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Consumer Sexualities: Women and Sex Shopping
Book
Consumer Sexualities explores women's experiences of shopping in 'sex shops' and using sexual...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Snowman (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
When Harry Hole, an elite crime squad’s lead detective, investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer nicknamed "The Snowman" may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit, the detective must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.
Another adaptation of a popular book. this one by Jo Nesbø in the Harry Hole series. As is becoming tradition (as I can only read so many books in a year) I haven't read it, but I was aware of it being very popular when it came out. So it wasn't really surprising that this one was made.
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it.
Another adaptation of a popular book. this one by Jo Nesbø in the Harry Hole series. As is becoming tradition (as I can only read so many books in a year) I haven't read it, but I was aware of it being very popular when it came out. So it wasn't really surprising that this one was made.
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it.
Agricola All Creatures 2p
Games
App
Agricola: All Creatures Big & Small is a digital adaptation of Uwe Rosenberg's award-winning...
Genetic Enhancement of Rabi Sorghum: Adapting the Indian Durras
Book
Genetic Enhancement of Rabi Sorghum - Adapting the Indian Durras presents both the historical...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Interview with the Vampire (1994) in Movies
Aug 8, 2020
Lavish adaptation of the best-selling novel resembles a cross between an existential bitch-fest and a hair care products commercial. Have you wondered what the ageless and immortal vampire does with all those endless nights? Well, he sits around and broods about it, if he's Brad Pitt, or shamelessly camps it up in search of an Oscar nomination if he's Tom Cruise. The film documents two centuries in the life of the undead: most of it is people sitting around in extravagantly-decorated rooms complaining about either their lives or each other.
Just a bit too artfully amoral and self-indulgent for my tastes; the gay subtext is undeniably present but you can tell Pitt and Cruise are doing their best to stamp it into the carpet (I mentioned this in a review of the novel once and someone said 'This book isn't about gay people! It's about vampires!', which I thought was rather sweet). Looks good and has some decent performances, but makes being a vampire look very boring. On the other hand, very clearly the chief inspiration for What We Do In the Shadows (both movie and TV show), although not nearly as entertaining.
Just a bit too artfully amoral and self-indulgent for my tastes; the gay subtext is undeniably present but you can tell Pitt and Cruise are doing their best to stamp it into the carpet (I mentioned this in a review of the novel once and someone said 'This book isn't about gay people! It's about vampires!', which I thought was rather sweet). Looks good and has some decent performances, but makes being a vampire look very boring. On the other hand, very clearly the chief inspiration for What We Do In the Shadows (both movie and TV show), although not nearly as entertaining.
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters
Book
We are telling the story to the next generation with this, the graphic adaptation of James W....
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Last of us in TV
Mar 14, 2023
Stellar adaptation of a very good game
Some adaptations stick too closely to their source material for their own good.
Some are barely recognisable.
This is neither. Based in the video game of the same name by Naughty Dog (as an aside, I actually always preferred their Uncharted games over TLOU), this sticks incredibly closely to the source game, although there are some noticeable differences (particularly in the third episode, which Joel and Elly are barely in).
For this unfamiliar with the game, it is set in the USA after an apocalyptic event that sees those bit turn into zombie-like creatures (note: they're not technically zombies), with Joel (here, played by The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal) hired to accompany Elly on a dangerous cross-country trek, as she is immune to the disease.
Initially distant, along the way he grows closer and closer to Elly, leading to a finale where you're not sure he has done the right thing or not ..
Superbly cast and directed, this is definitely one of the better adaptations I have ever seen. Of course, it helps that the original is also held up as one of the best narrative games ever created ...
Some are barely recognisable.
This is neither. Based in the video game of the same name by Naughty Dog (as an aside, I actually always preferred their Uncharted games over TLOU), this sticks incredibly closely to the source game, although there are some noticeable differences (particularly in the third episode, which Joel and Elly are barely in).
For this unfamiliar with the game, it is set in the USA after an apocalyptic event that sees those bit turn into zombie-like creatures (note: they're not technically zombies), with Joel (here, played by The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal) hired to accompany Elly on a dangerous cross-country trek, as she is immune to the disease.
Initially distant, along the way he grows closer and closer to Elly, leading to a finale where you're not sure he has done the right thing or not ..
Superbly cast and directed, this is definitely one of the better adaptations I have ever seen. Of course, it helps that the original is also held up as one of the best narrative games ever created ...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Gone Girl (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Let me start by saying that the novel Gone Girl is a fantastic piece of literature. Author Gillian Flynn writes a wickedly deceptive story through the use of characterization and voice that is not only a rousing read, but also a gripping one that allows the reader to understand just exactly who the players are in this thrilling story.
With this in mind, I was concerned that there was no way this film could capture the dark side of the characters and the story being told. I am glad to say that I was wrong. While the typical statement of “the book is better” does apply here, director David Fincher crafts a film that audiences will be able to understand and fill in the blanks of the devious motivations of the characters based on what is seen on screen. This is a refreshing theater experience as I feel that most novel adaptations often lead to lazy filmmaking that assumes the audience is familiar with the source material. Perhaps Fincher is helped by the fact that Gillian Flynn herself wrote the screen adaptation of her novel, keeping the most important elements in play.
Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, an introspective “nice” guy who finds himself the primary suspect in the missing persons/murder investigation of his wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike. The two shine in their performances. They each took their characters from the pages of the book, breathed life into them and embodied Nick and Amy on screen. Combine them with a strong supporting cast of Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, who gave performances that were neither lost nor forgettable. This is important as each are needed to provide contrast to the main characters and propel the story forward.
Though this film is not perfect, if there is any one gripe I have about this movie, it’s that a simple line of missed dialogue may cause the theater patron to miss something important to the story, such as the significance of the woodshed. However this is a small gripe as I feel that the pacing of the film and the constant advancement of the story will keep most patrons’ attention and keep them interested in the destiny of the characters.
If you are a reader, I would recommend reading the book first to get into the minds of the characters and truly feel the thrill of this story. However, if you haven’t the time or just don’t like to read, you won’t be disappointed with this strong film adaptation.
With this in mind, I was concerned that there was no way this film could capture the dark side of the characters and the story being told. I am glad to say that I was wrong. While the typical statement of “the book is better” does apply here, director David Fincher crafts a film that audiences will be able to understand and fill in the blanks of the devious motivations of the characters based on what is seen on screen. This is a refreshing theater experience as I feel that most novel adaptations often lead to lazy filmmaking that assumes the audience is familiar with the source material. Perhaps Fincher is helped by the fact that Gillian Flynn herself wrote the screen adaptation of her novel, keeping the most important elements in play.
Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, an introspective “nice” guy who finds himself the primary suspect in the missing persons/murder investigation of his wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike. The two shine in their performances. They each took their characters from the pages of the book, breathed life into them and embodied Nick and Amy on screen. Combine them with a strong supporting cast of Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, who gave performances that were neither lost nor forgettable. This is important as each are needed to provide contrast to the main characters and propel the story forward.
Though this film is not perfect, if there is any one gripe I have about this movie, it’s that a simple line of missed dialogue may cause the theater patron to miss something important to the story, such as the significance of the woodshed. However this is a small gripe as I feel that the pacing of the film and the constant advancement of the story will keep most patrons’ attention and keep them interested in the destiny of the characters.
If you are a reader, I would recommend reading the book first to get into the minds of the characters and truly feel the thrill of this story. However, if you haven’t the time or just don’t like to read, you won’t be disappointed with this strong film adaptation.
Istanbul: Digital Edition
Games
8.0
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The official digital adaptation of one of the best board games in history – Istanbul. Istanbul...
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