as you can ignore that it is quite far fetched (which most horror films are) - settle down to one of the better survival horror films of recent times.
A very good cast works well together to bring a story to life that sounds like it shouldn't work, 3 blindfolded people on a boat, with flashbacks... It can't work.. Can it?
The answer to that for me is, yes it can - It starts well, grabbing your attention right away, before having a flashback explaining what is going on... These flashbacks work well, which sometimes isn't the case in films and actually are probably more important than the scenes along the river (which are also shorter than the flashbacks)
The terror the people feel when faced with the unexplained happenings is pitched just right and it isn't a gore based film - it is a survival film...
So as long as you can ignore that it is quite far fetched (which most horror films are) - settle down to one of the better survival horror films of recent times.
Smuggler: A True Story of Marijuana, the Hippie Mafia and One of America's Most Wanted International Drug Traffickers
Book
Richard Stratton was the unlikeliest of kingpins. A clean-cut college boy who entered outlaw culture...
Quick Curtain
Book
Quick Curtain is a witty detective story, originally published in 1934. It is one among many books...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Dawn of Chaos (The Caitlin Chronicles #1) in Books
Mar 11, 2021
34 of 250
Kindle
Dawn of Chaos ( Caitlin Chronicles book 1)
By Michael Anderle and Daniel Wilcocks
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The Governor she trusted to protect her wants her dead. The target she was sent to capture wants to help her live.
When Caitlin finally gets the chance to join her brother on a mission outside of the walls of the town she has been trapped inside all of her life, her entire reality is shaken.
Enemies appear in the strangest of places. The zombie-like ‘Mad’ roam the forests. Vampires and Werewolves from the fairy tales of her childhood become reality as Caitlin is forced to discover the truth of the Age of Madness and begin the fight for justice.
So I wasn’t sure what to Expect but it was actually quite good! I got a very walking dead theme but with vampires and weres thrown in! The characters were likeable and of course detestable, loving the female leads which I find sometimes when written by men are just slightly patronising but not here! Looking forward to seeing more.
Kindle
Dawn of Chaos ( Caitlin Chronicles book 1)
By Michael Anderle and Daniel Wilcocks
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The Governor she trusted to protect her wants her dead. The target she was sent to capture wants to help her live.
When Caitlin finally gets the chance to join her brother on a mission outside of the walls of the town she has been trapped inside all of her life, her entire reality is shaken.
Enemies appear in the strangest of places. The zombie-like ‘Mad’ roam the forests. Vampires and Werewolves from the fairy tales of her childhood become reality as Caitlin is forced to discover the truth of the Age of Madness and begin the fight for justice.
So I wasn’t sure what to Expect but it was actually quite good! I got a very walking dead theme but with vampires and weres thrown in! The characters were likeable and of course detestable, loving the female leads which I find sometimes when written by men are just slightly patronising but not here! Looking forward to seeing more.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2496 KP) rated Murder Gets a Makeover in Books
Oct 15, 2021 (Updated Oct 15, 2021)
Who Gave Bebe a Makeover as a Corpse?
Thanks to her neighbor, Jaine Austen is getting a free makeover. Unfortunately, it is with Bebe Braddock, who turns out to be a nasty woman. When Jaine goes to a fitting, she finds Bebe’s dead body. The police start looking at Jaine as their top suspect, so she tries to find the real killer. Meanwhile, Jaine’s cat, Prozac, becomes a viral star after saving a toddler’s life and her father thinks he finally has the goods on his nemesis in the retirement community.
Between the strong sub-plots and the solid mystery, this book is always hopping. Author Laura Levine does a great job of juggling everything and keeping us entertained the entire time. The book is filled with laughs, mainly coming from the sub-plots. The characters are more caricatures, but they fit the tone of the series perfectly and do their job of entertaining us. I did feel this book wasn’t quite as good as most of the series, but it’s mostly minor nitpicks. Overall, I enjoyed Jaine’s latest adventure and am sure that her fans will laugh as the pages fly by.
Between the strong sub-plots and the solid mystery, this book is always hopping. Author Laura Levine does a great job of juggling everything and keeping us entertained the entire time. The book is filled with laughs, mainly coming from the sub-plots. The characters are more caricatures, but they fit the tone of the series perfectly and do their job of entertaining us. I did feel this book wasn’t quite as good as most of the series, but it’s mostly minor nitpicks. Overall, I enjoyed Jaine’s latest adventure and am sure that her fans will laugh as the pages fly by.
The Women
10.0
Rate It
Book
From the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number...
Historical fiction Vietnam war
My Journey
Book
Moving, thrilling, inspirational: the autobiography of Jim Stynes. In July 2009, Jim Stynes was...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Bad Boys for Life (2020) in Movies
Jan 28, 2020
It's says a lot about this third entry into the Bad Boys franchise, when there's been a 17 year gap between movies, and it still manages to be this good!
The Bad Boys films are known for being over the top, sweary, violent, funny, and action packed, and thankfully, this tried and tested formula sticks again.
It's silliness is hugely toned down from the overly gratuitous Bad Boys II, (it's still pretty silly mind), and we're presented with a host of characters that actually ground the franchise a little, and it's all the better for it.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are once again hugely likable as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, the chemistry between the two is still hilariously beautiful and bro-tastic after all these years.
BBFL also introduces a group of new characters, a law enforcement response team known as AMMO, who are also all pretty likable. I feel that the writers are perhaps testing the waters for a potential spin off.
The movies bad guys are drug-queen Isabel Aretas and her son Armando (Kate del Castillo and Jacob Scipio respectively) who both do a pretty good job at playing imposing and dangerous villains.
We also get some back story regarding Mike Lowrey that has never been touched on before - a possible avenue for a prequel maybe?
The action set pieces are exciting and well choreographed (best motorbike chase since John Wick 3) and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah - taking over from Michael Bay - do a solid job of delivering a well shot action packed adventure, with just enough nods to the original duology's style.
The only criticisms I have really stem from pacing. The movie feels very staggered for much of the first half and takes a while to really kick into gear, but once it does, it's hugely entertaining.
Also, the comedy is laid on pretty thick and fast from the get go, and there were quite a few moments that didn't land, (predictably, there was plenty of too-old-for-this-shit jokes) but by the same merit, there were plenty that did.
Bad Boys For Life is overall a fun time that is pretty hard to not enjoy, and it actually might just be the best of the series, if not, then it's certainly on par with the first.
The narrative makes a good effort to set up potential directions for the franchise going forward (I counted at least three obvious set ups) but based on the strength of this entry, it something that I would actually like to see, and considering I went to the cinema content in the apparent knowledge that this would be the last one, that can only be a good thing.
The Bad Boys films are known for being over the top, sweary, violent, funny, and action packed, and thankfully, this tried and tested formula sticks again.
It's silliness is hugely toned down from the overly gratuitous Bad Boys II, (it's still pretty silly mind), and we're presented with a host of characters that actually ground the franchise a little, and it's all the better for it.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are once again hugely likable as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, the chemistry between the two is still hilariously beautiful and bro-tastic after all these years.
BBFL also introduces a group of new characters, a law enforcement response team known as AMMO, who are also all pretty likable. I feel that the writers are perhaps testing the waters for a potential spin off.
The movies bad guys are drug-queen Isabel Aretas and her son Armando (Kate del Castillo and Jacob Scipio respectively) who both do a pretty good job at playing imposing and dangerous villains.
We also get some back story regarding Mike Lowrey that has never been touched on before - a possible avenue for a prequel maybe?
The action set pieces are exciting and well choreographed (best motorbike chase since John Wick 3) and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah - taking over from Michael Bay - do a solid job of delivering a well shot action packed adventure, with just enough nods to the original duology's style.
The only criticisms I have really stem from pacing. The movie feels very staggered for much of the first half and takes a while to really kick into gear, but once it does, it's hugely entertaining.
Also, the comedy is laid on pretty thick and fast from the get go, and there were quite a few moments that didn't land, (predictably, there was plenty of too-old-for-this-shit jokes) but by the same merit, there were plenty that did.
Bad Boys For Life is overall a fun time that is pretty hard to not enjoy, and it actually might just be the best of the series, if not, then it's certainly on par with the first.
The narrative makes a good effort to set up potential directions for the franchise going forward (I counted at least three obvious set ups) but based on the strength of this entry, it something that I would actually like to see, and considering I went to the cinema content in the apparent knowledge that this would be the last one, that can only be a good thing.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Moonville ( Gold Prophecy 1-4) in Books
Mar 1, 2024
40 of 220
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
TG
The Great Cat and Dog Massacre: The Real Story of World War Two's Unknown Tragedy
Book
The tragedies of World War II are well known. But at least one has been forgotten: in September...