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Nitin Sawhney recommended Bird (1988) in Movies (curated)

 
Bird (1988)
Bird (1988)
1988 | Drama

"A beautiful film about Charlie Parker, played brilliantly by Forest Whitaker, and directed by an actor who’s obviously a big jazz fan. Bird really shows you how ludicrously gifted Parker was, how his mind worked on a completely different level, but also how much he got lost in self-loathing, and how addiction made everything fall apart. Parker was 34 when he died, but the coroner thought he was 60, looking at his body. By getting into the New York club scene and looking at aspects of racism, this film also shows just how much Parker achieved, given everything he was fighting against."

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The Dead Don't Die (2019)
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror
Adam Driver (1 more)
Bill Murray
The Plot (1 more)
The Ending
Good Cast..Stupid Movie
What the hell did i just watch!!.A bizarre and ridiculous movie that made no sense and moved at the equivalent snails pace as the zombies in the film itself.

No laughs,the underlying message of how we have an addiction to material things and a waste of some great actors are the main things you take away from watching this film.Oh and as for the ridiculous conversation between Murrays and Drivers characters at the end when they start discussing the script for the film is just silly beyond words.
  
Long Bright River
Long Bright River
Liz Moore | 2020 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was the first book I ever checked out from Libby. I miss my library right now, but I'm glad for that app, even if I can only put six books on hold at one time. (What is that?! Six holds; that's for amateurs.)

Kensington, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, is plagued by drug use, especially heroin. It's where sisters Kacey and Mickey grew up. The girls lost their mother at a young age and were raised by their grandmother, Gee, who provided shelter and not much else. Now, Mickey is determined to raise her son Thomas differently. With love and kindness and a feeling of safety. Mickey is a police officer, so she's more than familiar with the streets of Kensington. At the same time, Kensington is struck with a series of murders, Kacey disappears. Mickey and Kacey haven't had much contact in years, since her sister became stuck in the tangle of addiction, but she's still worried. Even more so since those being murdered are young women, no doubt drug and sex workers. Found strangled on the streets. As Mickey starts looking into the murders, she gets caught up in a twisted web of lies and deceit--some of it related to her missing sister--and soon it may be too late to save either Mickey or Kacey.

The first time I found my sister dead, she was sixteen. It was the summer of 2002. Forty-eight hours earlier, on a Friday afternoon, she’d left school with her friends, telling me she’d be back by evening. She wasn’t.

This isn't a fun book to read, so if you're looking for a feel-good read right now, this isn't it. But it's a well-written, extremely powerful look at addiction. While it focuses on the story of the murdered girls, it's also an in-depth character study, taking us into Mickey's history with her sister and how their past has formed their present. Told in a then and now format, we learn about the sisters, and we get a harrowing and detailed look at the effect of addiction, not just on Kacey, but on an entire town. It's depressing, it's real, and it's wonderfully done.

Kacey told me that time spent in addiction feels looped. Each morning brings with it the possibility of change, each evening the shame of failure.

This is not really a fast-moving book, but it does have twists and turns, many of them surprising. There's plenty to keep you guessing, as we try to figure out what is happening to the women on the streets in Kensington. In turn, we have to figure out Kacey and Mickey's past and how it's brought us to where we are today. Characters are sparse, but incredibly well-created, with my favorite, beyond the sisters, being Mickey's landlord, Mrs. Mahon, a formidable woman in her own right. And Mickey's sweet, wise young son Thomas.

While Kacey is clearly the damaged one on paper, as an addict, often living on the streets, we see Mickey isn't always much better. She's had a tough time, and it's hard for her to trust anyone. Both she and Kacey are astounding characters, who stand out in this powerful novel about addiction, police abuse, and the love of a mother. This isn't always an easy read, but I'm glad I picked it up. It will stick with me for some time.
  
For Their Child's Sake
For Their Child's Sake
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sam and Tara have fought the good fight to keep their marriage together. Over a year ago Tara had enough and told Sam he couldn’t come home anymore. His addiction had destroyed their family and she had to protect their child. Sam walked away and into rehab and now wants his family back.

Tara never stopped loving Sam but that doesn’t mean she is ready to just give in and let him back home again. When a playground accident forces them back together again, as a family, will she be able to hold strong to her convictions?

Sam has been waiting for an opportunity to prove to Tara that he is a changed man. Moving back into the house with his 2 favorite girls is just that moment. He will do whatever it takes to prove he is now able to take care of his family the way he should have been all along.

Sam, Tara and Marley navigate their new normal, while trying to put all the pieces of their family back together again. Return to Stonerock in this powerful story that addresses current day situations like addiction and amnesia. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy, all opinions expressed are my own. Return to Stonerock with this family working on their second chance.
  
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alex (68 KP) rated Release in Books

Jul 16, 2017  
Release
Release
Patrick Ness | 2017 | Children
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great plot (2 more)
split narrative to give it some spice
LGBQTIA+ representation
Very simple concept (for the main narrative) BUT well executed (0 more)
Love, heartbreak and a meth addiction.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Similar to his earlier book 'The Rest of Us Just Live Here', Patrick Ness switches betweens a main narrative and a parallel narrative within the same world, with an unexpected cross between the two at the end. I brought this book and finished it the day after, an easy read but one full of very real characters battling with homophobia and the inevitability of growing up and change. With this book I only hope more diverse LGBTQIA+ representation occurs throughout literature.
  
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Heathski (173 KP) rated Unwrapped Sky in Books

Feb 9, 2019 (Updated Feb 9, 2019)  
Unwrapped Sky
Unwrapped Sky
Rjurik Davidson | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Beautifully descriptive (2 more)
Vivid characters
A fantasy world with a mix of its own mythology and steampunk science.
Beautifully written. Poignant, flawed but full of hope and wonder.
I really enjoyed this book. Its different but beautifully written. The characters are flawed but they all have a part to play that makes you want to keep reading. The author created an interesting world of mythology, ancient wondrous, unreachable lost cities. Magic and science co exist in a steampunk like culture, but also highlights the social and personal struggles of the people who live in it. Apathy, addiction, corruption, revolution and hope. Some people say it's slow, just keep reading, its worth it.
  
Addicted to You (Addicted, #1)
Addicted to You (Addicted, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

I liked this but it’s really hard to put my feelings into words.

The insight into what it’s like for a sex addict was eye-opening, the way it’s almost a physical pain for her to ignore the urge to sleep with someone. You really sympathise with Lily on this, it’s not like she enjoys it, especially when her and Loren decide to try a proper relationship together.

Loren–Lo–Hale is an alcoholic, has been for many years and Lily has been his crutch, hiding his addiction from everyone, like he does with her. His feelings for Lily are fairly obvious from early on and in a way I felt sorry for him, knowing that she spent the night with one or more guys almost every night…

The thing is they both really care about each other and sometimes choose to ignore the other’s addiction rather than confront it when it causes problems.

Dealing with their affluent families also takes it toll on them all. Lo and his alcoholic father who ignores him half the time unless he’s done something wrong and Lily and her meddlesome parents and sisters. It’s a good job they have some well-meaning friends by the end.

It’s nicely written and instead of judging the characters you tend to sympathise with them instead.
  
Reefer Madness (2005)
Reefer Madness (2005)
2005 | Comedy, Drama, Musical
9
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
This is one of my all time favorite movies. As a musical adapted to the big screen, it retains the rhythmic and incredibly precise movements you might expect from a well rehearsed play. Alan Cummings is brilliant, as are Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, and Ana Gasteyer. The songs are catchy, campy fun, brilliantly skewering the original Reefer Madness for a new generation. As the film descends into reefer madness and the character's dangerous weed addiction provoke more and more unlikely responses, the film's reality begins to unravel into murder, chaos, and marijuana zombies.

Watch this if you like comedic musicals, cannabis induced cannibalism, or you just want to see Kristen Bell in latex S&M gear.
  
Hawai'i! Enviromentalism! Pseudo-adultery! And somehow this is one of the most boring entries in the FD series. Basically, Lauren's parent shove a bunch of money at her (as they do), and she decides that with the stress of her friends

1. losing a parent
2. overcoming drug addiction
3. dealing with an obnoxious room mate
4. getting married

I think I might have gone with therapy. Anyway, it's a nice gesture on Lauren's part and the girls join up with an enviromental group for students and shenanigans occur.

This includes Winnie and Faith almost getting blown up by dynamite, and still! The book was boring!

I think it need an evil doppelganger. Yeah, that's it!
  
Heaven Knows What (2015)
Heaven Knows What (2015)
2015 | Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Heaven Knows What is such a disturbing story about unrequited love, heroin addiction, and suicidal tendencies that somehow evades being only completely weighed down by desperation. Even though the death-like weight of the all-out junkie life is detailed and harrowing, it’s also a really interestingly made film in the way it’s shot – it’s bleak, yet somehow a fascinating and important addition for me to recent American filmmaking. And the central character played by Arielle Holmes who also wrote the script and lived the life, and she plays a very riveting and detailed character. Coupled with a great performance from Caleb Landry Jones, who also, appears in our film, among several other actors. Did you see that one?"

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