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Alex Ross Perry recommended Robocop (1987) in Movies (curated)

 
Robocop  (1987)
Robocop (1987)
1987 | Action, Sci-Fi

"A perfect example of how something they won’t teach you is a masterpiece in school can in fact be a masterpiece. Because this was a Criterion Collection DVD, there was no argument over whether it was essential and must be taken seriously. Also the first time I understood the importance of getting something “out of print.”"

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am a hardcore Shakespeare fan. One of my bosses at work knows this and let me borrow her copy of this book thinking that it would interest me. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat.

I do not agree with the main argument of this biography: that William Shakespeare was, in fact, only a pen name for Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. No. I do not agree with this claim, like so many other Shakespeare scholars and lovers because the "facts" put forth are just very thinly stretched ideas and concepts that cannot be proven.

This book, instead of pushing me to think about how this fact could even possibly be true, is more about the life of Edward de Vere and how some of the circumstances in his life would be able to loosely connect to the plays Shakespeare had written. In tying in the plays, Anderson thinks he is making a stronger claim for his argument, but is honestly just trying to connect things that are unalike to "prove" what he is thinking. As an English major, I don't really like that way of thinking much.

Most of what he was trying to argue could have been left out and, instead, just have the appendices left in there. In the approximately sixty pages of the four appendices, he stated what over three hundred pages could not. No, I do not agree with the argument he is making, but it seems like it is stronger and more coherent in the appendix.

I want to point out a specific quotation from the Appendix A on page 381 to make a point about this book. It states: The thesis of this book, the "Oxfordian" proposition that Edward de Vere was Shake-speare, is a theory built on circumstantial evidence. There is no single "smoking gun" document that leads one inexorably to the conclusion that de Vere wrote Hamlet, King Lear, the Sonnets, etc." I understand that it is difficult to try to prove a theory that many argue against (myself included), but basing your argument solely on circumstantial evidence is not the way to go. It makes the argument, at least to me, seem less realistic and, in all honesty, difficult to agree with. If you cannot prove someone is guilty solely based on circumstantial evidence, you should not try to prove a complex argument that a famous playwright was not a real person, but, in fact, a pseudonym for another historical figure around the same time.

The "facts" that de Vere's life has similar qualities to the plays written by Shakespeare leading to the thought that de Vere, himself, is Shakespeare is a stretch, and not a convincing one at that.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book and I did not find it convincing at all. It felt more like a history lesson about the background of Edward de Vere rather than any kind of argument towards the idea that he could have been Shakespeare.

In my heart of hearts, I will always believe that William Shakespeare was, in fact, a real man by the name of William Shakespeare, not some made up name for a man who wanted to keep his private life separate from the public.
  
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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated JFK (1991) in Movies

Feb 19, 2019  
JFK (1991)
JFK (1991)
1991 | Drama, History, Thriller
A gripping and highly complex drama/thriller based around the true and supposed events surrounding the assassination of JFK. This film passionately presents in argument that he was assassinated by members of his own government, and whist on paper Oliver Stone is saying such, the film spins a complex web of theories and conclusions that suggest and dismiss and reignite themselves, leaving a whole host of culprits.

But second shooter, Bell Helicopter, or Johnson’s coup or not, this film demonstrates the power politics meeting celluloid, dazzling its audience with such a plausible argument, and presenting it with such zeal that by the time you take a breath, you’re not sure what to believe, and often opt for the easy choice, taking on board the smoke and mirrors.

But when all is said and done, this is just a movie, and like the books it is based upon, not fact, just theory. But as a film, this is powerful and persuasive stuff…
  
i'm just able to skim this but i like it much better than his original book. there are tons of exercises and not as many quizzes. i guess it helps to know what kind of person you are in the relationship (contemptuous, defensive, etc) and to know your argument style. but with "seven principles" you're given the tools to help your marriage period. it doesn't make much of a difference if you're conciliatory or volatile. i'd recommend this book over the other.
  
Two Weeks Notice
Two Weeks Notice
Whitney G. | 2018
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I did enjoy this. It took a while for things to progress into anything that was a little steamy but the tension was raging higher in every argument/exchange between them so it was really only a matter of time.

I was a little surprised by the bundle of energy that appeared a little after the half way point but I do have a soft spot for cute kids in my books.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author.
  
The Departed (2006)
The Departed (2006)
2006 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Possibly Scorsese's best direction (3 more)
Outstanding performances
Cinematography
Golden dialogue
A Twisting Tale of Back-Stabbing and Lies
You could make an argument that this is the greatest crime movie ever committed to film. At the very least it's up there with other greats such as Pulp Fiction, The Godfather and Scorsese's own Goodfellas. I don't think I have ever been in as much shock after watching a movie as I was after this one, the ending is polarising, but I love it. A perfect movie in every way.
  
The Last Picture Show (1971)
The Last Picture Show (1971)
1971 | Classics, Drama
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Youthful optimism and sexuality are thwarted by the bitterness of a crumbling town in Peter Bogdanovich’s lovely film of Larry McMurtry’s novel. One can feel the influence of John Ford and Orson Welles in both the deep focus compositions and the unexpected bursts of volatility. For example: there’s a fantastic scene where an argument between Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms escalates into a fistfight—the shots start to come faster and faster, almost every new shot from a different camera angle, culminating in a shocking moment of violence."

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Andrew Solomon recommended Random Family in Books (curated)

 
Random Family
Random Family
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc | 2009 | Biography, Fiction & Poetry, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"There has been no finer nonfiction written in the last century than this penetrating examination not only of a particular family and its travails (written with the complex plot of a Tolstoy novel), but also of the ways in which our society is broken, of a system that congratulates itself as democracy and yet is intractably inequitable. This book has no agenda and makes no argument; it simply reveals the truth of the country in which we live, and allows us to formulate our own call to action."

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John Berendt recommended The Magic Christian in Books (curated)

 
The Magic Christian
The Magic Christian
Terry Southern | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I include this quirky novel in my list, because it is a satiric gem and one of the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Terry Southern was a comic genius (Dr. Strangelove, Candy) who has never quite been given his due. The argument of The Magic Christian is a simple one, namely: There is no limit to what you can make people do, if you give them enough money. Everyone has his price. In this slim volume, Southern illustrates this point in a story that becomes increasingly outrageous and culminates in one of the most absurdly comic scenes in the American literary canon."

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
2015 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The most recent of the Mad Max movies (as of early 2024) and with Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson in the lead role, this is essentially one long car chase movie.

And the best, IMO, since 'The Road Warrior'.

This one also stars Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa - soon to have a spin-off movie of her own (albeit recast) - with a strong argument that this is really *her* movie instead of belonging to Max Rockatansky.

It helps, of course, that a lot of the (insane) stunts are real rather than SFX - for example, the polevaulters on top of cars? Real stuntmen.