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TheBookMother (105 KP) rated Unravelling Oliver in Books
May 17, 2019
It's as if Richard Hillman came back from the dead, you will not put it down.
I picked this little gem up on a supermarket fundraising bookshelf.
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Despicable Me 3 (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
A disjointed third outing
They’re back. After the ridiculous success of Minions in 2015, Universal pressed ahead with a sequel to their other ridiculously successful animated franchise, Despicable Me.
The first two films were a delightful, if uneven adventure with everybody’s favourite yellow tic-tacs getting their standalone movie that grossed over $1billion. I know, I can’t believe it either.
Now, supervillain turned doting dad Gru is back for another round of animated mayhem. But is this third outing as enjoyable as its predecessors? Or are we starting to feel franchise fatigue?
The mischievous yet hopelessly adorable Minions hope that boss Gru (Steve Carell) will return to a life of crime after the Anti-Villain League fires him. Instead, he travels to Freedonia to meet his long-lost twin brother for the very first time. The siblings soon find themselves in a bickering alliance to take down supervillain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a child star from the 1980s who seeks revenge against the people who ended his career.
Universal have, rightly or wrongly, not messed with the formula that made the first two films such smash hits. That means you get the same uniquely animated world and characters with a reasonably engaging story that doesn’t ask too much of its audience. There is one difference however, the Minions. After the success of their own film, their presence here is notably jacked up – they’re given their own side quest and that is where we run into some problems.
The sacrifice made to accommodate this extra plot is a disjointed film that switches quite jarringly between each particular story point. One minute we’re tracking unicorns with Agnes, Margot and Edith, the next we’re joining the Minions and five minutes later we’re watching Gru strut his stuff against Balthazar Bratt.
Kids will love it, there’s no doubt about it and it’s sure to bring in the big bucks for Universal, but children’s films have become so much more than just bright colours, fart jokes and fragmented story points. Take 2015’s Inside Out for example or How to Train Your Dragon 2, the very pinnacle of animation.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Despicable Me 3, the voice cast are all on point, Kristen Wiig is a joy as Lucy, and the animation is slick and colourful, but the bar has been set extraordinarily high.
Nevertheless, Trey Parker’s turn as villain Balthazar Bratt is great fun and he’s a brilliant antagonist throughout. See Marvel, it can be done.
There are moments of excellence here. Mature themes about growing up creep in to genuinely sweet moments, but they’re few and far between as the film steamrolls into a fun if generic final act.
Overall, there’s no doubt that Despicable Me 3 is going to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Packed with lovely animation, a great retro soundtrack, Minions and wonderful voice acting, it’s got all the ingredients for success; I just wish it had the guts to change the formula a little.
Cue the Minion memes in 3, 2, 1…
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/01/despicable-me-3-review/
The first two films were a delightful, if uneven adventure with everybody’s favourite yellow tic-tacs getting their standalone movie that grossed over $1billion. I know, I can’t believe it either.
Now, supervillain turned doting dad Gru is back for another round of animated mayhem. But is this third outing as enjoyable as its predecessors? Or are we starting to feel franchise fatigue?
The mischievous yet hopelessly adorable Minions hope that boss Gru (Steve Carell) will return to a life of crime after the Anti-Villain League fires him. Instead, he travels to Freedonia to meet his long-lost twin brother for the very first time. The siblings soon find themselves in a bickering alliance to take down supervillain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a child star from the 1980s who seeks revenge against the people who ended his career.
Universal have, rightly or wrongly, not messed with the formula that made the first two films such smash hits. That means you get the same uniquely animated world and characters with a reasonably engaging story that doesn’t ask too much of its audience. There is one difference however, the Minions. After the success of their own film, their presence here is notably jacked up – they’re given their own side quest and that is where we run into some problems.
The sacrifice made to accommodate this extra plot is a disjointed film that switches quite jarringly between each particular story point. One minute we’re tracking unicorns with Agnes, Margot and Edith, the next we’re joining the Minions and five minutes later we’re watching Gru strut his stuff against Balthazar Bratt.
Kids will love it, there’s no doubt about it and it’s sure to bring in the big bucks for Universal, but children’s films have become so much more than just bright colours, fart jokes and fragmented story points. Take 2015’s Inside Out for example or How to Train Your Dragon 2, the very pinnacle of animation.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Despicable Me 3, the voice cast are all on point, Kristen Wiig is a joy as Lucy, and the animation is slick and colourful, but the bar has been set extraordinarily high.
Nevertheless, Trey Parker’s turn as villain Balthazar Bratt is great fun and he’s a brilliant antagonist throughout. See Marvel, it can be done.
There are moments of excellence here. Mature themes about growing up creep in to genuinely sweet moments, but they’re few and far between as the film steamrolls into a fun if generic final act.
Overall, there’s no doubt that Despicable Me 3 is going to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Packed with lovely animation, a great retro soundtrack, Minions and wonderful voice acting, it’s got all the ingredients for success; I just wish it had the guts to change the formula a little.
Cue the Minion memes in 3, 2, 1…
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/01/despicable-me-3-review/
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of The Evil Within 2 in Video Games
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 5, 2018)
Gameplay mechanics (2 more)
Horrifically beautiful graphics
A fantastic antagonist
Some odd voice acting (1 more)
Some duff lines of dialogue
A Gruesomely Good Time
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was a fan of the first Evil Within game, which I felt was criminally underrated. However, I must admit I slept on this game. This was due to all of the fantastic games that were released in 2017 that I was trying to catch up on at the time of this game's release.
4 months after the game's initial release, I finally got my hands on it and I loved the time I spent in this insane world.
The Evil Within 2 does what all great sequels should aim to do, which is to take the best concepts and systems from the first game and expand on them, while adding in some fresh concepts and discarding a lot of the excess fat that dragged the first game down.
This game is a much more streamlined action-horror adventure than the first entry and while it starts out with some creepy and uneasy moments, it focuses more on the action element than the horror side of things in comparison with the first game. I do however feel that the game finds a nice equal balance of horror and action, in a way that feels reminiscent of the modern classic, Resident Evil 4. Even though Shinji Mikami didn't direct this game as he did the first entry, this one actually feels more like a traditional Shinji Mikami game.
The villain that torments you for the first third of the game is brilliant, he is engaging, threatening and over the top in all of the best possible ways. The one issue I have with him is, (SPOILERS,) they kill him off far too early and replace him with a more bland, less entertaining villain.
There is also some ropey voice acting present, they changed the actor playing Kidman and the new VO artist isn't as engaging in her performance. The actor playing the protagonist's daughter Lily, is also, quite awkward and stilted sounding. There are also some strange lines of dialogue that don't feel very natural and come across a bit pantomime, but you must remember that this is a Japanese game, written in Japanese and then translated into English. I did experience some technical issues whilst playing through the final third of the game, mostly to do with the use of the radio transmitter and I experienced one slight hiccup with the in-game physics. Unfortunately, although these weren't game-breaking issues, they are still present 4 months after the game's initial release, meaning I am forced to knock a point off of my overall score.
Overall though, this is a damn good time for any horror fan out there. The fact that this game is a great deal easier than the first may bother some hardcore gamers out there, but for me it was fine as I was mostly playing for the story anyway rather than the challenge. The optional first person mode is also a nice addition and adds a cool incentive to play through the New Game Plus.
4 months after the game's initial release, I finally got my hands on it and I loved the time I spent in this insane world.
The Evil Within 2 does what all great sequels should aim to do, which is to take the best concepts and systems from the first game and expand on them, while adding in some fresh concepts and discarding a lot of the excess fat that dragged the first game down.
This game is a much more streamlined action-horror adventure than the first entry and while it starts out with some creepy and uneasy moments, it focuses more on the action element than the horror side of things in comparison with the first game. I do however feel that the game finds a nice equal balance of horror and action, in a way that feels reminiscent of the modern classic, Resident Evil 4. Even though Shinji Mikami didn't direct this game as he did the first entry, this one actually feels more like a traditional Shinji Mikami game.
The villain that torments you for the first third of the game is brilliant, he is engaging, threatening and over the top in all of the best possible ways. The one issue I have with him is, (SPOILERS,) they kill him off far too early and replace him with a more bland, less entertaining villain.
There is also some ropey voice acting present, they changed the actor playing Kidman and the new VO artist isn't as engaging in her performance. The actor playing the protagonist's daughter Lily, is also, quite awkward and stilted sounding. There are also some strange lines of dialogue that don't feel very natural and come across a bit pantomime, but you must remember that this is a Japanese game, written in Japanese and then translated into English. I did experience some technical issues whilst playing through the final third of the game, mostly to do with the use of the radio transmitter and I experienced one slight hiccup with the in-game physics. Unfortunately, although these weren't game-breaking issues, they are still present 4 months after the game's initial release, meaning I am forced to knock a point off of my overall score.
Overall though, this is a damn good time for any horror fan out there. The fact that this game is a great deal easier than the first may bother some hardcore gamers out there, but for me it was fine as I was mostly playing for the story anyway rather than the challenge. The optional first person mode is also a nice addition and adds a cool incentive to play through the New Game Plus.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Villain (1971) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Villain starts as we see how gangster Vic Dakin (Burton) controls London, he has people that will grass on him to the cops with Inspector Bob Matthews (Davenport) trying to bring down the criminal.
Vic continues to use his business connections to stay ahead of the police, with Wolfe Lissner (McShane) being the latest person the inspectors are turning to try and give up Vic’s secrets.
Thoughts on Villain
Characters – Vic Dakin runs London with his criminal activities, he is feared by most people and if you cross him, you will get hurt if not killed. He has become over confident that he can get away with anything, making him one of the prime targets for everyone involved in law. Wolf Lissner works for Vic, he is one of the youngster members of the crew and the one that the police are trying to use to turn on him, even if he the one person that Vic will always turn to. Bob Matthews is the inspector that has been trying to bring down Vic for years, he has risen up the ranks, got the people in the gang, but never been able to get the conviction. Gerald Draycott is the politician that is being blackmailed to keep the business under wraps for Vic.
Performances – We do have two big names in his film, first Richard Burton that doesn’t get to show the skill he could bring to a film, while a younger Ian McShane shows us that he could be set for a career in this sidekick gangster role. The rest of the cast are doing all they need to without being in anyway stand out through the film.
Story – The story follows a gangster that has the power over London, the police have been hunting him for years, but he always finds a way to get out of trouble. This time they get closer than ever before and could finally take down one of the biggest gangsters in London. When it comes to the gangster genre, we don’t really ever get much different when it comes to where the story goes, this one is based loosely on the Kray brother, but for some reason only one of the twins. It does feel like we have seen everything before, we don’t get drawn into support either side of the battle and end up feeling like it is just another gangster film.
Crime – The crime world we enter shows us just where the criminals operate and just where the police will need to turn to, in any hope of bringing him down.
Settings – The film is mostly set in London which see just how the criminals operate, where they can get away from crime.
Scene of the Movie – The opening scene as we see just how Vic can operate.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The final shot.
Final Thoughts – This is a typical British gangster film that starts with an intense opening, only to become a drag as the film unfolds.
Overall: British Gangster 101.
Vic continues to use his business connections to stay ahead of the police, with Wolfe Lissner (McShane) being the latest person the inspectors are turning to try and give up Vic’s secrets.
Thoughts on Villain
Characters – Vic Dakin runs London with his criminal activities, he is feared by most people and if you cross him, you will get hurt if not killed. He has become over confident that he can get away with anything, making him one of the prime targets for everyone involved in law. Wolf Lissner works for Vic, he is one of the youngster members of the crew and the one that the police are trying to use to turn on him, even if he the one person that Vic will always turn to. Bob Matthews is the inspector that has been trying to bring down Vic for years, he has risen up the ranks, got the people in the gang, but never been able to get the conviction. Gerald Draycott is the politician that is being blackmailed to keep the business under wraps for Vic.
Performances – We do have two big names in his film, first Richard Burton that doesn’t get to show the skill he could bring to a film, while a younger Ian McShane shows us that he could be set for a career in this sidekick gangster role. The rest of the cast are doing all they need to without being in anyway stand out through the film.
Story – The story follows a gangster that has the power over London, the police have been hunting him for years, but he always finds a way to get out of trouble. This time they get closer than ever before and could finally take down one of the biggest gangsters in London. When it comes to the gangster genre, we don’t really ever get much different when it comes to where the story goes, this one is based loosely on the Kray brother, but for some reason only one of the twins. It does feel like we have seen everything before, we don’t get drawn into support either side of the battle and end up feeling like it is just another gangster film.
Crime – The crime world we enter shows us just where the criminals operate and just where the police will need to turn to, in any hope of bringing him down.
Settings – The film is mostly set in London which see just how the criminals operate, where they can get away from crime.
Scene of the Movie – The opening scene as we see just how Vic can operate.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The final shot.
Final Thoughts – This is a typical British gangster film that starts with an intense opening, only to become a drag as the film unfolds.
Overall: British Gangster 101.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Thunderball (1965) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – James Bond is back once again, forcing himself on women while trying to recover missing warheads. He gets to do the sneaking around, while alluding capture from the people who know he is after them. We don’t learn much that we haven’t already seen from James in this movie. Domino is the woman on the side of Largo, one that James is trying to seduce to help uncover the location of the missiles and one that won’t give into his charm. Largo is number two in SPECTRE who is the mastermind behind this latest plan is he can pull of the plan he will help fund the criminal group. Fiona is another one of the women that Bond tries his best to get his hands on, another one of the women working for Largo.
Performances – Sean Connery continues to be strong in the leading role of the film, he is starting to have more fun with his performance too. When it comes to the Bond girls, they each have their own beauty while just being written as traditional, will sleep with Bond and more often than not, just pawns in the bigger game. Adolfo Celi is solid in the villainous role, even though it is his look that makes him more memorable than any of his actions.
Story – The story here follows James Bond on his latest mission to stop SPECTRE and their criminal actions against the world, now this is good to see the big villain return and yes, once again we don’t take on the head of SPECTRE as we continue to see plans for the organisation to bring terror on the world. the only negative is that we just glossed over them not being around in the last film and now suddenly they are back. As for the actual mission, we get the normal idea of Bond versus villain that will use weapons of mass destruction against the world with a limited time frame to stop them. This barely bring anything new to the world we are seeing Bond operate in and only continues the long running story against SPECTRE.
Action/Adventure – The action here is very unique and ambitious, we get most of the fight sequences happening underwater, something we rarely see even in this day of cinema, making the action the highlight of the film. the adventure gets to see James in another exotic location to save the day once again.
Settings – The film is set in the Bahamas for the most part, this gives us the beauty shots and as all Bond movies need, the women in bikinis. It shows how the remote islands can easily be used to harbour fugitives too.
Scene of the Movie – Mass underwater fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is more of the same.
Final Thoughts – This is another Bond movie that brings him against the criminal organisation known as SPECTRE once again as we continue to world build, it is easy to watch even if it isn’t going to be the most memorable in the series.
Overall: Simple Bond Film
Performances – Sean Connery continues to be strong in the leading role of the film, he is starting to have more fun with his performance too. When it comes to the Bond girls, they each have their own beauty while just being written as traditional, will sleep with Bond and more often than not, just pawns in the bigger game. Adolfo Celi is solid in the villainous role, even though it is his look that makes him more memorable than any of his actions.
Story – The story here follows James Bond on his latest mission to stop SPECTRE and their criminal actions against the world, now this is good to see the big villain return and yes, once again we don’t take on the head of SPECTRE as we continue to see plans for the organisation to bring terror on the world. the only negative is that we just glossed over them not being around in the last film and now suddenly they are back. As for the actual mission, we get the normal idea of Bond versus villain that will use weapons of mass destruction against the world with a limited time frame to stop them. This barely bring anything new to the world we are seeing Bond operate in and only continues the long running story against SPECTRE.
Action/Adventure – The action here is very unique and ambitious, we get most of the fight sequences happening underwater, something we rarely see even in this day of cinema, making the action the highlight of the film. the adventure gets to see James in another exotic location to save the day once again.
Settings – The film is set in the Bahamas for the most part, this gives us the beauty shots and as all Bond movies need, the women in bikinis. It shows how the remote islands can easily be used to harbour fugitives too.
Scene of the Movie – Mass underwater fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is more of the same.
Final Thoughts – This is another Bond movie that brings him against the criminal organisation known as SPECTRE once again as we continue to world build, it is easy to watch even if it isn’t going to be the most memorable in the series.
Overall: Simple Bond Film
Darren (1599 KP) rated You Only Live Twice (1967) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – James Bond has been gaining a lot of heat from his missions, now he must fake his own death to go underground. His latest mission takes him to Japan where he must uncover the truth about mission rockets, he is the same womaniser we know this being his biggest weakness, however we do learn how skilled he is when he can jump into any vehicle and know how to operate it and handle himself in any fight. Aki is the Bond girl here, she helps him around Tokyo meeting his connections and turning up just in time to rescue him from danger. Kissy is the fake wife that James must take while searching the island, could easily be considered one of the Bond girls in the movie. Blofeld is the cat stroking leader of SPECTRE Bond suspects he is involved and this will be the first meeting between the two.
Performances – Sean Connery is still good in this role, we continues to make this role the iconic on we all know and remember. Donald Pleasence in his role becomes the most iconic of all the Bond villains which is what we need this far into the franchise. When it comes to the Bond girls we get the beautiful women that don’t get too much to do other than to look great next to Bond.
Story – The story here follow James Bond on his latest mission after faking his death which takes him into battle against SPECTRE once again, by having a returning villainous threat is good for this franchise because we don’t need to keep establishing a new villain which does take time for any film, with the returning villain we can focus on Bond and just how difficult it is to keep his identity secret from the threats to the world. the story does follow the usual movements as we follow Bond meet allies, defeat enemies and save the world from potential world war three. This is one story that is the one I always remember with the final battle which happens to be my favourite for the whole franchise.
Action/Adventure – The action is mostly Bond battle enemies, be in hand to hand, helicopter to make shift helicopter, right down to the mass final battle which is one of the biggest in the franchise. The adventure does take Bond across the world again to Japan on his latest mission.
Settings – The film uses the settings well, we always see Bond in new locations and this takes him to Japan, the amount of small islands there helps add mystery to everything which is all we want as fans of the franchise.
Scene of the Movie – Base battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – She is sexiful, like this is a word.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of my favourite Bond films, it is one I grew up watching the most, it does have flaws but we can’t help that, otherwise this is one you can enjoy and gets better as we go along.
Overall: One of the most fun Bond films.
Performances – Sean Connery is still good in this role, we continues to make this role the iconic on we all know and remember. Donald Pleasence in his role becomes the most iconic of all the Bond villains which is what we need this far into the franchise. When it comes to the Bond girls we get the beautiful women that don’t get too much to do other than to look great next to Bond.
Story – The story here follow James Bond on his latest mission after faking his death which takes him into battle against SPECTRE once again, by having a returning villainous threat is good for this franchise because we don’t need to keep establishing a new villain which does take time for any film, with the returning villain we can focus on Bond and just how difficult it is to keep his identity secret from the threats to the world. the story does follow the usual movements as we follow Bond meet allies, defeat enemies and save the world from potential world war three. This is one story that is the one I always remember with the final battle which happens to be my favourite for the whole franchise.
Action/Adventure – The action is mostly Bond battle enemies, be in hand to hand, helicopter to make shift helicopter, right down to the mass final battle which is one of the biggest in the franchise. The adventure does take Bond across the world again to Japan on his latest mission.
Settings – The film uses the settings well, we always see Bond in new locations and this takes him to Japan, the amount of small islands there helps add mystery to everything which is all we want as fans of the franchise.
Scene of the Movie – Base battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – She is sexiful, like this is a word.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of my favourite Bond films, it is one I grew up watching the most, it does have flaws but we can’t help that, otherwise this is one you can enjoy and gets better as we go along.
Overall: One of the most fun Bond films.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Keeper of the Bees (Black Birds of the Gallows, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><strong>I enjoyed <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em>, but if I had to choose between the first and the second, I loved the second so much better than the first.</strong></h2>
<em>Keeper of the Bees</em> is Meg Kassel's second novel, the companion novel to <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em>. We're brought back to the world of harbringers and beekeepers in a smol town in Missouri (hey, look, my home state!) and their roles in death.
<h3><strong><em>Keeper of the Bees</em> is a bit of a villain story.</strong></h3>
Harbringers flock to where death happens and "absorb" the energy emitted. Beekeepers usually cause the death by using their bees to sting someone, resulting in them reaching their destruction (aka death). <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> tells the story of Dresden, a boy cursed for eternity, and Essie, a girl who eats peppercorn to discern real from unreal.
<h3><strong>Dresden is a precious onion with layers despite being Evil.</strong></h3>
Most villains are evil and pure evil, but Dresden is a precious little onion who is <em>cursed</em> to be evil. He doesn't <em>want</em> to be evil and <em>shows</em> that he doesn't want to be evil. Throughout the novel, he's struggling to not sting Essie despite the bees inside wanting him to do so.
<h3><strong>Aunt Bel is amazing, and I just want to hug her.</strong></h3>
Essie is part of the Wickerton family, a family with members who are cursed to lose their sanity and eventually end up at Stanton House. Essie's curse is not being able to tell what is real and unreal, at least without the help of peppercorns. Both her and Aunt Bel are in a constant battle with her father and psychiatrist when it comes to her mental health and sending her to Stanton House with other members. Aunt Bel is such a strong advocate for Essie and her Grandma Edie, and she refuses to give in to what Essie's father and psychiatrist want for Essie.
<h3><strong>Reece! Angie! References to the first novel!</strong></h3>
Do you <em>have</em> to read the first novel? Nawh, you don't have to since Kassel gives the 411 on her world for those who haven't read the first, so you're safe to dive into <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> without worrying about being totally lost, <em>but</em> you should definitely read <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em> first.
<h2><strong>Overall, <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> was a delight to read! I loved seeing from the other side of things where the supposed "villain" is in a constant battle to be a better person.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/keeper-of-the-bees-by-meg-kassel/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><strong>I enjoyed <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em>, but if I had to choose between the first and the second, I loved the second so much better than the first.</strong></h2>
<em>Keeper of the Bees</em> is Meg Kassel's second novel, the companion novel to <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em>. We're brought back to the world of harbringers and beekeepers in a smol town in Missouri (hey, look, my home state!) and their roles in death.
<h3><strong><em>Keeper of the Bees</em> is a bit of a villain story.</strong></h3>
Harbringers flock to where death happens and "absorb" the energy emitted. Beekeepers usually cause the death by using their bees to sting someone, resulting in them reaching their destruction (aka death). <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> tells the story of Dresden, a boy cursed for eternity, and Essie, a girl who eats peppercorn to discern real from unreal.
<h3><strong>Dresden is a precious onion with layers despite being Evil.</strong></h3>
Most villains are evil and pure evil, but Dresden is a precious little onion who is <em>cursed</em> to be evil. He doesn't <em>want</em> to be evil and <em>shows</em> that he doesn't want to be evil. Throughout the novel, he's struggling to not sting Essie despite the bees inside wanting him to do so.
<h3><strong>Aunt Bel is amazing, and I just want to hug her.</strong></h3>
Essie is part of the Wickerton family, a family with members who are cursed to lose their sanity and eventually end up at Stanton House. Essie's curse is not being able to tell what is real and unreal, at least without the help of peppercorns. Both her and Aunt Bel are in a constant battle with her father and psychiatrist when it comes to her mental health and sending her to Stanton House with other members. Aunt Bel is such a strong advocate for Essie and her Grandma Edie, and she refuses to give in to what Essie's father and psychiatrist want for Essie.
<h3><strong>Reece! Angie! References to the first novel!</strong></h3>
Do you <em>have</em> to read the first novel? Nawh, you don't have to since Kassel gives the 411 on her world for those who haven't read the first, so you're safe to dive into <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> without worrying about being totally lost, <em>but</em> you should definitely read <em>Black Bird of the Gallows</em> first.
<h2><strong>Overall, <em>Keeper of the Bees</em> was a delight to read! I loved seeing from the other side of things where the supposed "villain" is in a constant battle to be a better person.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/keeper-of-the-bees-by-meg-kassel/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
JT (287 KP) rated Escape Plan (2013) in Movies
Mar 23, 2020
Arnie and Stallone (1 more)
Entertaining
80s action icons join forces
For those of us that grew up watching action films in the 80s, one can only stand by and admire that Stallone and Schwarzenegger were still going well into their 60s at the time of shooting. Clearly, they’re having fun, which is a good thing as we’re not expecting Oscar material here and those that are may as well leave now.
Escape Plan gives the two giants top billing opposite each other for the first time the whole way through a film (not counting The Expendables), but ultimately they’re on the same side. Ray Breslin (Stallone) breaks out of prisons for a living, making sure that those who are put behind bars have no way of ever getting out.
When a job comes up to test out a top-secret facility Breslin gleefully accepts despite his partners thinking otherwise, it leads him on to a collision course with Arnie who he needs to get onside in order to get out.
Of course once inside its clear that some people have no intention of letting him see the light of day, and Breslin is trapped behind a prison that encompasses everything he wrote the book on.
He teams up with fellow inmate Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) in an attempt to break out and bring those responsible for setting him up, to justice, and that is where the fun begins. Schwarzenegger is enjoying himself even if the dialogue is not the best as we said, we’re not expecting Oscar material. He does, however, get the good lines and pretty much acts as the diversion as Breslin scampers around looking for breaks in the system.
Jim Caviezel is Hobbs, the warden of the facility, in what is actually quite a good turn as the classic pantomime villain, a throwback to the baddies of the mid-eighties. He plays it cold and calculating, which in some parts feels like he’s going a bit OTT. Beneath him is Vinnie Jones, typecast as the bog-standard henchmen who is not particularly needed and to make matters worse probably gets one of the worst henchmen deaths. We don’t regard that as a plot spoiler as most villain sidekicks end up biting the bullet as the stopgap between the hero and the classic ending battle.
There are no illusions going into this, you know exactly what you’re going to get right down to the obvious plot twist that you can see coming a mile off. A subplot is only touched on briefly but it’s a subplot that has been a staple part of any revenge plan. The film has a strong third act once everything has been set up and it unfolds in a pulsating twenty-minute finale which includes quite possibly the best slow motion shot for some time, nodding itself to most classic action films of the Arnie era.
It’s meat and two veg action of maybe not the highest order but certainly better than some of its more recent predecessors, Stallone and Schwarzenegger bring their action A-game and don’t disappoint for a second.
Escape Plan gives the two giants top billing opposite each other for the first time the whole way through a film (not counting The Expendables), but ultimately they’re on the same side. Ray Breslin (Stallone) breaks out of prisons for a living, making sure that those who are put behind bars have no way of ever getting out.
When a job comes up to test out a top-secret facility Breslin gleefully accepts despite his partners thinking otherwise, it leads him on to a collision course with Arnie who he needs to get onside in order to get out.
Of course once inside its clear that some people have no intention of letting him see the light of day, and Breslin is trapped behind a prison that encompasses everything he wrote the book on.
He teams up with fellow inmate Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) in an attempt to break out and bring those responsible for setting him up, to justice, and that is where the fun begins. Schwarzenegger is enjoying himself even if the dialogue is not the best as we said, we’re not expecting Oscar material. He does, however, get the good lines and pretty much acts as the diversion as Breslin scampers around looking for breaks in the system.
Jim Caviezel is Hobbs, the warden of the facility, in what is actually quite a good turn as the classic pantomime villain, a throwback to the baddies of the mid-eighties. He plays it cold and calculating, which in some parts feels like he’s going a bit OTT. Beneath him is Vinnie Jones, typecast as the bog-standard henchmen who is not particularly needed and to make matters worse probably gets one of the worst henchmen deaths. We don’t regard that as a plot spoiler as most villain sidekicks end up biting the bullet as the stopgap between the hero and the classic ending battle.
There are no illusions going into this, you know exactly what you’re going to get right down to the obvious plot twist that you can see coming a mile off. A subplot is only touched on briefly but it’s a subplot that has been a staple part of any revenge plan. The film has a strong third act once everything has been set up and it unfolds in a pulsating twenty-minute finale which includes quite possibly the best slow motion shot for some time, nodding itself to most classic action films of the Arnie era.
It’s meat and two veg action of maybe not the highest order but certainly better than some of its more recent predecessors, Stallone and Schwarzenegger bring their action A-game and don’t disappoint for a second.
Amy Norman (1048 KP) rated The Flash - Season 3 in TV
Jul 9, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
This season was painfully predictable. It had so much potential but with clumsy wording, all of the surprise twists were almost immediately obvious.
I am not a huge fan of shows that take a couple of seasons to build a world and characters, and then in some small twist of fate completely change the characters, and their lives. I think Fringe was one I hated the most but it made it so much more poignant and upsetting, which is why I stuck around was completely absorbed by that show - The Flash doesn't achieve this love.
I understand that they would want to tackle the Flashpoint story arc at some point but the way they handled the fallout of this was somewhat straightforward in this season.
The introduction of a single new character, and a single new villain in the first half of the season, made it hard to ignore who it would be 🤷🏼♀️
For the latter half of the season they quite literally told you who it was, a few times at that, and plainly showed you how easy it would be for that character to become the main villain.
The dreaded musical episode (and usual loose Supergirl crossover) was included in this season. It is rare enough that a show can achieve a truly plausible storyline that you want to follow with musical numbers, and this one was a non-start for me, honestly you could probably skip it, as there is hardly any story progression, and you'll catch up soon enough in the next episode.
Musical episodes I've enjoyed previously: Buffy (the OG, and mother of so many genre specific episodes) or Scrubs.
****Real spoilers from here****
By the last episode I was just watching to get to the end of the season, and am hoping that the team will get back to doing what they do best, which is adapting to new metas and dealing with these.
There is so much potential for alternate Earth storylines, and I would love to see Cisco and Wally have some more complex stories, and character layering.
As I had kind of stopped caring by the end of the last episode I actually wanted Iris to die, and was genuinely shocked and seriously annoyed that she didn't.
So bravo to the team for making me care so little I didn't see the obvious final twist, as again they gave you all the clues, shown in a quick series of flashbacks, just to show you how little you cared that you missed it.
But I also have to commend them, as it was more heartbreaking than what we assumed was the inevitable.
Fingers crossed that the writers will break their usual Flash formula, and come up with some more original content in the coming seasons.
The Flash formula:
Work as a team >> secrets/lies >> mistrust, can't possible forgive >> someone does something stupid on their own >> big impassioned speech >> team comes together >> side character (which deserves more) gets killed, or worse >> kinda saved the day >> rinse and repeat until the end of time!!
I am not a huge fan of shows that take a couple of seasons to build a world and characters, and then in some small twist of fate completely change the characters, and their lives. I think Fringe was one I hated the most but it made it so much more poignant and upsetting, which is why I stuck around was completely absorbed by that show - The Flash doesn't achieve this love.
I understand that they would want to tackle the Flashpoint story arc at some point but the way they handled the fallout of this was somewhat straightforward in this season.
The introduction of a single new character, and a single new villain in the first half of the season, made it hard to ignore who it would be 🤷🏼♀️
For the latter half of the season they quite literally told you who it was, a few times at that, and plainly showed you how easy it would be for that character to become the main villain.
The dreaded musical episode (and usual loose Supergirl crossover) was included in this season. It is rare enough that a show can achieve a truly plausible storyline that you want to follow with musical numbers, and this one was a non-start for me, honestly you could probably skip it, as there is hardly any story progression, and you'll catch up soon enough in the next episode.
Musical episodes I've enjoyed previously: Buffy (the OG, and mother of so many genre specific episodes) or Scrubs.
****Real spoilers from here****
By the last episode I was just watching to get to the end of the season, and am hoping that the team will get back to doing what they do best, which is adapting to new metas and dealing with these.
There is so much potential for alternate Earth storylines, and I would love to see Cisco and Wally have some more complex stories, and character layering.
As I had kind of stopped caring by the end of the last episode I actually wanted Iris to die, and was genuinely shocked and seriously annoyed that she didn't.
So bravo to the team for making me care so little I didn't see the obvious final twist, as again they gave you all the clues, shown in a quick series of flashbacks, just to show you how little you cared that you missed it.
But I also have to commend them, as it was more heartbreaking than what we assumed was the inevitable.
Fingers crossed that the writers will break their usual Flash formula, and come up with some more original content in the coming seasons.
The Flash formula:
Work as a team >> secrets/lies >> mistrust, can't possible forgive >> someone does something stupid on their own >> big impassioned speech >> team comes together >> side character (which deserves more) gets killed, or worse >> kinda saved the day >> rinse and repeat until the end of time!!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Sep 1, 2019
Entertaining Enough
In the battle of DC vs Marvel in the Cinematic world, the prevailing theory is that DC is "righting the ship" with back-to-back decent films - AQUAMAN and SHAZAM. And...after viewing both of these films, I will agree that they are moving the ship in the correct direction, but they have a long, long way to go before they can say they have "righted" this ship.
SHAZAM is a fun. light, comedic-ish film that will appeal to kids and tweens and will be considered "not bad" by older teens and adults - and that is an improvement for a DC comic book film.
Asher Angel stars as Billy Batson, a troubled teenager with family/parental issues (is there any other kind in these types of films?) who is given the power of SHAZAM by a mysterious wizard (the always dependable Djimon Hounsou), when he says the magical word SHAZAM he is instantly changed into the SuperHero SHAZAM. The Superhero part of this character is played by Zachary Levi (TV's CHUCK) and that is the first problem for me with this film, I didn't feel that these 2 actors connected much to form the illusion of 1 person. Asher is all "broody and moody" - you know, the way an adult would direct a teenage actor to perform as a troubled teen - while Levi, who is having some fun, looks like he is trying just a bit too hard to showcase his "inner teenager" while wrapped inside a body hugging, muscle enhancing costume.
Billy Batson is sent to a foster home full of a "It's A Small World" group of troubled youth that have - despite their differences - formed into a family. Want to bet that Billy figures out that "family" does not mean his mother and father who abandoned him but rather those around you that love and care for you?
All of the kids in this "family" are well played, as are the "father and mother" figures. Standouts are Faithe Herman as smart-as-a-whip/cute-as-a-button Darla and, especially, Jack Dylan Grazer (hypochondriac Eddie in IT: CHAPTER 1) as the lad who becomes Billy's best friend. He is just as fun and charismatic as he was in IT. To be honest, I think I wanted more of a movie about this group of people than the typical "Super Hero/Super Villain" film.
However, I can forgive this film for focusing on the Hero/Villain dynamic for Mark Strong (SHERLOCK) is wonderfully villainous as the bad guy with daddy issues of his own and "that guy" actor John Glover is in it all too briefly as his dad.
Director David F. Sandberg (ANNABELLE: CREATION) does a nice job of keeping the action going at a fast enough pace to keep things entertaining - albeit in a way that was rather pedestrian and "nothing new". But he aims this film squarely at the older kid/younger tween audience and they will enjoy this very much, whilst the rest of us will not be bored as we accompany them.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
SHAZAM is a fun. light, comedic-ish film that will appeal to kids and tweens and will be considered "not bad" by older teens and adults - and that is an improvement for a DC comic book film.
Asher Angel stars as Billy Batson, a troubled teenager with family/parental issues (is there any other kind in these types of films?) who is given the power of SHAZAM by a mysterious wizard (the always dependable Djimon Hounsou), when he says the magical word SHAZAM he is instantly changed into the SuperHero SHAZAM. The Superhero part of this character is played by Zachary Levi (TV's CHUCK) and that is the first problem for me with this film, I didn't feel that these 2 actors connected much to form the illusion of 1 person. Asher is all "broody and moody" - you know, the way an adult would direct a teenage actor to perform as a troubled teen - while Levi, who is having some fun, looks like he is trying just a bit too hard to showcase his "inner teenager" while wrapped inside a body hugging, muscle enhancing costume.
Billy Batson is sent to a foster home full of a "It's A Small World" group of troubled youth that have - despite their differences - formed into a family. Want to bet that Billy figures out that "family" does not mean his mother and father who abandoned him but rather those around you that love and care for you?
All of the kids in this "family" are well played, as are the "father and mother" figures. Standouts are Faithe Herman as smart-as-a-whip/cute-as-a-button Darla and, especially, Jack Dylan Grazer (hypochondriac Eddie in IT: CHAPTER 1) as the lad who becomes Billy's best friend. He is just as fun and charismatic as he was in IT. To be honest, I think I wanted more of a movie about this group of people than the typical "Super Hero/Super Villain" film.
However, I can forgive this film for focusing on the Hero/Villain dynamic for Mark Strong (SHERLOCK) is wonderfully villainous as the bad guy with daddy issues of his own and "that guy" actor John Glover is in it all too briefly as his dad.
Director David F. Sandberg (ANNABELLE: CREATION) does a nice job of keeping the action going at a fast enough pace to keep things entertaining - albeit in a way that was rather pedestrian and "nothing new". But he aims this film squarely at the older kid/younger tween audience and they will enjoy this very much, whilst the rest of us will not be bored as we accompany them.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)