S. Lee Spelbring's Blog, page 9
March 18, 2020
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s been an actual while since I’ve sat down to read a series, and I’ve since been back to my local library and they have the entire series (it sadly ends at Y). So now I kind of have to read it in order. Which means lots of reviews on the same topic, so to speak. I’m fairly certain I’ll run out of things to say apart from “I really liked it”. I do hope that’s not the case.
I will say that I pegged the culprit in this one fairly early on, but still wanted to see how Kinsey would figure it out. This is also the first book I got mad at. Like I put the book down and had to back away for a minute mad. Which is interesting in and of itself. Books that do that to me are few and far between, and this is the sixth in a series…so again interested to see if that happens again.
I’m just interested to see where things go from here, will there be another book to make me mad? Will I be able to predict the culprit in another book? Where does this series go from here?
March 16, 2020
[DVD] Movie Review: Inception
Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with his wife, Emma Thomas. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets. He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for the implantation of another person’s idea into a target’s subconscious. The ensemble cast includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.
I seem to own a few movies starring Leonardo DiCaprio, so I think that means I quite enjoy his performances, and that’s true of this one. I’ve always been interested in dreams and dream interpretation, and this is an interesting futuristic spin on dreams and dreaming.
Considered terrorists and mental thiefs, Leo and his crew are a group of professionals looking for the next big score. Inception is the act of inserting an idea into the mind of a victim and only exists as an impossible theory. Until now. With the promise of returning home to his family on the line DiCaprio takes on the challenge.
It’s a wonderful wild ride through literal dreamscapes, built-in tactical resistance troops, and the possibility of forever being trapped in the dream world.
March 14, 2020
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked the plot on this one, it was very different. In this episode, Kinsey is her own client, someone is making her the scapegoat for a much bigger crime than simple insurance fraud.
It actually works out in quite an interesting manner. I read these books just because I like following Kinsey around while she snoops, finding out about everyone. This person met that person for a tryst, that person is a closet drunk, this person works a second job no one knows about. I guess that makes me a bit of a busy body, but I like living vicariously through Kinsey, and she does some good work on this one.
Anyway, I’m thoroughly enjoying the series, and this one is no different, thoroughly enjoyable.
March 9, 2020
[Netflix] Movie Review: Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare is a 2017 American supernatural horror television film co-written by Thommy Hutson and Ethan Lawrence and directed by Nick Simon. The film stars Cassandra Scerbo, Brytni Sarpy, Mason Dye, Harvey Guillén, Alexxis Lemire, Luke Baines, Ricardo Hoyos, Christina Masterson, and Heather Langenkamp. The plot focuses on a group of eight college students who rent a house haunted by a vengeful spirit who lost a game of truth or dare several years earlier. The group decide to play the game and are forced to follow through or face deadly consequences. The film premiered on Syfy on October 8, 2017, and was met to generally positive reviews. As of February 2019, the film has grossed $3,417 from DVD and Blu-ray sales.
Like Darkness Rising, this is another haunted house movie, but unlike that movie, this movie includes a very twisted game of Truth or Dare. And it is bloody. If you have to tell the truth and lie about it, you die. If you don’t complete a dare in the correct amount of time, you die. Well, you might die from doing the dare anyway since it’s just that kind of game.
Eight college kids unwillingly take on the challenge and by the end of the movie there are decidedly less college kids, but a pretty decent plot. It is a blood and gore movie, I’m not gonna lie, and say it’s almost bordering on a slasher movie, so be advised.
March 7, 2020
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2016 by John Joseph Adams
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2016 by John Joseph Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a short story collection that encompasses many different types of science fiction and fantasy. There is a good amount of space stories to be sure, but they are all different too. I would not say that there are many traditional fantasy stories (nothing like Lord of the Rings), but there are good stories in their own rights.
I would have liked more traditional fantasy stories, as it did seem that most of them were sci-fi. There weren’t any elves, wizards, magic, or other fantastic creatures (though I did like the cats that were based on actual prehistoric cats so that could be a fantasy, but that was only one story).
Apart from that, all the stories made me think, inspired me, and were entertaining. It did take me a while to read this book, as it’s not a cohesive book. It’s 20 different stories, so I needed a break after awhile to clear my mind. Which says a lot about how interesting the stories are.
March 4, 2020
7th Heaven by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve been reading my way through this series (in order!) and have been enjoying it. This book is good too, but I’m picking up some themes…
One: there are two crimes that are solved every book, one for the cops, one for the lawyers. Two: one of the women is assaulted to some degree (Lindsay got shot in a previous book, another one died a couple books ago… you get the idea).
I don’t seem to mind this, even though it makes certain things a bit predictable. What’s not predictable is which woman will be assaulted, and how the crimes will eventually be resolved.
Case in point, this book’s court case wasn’t fully resolved. The characters will never know the true ending, the reader is let in on the plot though. And the assault on the woman? It wasn’t really connected to either case. The crime was resolved by a victim!
So yes, even though some plot points are getting predictable, the books are still enjoyable because there is still enough unpredictability to keep my interest.
March 2, 2020
[Netflix] Movie Review: A Dark Song
A Dark Song is a 2016 Irish-British independent horror film, written and directed by Liam Gavin and starring Steve Oram and Catherine Walker. It was released to select theatres and digital streaming platforms on 28 April 2017. It is Gavin’s directorial debut.
This film is British, but I’m not sure I’d call it a horror film, it’s a supernatural film, since the entire plot is a woman convincing a witch to perform a ritual to summon a guardian angel. I would also call it a bit of drama as well given the reasons the woman wants to do the ritual in the first place.
It’s a slow moving movie, the ritual takes quite a few months to perform, and gets awkward, intimate, and exhausting. Eventually the woman has had it, and takes matters into her own hands…and then the movie gets a bit more interesting.
February 24, 2020
[Netflix] Movie Review: Darkness Rising
Wikipedia:
Darkness Rising is a 2017 supernatural horror film directed by Austin Reading starring Tara Holt as Madison, Christian Ganiere as Seth, Bryce Johnson as Jake, Katrina Law as Izzy, Heather Mazur as Kate, Myk Watford as Daniel, and Ted Raimi.
This is a stereo-typical haunted house feature film. There’s not much of a plot: return to childhood home at night before it’s demolished, get trapped in house, almost die in house, escape in the morning.
There is some explanation throughout the movie. The main character suffered trauma in the house as a result of the house possessing her mother. So as we go along she remembers more things and of course the horror escalates. Honestly, this movie is pretty forgettable, and doesn’t stand out from the genre.
Get it on Amazon
February 19, 2020
The Tolkien Tag
This tag was created by booktuber Andrea Heckler, but I found it on The Book Nut.
How Did Your Middle Earth Journey Begin?
With the movie trilogy, which then was followed by the trading card game, and then I read The Lord of the Rings, then I read the Hobbit, and then watched the Hobbit. I’ve also read The Simarillion at some point.
What is Your Favorite Middle Earth Book?
The Hobbit
What is Your Favorite Middle Earth Movie?
The Return of the King
Movies or Books?
I like the Fellowship movies best, but The Hobbit book is better than the movies.
Who Are Your Favorite Characters?
I’m a fan of Aragorn, his character progression is so completely interesting. But I love the camaraderie between Legolas and Gimli too.
What Middle Earth Race Would You Be?
I’d probably be a Hobbit, since I come from a farming background and cook for a living.
Best Actor/Character Casting Match?
Ian McKellen as Gandolf and Christopher Lee as Saruman, loved their performances.
What is Your Favorite Place in Middle Earth?
Lothlorien, it’s just so beautiful.
What is Your Favorite Quote from the Books or Movies?
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
Eventually I’ll have this tattooed on the back of my leg.
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February 17, 2020
[Netflix] Movie Review: The Ring (2002)
The Ring is a 2002 American supernatural horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, and Daveigh Chase. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, based on the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki. Watts portrays a journalist who investigates a cursed videotape that seemingly kills the viewer seven days after watching it.
Wikipedia bills this as a supernatural horror. I disagree with this somewhat. It is supernatural, and maybe it does start out as a horror flick. But it quickly turns into a sad family drama.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good horror movie, and I see why this one fits the genre, but it is so much more than that. So much more. It also features a classic ending that horror movies love, bringing it back to horror movie status.
