Vile Bodies
Evelyn Waugh and Richard Jacobs
Book
Evelyn Waugh's acidly funny and formally daring satire, Vile Bodies reveals the darkness and...
My Monster Secret: Vol. 4
10.0
Rate It
Book
My Monster Secret is a new, ongoing manga series that combines both supernatural and...
Scooby-Doo (2002)
6.9
Rate It
Movie Watch
Zoinks! This first-ever live-action adaptation of the beloved and long-running animated series...
Going on the Turn
Book
'Quite simply the funniest book you'll read all year ...easily as funny, as self-deprecating and as...
Climate Change as a Threat to Peace: Impacts on Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity
Sabine von Schorlemer and Sylvia Maus
Book
This volume takes a fresh look at climate change as a threat to peace and its impacts on cultural...
Disasters and Social Resilience: A Bioecological Approach
David King, Helen J. Boon and Alison Cottrell
Book
The interconnectedness of communities, organisations, governing bodies, policy and individuals in...
Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
7.0
Rate It
Book
A timeless, utterly charming Christmas fable, beautifully illustrated and destined to become a...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated As the Gods Will (2014) in Movies
Oct 28, 2021
Seventh Miike down and so far this is my favorite of his by a wide margin: gorgeous, fearlessly stupid, entertaining as can be, grisly, funny, and as giddy as a kid in a candy shop with its cruelty. Pretty much the shit movies were made for. Couldn't tell you how this holds up as an adaptation of the manga, but it's a top-to-bottom gnarly blast in its own right - just keeps topping and topping itself with its series of totally ludicrous rug-pulls until you have no choice but to strap in blindfolded and hold on for the ride. I still can't get over the combination of all these breathtaking sets with the garish, purposefully fugly CGI - it adds a deep idiosyncrasy to the project that works like a motherfucker in deepening its artsy camp. The entirety of the 'telling the truth' game is the best scene in any Miike movie I've seen up to this point. Ryunosuke Kamiki is a God's-honest talent. And at this point in Takashi's filmography it should go without saying that Koji Endo's score rips hard. Catch me demanding a sequel to this overlooked genre classic.
JT (287 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Arthur Fleck is a clown for hire. Scraping to make ends meet while looking after his ailing mother (Frances Conroy) he has ambitions of making it as a stand-up comedian. Sadly his narcissistic personality and uncontrollable fits of laughter (through no fault of his own) make him a target for society. Gotham City is an unforgiving place and for Arthur, it is a constant struggle of acceptance. Heโs belittled and beaten down at every turn and heโs not strong enough to fight back. The bruises on his skeletal frame are a testament to this. Heโs an awkward character not least because his quiet personality simmers beneath someone ready to explode โ and explode he does.
A comic book adaptation like no other itโs thought-provoking and difficult to watch
But Arthur is sick. That much is clear. Society no longer wants to help. As a result, his social worker explains that the city has cut all funding and the facility and access to his medication he relies on will stop โ โAll I have are negative thoughts,โ he says. When the brutality takes a serious turn he unwittingly becomes a figurehead for Gothamโs society. The clown is a symbol of defiance. Fighting against the rich, of all people Thomas Wayne, who is running for Mayor. Wayne becomes wrapped up in a storyline that brings Arthur together with a familiar young face.
The strong comparisons to Taxi Driver are unavoidable, but there is a definite Scorsese feel to the film. The casting of Robert De Niro as talk show host Murray Franklin is almost a direct nod to King of Comedy in which De Niro stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself. Here itโs Arthur who lovingly worships Murray. The build up to the clown prince of crime is worth the wait as the transformation builds up to a frenetic and gruesome final act.
One of the biggest takeaways from Joker is its focus on mental illness. Arthurโs battered notebook is not only a journal for his jokes but for his dark thoughts. This is a topic that will hit close to home for many people who might experience similar, with an outward animosity to society.
Le Havre (The Harbor)
Entertainment and Games
App
In this universal adaptation of the popular board game (winner of a 2009 International Gamers Award,...