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Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life
Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life
Nina Stibbe | 2014 | Biography
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Taken from my review on Goodreads: I enjoy reading my memoirs every once in a while because you have no idea what voices real people will have written on paper. The first half of the memoir actually had endearing moments, especially when it came to how Nina bonded with the boys she was watching while their mother worked. I enjoyed the boys' antics because at least this proves that they are real people. The second half of the book was a lot more boring, especially when it comes to Nina mocking lots of classic literature. Maybe I just didn't like Nina as a character in the memoir. She just seemed way too judgmental of everything even though she did love the boys she was caring for in the 80's. As much as I really wanted to like this book, I started to get bored to the point that I almost dropped it. In fact, I barely remember what happened towards the end because I just skimmed through my Kindle like a zombie. If you guys can survive through it, wonderful. It's just not exactly for me.
  
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Darren Fisher (2465 KP) rated Harder They Come Soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff in Music

Dec 12, 2020 (Updated Jan 15, 2021)  
Harder They Come Soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff
Harder They Come Soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff
1972 | Rock
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Album Rating
Superb Soundtrack
Pretty much introducing reggae to the rest of the world outside of Jamaica, this is very much an album of my childhood. The cassette player in the parents car, blaring this out, normally on our lengthy car journeys to our holiday destination. It wasn't until the late 80's that I actually got around to seeing the film. Blown away I invested in my own copy of this superb soundtrack, and it's been a consistent 'go to' album ever since. Jimmy Cliff provides the bulk of the album. The main theme song, which you get two excellent versions of here, was the only track especially recorded for the film. The rest of the album comprises of some of the greatest reggae tunes ever recorded from 1967-72. Featuring Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, Scotty, The Slickers and The Melodians, we hear infectious rhythms, funky Kingston breaks, a whole lot of soul, all topped off with Jamaican patois. It really doesn't get much better than this. An absolute classic.

Album highlights:
The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff
Johnny Too Bad - The Slickers
Pressure Drop - The Maytals
  
    Montezuma's Revenge!

    Montezuma's Revenge!

    Games

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    https://www.facebook.com/MontezumasRevengeGame This is the official version of the 80's classic...

The Chill Factor (1973)
The Chill Factor (1973)
1973 | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
2
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Storyline (0 more)
Acting, Gore scenes (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
A group of friends are out Snowmobile racing when one has a critical accident. Out in the middle of nowhere in freezing conditions, 2 of the friends go to find help and stumble across a Cabin. The Cabin looks like it was once a Religious Camp but seems abandoned; it has an upside down cross of the mantle and is just very creepy in general. They ignore this and move their friend into the Cabin. Whilst looking around the Cabin they find a picture of some kids in the 1950's who attended when the place was a Camp. Below their picture there is a scroll that says "keep the beast in the field", which one of the friends alludes to the fact that "the beast" often references the Devil. They also discover a "Devil's Eye" board, similar to a Ouija Board and decide to use it. During this, one of the friends that went out for help is killed, one has a seizure and one woman is convinced they've let something evil in; further strengthened by the fact that one of friends finds an article about a Satanic Killer murdering people around that area. Soon enough the friends are getting picked off one by one by supernatural forces, yet the critically injured man is thriving. Could the Killer have returned to the Cabin? Or could this be the work of the Devil's Eye Board?

Chill Factor is one of those typically terrible 80's Horrors (made in 1989). It's slow burning and not in a good way, it feels more like a cheesy TV drama and the murders are substandard and really nothing at all that us Horror fans haven't seen a million times over. Also, it ends in a ridiculous Snowmobile race between Woman and evil... ludicrous.
  
Shat the movies
Shat the movies
Comedy, TV & Film
9
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Funny (2 more)
Detailed reviews
Presenters are engaging
A look back with a venagance
I have been listening to this podcast for several months to catch up with all the episodes the official blurb is:

"Shat the Movies ask, what are the best 80s & 90s movies? Do you find yourself asking if the movies we loved while growing up were really that good? Have you caught yourself thinking, “why don’t make movies like they use to?” Can you still remember spending your Friday Nights searching for the perfect movie rental at Blockbuster Video? Do you know what Blockbuster Video is? If you answered yes, then this is the podcast for you!

Your hosts, Dick Ebert, Kerri Gross, Gene Lyons, & Roger Roeper will take a look back in time & decide if our favorite films still hold up. Each week, the audience selects from four (6) movie choices that we will break out their race-car VHS tape re-winder and watch the movie that tallied the highest number of votes.

Occasionally, a special guest will join to help break down the craziness that was film-making in the 80’s & 90’s.

At the end of each podcast, The hosts will provide the audience with the number of wipes each movie would take to get off your respective bums. Find a comfortable spot on the sofa, and accompany us for a journey through our vast VHS movie collections."

I enjoy the debate between the hosts and they are different as people so this adds to the content. There are personal stories and some adult content that compliment their reviews. This is my go to podcast for reviewing retro film classics and I look forward to each episode.

Highly recommended!!!
  
Paper Girls: Volume 1
Paper Girls: Volume 1
8
8.4 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is really tricky to review as I don't want to give too much away, but I want people to read it because I found it good but also at the same time, I am not 100% sure what I just read.

I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, it was weird but in a good way. I haven't read a graphic novel for a while and this just appealed to me... especially as it's written by the same author as Saga.

It all starts with four 12-year-old girls in 1988 doing their paper rounds on the aftermath of Halloween, they get caught up in a war of the worlds, time traveling galactic war between monsters, demons, aliens and a godlike man. With everybody vanishing, the presence of pterodactyls and not knowing who to trust or which way to turn,will they survive?

There are a lot of things that I enjoyed about this graphic novel, first off I shall start with the artwork the palette mostly consists of purples,pinks and blues and the drawings fit in with the 80's theme. I loved that it was set in the 80's and that the girls were doing paper rounds on their bikes and had cassette tapes, I really just like anything set in this era. The characters are all very different and each have their own personalities, they are sassy, have attitude and funny at the same time.

There are some things that let this down for me, not many but I think are quite important. First off there was not much background stories to the girls or character development. There is also the fact that the things they encounter are not fully explained or where they actually come from. The plot also can be a bit jumpy in parts and can be slightly confusing. I am hoping that the second volume gives us more of an understanding as to where the characters are coming from, what they are fighting and more world/character building.

This is the is a bind up of issues 1-5 and I will definitely be reading the second volume as I have a feeling this is just going to get better and better. Even though this is a story of four 12 year olds girls there is strong language and violence so not suitable for children or the easily offended.

Overall I rated this 4 out of 5 stars

**I received a copy of this graphic novel from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review**
  
Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
2011 | Comedy
7
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
If you’re planning an 80’s party anytime soon, make sure to download the soundtrack to Take Me Home Tonight. The opening montage alone reminded me of everything I loved about the 80’s. It also gave us a glimpse of Matt Franklin’s high school years. Matt, played by Topher Grace, was the kid voted as “Smartest” in his class, one who existed on the outer fringes of high school popularity, who always had his eye on the most popular girl in school, Tori Fredreking, but could never muster up the courage or find that “in” to catch her attention.

Unsure of where his life is taking him, Matt decides to take a break from MIT during the summer of ’88 and ends up working at Suncoast Video. Of course, who should come strolling in to his store one day but Matt’s high school crush herself. Hoping to impress her, Matt ditches his Suncoast nametag, and tells Tori, played by Teresa Palmer (a deadringer for Kristen Stewart, if Kirsten were blond and more animated), that he works for Goldman-Sachs. Tori’s a banker herself, it turns out, and her curiousity is finally piqued and she encourages him to attend Kyle Masterson’s annual Labor Day party.

Matt relies on his twin sister Wendy, played by Anna Faris, and their best friend Barry, an intense Dan Fogler, to help him build on this “in” and finally get Tori’s phone number. But Matt isn’t the only one having to deal with the confusing transition into adulthood. Wendy has to decide if she wants to pursue her Masters or settle down with her boyfriend Kyle, while Barry just got fired from his car salesman job. The three of them decide to attend the end-of-summer party thrown by Wendy’s boyfriend Kyle, played by Parks & Rec’s Chris Pratt, all with the intent of “living in the now.” Apparently living in the now means commiting grand theft auto, experimenting with cocaine, perpetuating a lie and crashing a bankers’ party.

Despite the silly hijinks, Matt isn’t hard to root for, especially given Topher Grace’s signature sympathetic awkwardness. Fogler’s comic foil to Grace’s straight-man dances precariously along the line between funny and WTH? When the movie about Sam Kinnison’s life is ever made, Fogler should be given serious consideration.

There’s good chemistry between the cast and there’s just enough sweet romance to balance out the outrageous situations. Silly, predictable entertainment, made more fun by the nostalgic soundtrack, this movie is tamer than most of the R-rated comedies of recent note. Think any John Hughes movie meets Hot Tub Time Machine.