Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 52
October 6, 2023
"The Spanish Diplomat's Secret" by Nev March
Just finished reading "The Spanish Diplomat's Secret" by Nev March, published by Minotaur Books.
I discovered Nev March's first novel, "Murder In Old Bombay" when it was first released a couple years ago in the new releases section at the Barnes & Noble near where I live. I took a photo of it and promptly ordered it online from Amazon.com - trust me, it's far less of a hassle for me to buy from Amazon.com then to try to purchase a book at Barnes & Noble, plus it's cheaper too.
Former Captain Jim Agnihotri and his wife, Lady Diana Framji, are on a transatlantic cruise to England in 1894. Jim meets a retired Spanish military officer who is now a diplomat and later receives a note from the man asking him to meet him urgently. When Jim rushes to see what the gentleman needs, he finds he has been murdered. The situation is especially delicate because of Spain’s currently fragile international relationships, and the captain asks Jim, who is a private investigator, to help find the killer before the ship docks. Diana is in the background, as would be proper for a lady, but offers her usual sage advice. She even preforms a Zoroastrian ritual which allows Jim to rescue a missing woman and prevent her murder.
This is a locked-room mystery with nice echoes of Agatha Christie and specific allusions to Sherlock Holmes, whom Jim and Diana admire, but the “room” is rather large, considering that there are about a thousand people on board the ship.
References to historical events, like the Spanish civil war and rebellion in Cuba, where the murder victim had served as governor, that could provide a motive for the murder.
Another great murder mystery from Nev March.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Diplom...
I discovered Nev March's first novel, "Murder In Old Bombay" when it was first released a couple years ago in the new releases section at the Barnes & Noble near where I live. I took a photo of it and promptly ordered it online from Amazon.com - trust me, it's far less of a hassle for me to buy from Amazon.com then to try to purchase a book at Barnes & Noble, plus it's cheaper too.
Former Captain Jim Agnihotri and his wife, Lady Diana Framji, are on a transatlantic cruise to England in 1894. Jim meets a retired Spanish military officer who is now a diplomat and later receives a note from the man asking him to meet him urgently. When Jim rushes to see what the gentleman needs, he finds he has been murdered. The situation is especially delicate because of Spain’s currently fragile international relationships, and the captain asks Jim, who is a private investigator, to help find the killer before the ship docks. Diana is in the background, as would be proper for a lady, but offers her usual sage advice. She even preforms a Zoroastrian ritual which allows Jim to rescue a missing woman and prevent her murder.
This is a locked-room mystery with nice echoes of Agatha Christie and specific allusions to Sherlock Holmes, whom Jim and Diana admire, but the “room” is rather large, considering that there are about a thousand people on board the ship.
References to historical events, like the Spanish civil war and rebellion in Cuba, where the murder victim had served as governor, that could provide a motive for the murder.
Another great murder mystery from Nev March.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Diplom...
October 5, 2023
"Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire" by Eckart Frahm
Just finished reading "Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire" by Eckart Frahm, published by Basic Books.
Frahm weaves a enthralling and sweeping history of Assyria from it's humble beginnings as a settlement to an empire that encompassed much the "civilized" world at the time, and a cautionary tale as well that all great empires and civilizations ultimately fail when they grow too big and complacent as centuries pass
Highly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Assyria-Rise-W...
Frahm weaves a enthralling and sweeping history of Assyria from it's humble beginnings as a settlement to an empire that encompassed much the "civilized" world at the time, and a cautionary tale as well that all great empires and civilizations ultimately fail when they grow too big and complacent as centuries pass
Highly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Assyria-Rise-W...
"Miracles Of The Gods - A New Look At The Supernatural" by Erich Von Daniken
Just finished reading "Miracles Of The Gods - A New Look At The Supernatural" by Erich Von Daniken, published by Dell Books back in 1976.
Now when Erich Von Daniken's speculative book "Chariots Of The Gods" was first released it launched the Ancient Astronaut craze which was followed by highly popular movies and even more books on the subject. Mom and Dad bought and read the Von Daniken's books and passed them down to me, except for this one. I suspect it was Von Daniken's rather outlandish speculations on Catholicism that turned them off to him - keep in mind that Mom and Dad were conservative Jews and that Dad was a snake-handling Primitive Southern Baptist before he had converted to Judaism.
What struck me as curious was Von Daniken's criticisms of the commercialization of Catholic shrines, but he has absolutely no problems cashing in on the Ancient Astronaut craze even to this day.
A majority of "Miracles Of The Gods" is one continuous criticism of Catholicism before he spends a few pages on Judaism before commenting on ghosts and other supernatural activity.
I would not recommend this book if you are a devout Catholic. Von Daniken tries to come across as a religious scholar, but he really is not well acquainted with religion of any type.
Two Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Gods-...
Now when Erich Von Daniken's speculative book "Chariots Of The Gods" was first released it launched the Ancient Astronaut craze which was followed by highly popular movies and even more books on the subject. Mom and Dad bought and read the Von Daniken's books and passed them down to me, except for this one. I suspect it was Von Daniken's rather outlandish speculations on Catholicism that turned them off to him - keep in mind that Mom and Dad were conservative Jews and that Dad was a snake-handling Primitive Southern Baptist before he had converted to Judaism.
What struck me as curious was Von Daniken's criticisms of the commercialization of Catholic shrines, but he has absolutely no problems cashing in on the Ancient Astronaut craze even to this day.
A majority of "Miracles Of The Gods" is one continuous criticism of Catholicism before he spends a few pages on Judaism before commenting on ghosts and other supernatural activity.
I would not recommend this book if you are a devout Catholic. Von Daniken tries to come across as a religious scholar, but he really is not well acquainted with religion of any type.
Two Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Gods-...
October 2, 2023
Dan Dare - The Audio Adventures - Volume Two
Just finished listening to "Dan Dare - The Audio Adventures - Volume Two" by B7 Media and released by Big Finish Productions back in 2017.
Just like my antilibraries, my tsundokus if you will, of my still yet to be read books and still yet to be watched DVDs, I do have a rather substantial collection of yet to be listened to audio dramas which are neatly stacked on top of my sister's rather massive account desk which occupies about a fifth of the space in her former bedroom.
Now it was my cousin Hannah who introduced me to Britain's answer to Perry Rhodan, Dan Dare, back in 1980 when she sent me a Doctor Who annual published by World Distributors for my birthday. She had wanted to get me a Dan Dare annual, but couldn't find one. Hannah lived in Rego Park, New York.
Hannah was a pianist and music teacher who loved to read science fiction. I was named after her father, my Great Uncle Joseph, who was killed in battle during World War One. It would probably be a safe bet to say that Mom got her love of science friction from Hannah, and I got mine both from Mom, Dad and Hannah.
So while I knew that Dan Dare existed, I didn't really know anything about him and his adventures in the universe he occupied until the Internet took off and I was able to do some good old fashioned sleuthing. Back in the dark ages, before eBay and Amazon.com people actually had to read the advertisements in the back pages of science fiction and fantasy magazines and send out orders with international U.S. Money Orders if they wanted to buy books from Britain and other places all over the world. That's how I got my first edition copies of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Restaurant At The End of the Universe" after learning about the original BBC television adaptation from reading the now defunct Starlog magazine.
Dan Dare's adventures were previously aired over the radio waves in Britain back in the 1960s and I would love to get my hands on CDs of those shows [sorry, I'm just not a fan of MP3 downloads because you don't physically own the copy and if the power goes out, an MP3 download can't be played on a battery-powered CD player] and Orion Audiobooks adapted the first half of "Dan Dare - Pilot Of The Future - Voyage To Venus" but never released the second half. If my hunch is correct, those original Dan Dare radio programs no longer exist because of the BBC's unfortunate habit back then of reusing and recording over previous radio shows. It's the reason why the first season of "The Avengers" doesn't exist any more along with the first two seasons of "Ace of Wands."
In their production of Dan Dare's first six adventures, B7 media decided to modernize Dan Dare and his universe. Keep in mind that when Dan Dare first took to the spaceways, it was the 1950s and while much was speculated about Venus, Mars, and the rest of the planets in the Solar System, very little was actually known back then.
Updating and making changes to a beloved science fiction franchise doesn't always work - Star Trek: Discovery and any Star Wars movie after the first original six by George Lucas.
I am curious as to why the writers and producers at B7 Media decided to make Eagle Corporation, a homage to the original Eagle Comics magazine which published Dan Dare's adventures, as a shadowy corporate villain more interested in profits than people.
"The Reign of the Robots" is a gripping start to the second box set finds Dare, Digby, and Peabody having completed their teleportation to find themselves 10 years in the future where The Mekon has enslaved the human race with the help of an indestructible army of robots. The Mekon's subjugation of Earth illustrates what an evil and dangerous threat he really is to the human race. At the same time, we are kept guessing what Digby and Peabody going to do. Are they really betraying the human race or just trying to play the Mekon?
Next up, "Operation: Saturn," in which mysterious ship re-appears loaded with killer drones. One of the scientists, a post-human named Blastco, is suspected and Dare and crew are sent after them in a new ship. When they arrive, they find him up to unspeakable evil.
In the season/series finale, "Prisoners in Space," the Mekon returns seizes a space station and then puts Dare's ship into automatic launch mode as part of an elaborately planned death trap. However, he actually ensnares Digby and a bright young cadet and it's up to Dan, Peabody, and an aging Major from the academy to come to the rescue---or is that just into the Mekon's trap?
Truth be told, my favorite adaption of Dan Dare's adventures is the aborted series by Orion Audiobooks. Updating classing science fiction with modern societal behaviors can take away from the original story.
B7 Media did do a faithful adaptation of Dan Dare's adventures, but note, while they did set up an epic stunning revelation and cliff hanger at the end of "Prisoners in Space," there wasn't a season two and it's been about six years since the release of this final set of Dan Dare's audio adventures from B7 Media and Big Finish Productions, and that might be saying something about ratings and/or licensing.
Strongly Recommended, but I do wish B7 Media hadn't modernized Dan Dare's adventures.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178...
Just like my antilibraries, my tsundokus if you will, of my still yet to be read books and still yet to be watched DVDs, I do have a rather substantial collection of yet to be listened to audio dramas which are neatly stacked on top of my sister's rather massive account desk which occupies about a fifth of the space in her former bedroom.
Now it was my cousin Hannah who introduced me to Britain's answer to Perry Rhodan, Dan Dare, back in 1980 when she sent me a Doctor Who annual published by World Distributors for my birthday. She had wanted to get me a Dan Dare annual, but couldn't find one. Hannah lived in Rego Park, New York.
Hannah was a pianist and music teacher who loved to read science fiction. I was named after her father, my Great Uncle Joseph, who was killed in battle during World War One. It would probably be a safe bet to say that Mom got her love of science friction from Hannah, and I got mine both from Mom, Dad and Hannah.
So while I knew that Dan Dare existed, I didn't really know anything about him and his adventures in the universe he occupied until the Internet took off and I was able to do some good old fashioned sleuthing. Back in the dark ages, before eBay and Amazon.com people actually had to read the advertisements in the back pages of science fiction and fantasy magazines and send out orders with international U.S. Money Orders if they wanted to buy books from Britain and other places all over the world. That's how I got my first edition copies of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Restaurant At The End of the Universe" after learning about the original BBC television adaptation from reading the now defunct Starlog magazine.
Dan Dare's adventures were previously aired over the radio waves in Britain back in the 1960s and I would love to get my hands on CDs of those shows [sorry, I'm just not a fan of MP3 downloads because you don't physically own the copy and if the power goes out, an MP3 download can't be played on a battery-powered CD player] and Orion Audiobooks adapted the first half of "Dan Dare - Pilot Of The Future - Voyage To Venus" but never released the second half. If my hunch is correct, those original Dan Dare radio programs no longer exist because of the BBC's unfortunate habit back then of reusing and recording over previous radio shows. It's the reason why the first season of "The Avengers" doesn't exist any more along with the first two seasons of "Ace of Wands."
In their production of Dan Dare's first six adventures, B7 media decided to modernize Dan Dare and his universe. Keep in mind that when Dan Dare first took to the spaceways, it was the 1950s and while much was speculated about Venus, Mars, and the rest of the planets in the Solar System, very little was actually known back then.
Updating and making changes to a beloved science fiction franchise doesn't always work - Star Trek: Discovery and any Star Wars movie after the first original six by George Lucas.
I am curious as to why the writers and producers at B7 Media decided to make Eagle Corporation, a homage to the original Eagle Comics magazine which published Dan Dare's adventures, as a shadowy corporate villain more interested in profits than people.
"The Reign of the Robots" is a gripping start to the second box set finds Dare, Digby, and Peabody having completed their teleportation to find themselves 10 years in the future where The Mekon has enslaved the human race with the help of an indestructible army of robots. The Mekon's subjugation of Earth illustrates what an evil and dangerous threat he really is to the human race. At the same time, we are kept guessing what Digby and Peabody going to do. Are they really betraying the human race or just trying to play the Mekon?
Next up, "Operation: Saturn," in which mysterious ship re-appears loaded with killer drones. One of the scientists, a post-human named Blastco, is suspected and Dare and crew are sent after them in a new ship. When they arrive, they find him up to unspeakable evil.
In the season/series finale, "Prisoners in Space," the Mekon returns seizes a space station and then puts Dare's ship into automatic launch mode as part of an elaborately planned death trap. However, he actually ensnares Digby and a bright young cadet and it's up to Dan, Peabody, and an aging Major from the academy to come to the rescue---or is that just into the Mekon's trap?
Truth be told, my favorite adaption of Dan Dare's adventures is the aborted series by Orion Audiobooks. Updating classing science fiction with modern societal behaviors can take away from the original story.
B7 Media did do a faithful adaptation of Dan Dare's adventures, but note, while they did set up an epic stunning revelation and cliff hanger at the end of "Prisoners in Space," there wasn't a season two and it's been about six years since the release of this final set of Dan Dare's audio adventures from B7 Media and Big Finish Productions, and that might be saying something about ratings and/or licensing.
Strongly Recommended, but I do wish B7 Media hadn't modernized Dan Dare's adventures.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178...
September 28, 2023
The Underworld - Journeys To The Depths Of The Ocean
Just finished reading "The Underworld - Journeys To The Depths Of The Ocean" by Susan Casey, published by Doubleday Books.
Casey has written a comprehensive and highly personable history of deep sea ocean exploration through the past centuries right up to present day. She is an old-school style of science journalist who is able to get to the heart of the subject and has a down-to-earth connection with the men and women whose passions for exploring the ocean depths come to life in the pages of this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Jou...
Casey has written a comprehensive and highly personable history of deep sea ocean exploration through the past centuries right up to present day. She is an old-school style of science journalist who is able to get to the heart of the subject and has a down-to-earth connection with the men and women whose passions for exploring the ocean depths come to life in the pages of this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Jou...
September 23, 2023
The Broken Girls
Just finished reading "The Broken Girls" by Simone St. James, published by Berkley Books back in 2018.
Among my academic achievements is a Bachelor of Arts in Gothic Literature from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, so it should come as no surprise that I enjoy reading the works of writers who successfully combine genres - mystery and supernatural - though Gothic literature is by its very nature a blending and mixing of literary genres.
The Gothic formula that St. James always make use of is a rather simple one. She tells two tales, one in the "present" and one in the past, and there is the presence of the supernatural in both tales as they move forward towards a resolution of past murders
in the present.
In the 1950s, problem children here in the Untied States were sent away to boarding schools - girls, and military schools - boys. Keep in mind that being born out-of-wedlock, having psychological issues, or being a victim of assault caused children to be sent away because they were seen as an undue burden that caused problems for the family and that these boarding schools were never regulated back then. Idlewild Hall was one such school in Vermont where four girls soon find themselves wondering where one of their friends went missing to and encounter the hateful ghost of Mary Hand.
Flash forward to 2014 where Fiona Sheridan is still trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the brutal murder of her beloved sister 20 years ago. Fiona believes that the man in jail for her sister's murder is innocent, but she can't move on, until she see's a ghost near the now abandoned Idlewild Hall - a ghost that shows people what they rather not see.
A Great Twisty Gothic Mystery.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Girls-S...
Among my academic achievements is a Bachelor of Arts in Gothic Literature from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, so it should come as no surprise that I enjoy reading the works of writers who successfully combine genres - mystery and supernatural - though Gothic literature is by its very nature a blending and mixing of literary genres.
The Gothic formula that St. James always make use of is a rather simple one. She tells two tales, one in the "present" and one in the past, and there is the presence of the supernatural in both tales as they move forward towards a resolution of past murders
in the present.
In the 1950s, problem children here in the Untied States were sent away to boarding schools - girls, and military schools - boys. Keep in mind that being born out-of-wedlock, having psychological issues, or being a victim of assault caused children to be sent away because they were seen as an undue burden that caused problems for the family and that these boarding schools were never regulated back then. Idlewild Hall was one such school in Vermont where four girls soon find themselves wondering where one of their friends went missing to and encounter the hateful ghost of Mary Hand.
Flash forward to 2014 where Fiona Sheridan is still trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the brutal murder of her beloved sister 20 years ago. Fiona believes that the man in jail for her sister's murder is innocent, but she can't move on, until she see's a ghost near the now abandoned Idlewild Hall - a ghost that shows people what they rather not see.
A Great Twisty Gothic Mystery.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Girls-S...
Lord Of A Shattered Land,
Just finished reading "Lord Of A Shattered Land," by Howard Andrew Jones, published by Baen Books.
Now as frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Goodreads, and other social media platforms know, I am always forthcoming whenever I have a connection with the book, movie, music CD, and/or audio drama that I am reviewing. While Howard Andrew Jones and I have never meet, we are friends here on Facebook and I think we exchanged a couple of emails in the past. While full disclosure may come across as a complete waste of time, it does defang anyone who cries "favoritism" over a review, and for the record, I'm probably one of the few reviewers who actually buys what I review. Again, I do this in order to prevent anyone from claiming I was bought off. [Hint - I'm not THAT cheap.]
"Lord Of A Shattered Land," the first in "The Chronicles of Hanuvar," is a collection of previously published and new tales of Hanuvar as he sets out on his quest to free his enslaved people.
Hanuvar is based off Hannibal, the famous general of Carthage who took the fight to the Roman empire. Just like his real-life counterpart, Hanuvar fought the Dervan empire and became a frightening figure to them, an unconquerable and wily military man who commanded respect, loyalty, and fear. But like Hannibal, trying to stop the empire was like halting a flood. The Dervans wiped out his beloved land of Volanus, slaughtering his people, looting their sacred temples and tombs, and selling the survivors into slavery. At the beginning of the book, the Dervans believe Hanuvar died in that terrible final battle. However, senators and generals and even the emperor himself lie awake in fear that this one man survived and will seek his revenge.
Jones's tales of Hanuvar follow in the great tradition of the Pulp Era and are a great addition to the pages of Sword and Fantasy tradition. Dad, who greatly enjoyed reading the original Conan tales would have loved reading Hanuvar's tales, and having served for nearly 35-years in the United States Marine Corps, would have loved Jones' nod to history and military combat.
GREAT PULP FUN!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Shattered...
Now as frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Goodreads, and other social media platforms know, I am always forthcoming whenever I have a connection with the book, movie, music CD, and/or audio drama that I am reviewing. While Howard Andrew Jones and I have never meet, we are friends here on Facebook and I think we exchanged a couple of emails in the past. While full disclosure may come across as a complete waste of time, it does defang anyone who cries "favoritism" over a review, and for the record, I'm probably one of the few reviewers who actually buys what I review. Again, I do this in order to prevent anyone from claiming I was bought off. [Hint - I'm not THAT cheap.]
"Lord Of A Shattered Land," the first in "The Chronicles of Hanuvar," is a collection of previously published and new tales of Hanuvar as he sets out on his quest to free his enslaved people.
Hanuvar is based off Hannibal, the famous general of Carthage who took the fight to the Roman empire. Just like his real-life counterpart, Hanuvar fought the Dervan empire and became a frightening figure to them, an unconquerable and wily military man who commanded respect, loyalty, and fear. But like Hannibal, trying to stop the empire was like halting a flood. The Dervans wiped out his beloved land of Volanus, slaughtering his people, looting their sacred temples and tombs, and selling the survivors into slavery. At the beginning of the book, the Dervans believe Hanuvar died in that terrible final battle. However, senators and generals and even the emperor himself lie awake in fear that this one man survived and will seek his revenge.
Jones's tales of Hanuvar follow in the great tradition of the Pulp Era and are a great addition to the pages of Sword and Fantasy tradition. Dad, who greatly enjoyed reading the original Conan tales would have loved reading Hanuvar's tales, and having served for nearly 35-years in the United States Marine Corps, would have loved Jones' nod to history and military combat.
GREAT PULP FUN!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Shattered...
"In Search of Ancient Gods - My Pictorial Evidence For the Impossible"
Just finished reading "In Search of Ancient Gods - My Pictorial Evidence For the Impossible" by Erich Von Daniken, published by Bantam Books back in 1975.
Von Daniken comes across as a friendly guy who can talk about anything on any subject and come across as an expert without really knowing his subject matter. He is hustling the idea that extraterrestrial intelligences visited various ancient cultures on Earth and imparted knowledge to humanity's ancestors.
Von Daniken did kick off the "ancient alien" craze with the publication of his speculative book "Chariots of The Gods?" in the early 1970s and Mom, Dad, and I; Selma Franz was just a toddler when Von Daniken's book entered into mainstream thinking and Mom and Dad bought the books and passed them on to me if and I do recall looking through the books but not reading them.
Opinions of a believer are hard to dispute with the believer. Von Daniken spins his theories but never offers proof and his habitat of name dropping researchers I can't find anywhere on the Internet is an indicator of someone is spinning a tall tale.
I'm probably gong to surprise some people by recommending "In Search Of Ancient Gods" because I think it's an excellent study how to critically analyze content and identify someone who is presenting a dog and pony show.
Recommended.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Ancient...
Von Daniken comes across as a friendly guy who can talk about anything on any subject and come across as an expert without really knowing his subject matter. He is hustling the idea that extraterrestrial intelligences visited various ancient cultures on Earth and imparted knowledge to humanity's ancestors.
Von Daniken did kick off the "ancient alien" craze with the publication of his speculative book "Chariots of The Gods?" in the early 1970s and Mom, Dad, and I; Selma Franz was just a toddler when Von Daniken's book entered into mainstream thinking and Mom and Dad bought the books and passed them on to me if and I do recall looking through the books but not reading them.
Opinions of a believer are hard to dispute with the believer. Von Daniken spins his theories but never offers proof and his habitat of name dropping researchers I can't find anywhere on the Internet is an indicator of someone is spinning a tall tale.
I'm probably gong to surprise some people by recommending "In Search Of Ancient Gods" because I think it's an excellent study how to critically analyze content and identify someone who is presenting a dog and pony show.
Recommended.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Ancient...
Discretion
Just finished watching "Discretion" by Together Magic.
Yes, sadly a majority of people do escape any life-changing consequences of having an extra-marital affair. Yet a willingness to pick up roots so that your partner in life can pursue their dream career as the Chief Financial Officer of a major international company isn't addressing the underlying reasons why you had the affair.
"Discretion" is a surprising short movie, with a running time of only 35 minutes. From what I have been able to determine, Together Magic is an independent production and distribution company.
"Discretion" would have worked better as a full length movie showing full consequences of having an affair. Nobody suffered any real consequences, except for a few minutes of panicked guilt.
Not recommended unless you like short movies.
Two Stars.
https://www.tlavideo.com/videos/46296...
Yes, sadly a majority of people do escape any life-changing consequences of having an extra-marital affair. Yet a willingness to pick up roots so that your partner in life can pursue their dream career as the Chief Financial Officer of a major international company isn't addressing the underlying reasons why you had the affair.
"Discretion" is a surprising short movie, with a running time of only 35 minutes. From what I have been able to determine, Together Magic is an independent production and distribution company.
"Discretion" would have worked better as a full length movie showing full consequences of having an affair. Nobody suffered any real consequences, except for a few minutes of panicked guilt.
Not recommended unless you like short movies.
Two Stars.
https://www.tlavideo.com/videos/46296...
Fast X
Just finished watching "Fast X" released by Universal.
While it's not an uncommon practice for a sequel to a hit and popular movie series to have a flashback scene or two, the Fast and Furious Franchise has depended too much on the absent presence of Brian O'Conner, played by the late Paul Walker. "Fast X" reuses the epic safe stealing scene from Fast and Furious 5 and inserts a son for the crime syndicate kingpin that Dom Toretto and his family took down, and the son, played played by Jason Momoa is out to take bloody revenge on Dom by killing and destroying everything he loves.
Now granted, "Fast X" is a three-part-story movie arc and it sets up one heck of a cliff hanger, the series should have been put to bed with "Fast and Furious 7." Of course Hollywood being Hollywood likes to gamble and bet and on safe formula, but over the top action sequences and outrageous plots will only work for so long.
"Fast X" had a budget of $340 million, and only took in $714.60 million in the world wide box office. Not exactly a rousing success when you take into consideration Hollywood accounting math. Production budgets rarely include marketing budgets.
Recommended for "Fast and Furious" fans.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Fast-X-Blu-ray...
While it's not an uncommon practice for a sequel to a hit and popular movie series to have a flashback scene or two, the Fast and Furious Franchise has depended too much on the absent presence of Brian O'Conner, played by the late Paul Walker. "Fast X" reuses the epic safe stealing scene from Fast and Furious 5 and inserts a son for the crime syndicate kingpin that Dom Toretto and his family took down, and the son, played played by Jason Momoa is out to take bloody revenge on Dom by killing and destroying everything he loves.
Now granted, "Fast X" is a three-part-story movie arc and it sets up one heck of a cliff hanger, the series should have been put to bed with "Fast and Furious 7." Of course Hollywood being Hollywood likes to gamble and bet and on safe formula, but over the top action sequences and outrageous plots will only work for so long.
"Fast X" had a budget of $340 million, and only took in $714.60 million in the world wide box office. Not exactly a rousing success when you take into consideration Hollywood accounting math. Production budgets rarely include marketing budgets.
Recommended for "Fast and Furious" fans.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Fast-X-Blu-ray...
