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Jaws (1975)
Jaws (1975)
1975 | Thriller
Steven Spielberg’s first true blockbuster is one that has been copied but where those films tried and failed to replicate this formula, Jaws remains at the pinnacle of shark attack cinema. Filmed on a tiny budget, this iconic classic had people absolutely terrified of swimming in a pool, never mind out in the open ocean.

The special effects are crude by today’s standards but the cleverly positioned camera means the shark is rarely seen on screen for more than a couple of minutes and John William’s excellent score remains a cinema highlight for many. For films set at sea, Jaws just can’t be eaten.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/06/08/films-set-at-sea-top-5/
  
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers
Liane Moriarty | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
6
6.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Liane Moriarty’s Australian backdrop is ‘Tranquillum House’, a remote health retreat that promises total transformation. Each of the nine strangers has some reason for attempting to unload some mental baggage and relaxing away from the modern world. They relinquish their mobile phones and laptops, cutting themselves off from the outside. A different kind of therapy is administered by the austere manager and what unravels is an unusual twist on Moriarty’s narrative, yet it’s totally entertaining. There’s a level of chaos and farce, mixed with darker elements that make this a compelling read. Not at all like the famous, ‘Big, Little Lies’ but more ‘Truly, Madly, Guilty’ in its delivery. Available in hardback now, paperback in April 2019.
  
Melmoth: A Novel
Melmoth: A Novel
Sarah Perry | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, my first read of 2019 is completed and I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this novel. I've had Sarah Perry's @The Essex Serpent on my bookshelf since it came out here in the US, but have never picked it up.
This novel utilized the myth of Melmoth the Witness (and its various iterations/spellings) and the atmosphere of Prague. Perry utilized an epistolary format for some of it, which I felt was effective. My biggest problem with the novel is that it was all very predictable, and I think it was because the foreshadowing was a little too obvious. That was what knocked this book down to just good.
  
Amazing Grace (2019)
Amazing Grace (2019)
2019 | Documentary, Music
Those who prefer standard documentaries which feature talking heads and charter a subject’s life, will probably be frustrated or put off by this documentary. To call it a documentary is perhaps the wrong term. Amazing Grace goes beyond the usual constraints of the documentary format and as a result we are left with a more intimate portrait of the singer. As they say an image tells a thousand words. To sum up, Amazing Grace is more than just amazing. It’s a soulful, spiritual, spellbounding, and stunning journey. Do try to seek it out on the big screen and with a large audience. You will not regret your decision.

Full Review: https://jumpcutonline.co.uk/review-amazing-grace-2019/
  
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
2017 | Sci-Fi
I'm writing this in November 2019.

The setting for the original 1982 Blade Runner movie.

The future L.A. of that movie is nothing like the 'current' L.A.

Released over 30 years later to a film that, at the time, was considered a commercial flop (but later gained a cult following), this sequel is visually sumptuous but also rather, shall we say, slow.

This follows a new strain of Blade Runner/bioengineered replicant called Agent K (Ryan Gosling), who stumbles upon a clue to an old case while carrying out a mission: a clue that, eventually, leads him to Rick Deckard (a returning Harrison Ford) and that threatens to unravel the fabric of the society in which he lives.
  
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Imogen SB (4507 KP) created a post in Smashbomb Council

Dec 9, 2019  
SMASHBOMB AWARDS

WE NEED NOMINATIONS! Below I have a list of all the categories we need to come up with nominations for - Also this is for the DECADE, not just the previous year, so anything released between 2010 and 2019 counts! :) - Feel free to give as many ideas as you want for as many categories!

1. Best Biography/Non-Fiction Book
2. Best Children's Book
3. Best Young Adult Book
4. Best Graphic Novel
5. Best Food & Drink Book
6. Best Horror/Thriller Book
7. Best Romance Book

8. Best Action Movie
9. Best Animation/Family Movie
10. Best Comedy Movie
11. Best Drama Movie
12. Best Horror Movie
13. Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie
14. Best Romance Movie
  
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Darren (1599 KP) Dec 10, 2019

8. Best Action Movie - The Raid, John Wick Chapter 3
9. Best Animation/Family Movie - Your Name
10. Best Comedy Movie - 50/50, Booksmart
11. Best Drama Movie - Hidden Figures, Marriage Story, Parasite
12. Best Horror Movie - Train to Busan, US, The Wailing
13. Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie - Inception, Interstellar
14. Best Romance Movie - Love, Simon

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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) Dec 14, 2019

I've tried to include a few of my favourites for each...

Best action - Mad Max: Fury Road, Dredd, Infinity War
Animation - Inside Out, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Comedy - Four Lions, Tucker & Dale vs Evil
Drama - True Grit, The Hateful Eight, Black Swan
Best Horror - It Follows, The Witch, Hereditary, Cabin in the Woods
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy - Interstellar, Gravity, Edge of Tomorrow
Best Romance - the fault in our Stars, does Deadpool count!? 😂

Videodrome (1983)
Videodrome (1983)
1983 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Contains spoilers, click to show
This early slice of Cronenberg body horror is one hell of a weird film and serious hallucinogenic drugs must have certainly been consumed during it's production. One thing it's not though is boring , James Woods is a great bit of casting as Max Renn the sleazy TV producer getting mixed up in the world of the titular channel and experiencing the after effects of watching too much. It's an absorbing watch even if at times you feel as bewildered as Wood's character is. Cronenberg's nightmarish visuals , a strange hybrid of the body and television look how most 1980's special effects look in 2019 but are certainly memorable and stay with you long after the film has finished.‬