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Olivia Munn recommended John Wick (2014) in Movies (curated)

 
John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014)
2014 | Action, Thriller

"It’s a newer one, but John Wick or John Wick 2. I’m obsessed. I’m obsessed. I grew up doing martial arts, and I know that Keanu did all of his own fight scenes in it, and then I was working on Predator when I watched John Wick 2, and… I have a gun in Predator, and they were teaching me how to do certain things, and I’m like, “Oh my gosh! Keanu did this really cool thing. Teach me how to do it!” I love… Like, back in the day in kung fu movies, they filmed the fight scenes in wide angles so you get to see everybody doing it, but nowadays, everything’s like cut, cut, edit, edit, close-up of this, close-up of that. But we actually got to see Keanu in these wide shots because he’s doing his own stunts, and he’s kicking ass, and he’s amazing in it. I just love that, and I feel like we don’t get enough of that in American cinema anymore, or actually ever. You have to go back to, like, old kung fu movies and stuff. I just love watching that movie and the action of that. It’s a good one."

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Ninja Assassin (2009)
Ninja Assassin (2009)
2009 | Action, Drama
Slept on. A breathless, blood-soaked rager where shurikens get thrown like machine gun bullets and manifold enemies get shredded into human ballistic gel. Totally cockamamie lore put to the backdrop of CGI blade-chains and club music, ancient ninja cults just hanging out and making human sacrifices on rainy city rooftops and shit lmao. Nothing more than an excuse to rip apart a bunch of ninjas, gangsters, and government officials for 99 minutes - a decapitated head ends up in a washing machine at one point - but who wouldn't want to see that? I'll take the opposite opinion of the general consensus and totally gush about the style, I'm all for modernizing cheesy early-mid-2000s duels where we just started to really learn what mainstream stylized action was and went overboard with it. Also has an acute emphasis on physicality and production rather than leaving everything important up to the editing department - has a realized sense of framing and uses CGI as an enhancer rather than the full package. Lovingly embraces martial arts story tropes without undermining their importance, which many actioners would probably jettison out entirely. Feels much, much more like a successful and distinct love letter rather than a ripoff. Aesthetic as fuck, and Rain is godly in it.
  
Triple Threat (2019)
Triple Threat (2019)
2019 | Action, Thriller
Triple Threat, from prolific action specialist Jesse V. Johnson and currently streaming on Netflix, is exactly as promised – 95 minutes of complete ass-kicking from a ridiculous cast of ass-kickers who defy gravitational and physical logic with their supreme martial arts and combat skills. Unpretentious, unrelenting, and wildly entertaining, this is a throwback to old-school, non-CGI, action-programmers where the body count is absurdly high, the squibs are going off like crazy, and dynamic second unit work pumps up the aesthetic thrills – it’s the best pure-action film of the year and the best of its type that I’ve seen since The Night Comes For Us (also on Netflix streaming).

Starring an action fan’s dream team of Iko Uwais, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Tony Jaa, and Tiger Chen. The various beat-downs that these guys dish out look beyond lethal. I loved the real-deal explosions and Jonathan Hall’s slick and steady cinematography which highlighted the insane choreography. Matthew Lorentz’s crisp editing wastes not a moment of the basic but hard-charging script by Joey O’Bryan, Fangjin Song, and Paul Staheli. But let’s be honest, we’re not here to experience Shakespearean-level swaths of dialogue. Triple Threat exists as an outlet for extreme thrills and near-constant mayhem.
  
Geomancist (7 Forbidden Arts #5)
Geomancist (7 Forbidden Arts #5)
Charmaine Pauls | 2016 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sean is our Geomancist, but he can't access his power any longer, following a traumatic event with his twin sister. He is desperate to own the bar he works in, so he can fulfil his dream. Then Asia walks into his life, and tells him that SHE wants the bar - to change it into a spa to fulfil HER dream! The race is on to see which will raise the money first, and be the owner of the bar/spa.

To do this they have to do something that neither of them wanted to - attend a week-long private party on a private island owned by a Columbian drug lord. Things don't go according to plan and the book takes a sinister twist. Parts of this story are incredibly 'uncomfortable' to read, as well as hot and spicy bits of the story.

It unfolds in a way that could only be written by Charmaine Pauls, she keeps you guessing and the story moving in ways that you just don't anticipate. Absolutely thrilling and heart-wrenching, this story is a fantastic addition to the Seven Forbidden Arts series. Highly recommended and I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 1, 2016
  
The Human Tornado (1976)
The Human Tornado (1976)
1976 | Action, Comedy, Drama
If You're Looking For Something New...
In blaxploitation movie The Human Tornado, Martial arts street pimp Dolemite has to dodge a racist sheriff while helping his good friend Queen Bee retake control of her nightclub.

Acting: 5
Nobody is winning any awards in this movie, but it works in certain spots. There is a certain charisma around Rudy Ray Moore who plays Dolemite that is quite hard to deny. He’s just fun to watch and, if nothing else, you know he’s giving you 100%. The rest of the actors go about their lines with the strength of dark roast coffee. They’re never really believable, but it somehow works in the grand scheme of things.

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
Dolemite makes the movie. He’s suave, got a way with the ladies, and takes absolutely no shits from the man. His martial arts are a thing of legend and he’s even taken it up a notch from the first movie! His one-liners will leave you with quotes for days. At one point in the movie, we see Dolemite taking a woman into his room. He tells her, “You really came at a bad time. I’m very very busy. Relax, take off your things, and I’ll see ya later.” And trust me when I say that’s only one line of MANY. The other characters make for good fun as well although, I have to admit, I don’t remember most of their names.

Cinematography/Visuals: 9

Conflict: 9

Entertainment Value: 7
It’s hard not to settle in and enjoy this movie. Once it gets rolling, it's pretty consistent and nonstop with the action and the constant events that never cease to amaze you. I laughed, I clapped, and just when I thought I had seen it all, the movie gave me something new!

Memorability: 6

Pace: 5
The Human Tornado takes quite a few twists and turns that does slow the movie down in spots. There were also a few scenes where you scratch your head wondering why it had to be in there in the first place. It’s not boring, but it definitely could have been shorter.

Plot: 6

Resolution: 3
One of the most headscratching endings I think I’ve seen in film. And I’ve seen a lot of movies. I’ll just leave it at that.

Overall: 70
If you haven’t watched a blaxploitation film yet, you are missing out. They are not just comedy, but it’s also a bit empowering watching the main characters rise up against the man. You could do worse than The Human Tornado. Random Fact: This is one of Ernie Hudson’s first movie, the black Ghosbuster himself!
  
The Kiss Quotient
The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang | 2018 | Romance
8
8.4 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bold & Original Romance Adds Up
Back when I read the First Impression excerpt of The Kiss Quotient on Bookish First this past spring, I knew Helen Hoang's novel was sure to be one of the most talked about romances of 2018.

Bolstered by its inclusion as one of June's Book of the Month Club titles (which is where I nabbed my copy), it has fulfilled that promise and more as the genre's most popular summer beach read.

Taking familiar romance genre paradigms and giving them a new spin, Hoang's startlingly sexy title might bill itself as a gender swapped Pretty Woman but it actually reads more like a politically correct version of Fifty Shades of Grey... only with econometrics, martial arts, and fashion design filling in for the Red Room.

Centering its sexy Pygmalion narrative around a heroine with Asperger's whose disability does not define her – a premise that originally attracted me to the novel – the book is both a refreshing step forward for fictional disabled representation and a bold work all around.

While it inevitably suffers from predictable genre conventions including a slightly clunky start that moves from Point A to Z at an unrealistic pace, once Hoang balances out her equation, The Kiss Quotient really adds up.

Note: I would probably give this book 7.5, if able to award half points.
  
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Adam Lambert recommended track Aquarius by The Cast of Hair in Hair OST by The Cast of Hair in Music (curated)

 
Hair OST by The Cast of Hair
Hair OST by The Cast of Hair
1970 | Soundtrack
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Aquarius by The Cast of Hair

(0 Ratings)

Track

"Hair is a really cool musical. It's about the late 60s’ hippie movement in America - tribal love, peace 'n' love 'n' rock 'n' roll, people tripping on LSD and expanding their consciousness, all of these concepts that came about in the late 60s’. It's one of my favourite periods in music and in the arts, it was sort of our American renaissance right around then and lot of incredible music came from that time. “I'm an Aquarius; that's my zodiac sign. I think the song is talking about the Age of Aquarius, which was starting around that time, which was said to be a time of enlightenment. It's such a cool song, it has a great melody and I've always loved it. “I ended up doing a production of Hair out in Germany when I was about 22. Personally, it was such an eye opener, I was pretty green when I went out there, but not so green when I left. I was doing a lot of things for the first time and experiencing a lot of things for the first time. “It was a bit of an awakening for me - artistically and personally - with fashion and with sexuality and with all these different things. It was a big transformative moment for me and this song always reminds me of that time.”"

Source
  
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
1993 | Rock
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This reshaped music and the way I wanted to approach it. You wouldn't think it because it had been out 10 years when I got into it in 2003. I was working in this warehouse and this guy used to bring loads of hip hop in and stick it on. And after a while it's like, this is really good, you know. They didn't even rap on some tracks, it's just shouting. And all the martial arts stuff. The chaos of it and the intermissions of, ""Some blokes got shot round the corner, I'm not joking!"" It's really funny. I found I really connected to it because at the time I had no money. I was a bit of a shit-kicker. You got the impression that these were people at the end of their tether. Not in a good position. Just chaotic. It didn't adhere to this idea of hip hop, hippety hop. It made no sense as well, especially people like Ol' Dirty Bastard, I was just like, ""What the fuck are you on about?"" That really influenced me. I realised you could marry words that don't make sense. They gave across this humanist thing, they weren't just intimidating, or playing up to this image. I found that quite endearing. I like the dusty drum beat, the production is great."

Source
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated End of Story in Books

Apr 14, 2023  
End of Story
End of Story
Louise Swanson | 2023 | Contemporary, Crime, Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
End of Story had me on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what would happen next - and completely bewildered.

It’s 2035, fiction has been banned for the last five years, and even owning a work of fiction is a criminal act. Fern Dostoy had won a prestigious book award before the laws came in to force, and now she isn’t allowed to write. She has random home checks by frightening men in suits, is threatened by imprisonment - or worse.

I found this a very disturbing read - I mean, I would be among the first to be booked in to a stay at His Majesty’s Pleasure (aka, prison). And is this so very far from the truth right now?

Some aspects of the pandemic are referred to, especially the isolation that so many people struggled through.

This is a pretty bleak read, but I just loved it. It’s touching, too, and gave me a lot to think about. This isn’t a book to race through (or it at least needs a second read), because it throws up so many questions with regards to fiction, the arts and society in general.

As Fern says: “if you tell a story we’ll enough, it’s true”. I honestly hope not in this case!

Highly recommended - and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Louise for reading along with us.
  
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Kindle
Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts ( Spells & Caramels book 2)
By Erin Johnson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A carnival bakery booth. A deadly magic show. Is it the perfect recipe for murder or a clever sleight of hand?

Palace pastry chef Imogen is struggling to control her newfound magic and her potent feelings for the prince. So when the carnival rolls into the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to run the royal bakery booth. But her plan to escape her problems backfires when murder rocks the magician's table, and her dear friend is found holding the bloody saw.

Determined to cook up a way to keep Rhonda out of witch's prison, she sifts through the clues and the long list of suspects. Between devious dark magicians, cagey stage assistants, and a strongman with more to offer than just muscles, everyone at the fairgrounds seems to be hiding secrets - even Rhonda.

With the final night of the carnival approaching, will Imogen's shaky powers be enough to flush out the murderer before her good friend ends up on the chopping block?

This series is so different and quirky. The characters just make you smile. Iggy has to be my favourite I mean a flame with personality and a sense of humour what’s not to love! It’s just such a pleasure to read.