Reviews News: Hostages

Following its recent screening on BBC 4 here in the UK this Israeli drama arrives on DVD on Monday 16th March 2015.

Described as far superior to the US version this has also been compared to the thrills provided by Homeland.

Noble PR have kindly provided a copy and as I haven't seen the Hollywood take on this I have no idea what to expect.

Check back soon for a full review.    

Hello everyone. Has it really been 3 months since my last post here? Where does the time go these days? Lately I have been posting very brief review tweets on Twitter @ricsreviews so you can keep up to date there but hopefully I'll get back to regular updates here as soon as possible.

I plan to do an end of year post (however light in content) next week so please check back soon.

Have a fantastic Christmas.

Cheers!
Ricky

Reviews News: IndieFlix

The good folks at IndieFlix have been in touch and kindly allowed me access to their cool website for the next three months.

Here is a bit about them:

For far too long, filmmakers have been forced to either sell out or starve. Thousands of brilliant, creative minds submit their works to festivals, hoping to find meaningful distribution yet fewer than 1% actually do. We’re here to level the playing field. Founded by filmmakers, IndieFlix is part champion, part curator; our mission is to democratize distribution and provide significant revenue for filmmakers.

IndieFlix is a community of independent filmmakers and fans. Through its membership-based streaming service, IndieFlix helps filmmakers translate artistic vision into commercial success, and gives film lovers access to high quality independent films not otherwise available. IndieFlix’s mission is to champion filmmakers, rethink traditional approaches to distribution, and celebrate the artistry and impact of independent film.

Please visit IndieFlix at www.indieflix.com

This means I'll be posting reviews of some cool independent films so please check back soon and follow me on Twitter @Ricsreviews for updates. There may even be some free subscriptions on offer!

Reviews News: Murder In Silence by Gary Kassay

Murder In Silence, the fantastic debut novel by Gary Kassay arrives in USA bookshops on Thursday 5^th July 2012 courtesy of Sapphire Star Publishing.

I was lucky enough to read an early copy and you can find my review by clicking the Gary Kassay tab at the foot of this post.

Here is a brief description:


Two police officers have been brutally killed by having their throats ripped out, but the wound appears to have been done with surgical precision. With no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and two bizarre clues to follow, the case falls to Inspector Duke Becker, head of the high profile Special Investigations Unit, Homicide.


Becker and his squad must find the killer before more cops are murdered. The case will lead Becker on a wild chase through the streets of New York City, back over 15 years into the past and to a cover-up that will rock City Hall.

In a first for Ric’s Reviews a quote from my review will appear in the book!

For more information you can check out the author’s website www.garykassay.com and his blog which you will find in the “visit these places” section on this page. You can also find him on Twitter.

Reviews News: New Rating System

I've decided to give the rating system a revamp.

Instead of the % ratings there will be six categories, these are:

ESSENTIAL - A book or movie that must be experienced.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Very good but lacking that special something to make it essential.

GOOD - Something that's pretty decent but has faults.

DODGY - A story that isn't up to scratch but may appeal to some people.

POOR - Nothing much to recommend for anything that falls into this category.

ABANDONED - This is for anything so bad that I can't endure the entire thing.

I don't intend to change any previous ratings but might if I have the time or the inclination so in general this system will start with the next review.

Hopefully this makes the ratings a bit clearer, let me know what you think.

Reviews News !

You will have noticed that my latest review for the film Ghosted was an advance review so I thought I'd better do a quick post by way of an explanation.

Here at Ric's Reviews it's not all sitting back watching the latest movies or enjoying the latest books (well I suppose it is, mostly).

I have been busy ensuring that I can bring you cool reviews on the latest movies, books and dvds.

So a big thanks goes to the following people who have agreed to supply review copies of dvds and books.

Ben and the team at Transworld Publishers.

Debbie at Aim Publicity.


Jacob at Permuted Press.


Paul at Wild Wolf Publishing.

and Chris at Metrodome.I have added a new links list to the blog which you can use to visit all their websites.

Another new feature is the Upcoming Reviews list, although it won't be in order it will give you an idea of what's around the corner and will prevent the need for as many preview posts, although I may still do that on occassion.

So there you have it, I hope you guys continue to enjoy the blog and remember to comment on the reviews.

Have a great weekend !

Ricky.