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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Jarhead (2005) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
šš°šÆš¦š©š¦š¢š„. At least 90% surface-level and even more largely reductive - of course it is - but it's also totally incompetent. A 2+ hour torture session slog through a barren wasteland visually (Deakins of course shoots the living hell out of it, so there's some damn fine imagery every now and again but Jesus Christ could we do more than two fucking [mawkish and over-obviously symbolized] colors for this whole thing?) but moreso narratively, where this has absolutely nothing to say. You'd think this intentionally dances right around any sort of gift-wrapped commentary about the Gulf War, toxic masculinity, the late 1980s, the American military for young men, or literally anything at all with how dead and non-thematic this awkward crawl is. It can't even be bothered in exploring its own characters lives, I kept forgetting who these people even were - the movie clearly didn't care about them so why should I? Also has the same problem most of these one-dimensional, pandering, tedious war flicks have where it rushes right through the supposed pivotal moment all of this arduous buildup was clearly meant for when they all return home and it's only like 5 minutes of soap opera-level crap and a cheesy 'mic drop' finisher. At its best when it gets weird and Sam Mendes-y, and I can't say it's without solid moments of haunt - plus Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard, and Foxx keep it marginally more tolerable - but even if it *could* handle its tone (spoiler alert, it can't) this still plays like it was made by complete idiots who only cared about this being would-be Oscar bait.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Biopics can be problematic in their attempt to retell history or use individual perspectives to inform their audience about events that many may already be familiar with. In American Made, Tom Cruise plays Barry Seal, a TWA pilot who is recruited by the CIA to fly reconnaissance missions in Central America. He soon finds himself at the center of drug trafficking, gun trafficking, and as a pawn of several different entities seeking to use his skills and expertise for their own purposes.
The film is ambitious in trying to tell serious historic events as a campy adventure in which Barry is care free despite the consequences of his actions. Nothing about the film seems right. It unfortunately, can make an audience feel uneasy cheering on a drug smuggler who is making inordinate amounts of money for some of the most dangerous individuals on the face of the earth.
A positive effect of the film is that it demonstrates to audiences the complexities of American Foreign policy, drug policy, and corruption that existed in the 1980s and that it shouldnāt be viewed with rose colored glasses. If anything, it may offer another perspective about the period that not too many people may be familiar with and create a desire in them to research more about the period and events.
American Made offers audiences a funny, introspective, personal account of one manās experience working for the government and drug cartels that allows for a break from some of the more serious and dark portrayals that have typically been featured. Audiences will enjoy reminiscing about the 80s and think back to how complicated the period actually was.
The film is ambitious in trying to tell serious historic events as a campy adventure in which Barry is care free despite the consequences of his actions. Nothing about the film seems right. It unfortunately, can make an audience feel uneasy cheering on a drug smuggler who is making inordinate amounts of money for some of the most dangerous individuals on the face of the earth.
A positive effect of the film is that it demonstrates to audiences the complexities of American Foreign policy, drug policy, and corruption that existed in the 1980s and that it shouldnāt be viewed with rose colored glasses. If anything, it may offer another perspective about the period that not too many people may be familiar with and create a desire in them to research more about the period and events.
American Made offers audiences a funny, introspective, personal account of one manās experience working for the government and drug cartels that allows for a break from some of the more serious and dark portrayals that have typically been featured. Audiences will enjoy reminiscing about the 80s and think back to how complicated the period actually was.
The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder
7.0
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Recommended by NPR, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine, New York Post, and...
Biography true crime
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Timeless: Recreate the Most Iconic Looks from 100 Years of Beauty in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The hardcover version of Timeless: A Century of Iconic Looks by Louise Young, Loulia Sheppard is a stunning and informative book for recreating the most striking make-up and hair styles of the 20th century with step-by-step guides. If you love fashion, different hairstyles and the make-up that goes with these different years, I can see you loving this.
Timeless is indeed a beauty of a book, with glossy photos and clear, concise āhow toā steps to recreate the styles and make-up from the early years, and the jazz-age flapper 1930s right up to the 1980s and beyond.
Iām a fan of the sixties, Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy models, and designer Mary Quant, who all influenced the UK and made London an icon fashion hub back in the day. So I really liked how there was quite a chunk dedicated to this (and other) hairstyle and make-up periods. I wish I was old enough to have lived in this era!
Itās also amazing to see just how long brands like Max Factor, Yardley, Ponds, Elizabeth Arden and Revlon have been going. And sad to read how much of the make-up was bought from much-loved shops like Woolworths, which I do remember! (The shop, not buying make-up in the 60s!)
The cultural revolution of the 1960s saw innovative make-up formulations produced, boundaries being pushed and the youthful Swinging London scene influencing looks all over the world. ?????????ā
Put together by renowned film, television and make-up artist Louise Young, along with leading film industry hairstylist Loulia Sheppard, this is an outstanding book full of tips, tricks and stunning photos. Whether youāre a fashion guru or just like this as a coffee table book, itās definitely a conversation starter.
Timeless is indeed a beauty of a book, with glossy photos and clear, concise āhow toā steps to recreate the styles and make-up from the early years, and the jazz-age flapper 1930s right up to the 1980s and beyond.
Iām a fan of the sixties, Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy models, and designer Mary Quant, who all influenced the UK and made London an icon fashion hub back in the day. So I really liked how there was quite a chunk dedicated to this (and other) hairstyle and make-up periods. I wish I was old enough to have lived in this era!
Itās also amazing to see just how long brands like Max Factor, Yardley, Ponds, Elizabeth Arden and Revlon have been going. And sad to read how much of the make-up was bought from much-loved shops like Woolworths, which I do remember! (The shop, not buying make-up in the 60s!)
The cultural revolution of the 1960s saw innovative make-up formulations produced, boundaries being pushed and the youthful Swinging London scene influencing looks all over the world. ?????????ā
Put together by renowned film, television and make-up artist Louise Young, along with leading film industry hairstylist Loulia Sheppard, this is an outstanding book full of tips, tricks and stunning photos. Whether youāre a fashion guru or just like this as a coffee table book, itās definitely a conversation starter.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Fame (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
I love musicals so whenever the big guys at the studios decide to remake a classic like āFameā(1982), I get, well, nervous. How could there be a remake of a film that is so well associated with the 1980s without mocking current audienceās film going standards? Would a new āFameā be possible without the time period that created it in the first place?
āFameā follows the year-by-year story of a group of kids who apply to and later attend the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The story follows their growth as performers and as people in the never forgiving streets of New York City. The film has the expected music, dancing, and moral tales about the harsh realities of people in search of that ever-elusive āFameā.
Littered in guest stars ranging from āFrasierāsā Kelsey Grammer to āWill and Graceāsā Megan Mullally, āFameā seemed less like the remake of a musical and more like a star studded Ellen show.
Still, there are some exceptional performances from less seasoned stars like Anna Maria Perez de Tagle who plays young aspiring actress Joy and Natuari Naughton as Denise a classical pianist who dreams of singing.
While the film is good, it lacks the heart of a truly engrossing musical. The acting is decent and the choreography is excellent but this modernized version of āFameā complete with Barenaked Ladies song jokes is no āChicagoā. Moreover, the new version of āFameā varies significantly from the classic, with hip-hop tracks and a rhythm heavy version of the classic theme song. For many the biggest downside to this musical is sure to be the less than engrossing musical numbers.
Like a darker āHigh School Musicalā for a slightly older audience, āFameā is a decent film worth a watch, but it will not have you singing a medley in your living room.
āFameā follows the year-by-year story of a group of kids who apply to and later attend the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The story follows their growth as performers and as people in the never forgiving streets of New York City. The film has the expected music, dancing, and moral tales about the harsh realities of people in search of that ever-elusive āFameā.
Littered in guest stars ranging from āFrasierāsā Kelsey Grammer to āWill and Graceāsā Megan Mullally, āFameā seemed less like the remake of a musical and more like a star studded Ellen show.
Still, there are some exceptional performances from less seasoned stars like Anna Maria Perez de Tagle who plays young aspiring actress Joy and Natuari Naughton as Denise a classical pianist who dreams of singing.
While the film is good, it lacks the heart of a truly engrossing musical. The acting is decent and the choreography is excellent but this modernized version of āFameā complete with Barenaked Ladies song jokes is no āChicagoā. Moreover, the new version of āFameā varies significantly from the classic, with hip-hop tracks and a rhythm heavy version of the classic theme song. For many the biggest downside to this musical is sure to be the less than engrossing musical numbers.
Like a darker āHigh School Musicalā for a slightly older audience, āFameā is a decent film worth a watch, but it will not have you singing a medley in your living room.
Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen
Noel Monk and Joe Layden
Book
The manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom goes behind the scenes to tell...
Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon
Book
In the first full biography of actor Sidney Poitier, Aram Goudsouzian analyzes the life and career...
Black German: An Afro-German Life in the Twentieth Century
Isabella Image and Eve Rosenhaft
Book
This is the first English translation of an important document in the history of the black presence...
Boy: One Child's Fight to Survive in the Brutal British Care System
Book
"My parents had to try for eighteen months to conceive me, but my father was adamant he wanted one...
Kris Kristofferson: Country Highwayman
Book
Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson has maintained a career in music and film for more than forty...