Blair Witch

Posted by cat2002116 on September 19, 2016
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blair-witch

(This review may contain spoilers).

Although there were some parts of this movie that had potential, I didn’t really feel it lived up to the first movie.

I didn’t get as confused with the characters as I did with the first film, which gave the impression that this movie was more scripted, rather than the improvisation that seemed to exist in the first movie.

I felt that this movie severely lacked in subtlety. It didn’t generate the same feelings of fear of the unseen as the previous movie did… and it lost quite a bit of the fear it generated when it showed the violence, rather than leaving it to the viewers’ imagination.

I felt that the camera was a bit disjointed, especially seeing as it seemed to randomly switch between the different cameras used by different characters.

I thought there was a lot in this movie that didn’t seem to really go anywhere, like the time disorientation. And one of the violent things that happened was really quite stupid and didn’t really seem to be used for anything other than a jump scare.

There were a few link-ins to the original movie that were good to see, but I was disappointed in this movie. The atmosphere didn’t really seem to make a lot of sense and although it was good to see James was a paramedic, I had no idea what the other characters did… or how the four of them could just randomly camp in the woods. There were references made to the history, but not a whole lot explored.

I didn’t find most of this movie particularly scary and I felt there were too many characters and not enough detail about them and how they related to each other. I wasn’t all that concerned with what was happening to them… and for most of the film, I felt they were making appallingly bad choices.

Scream Season 2

Posted by cat2002116 on September 19, 2016
Posted in: Reviews, Television, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

scream-season-2

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having watched and been entertained by the first season of this, I was quite eager to watch the second, even if it did take me a little while to get to it.

My favourite character in this series was probably Audrey. I felt she had a lot of depth to her and I enjoyed seeing her relationships and interactions with the others in the Lakewood Six. I also particularly liked Brooke and Noah. Brooke was a much nicer character than her popularity really indicated… and I especially liked being able to see her relationship with her father, as well as her feelings for Jake.

The first episode did a really good job of drawing me back into the series. There was a lot of tension and a lot that was disturbing about this series. It was particularly good to see the kind of games the killer was playing with the victims.

Although it had been a while since I watched season one, I didn’t find it difficult to be engaged with the plot and the characters again. I did, however, find Emma a bit of an irritating character in this series. While it was understandable she was affected by what had happened before, I did feel she made a lot of really bad choices.

It was interesting to have the opportunity to find out more about Piper’s history and the history of the town with Brandon James. I liked being able to see the conflicts with Maggie and the other adults in town, particularly in regards to the new Sheriff. I did like seeing his relationship with his son, though.

I was a bit disappointed in regards to Zoe. I noticed a lack of ethnic diversity in the town and the character in the previous season who was of a different ethnicity ended up dead.

I liked Noah and seeing the way he and the others were coping with the massacres. This series was much more violent in terms of the death than the first… but the games the killer was playing put me on edge; and there were other conflicts, in particular between Kieran and Eli, that did a good job of that.

There were a lot of red herrings in this series, but I felt there were a few too many of those. I did find the series entertaining, though, and there were still some answers I wanted… even though it was good to see some of the conflicts resolved and the strength demonstrated in many of the characters.

Blog Tour: Gamescape: Overworld

Posted by cat2002116 on September 18, 2016
Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
Gamescape: Overworld (The Nova Project #1)

by Emma Trevayne

Publisher: Greenwillow

Release Date: September 13th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia

Rate: 4 out  of 5 stars

photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg
Synopsis:
The planet is dying. Centuries of abuse have damaged the earth beyond repair, and now all the authorities can do is polish the surface, make the landscape look pretty to hide the disease within. Two prominent yet mysterious businessmen couldn’t fix it, either, but they did something even better. Together, they invented Chimera, the most complex and immersive virtual reality video game the world has ever known. The Cubes in which Chimera is played quickly became a fixture of this landscape: part distraction, part hospital, and almost wholly responsible for holding up the failing world economy.
Miguel Anderson is also dying. He isn’t the only one who plays the game–everybody does–but Miguel has more reason than most: When players leave their Cubes for the day, the upgrades and enhancements they’ve earned for their virtual characters leave with them. New lungs to breathe poisoned air, skin that won’t burn under the sun are great and everything… but Miguel, born as broken as the earth, needs a new heart–and soon–if he wants any hope of surviving just a little longer.
Then the two Gamerunners announce a competition, with greater rewards and faster progression than ever before, and Miguel thinks his prayers have been answered. All he needs to do is get picked to lead a team, play the game he’s spent years getting good at, and ask for his prize when he wins. Simple, really.
At first, things seem to go according to plan. Mostly, anyway. Inside his Cube, with his new team–including his best friend–at his back, Miguel begins his quest. He plays recklessly, even dangerously, for someone whose most vital organ could give up at any moment, but his desperation makes him play better than ever. The eyes of the world are on him, watching through status updates and live feeds, betting on his chances. With greater rewards, though, come greater risks, and the Gamerunners seem to delight at surprising the competitors at every turn. As he ventures deeper into a world that blends the virtual and the real to an unsettling degree, Miguel begins to wonder just why the game was invented at all, and whether its stakes could be even higher than life and death. 

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I really liked the plot of this book. It was interesting to see a world that actually could exist in the future… not only with a video game being the obsession of everyone, but also with the world dying. I found it really intriguing to see that things like libraries, so common in the world now, were virtually non-existent by the time it got to Miguel’s time.

Speaking of Miguel… I found him a likable character, even though I did feel he made some bad choices at times… and I wasn’t sure I really trusted him by the end of the book, even though I could understand a lot of his actions. There was one particular act that I felt was really unforgivable.

I really liked the idea of humanity gradually changing to become more machine-like, although I would have liked to see a bit more in the way of the upgrades people got and how exactly they worked. They were more obvious in the new version of Chimera… though I did think that the name of the game was a really clever one.

It was interesting to see Miguel having to get used to working with real people and not computer-generated helpers, but I found the whole balance thing to be a bit confusing. It seemed a bit like the secondary characters (with the exception of Nick) didn’t really have a lot of depth to them. I would have liked more detail about what they were all hoping to get out of the game. The balance thing could have come into play a better way, I felt.

I really liked the fact that Miguel had his own goal to work towards and it it was interesting to get something of an insight into the way the Gamemakers worked and thought. However, by the end of the book, I was left with a lot of questions… and there were events that impacted the world that didn’t really seem described too well, giving it a very surreal feeling.

I did find the book interesting to read and it did engage me throughout. I was also intrigued enough to want to read the next book/s in the series.

Character Interview

1) What is your main goal?
To make it to the end of Level Twenty-Five, get a new heart, and stop worrying that the one I have is going to crap out at any second.

2) What do you like to do for fun?
Play Chimera! The heart’s not the only reason I go into those Cubes. The game is better than the real world, that’s for sure. But I can’t play all the time and other people want their turns in the gaming rooms. When I have to stop, I hang out with Nick and Anna at the park, or alone down by the river. At night, when I can’t sleep, I work on something on my computer. Nobody can know about what I’m doing then, though.

3) Who are the people you feel closest to?
Nick and Anna, for sure. Anna and I aren’t really together anymore, but she still knows me better than most people. Nick’s been my best friend forever. He gets me more than anyone else does, even Anna. He knows why I do everything I do.

4) What would you consider your greatest strength?
I don’t give up. I’m not sure if that’s a strength when giving up would mean I’d die. I think it’s all I’ve got. Oh, and I’m really good at Chimera. I’m good at figuring out the puzzles, working out what the game wants me to do next.

5) What makes you angry?
Zack bragging that he’s better than me at the game. He isn’t.

6) What makes you happy?
Thinking of what’ll happen once I pass Twenty-Five. Or what will happen after the thing that’ll happen. Once I have my new heart, I’ll be able to do anything. People will stop telling me not to overexert myself, or that I should go and rest. It’s going to be amazing.


Follow the Gamescape: Overworld by Emma Trevayne Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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YA sci-fi/cyberpunk writer. Fan of words and music and chocolate. Represented by Brooks Sherman of FinePrint Literary Management. My first novel, CODA, will be out Spring 2013 from Running Press Kids, and its sequel, CHORUS, will be released the following year. 

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The Blair Witch Project

Posted by cat2002116 on September 17, 2016
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

the-blair-witch-project

(This review may contain spoilers).

Despite watching so many horror movies, I had yet to see this movie until a couple of days ago, as I plan to see the sequel later this week.

As the first found footage movie, I thought this was a really neat idea… but at the same time, I felt it was quite  tame. It did feel very much like a documentary… but although the real horror was supposed to be in what you didn’t see, it didn’t really seem that scary.

I thought the most interesting part about this movie was the conflict between Heather, Josh and Mike. It was really easy to see and experience their desperation as they became lost, quite apart from what was going on. And I did think the camera angles worked really well. It was good that there was quite a bit of tension… though I couldn’t quite figure out how they’d been able to survive for so long; then again, it seemed like the days all seemed to run together… especially as they seemed to get cabin fever.

It was interesting to learn the legend of the Blair Witch and I felt the locals seemed to add a new dimension to the movie, especially since they seemed to feel like real people, as opposed to just actors playing a part.

This movie was disjointed, but I felt that helped to add to its authenticity. It was easy to care about Heather in particular, but the scenes where they made camp just weren’t as scary as they could have been. The ending was really only the scary part… but that worked with the unseen being the most effective. And there was a good link-in to the earlier scenes.

I still intend to watch the sequel, but I hope it will be more like this with the found footage aspect… even though the trailer seemed to suggest part of this movie would be mirrored.

iZombie Season One

Posted by cat2002116 on September 17, 2016
Posted in: Reviews, Television. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

izombie-season-one

(This review may contain spoilers).

When I saw this series advertised on Netflix, I was immediately intrigued. I thought the idea was a really intriguing one… and a new twist on the zombie genre, even if they do seem to be going the same way as vampires when it comes to the dark, brooding paranormal hero.

Although Liv didn’t really seem like a very interesting character in the first episode, after the massacre, I felt she had a lot more depth to her. I liked seeing her trying to cope with the admittedly rather disgusting job of eating brains… and it was good to see the different ways she tried to cope with her dietary needs.

It was an interesting twist to see Liv (and the other zombies) get visions from eating the brains. I liked the fact that Liv took on traits of the person whose brain she ate… and it was cool to see how good the actress was at showing those different traits Liv took on.

I especially enjoyed seeing Liv’s relationships with the people around her, though I had some mixed feelings about Clive. It was good to learn about him as the series went on, but I couldn’t help the feeling he had some kind of hidden agenda.

I did really like Ravi. I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Liv, even though he was her boss, and it was easy to believe in him wanting to find a cure.

I found the way the zombies changed quite interesting, though it would have been good to get a bit more detail about their physiology. I also liked the fact that, although there was a common thread running through the series, each episode had its own individual storyline as well.

I really had no idea what to make of Blaine at first, but I didn’t like him very much as the series progressed. Lowell was an intriguing character… even if I was really unsure of him for a while. It was awesome to realise where I recognised the actor from, though.

I would have liked to see a bit more of Liv’s relationship with her mother and brother. Even though I wasn’t especially keen on her mother, I did get the impression she cared about her children… despite being overbearing.

It was good to see how much linked together during the series and there was a lot that kept me involved in this series. It didn’t take itself too seriously, but there was a lot of depth to the characters and the relationships. It’s gory in parts, but a bit more like CSI than true horror.

Hell Or High Water

Posted by cat2002116 on September 17, 2016
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

hell-or-high-water

(This review may contain spoilers).

The trailer for this movie left me intrigued, although I felt the blurb actually gave away more than the film itself actually did, as it seemed to put a different spin on what the brothers were trying to do.

While I did like seeing the relationship between the brothers… I actually really disliked Tanner. I thought Toby seemed to come across as a more sympathetic person, even though there were hints about their  pasts that might have given his brother more depth if they’d been followed through on a bit more.

It was interesting to see the relationship Toby had with his sons and ex-wife, though I would have liked some more details about the history between them. While there was some time spent on showing the relationships between Toby and Tanner and Marus and Alberto, I felt there was more time spent on the action and shootings than on character development.

I didn’t really like Marcus very much for a lot of the movie and I couldn’t really figure out why he and Alberto were partners. It wasn’t until towards the end of the movie that I even had the impression Marcus even cared about Alberto.

There were some intriguing secondary characters in this film, but I felt that a lot of the potential subplots didn’t really go anywhere. I think this movie would have benefited from being a  bit longer and maybe even a bit more focused on the parallels between the brothers and between the partners. But it was good to see the irony involved with Marcus in particular.

There were quite a few tense scenes in this and although the ending wasn’t much of a surprise, I liked seeing the kind of planning going into the robberies and it was good to see Toby as the more ‘think things through’ brother.

This movie was entertaining to watch and it was interesting to see a Western set in the modern day, with smartphones and computers. I just felt that the movie was missing something.

Ben-Hur

Posted by cat2002116 on September 14, 2016
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ben-hur

(This review may contain spoilers).

I haven’t seen the previous version of this movie, or read the book this is based on, but seeing as I enjoy watching movies set in the kind  of time period this one was set in, I was immediately interested in watching this.

I liked that this movie started with the conflict between Judah and Messala. While I didn’t know then why their relationship was fractured, the first scene did succeed in drawing me in from the start… and then it was good to be able to have the opportunity to see how things progressed.

I liked being able to see the relationship between the brothers, though I was a bit confused about why Judah’s family had adopted Messala. I would have liked a bit more detail about that kind of history between them.

I did have a lot of sympathy for Messala and I could see why he didn’t feel like he fit in with Judah’s family. There were some hints of conflict in the household… but some of those hints didn’t really go anywhere; such as Judah’s relationship with Esther. Despite mention being made of the differences in their stations, there were no obvious problems.

I liked seeing the clear differences in the brothers, with Messala a warrior and Judah only fighting back when his family was threatened. I did feel that he was a bit naive at times, but considering his status in Jerusalem, I could understand why he wouldn’t necessarily see things the same way as people like Esther did.

Even though this movie had a low age rating (I was surprised to see it was only a 12A), it was good to see it didn’t shy away from showing the violent tensions between the Jews and the Romans. And as a Christian, I was very happy to see the historical figure of Jesus appear… even though he wasn’t the main focus.

I did feel this movie didn’t use the ethnicity that should have existed in that time… and I also had the impression Judah was wearing jeans during one scene. But although those problems were noticeable, I didn’t feel they really detracted from the movie, even if they did give me pause.

There were a lot of good moments of tension throughout and by the time the movie was finished, I wanted to watch it again. I would definitely buy this movie on DVD.

Awakening Kiss

Posted by cat2002116 on September 14, 2016
Posted in: Books, Reviews, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

awakening-kiss

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I was really happy to have the opportunity to read this latest book in the series. I couldn’t remember all of Rhys’ group from the previous books, but it was nice to see him interacting with Enza… and I liked that this book was longer, which made me more engaged with the romance and the storyline.

I did kind of think that Enza was putting herself in dangerous situations, but I admired that she had a lot of courage and spirit. I could, however, understand why Rhys was so suspicious of her at first… and although their attraction was fairly obvious to begin with, it was good to see that there were a lot of other things going on at the same time. And it was good to have a very clear image of Brenin in my head.

What I also liked was the opportunity to see more of the other supernatural creatures, such as the werewolves and the nymphs. It was nice to see a bit more depth to some of the nymphs and I liked that the ending involved them.

It was good there were some hints to their pasts scattered throughout this book and I found it easy to empathise with the characters. I would have liked the opportunity to see more of Enza’s interactions with her mother and grandparents, as I didn’t get a good idea of their relationship and there was a bit too much summarising in the scene that did involve them.

I liked being able to learn bits and pieces of both of their pasts as the book went on and it was also good to see something of the bond between the Watchers, even though I wasn’t sure who was who for a little while. And the part with the soccer mom and Brenin did make me roll my eyes and get irritated on his behalf.

I liked seeing the friendship between Enza and Meena and it was nice to see something of what went on in the bakery. There was a lot of action and good tension in this book and it really engaged me and kept me reading throughout. I did feel sorry for Enza, being thrown in at the deep end… but I did like her relationship with Rhys and I would definitely like to read more books in this series in the future.

Doctor Who: Dead of Winter

Posted by cat2002116 on September 13, 2016
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

doctor-who-dead-of-winter

(This review may contain spoilers).

I did actually enjoy reading this book. I found it quick and entertaining to read… and if it wasn’t for the multiple switching between so many different first person POVs, this would probably be four stars.

I did like the fact that it wasn’t very clear what was going on with Amy, Rory and the Doctor. And it would have been interesting in regards to the confusion involving Rory and the Doctor… but although I figured out what was going on fairly quickly, the writing didn’t hold enough of a mystery to make the blurring of personalities very tense.

I did think there were certain aspects of the Doctor captured quite well, but there wasn’t really enough of him. And what was shown was summarised and glossed over.

I didn’t really know what to make of Doctor Bloom. There seemed to be a lot of contradictions in his character and by the end of the book, it seemed like he’d started out one way and it was then decided he’d be different. That seemed to be the case with Prince Boris, who was another character it was difficult to get a handle on.

I did find Marie to be an interesting character and it was kind of sad to see the letters she was writing to her mother. It was interesting to see the other patients at the hospital, but I felt there were a few too many characters involved and it was really hard to connect emotionally or really care about any of them.

I would have liked to see a bit more in the way of the setting, as apart from some instances where the characters spoke French, I wasn’t really able to engage with the setting. And although there were some slightly creepy moments, I felt those were lost in the way the plot seemed to be attempting to be clever.

While I normally like tie-in novels, I felt this one could have done with more improvement and less telling rather than showing. I have read and enjoyed other Doctor Who novels, but I don’t think I’ll be seeking out any more by this author in the future… which is a shame, as the blurb was so intriguing.

Karma Patrol

Posted by cat2002116 on September 9, 2016
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karma-patrol

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I really liked the blurb of this book and I felt the idea was a really unique one. It was good to learn about the different divisions and something of the conflicts that existed within the different members working together.

I found Jade easy to relate to and I liked that she came across as a really strong character. I could empathise with her desire to have her soulmate and how she’d saved herself for him. I liked seeing her interact with the other characters, but I would have liked to see some more of her relationship with her father and sister. I only had the chance to see one conversation she had with each of those family members.

I did like Jade’s friendship with Shannon and it was interesting to get some glimpses into the historical nature of their divisions, though I would have liked to know some more details about how things had gone wrong with the soulmate bond.

I really liked Luke and his relationship with his partner, Aaron, though I would have liked a bit more background of some of the other officers in the station. It was interesting to see how the case he was involved in connected with what was going on with Jade’s world… but I did feel that the exception to confidentiality being soulmates was a little bit weak. I would have liked to see more conflicts involved in that.

It was nice to see that there were conflicts on Luke’s side and although I did think Jade was particularly naive when it came to having a soulmate, I liked that it was obvious things weren’t as simple as love at first sight… but I did think the book did risk crossing the line into instant!love several times.

I did feel that this book carried a lot of tension and it was really easy to read. I found it engaging and a unique idea. And although there were some areas I thought it could have been improved, I would be interested in reading the next book/s in this series at some point in the near future.