Search
Search results
Notorious: The Immortal Legend of the Kray Twins
Book
Ever since the Kray twins invited John Pearson to write their 'official' biography more than forty...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Predictably Gruesome, But Entertaining
Child's Play is a 2019 slasher/horror movie directed by Lars Klevberg and written by Tyler Burton Smith. It was produced by Orion Pictures, KatzSmith Productions, and BRON Creative and distributed by United Artists Releasing. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, and Mark Hamill.
A revolutionary line of high-tech dolls, designed to be life-long companions to their owners, called Buddi, is launched by the Kaslan Corporation. Buddi dolls learn from their surroundings and act accordingly by connecting and operating other Kaslan products making it a success with children world wide. Before committing suicide after being fired at a Buddi assembly plant in Vietnam, an employee disables all of the doll's safety protocols on the doll he is assembling. In Chicago, Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza), a retail clerk, encourages her son, Andy (Gabriel Bateman), to make new friends as she prepares for his upcoming birthday. She blackmails her boss to procure a Buddi doll as an early birthday gift but once Andy activates it, the doll begins to display violent tendencies.
This movie was pretty good, and that goes for remakes/reboots. I think everyone has seen a bad Chucky movie and this is not one. I really didn't like the redesign or new look of the Chucky doll but it grew on me as the movie progressed. Also I guess I'm just so used to his voice being different, that I also didn't think Mark Hamill's voice fit either, until the movie progressed further. I agree with certain critics that complained about the inconsistent tone, and how it lacked the principal's perverse originality. It definitely didn't have the me vibe of the original but I like how it made it, its own thing. But I think this was a very successful remake. The acting from Gabriel Bateman was really good and I wound up really liking Mark Hamill's performance as well. He actually made me feel sorry for the doll. I give this movie a 7/10. And I say you should definitely check it out, especially if you are a fan of the Child's Play movies.
A revolutionary line of high-tech dolls, designed to be life-long companions to their owners, called Buddi, is launched by the Kaslan Corporation. Buddi dolls learn from their surroundings and act accordingly by connecting and operating other Kaslan products making it a success with children world wide. Before committing suicide after being fired at a Buddi assembly plant in Vietnam, an employee disables all of the doll's safety protocols on the doll he is assembling. In Chicago, Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza), a retail clerk, encourages her son, Andy (Gabriel Bateman), to make new friends as she prepares for his upcoming birthday. She blackmails her boss to procure a Buddi doll as an early birthday gift but once Andy activates it, the doll begins to display violent tendencies.
This movie was pretty good, and that goes for remakes/reboots. I think everyone has seen a bad Chucky movie and this is not one. I really didn't like the redesign or new look of the Chucky doll but it grew on me as the movie progressed. Also I guess I'm just so used to his voice being different, that I also didn't think Mark Hamill's voice fit either, until the movie progressed further. I agree with certain critics that complained about the inconsistent tone, and how it lacked the principal's perverse originality. It definitely didn't have the me vibe of the original but I like how it made it, its own thing. But I think this was a very successful remake. The acting from Gabriel Bateman was really good and I wound up really liking Mark Hamill's performance as well. He actually made me feel sorry for the doll. I give this movie a 7/10. And I say you should definitely check it out, especially if you are a fan of the Child's Play movies.
George Yeo on Bonsai, Banyan and the Tao: Pruning the Banyan Tree
Asad-ul Iqbal Latif, Huay Leng Lee and George Yong-Boon Yeo
Book
Since his undergraduate days in Cambridge, George Yeo has spoken and written much in and out of...
The History of Wine in 100 Bottles: From Bacchus to Bordeaux and Beyond
Book
Winemaking is as old as civilization itself and wine has always been more than just a drink. For...
Alexis Petridis recommended Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop in Books (curated)
Alex Kapranos recommended track Lady Rachel by Kevin Ayers in Confessions of Doctor Dream and Other Stories by Kevin Ayers in Music (curated)
David Byrne recommended Muito (Dentro Da Estrela Azulada) by Caetano Veloso in Music (curated)
Natasha Khan recommended Negro Prison Blues and Songs by Alan Lomax in Music (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 7: Batmen Eternal in Books
Nov 30, 2020
Well, boys and girls (and all non-gender folks as well), I have made to the last entry in James Tynion IV's run on DETECTIVE COMICS! Wowwowwoweeewow! What an amazing run it was!!
Following the beginnings of "Rebirth", I was excited, as it was doing away with much of the New52 stuff that was just crap, helping to restructure the DCU. Unfortunately, my initial excitement was partially crushed by Tom King, as he left me, for want of a better word, <i><b>hating</i></b> the Dark Knight!
That was the general feeling until I read Scott Snyder's BATMAN run (OMG! The Court of Owls is such a cool concept! I could totally see Faction Paradox involving themselves with the Court!) and then Tynion's run on DETECTIVE! Both writers have helped me to remember why I always liked the character of Batman, and what goes into making him cool and interesting!
This final volume, BATMAN ETERNAL, brings all of the plotlines together: the stuff with Tim Drake, angst-y Steph Brown/Spoiler (who, actually, was less angst-y, so that was great) and all her issues, Batman "vs." Batwoman, the Belfry, Cassandra Cain/Orphan and her role in the world going forward, as well as what became of [Spoiler!]. The answers given were well-thought out and fitting to the whole arc overall. Everything Tynion presented made sense, and really helped to restore Batman to being a great character, with depth and emotion. Definitely a better Batman than in the Tom King-helmed BATMAN book!
All the artists, even Eddy Barrows (who, normally, I kinda like, but the last two volumes he felt off), were top notch! Perfectly suited to the mood, environment running through this final Tynion 'TEC arc! So, let me just give a hearty applause for all their effort to Javier Fernandez, Eddy Barrows, Alvaro Martinez, Philippe Briones, Scot Eaton, Raul Fernandez, Eber Ferreira, and Wayne Faucher! Brilliant work, lads, absolutely brilliant!
Yes, I recommend this book, but more than that, I recommend you read all seven of the volumes of DETECTIVE COMICS! Some of the best, most Batman-like Batman stuff you will read!
Following the beginnings of "Rebirth", I was excited, as it was doing away with much of the New52 stuff that was just crap, helping to restructure the DCU. Unfortunately, my initial excitement was partially crushed by Tom King, as he left me, for want of a better word, <i><b>hating</i></b> the Dark Knight!
That was the general feeling until I read Scott Snyder's BATMAN run (OMG! The Court of Owls is such a cool concept! I could totally see Faction Paradox involving themselves with the Court!) and then Tynion's run on DETECTIVE! Both writers have helped me to remember why I always liked the character of Batman, and what goes into making him cool and interesting!
This final volume, BATMAN ETERNAL, brings all of the plotlines together: the stuff with Tim Drake, angst-y Steph Brown/Spoiler (who, actually, was less angst-y, so that was great) and all her issues, Batman "vs." Batwoman, the Belfry, Cassandra Cain/Orphan and her role in the world going forward, as well as what became of [Spoiler!]. The answers given were well-thought out and fitting to the whole arc overall. Everything Tynion presented made sense, and really helped to restore Batman to being a great character, with depth and emotion. Definitely a better Batman than in the Tom King-helmed BATMAN book!
All the artists, even Eddy Barrows (who, normally, I kinda like, but the last two volumes he felt off), were top notch! Perfectly suited to the mood, environment running through this final Tynion 'TEC arc! So, let me just give a hearty applause for all their effort to Javier Fernandez, Eddy Barrows, Alvaro Martinez, Philippe Briones, Scot Eaton, Raul Fernandez, Eber Ferreira, and Wayne Faucher! Brilliant work, lads, absolutely brilliant!
Yes, I recommend this book, but more than that, I recommend you read all seven of the volumes of DETECTIVE COMICS! Some of the best, most Batman-like Batman stuff you will read!
Johnny Messias (25 KP) rated The Irishman (2019) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Al Pacino as Hoffa (6 more)
Joe Pesci is wonderful
De Niro anchors the film
Scorsese on top form
Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing
Steve Zaillian’s script
De Niro and Pacino together
Marty’s marvellous Oldfellas
The Irishman – BFI London Film Festival Review Oct 13th 2019.
An extended cinematic love letter to some of the finest actors of the last 40 years, and to a bygone era of US history, The Irishman is reassuringly brilliant. Like the best Scorsese joints, its business is power brokers, mobsters and underground schemers, but often as a comedy of manners. De Niro anchors the story, yes as mob enforcer but also as a kind of killer Forrest Gump; “connected” to some key milestones in 1960s America; Bay of Pigs, Jimmy Hoffa’s teamsters, RFK, then later the shadow of Nixon. Famously, we see De Niro’s titular character Frank in his 20s, 30s, 40s, right up until the old age home. Scorsese uses computerised de-aging technology to achieve the effect make-up artists might have parlayed. It works well—mostly. What grips you and takes you in is the bravura acting. Al Pacino gives a wonderful performance as Jimmy Hoffa. He goes full “Pacino” with speeches and grandstanding but it is the lilt of this voice (all sing song) in quiet moments that makes this the best we’ve seen from Al in many a year. Joe Pesci as well. He’s kind of the centre of this world, as the mobster who links up De Niro to Pacino’s Hoffa. Pesci speaks quietly and carefully; you sense how much power he has without any of the violence that was trademark in his famous Casino and Goodfellas roles. Over nearly 3.5 hours (never seems long) what you get is a beautifully written, shot, edited and performed drama about loyalty, friendship and a creeping sense of regret. All with the backdrop of this fascinating period: JFK, Union movements, Cuba, Fidel Castro. It lingers long in the memory and it’s one to cherish, since we surely won’t see its like again.
An extended cinematic love letter to some of the finest actors of the last 40 years, and to a bygone era of US history, The Irishman is reassuringly brilliant. Like the best Scorsese joints, its business is power brokers, mobsters and underground schemers, but often as a comedy of manners. De Niro anchors the story, yes as mob enforcer but also as a kind of killer Forrest Gump; “connected” to some key milestones in 1960s America; Bay of Pigs, Jimmy Hoffa’s teamsters, RFK, then later the shadow of Nixon. Famously, we see De Niro’s titular character Frank in his 20s, 30s, 40s, right up until the old age home. Scorsese uses computerised de-aging technology to achieve the effect make-up artists might have parlayed. It works well—mostly. What grips you and takes you in is the bravura acting. Al Pacino gives a wonderful performance as Jimmy Hoffa. He goes full “Pacino” with speeches and grandstanding but it is the lilt of this voice (all sing song) in quiet moments that makes this the best we’ve seen from Al in many a year. Joe Pesci as well. He’s kind of the centre of this world, as the mobster who links up De Niro to Pacino’s Hoffa. Pesci speaks quietly and carefully; you sense how much power he has without any of the violence that was trademark in his famous Casino and Goodfellas roles. Over nearly 3.5 hours (never seems long) what you get is a beautifully written, shot, edited and performed drama about loyalty, friendship and a creeping sense of regret. All with the backdrop of this fascinating period: JFK, Union movements, Cuba, Fidel Castro. It lingers long in the memory and it’s one to cherish, since we surely won’t see its like again.