Search
Search results
JT (287 KP) rated The Reef (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat!” those few words struck terror into the hearts of cinema goers who got a first glimpse of Steven Spielberg’s monster rising out of the water in Jaws. Others have attempted to recreate that fear.
Open Water saw two divers float around for ages before finally becoming lunch for a pack of hunting tiger sharks. Deep Blue Sea used CGI technology to create massive predators with a smart enough brain to devour the hapless crew of a scientific research station. And Shark Night 3D gave us blood curdling horror with half naked women thrown in for good measure. The Reef, encompasses most of the above minus the CGI. Here it’s replaced with clever and careful editing of one of the most beautiful but sinister creatures of the ocean….the Great White Shark.
A small group of friends, some with a past, get together on a yacht and hit the clear blue waters to deliver it to a waiting recipient. When it capsizes they are faced with the choice, swim for it to the nearest land miles away or wait it out on a potentially sinking vessel. Four members venture out leaving one behind, who after confessing he fishes the waters has no desire to get his feet wet, but excelling in scaring the shit out of his friends by telling them they all look like seals ready for the slaughter.
For any low budget indie film such as this creating tension when you have a location that looks exactly the same for miles in each direction is always going to be hard. But to his credit Andrew Traucki does extremely well in building up the entrance of our finned friend. Capturing the underwater viewpoint from Luke (the only one with a face mask) he dives down now and again to check the murky undertow for signs of life at the request of some very distressed friends. You’re always half expecting to see something but it never comes, until you finally catch a glimpse of the tail, and then your heart will race.
Of course this tension has to be sustained for the next forty-five minutes which is pretty hard. The acting is OK, made all the more effective by the fact that the cast is a bunch of relative unknowns. It’s hardly a surprise ending however, but given what Traucki has to work with he’s a produced good effort. There’s enough here to keep anyone happy, more so if you’re afraid of being left to die in miles of open water….oh, and you hate sharks!
Open Water saw two divers float around for ages before finally becoming lunch for a pack of hunting tiger sharks. Deep Blue Sea used CGI technology to create massive predators with a smart enough brain to devour the hapless crew of a scientific research station. And Shark Night 3D gave us blood curdling horror with half naked women thrown in for good measure. The Reef, encompasses most of the above minus the CGI. Here it’s replaced with clever and careful editing of one of the most beautiful but sinister creatures of the ocean….the Great White Shark.
A small group of friends, some with a past, get together on a yacht and hit the clear blue waters to deliver it to a waiting recipient. When it capsizes they are faced with the choice, swim for it to the nearest land miles away or wait it out on a potentially sinking vessel. Four members venture out leaving one behind, who after confessing he fishes the waters has no desire to get his feet wet, but excelling in scaring the shit out of his friends by telling them they all look like seals ready for the slaughter.
For any low budget indie film such as this creating tension when you have a location that looks exactly the same for miles in each direction is always going to be hard. But to his credit Andrew Traucki does extremely well in building up the entrance of our finned friend. Capturing the underwater viewpoint from Luke (the only one with a face mask) he dives down now and again to check the murky undertow for signs of life at the request of some very distressed friends. You’re always half expecting to see something but it never comes, until you finally catch a glimpse of the tail, and then your heart will race.
Of course this tension has to be sustained for the next forty-five minutes which is pretty hard. The acting is OK, made all the more effective by the fact that the cast is a bunch of relative unknowns. It’s hardly a surprise ending however, but given what Traucki has to work with he’s a produced good effort. There’s enough here to keep anyone happy, more so if you’re afraid of being left to die in miles of open water….oh, and you hate sharks!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Normal People in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Marianne and Connell form a relationship in school, starting to talk to one another when Connell comes to pick up his mother at her job cleaning for Marianne's family. But at school itself, they pretend not to know each other, fiercely aware of where they stand in the social structure: Connell is a popular soccer star, while Marianne is smart but a social outcast. Things change a year later, when they are both studying at Trinity College. Marianne has found her social circle and is popular among her group of friends. Connell is known as smart, but feels awkward. The two's relationship ebbs and flows--at times, they are deeply in love; at other moments, they date other people and rarely speak.
I'm not exactly sure what to say about this one. I listened to this book over a couple of months as I traveled off and on for work. It felt very slow, and while I know part of it was the stops and starts when I was traveling, but some of it was the book itself. I can definitely recognize the brilliance others found in this novel. Rooney is a wonderful writer, and there were passages that I wish I could capture and save to savor later. At other moments, I wanted to hurry things along quite badly... she turned the water on in the shower, the water came out, the water fell to the floor, etc. Things are described in great detail, and often, I found myself frustrated at that.
This not a plot-driven novel, but a character-driven one. Told from the alternating perspectives of Marianne and Connell over time, it examines various points in their life. At times, they may even go back in time in their various point-of-view segment, forcing you to keep up with exactly what is happening and when. There is much explaining and much examining. A lot of talk of feelings and such. It's a very complex novel. I definitely did grow to be interested in Marianne and Connell, but it did take some time.
As I said, I can see why this book earned such rave reviews, but it wasn't entirely for me. I was frustrated that Marianne and Connell couldn't just talk to each other. The ending of the book left me annoyed--all this for that--and I often wanted things to happen more quickly than they did. Still, I appreciated Rooney's lovely writing. If you want a complicated look at how one relationship can affect two so-called normal people over time, this one is definitely for you. 3 stars.
I'm not exactly sure what to say about this one. I listened to this book over a couple of months as I traveled off and on for work. It felt very slow, and while I know part of it was the stops and starts when I was traveling, but some of it was the book itself. I can definitely recognize the brilliance others found in this novel. Rooney is a wonderful writer, and there were passages that I wish I could capture and save to savor later. At other moments, I wanted to hurry things along quite badly... she turned the water on in the shower, the water came out, the water fell to the floor, etc. Things are described in great detail, and often, I found myself frustrated at that.
This not a plot-driven novel, but a character-driven one. Told from the alternating perspectives of Marianne and Connell over time, it examines various points in their life. At times, they may even go back in time in their various point-of-view segment, forcing you to keep up with exactly what is happening and when. There is much explaining and much examining. A lot of talk of feelings and such. It's a very complex novel. I definitely did grow to be interested in Marianne and Connell, but it did take some time.
As I said, I can see why this book earned such rave reviews, but it wasn't entirely for me. I was frustrated that Marianne and Connell couldn't just talk to each other. The ending of the book left me annoyed--all this for that--and I often wanted things to happen more quickly than they did. Still, I appreciated Rooney's lovely writing. If you want a complicated look at how one relationship can affect two so-called normal people over time, this one is definitely for you. 3 stars.
TW
The Weekend Navigator: Simple Boat Navigation with GPS and Electronics
Book
Thanks to modern electronic navigation tools, getting from one place to another on the water has...
Ibiza Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map
David Brawn and Ros Brawn
Book
Water-proof, split-proof, tear-proof, adventure-proof. Ibiza Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map is...
Mars Survival 3D: Cosmic Crash
Games
App
Survive the spacecraft crash with this 3D simulator! Be an astronaut flying a shuttle - explore the...
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) in Movies
Sep 22, 2019
The creature lurks!
In the Amazon jungle, a prehistoric amphibian claw fossil is found prodding local scientists to investigate its origins. They decide on an expedition to gain more information and possibly locate its origins.
The journey is a dangerous one figuring out where to find the mysterious lagoon which is locked in a desolate location within the tropical jungle. Their undersea adventures are met with initial disappoint only locating some interesting plant and animal life.
Within the depths on the lagoon, a strange creature has taken notice of his new guests and is not too happy about it. He lurks submerged within the deep watching and waiting for his opportunity to strike. He ventures close by to gather information and figure out his opponents' vulnerabilities. He also notices the pretty girl among the crew of men.
After a few encounters with the creature, the scientists grow increasingly concerned after the creature has had his way with a few of them, so they attempt to make their escape. Somehow, a large fallen tree is now blocking their path which was clear when they arrived at the lagoon.
There will be an ultimate standoff to secure their release or the demise of the creature.
The look of this film is plain remarkable. This has to be one of the earliest movies to utilize extensive underwater footage and it is very believable. The cinematography for the time period is both beautiful and menacing when needed in glorious black and white.
Obviously, we are talking 1950s special effects here; however, the creature itself stands the test of time. I am not sure how the man in the rubber sit was able to not only see what he was doing, swim quickly in and under water as well as jump into the water while on fire at one point. The mask also was able to move the creature's mouth up and down as well as look like he was breathing while out of the water using his gills. The effect worked really well.
This film was made at a time when the previous Universal Studios monster films had run their course in the 1930s and 1940s, but were not yet into the ultra B movie era in the 1950s and beyond.
If Universal ever gets back to its current "Monster" universe after the mediocre Tom Cruise "Mummy" film, I'm sure the creature will rise again. Until then, enjoy this classic creature gem.
The journey is a dangerous one figuring out where to find the mysterious lagoon which is locked in a desolate location within the tropical jungle. Their undersea adventures are met with initial disappoint only locating some interesting plant and animal life.
Within the depths on the lagoon, a strange creature has taken notice of his new guests and is not too happy about it. He lurks submerged within the deep watching and waiting for his opportunity to strike. He ventures close by to gather information and figure out his opponents' vulnerabilities. He also notices the pretty girl among the crew of men.
After a few encounters with the creature, the scientists grow increasingly concerned after the creature has had his way with a few of them, so they attempt to make their escape. Somehow, a large fallen tree is now blocking their path which was clear when they arrived at the lagoon.
There will be an ultimate standoff to secure their release or the demise of the creature.
The look of this film is plain remarkable. This has to be one of the earliest movies to utilize extensive underwater footage and it is very believable. The cinematography for the time period is both beautiful and menacing when needed in glorious black and white.
Obviously, we are talking 1950s special effects here; however, the creature itself stands the test of time. I am not sure how the man in the rubber sit was able to not only see what he was doing, swim quickly in and under water as well as jump into the water while on fire at one point. The mask also was able to move the creature's mouth up and down as well as look like he was breathing while out of the water using his gills. The effect worked really well.
This film was made at a time when the previous Universal Studios monster films had run their course in the 1930s and 1940s, but were not yet into the ultra B movie era in the 1950s and beyond.
If Universal ever gets back to its current "Monster" universe after the mediocre Tom Cruise "Mummy" film, I'm sure the creature will rise again. Until then, enjoy this classic creature gem.
CR
Coral Reef Remote Sensing: A Guide for Mapping, Monitoring and Management
James A. Goodman and Stuart R. Phinn
Book
Remote sensing stands as the defining technology in our ability to monitor coral reefs, as well as...
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated A Monster Calls (2016) in Movies
Sep 17, 2017
The acting (2 more)
The CGI
The tree was like a giant Groot
Imaginative, fun and emotional
This was a fantastic film. I did not know much going into this movie other then there being a giant tree monster. This movie took my breath away. From the acting to the CGI. The animation sequences made to look like water colors was just brilliant.
You just never new what to expect out of the movie which is always a good thing. You don't know if the tree is good or if it is evil. Something you think the tree is just a big jerk trying to pull one over on Conner. I like how they made it seem that the monster was growing inside of Conner, showing that Conner was the monster, even though I never thought that during the movie. I thought he was just a kid in trouble. Bully's at school, dad not there, mom sick and a Grandma that treated him like a baby. Eventually you new he was just going to act out. When he did there was no punishment. They just told him why bother. I thought this was either because he could learn from his mistakes or that everyone felt sorry that his mom was dying. I think he just wanted to be punished for acting out. But no punishment did seem like his punishment.
The water color stories in the movie were done really well, it felt like you were falling into the story. It showed there is many ways to take life or how to interpret life experiences. What you do is what matters most. In the end Conner just had to learn the truth.
There is a monster tree lurking in all of us, we just have to listen for it. See the movie and you will know why.
You just never new what to expect out of the movie which is always a good thing. You don't know if the tree is good or if it is evil. Something you think the tree is just a big jerk trying to pull one over on Conner. I like how they made it seem that the monster was growing inside of Conner, showing that Conner was the monster, even though I never thought that during the movie. I thought he was just a kid in trouble. Bully's at school, dad not there, mom sick and a Grandma that treated him like a baby. Eventually you new he was just going to act out. When he did there was no punishment. They just told him why bother. I thought this was either because he could learn from his mistakes or that everyone felt sorry that his mom was dying. I think he just wanted to be punished for acting out. But no punishment did seem like his punishment.
The water color stories in the movie were done really well, it felt like you were falling into the story. It showed there is many ways to take life or how to interpret life experiences. What you do is what matters most. In the end Conner just had to learn the truth.
There is a monster tree lurking in all of us, we just have to listen for it. See the movie and you will know why.
Merissa (12929 KP) rated Sweet Water (Birds of a Feather #2) in Books
Nov 28, 2018
Sweet Water (Birds of a Feather #2) by Lena North
Sweet Water is the second book in the Birds of a Feather series, and we concentrate on Jinx in this story. Although she is an off-the-scale genius (quite literally), the stress of everything is getting to her. She is not sleeping, losing weight, getting attacked in her own home, and fighting with Wilder. As a result, she decides to honour her promise to Wilder on her own terms - and that is by researching the crystal in Marshes. This is a small village far enough away from Wilder for Jinx to find herself again. She gets more than she bargained for though, and is her own worst enemy at times. Luckily for her, she has more friends than she realised who are there to help her recover, even if she doesn't agree!
Whilst this book isn't as blatant in it's paranormal side, it is still there. By the book being this way, it gives Jinx a chance to shine. You learn more about her, about who is after her, and what they want. She is accepted into the village, and you will find yourself hoping she stays there after the six months is over. Dante appeared in Wilder and he is the main male character here. Seeing their relationship develop from dislike (or so Jinx thinks) to more, was simply brilliant.
I think I may have enjoyed this book a bit more than Wilder, which surprised me because there was no mention of Vilda or the others. Wilder also wasn't the nicest to Jinx, but she is only human after all.
This was a great addition to the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whilst this book isn't as blatant in it's paranormal side, it is still there. By the book being this way, it gives Jinx a chance to shine. You learn more about her, about who is after her, and what they want. She is accepted into the village, and you will find yourself hoping she stays there after the six months is over. Dante appeared in Wilder and he is the main male character here. Seeing their relationship develop from dislike (or so Jinx thinks) to more, was simply brilliant.
I think I may have enjoyed this book a bit more than Wilder, which surprised me because there was no mention of Vilda or the others. Wilder also wasn't the nicest to Jinx, but she is only human after all.
This was a great addition to the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
SOS First Aid
Medical and Health & Fitness
App
SOS First Aid is a very easy first aid manual with some basics concepts and steps of what to do in...