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Thrash Anthems II by Destruction
Album Watch
German thrash legends DESTRUCTION return with, Thrash Anthems II, the follow-up to 2007's Thrash...
Metal
Like a Love Story
10.0
Rate It
Book
Stonewall Honor Book! "A love letter to queerness, self-expression, and individuality (also...
Quad City Killers
8.0
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Tabletop Game
Quad City Killers: Murderous Fun for the Whole Family! QCK is created in the style of an 80s...
Teaching You The Fear by Really Red
Album
All the hits in one place, plus a booklet featuring extensive liner notes, photos and lyrics....
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) in Movies
Jan 8, 2022
Hellraiser III is undoubtedly an odd beast. It feels so out of touch with the genuinely fantastic first two films, to the point where it should be a massive shot in the foot, but somehow, it's ludicrously entertaining.
The big and obvious potential for error is the series' infamous antagonist/anti-hero Pinhead. I say anti-hero because the first two films don't portray him as a flat out villain. He's rather, an indifferent creature, who acts with some sort of honour. Hell on Earth just goes full blown bad guy, aligning him more accurately with slasher villains of the 80s. It's proves to be a hinderence in execution, replacing the mysterious and sparingly shown Pinhead of before with one that throws out an evil cackle whilst slaughtering his victims, and even provides a couple of quips. He gets some cool lines here and there but it leans too heavily into occasionally goofy over-exposure.
The other cenobites that surround him are kind of lame this time around as well, even if there's a weird enjoyment in watching one of them slice up innocent bystanders by throwing CDs at their faces.
The story kind of makes sense, and it's commitment to staying connected to the previous films is commendable, but it does completely fall off the rails near the end. It doesn't help that the editing is so jarring between scenes.
In spite of these issues, the overall experience is a lot of fun. It lacks the subtlety and borderline arthouse style that really set the first two apart, but it still kind of works. It's not ideal, but intriguing, kind of like an oddball cousin that might visit now and again.
The big and obvious potential for error is the series' infamous antagonist/anti-hero Pinhead. I say anti-hero because the first two films don't portray him as a flat out villain. He's rather, an indifferent creature, who acts with some sort of honour. Hell on Earth just goes full blown bad guy, aligning him more accurately with slasher villains of the 80s. It's proves to be a hinderence in execution, replacing the mysterious and sparingly shown Pinhead of before with one that throws out an evil cackle whilst slaughtering his victims, and even provides a couple of quips. He gets some cool lines here and there but it leans too heavily into occasionally goofy over-exposure.
The other cenobites that surround him are kind of lame this time around as well, even if there's a weird enjoyment in watching one of them slice up innocent bystanders by throwing CDs at their faces.
The story kind of makes sense, and it's commitment to staying connected to the previous films is commendable, but it does completely fall off the rails near the end. It doesn't help that the editing is so jarring between scenes.
In spite of these issues, the overall experience is a lot of fun. It lacks the subtlety and borderline arthouse style that really set the first two apart, but it still kind of works. It's not ideal, but intriguing, kind of like an oddball cousin that might visit now and again.
Zoosk (5 KP) rated Stone Roses by The Stone Roses in Music
Dec 5, 2024
A Timeless Masterpiece
Every so often, an album comes along that feels like it was born out of pure magic, and The Stone Roses is one of those rare gems. From the opening notes of “I Wanna Be Adored” to the euphoric closer “I Am the Resurrection,” this debut album is a flawless journey through shimmering guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and an aura of defiance and mysticism.
What sets this album apart is its ability to transcend genres. It’s a perfect blend of jangly indie rock, psychedelic flourishes, and danceable grooves, creating a sound that feels fresh even decades later. John Squire’s guitar work is nothing short of genius—each riff and solo feels meticulously crafted yet completely effortless. Ian Brown’s vocal delivery, while unconventional, perfectly captures the swagger and yearning that permeates every track.
Tracks like “She Bangs the Drums” and “Made of Stone” are anthems of pure joy, brimming with melodies that seem to be pulled straight from the heavens. “Waterfall” is a blissful, sun-drenched escape, while “I Am the Resurrection” is a sprawling epic that perfectly captures the band’s rebellious energy. Every song feels essential; there’s no filler here.
Listening to this album feels like stepping into another world, one where everything is drenched in sunlight and possibility. It’s no wonder it became the defining soundtrack of the late ‘80s Madchester scene, but its influence stretches far beyond that. Bands like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys owe much of their sound and success to this record.
For me, The Stone Roses isn’t just an album—it’s an experience. It’s bold, timeless, and utterly captivating. I can’t think of a single way it could be improved, and for that reason, it’s a perfect 10/10.
What sets this album apart is its ability to transcend genres. It’s a perfect blend of jangly indie rock, psychedelic flourishes, and danceable grooves, creating a sound that feels fresh even decades later. John Squire’s guitar work is nothing short of genius—each riff and solo feels meticulously crafted yet completely effortless. Ian Brown’s vocal delivery, while unconventional, perfectly captures the swagger and yearning that permeates every track.
Tracks like “She Bangs the Drums” and “Made of Stone” are anthems of pure joy, brimming with melodies that seem to be pulled straight from the heavens. “Waterfall” is a blissful, sun-drenched escape, while “I Am the Resurrection” is a sprawling epic that perfectly captures the band’s rebellious energy. Every song feels essential; there’s no filler here.
Listening to this album feels like stepping into another world, one where everything is drenched in sunlight and possibility. It’s no wonder it became the defining soundtrack of the late ‘80s Madchester scene, but its influence stretches far beyond that. Bands like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys owe much of their sound and success to this record.
For me, The Stone Roses isn’t just an album—it’s an experience. It’s bold, timeless, and utterly captivating. I can’t think of a single way it could be improved, and for that reason, it’s a perfect 10/10.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn in Books
May 14, 2024
97 of 220
Book
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.
I went into this book hoping that the hype was worth it. It certainly was you completely forget that this is a fictional character and start thinking she’s real. The tragic underlying lying story is not being able to love who you want to until it’s just to late. This was genuinely heartbreaking In places and really well written. I didn’t think it was as mind blowing as some say but it was definitely a very very interesting read. Also how self destructive some people can be especially when they want that fame in life.
Book
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.
I went into this book hoping that the hype was worth it. It certainly was you completely forget that this is a fictional character and start thinking she’s real. The tragic underlying lying story is not being able to love who you want to until it’s just to late. This was genuinely heartbreaking In places and really well written. I didn’t think it was as mind blowing as some say but it was definitely a very very interesting read. Also how self destructive some people can be especially when they want that fame in life.
Fighting Fantasy: The Forest of Doom
Games and Book
App
Nostalgia overload! Fighting Fantasy returns with Ian Livingstone's classic, The Forest of Doom. ...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated VFW (2019) in Movies
Jun 8, 2020
VFW had been an off the cuff pick for ones to watch, at the last minute it appeared in some listings and I was intrigued by the cast and the vibe I was getting from the poster.
When a young girl's plan for revenge goes awry she leads a drug fueled army to the doorstep of the local veterans club. The group must defend their home away from home and try to survive until the morning.
The opening scene paints a picture of a slightly dystopian present/future where drugs run rife and cities are shells of their former selves. There are addicts and revellers all in different states and they're either in lively party spirits or high and out of it. Right from the off I found the set up confusing because you're watching something that is difficult to assess, the darkness makes it almost impossible to gauge the surrounding and you're thrown for a loop when they cut to the bright afternoon scene that is pinpointed by captions to just three hours later.
VFW definitely has a heavy 80s vibe to it. The titles, the background hum of music and the style of the filming. The colours are great but it is incredibly difficult to see anything unless you're watching it in anything but darkness. On my first watch I found myself squinting and peering at the screen trying to decipher what was going on.
There's no logical consistency to things that happen even if you take into consideration that half the characters are supposed to be drugged up to the eyeballs. The event that starts off the whole caper gives you a fairly clear idea of how the addicts react to things, if that is translated to the rest of the hoard then there's no way this film is making it past 30 minutes. It would have been done and dusted.
Dialogue throughout isn't very inspiring, there's are some truly dubious moments and the rest is easily forgotten. The scenes themselves aren't believable, the main cast get lots of opportunities to have moments together inside the VFW club despite having moments before been under the threat of a siege. There was one point where I genuinely wondered if the baddies approached and went "No. It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking."
What it's missing in those areas it makes up for in random violence. (Make sure to watch out for the plastic machete.) There's a vaguely amusing tooling up sequence and I kind of hope they got the cast drunk and let them improvise weapons all on their own for it. This is another thing that smacks of the 80s, a lot of that violence feels like it's been lifted out of retro horror movies and adapted to this film.
I haven't spoken about the cast, and it's something that left me a little frustrated. The names and faces on the list are epic, they're solid actors with a lot of good credits under their belts... but even though they get a couple of good points in the film it's not really what I'd want for them.
VFW has a lot of elements that could work but with the slightly b-moviesque action scenes and clear omissions for the sake of having a "moment" I think it misses the opportunity to be something more serious. It's not right for b-movie/spoof status and because it doesn't take itself seriously enough it's left in a no man's land and I just couldn't figure out what it was trying to do, especially as even they didn't seem to know if they were attempting to make zombie or an action film.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/vfw-movie-review.html
When a young girl's plan for revenge goes awry she leads a drug fueled army to the doorstep of the local veterans club. The group must defend their home away from home and try to survive until the morning.
The opening scene paints a picture of a slightly dystopian present/future where drugs run rife and cities are shells of their former selves. There are addicts and revellers all in different states and they're either in lively party spirits or high and out of it. Right from the off I found the set up confusing because you're watching something that is difficult to assess, the darkness makes it almost impossible to gauge the surrounding and you're thrown for a loop when they cut to the bright afternoon scene that is pinpointed by captions to just three hours later.
VFW definitely has a heavy 80s vibe to it. The titles, the background hum of music and the style of the filming. The colours are great but it is incredibly difficult to see anything unless you're watching it in anything but darkness. On my first watch I found myself squinting and peering at the screen trying to decipher what was going on.
There's no logical consistency to things that happen even if you take into consideration that half the characters are supposed to be drugged up to the eyeballs. The event that starts off the whole caper gives you a fairly clear idea of how the addicts react to things, if that is translated to the rest of the hoard then there's no way this film is making it past 30 minutes. It would have been done and dusted.
Dialogue throughout isn't very inspiring, there's are some truly dubious moments and the rest is easily forgotten. The scenes themselves aren't believable, the main cast get lots of opportunities to have moments together inside the VFW club despite having moments before been under the threat of a siege. There was one point where I genuinely wondered if the baddies approached and went "No. It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking."
What it's missing in those areas it makes up for in random violence. (Make sure to watch out for the plastic machete.) There's a vaguely amusing tooling up sequence and I kind of hope they got the cast drunk and let them improvise weapons all on their own for it. This is another thing that smacks of the 80s, a lot of that violence feels like it's been lifted out of retro horror movies and adapted to this film.
I haven't spoken about the cast, and it's something that left me a little frustrated. The names and faces on the list are epic, they're solid actors with a lot of good credits under their belts... but even though they get a couple of good points in the film it's not really what I'd want for them.
VFW has a lot of elements that could work but with the slightly b-moviesque action scenes and clear omissions for the sake of having a "moment" I think it misses the opportunity to be something more serious. It's not right for b-movie/spoof status and because it doesn't take itself seriously enough it's left in a no man's land and I just couldn't figure out what it was trying to do, especially as even they didn't seem to know if they were attempting to make zombie or an action film.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/vfw-movie-review.html