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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Captain Underpants (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Based off the bestselling kids’ book series by Dav Pilkey, Captain
Underpants tells the story of George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins
(Thomas Middleditch), a couple of over imaginative elementary school kids
that spend their days trying to make the most out of the daily monotonous
chore that is school by secretly playing pranks to keep themselves and
their fellow schoolmates entertained. And, trying to make sure they don’t
get caught by the school principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helm). Outside of
school, they spend countless hours in their treehouse creating comic
books.
Their greatest creation is the underwear sporting, high flying,
overly friendly, and extremely unintelligent superhero Captain Underpants.
Mr. Krupp’s main purpose in life is to make everyone else’s life
miserable. When he threatens to separate the boys, put them in different
classrooms, after being caught playing a prank. The boys decide to
hypnotize their principal into becoming the incredible Captain Underpants.
Ecstatic about seeing their comic book come to life, they suddenly realize
their plan backfires when Mr. Krupp in Capt Underpants persona hires
Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll) to be the school’s new science teacher.
He’s no ordinary school teacher. Professor Poopypants wants to rid the
world of laughter starting with kids the at George and Harold’s school. Oh
NO!!!!
This film is everything you would expect it to be: outlandish, vibrant, and
full of potty humor. Just enough to keep parents entertained and the
kiddos completely engaged. From what I gather, not having read the books,
but my son has, it follows the storyline pretty closely to the first novel
in the 8 book series. I am not surprised if Dreamworks capitalizes on this
and releases a movie for each book.
Underpants tells the story of George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins
(Thomas Middleditch), a couple of over imaginative elementary school kids
that spend their days trying to make the most out of the daily monotonous
chore that is school by secretly playing pranks to keep themselves and
their fellow schoolmates entertained. And, trying to make sure they don’t
get caught by the school principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helm). Outside of
school, they spend countless hours in their treehouse creating comic
books.
Their greatest creation is the underwear sporting, high flying,
overly friendly, and extremely unintelligent superhero Captain Underpants.
Mr. Krupp’s main purpose in life is to make everyone else’s life
miserable. When he threatens to separate the boys, put them in different
classrooms, after being caught playing a prank. The boys decide to
hypnotize their principal into becoming the incredible Captain Underpants.
Ecstatic about seeing their comic book come to life, they suddenly realize
their plan backfires when Mr. Krupp in Capt Underpants persona hires
Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll) to be the school’s new science teacher.
He’s no ordinary school teacher. Professor Poopypants wants to rid the
world of laughter starting with kids the at George and Harold’s school. Oh
NO!!!!
This film is everything you would expect it to be: outlandish, vibrant, and
full of potty humor. Just enough to keep parents entertained and the
kiddos completely engaged. From what I gather, not having read the books,
but my son has, it follows the storyline pretty closely to the first novel
in the 8 book series. I am not surprised if Dreamworks capitalizes on this
and releases a movie for each book.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Girl on the Train (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Rachael (Emily Blunt) is a woman who has hit rock bottom. Her downward spiral has cost her a marriage, her career, and everything else she cherished and left her a severe alcoholic. Rachael is so far gone that she rides the commuter train into New York every day secretly drinking along the way. There is some method to this madness as the train goes by her former home and this allows Rachael a look in at the woman who replaced her and the new family her ex now enjoys.
In the new film “The Girl on the Train”, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
In the new film “The Girl on the Train”, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Word Game in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Due to a traumatic event in her past, mom Alyson Ward keeps a protective and close watch over her ten-year-old daughter, Lyla. So when she allows Lyla to go on her first sleepover--to another friend's house--it's a big deal for Aly. Her fears are somewhat calmed by the fact that Lyla will be staying with Aly's sister Tricia and a group of her friends from dance class. All in all, it seems like a fun sleepover. But after Aly picks Lyla up, she has some troubling things to tell her Mom. Have Aly's worst fears come true after all?
This book was a quick read with a timely plot. It's always horrific to read about abuse, especially at it relates to children. In many ways, I would have enjoyed this book more if Aly was simply an overprotective parent and the story unfolded based on what happened at the sleepover, without involving Aly and Tricia's past. The novel unwinds from both their perspectives, as well as that of their mother, Ida, and their friend, Myah, who teaches the girls' dance class. For me, the messed up family tale involving Aly, Tricia, and Ida simply became too much after a while - the constant bickering and allusions "to things in the past." When all is revealed, it's shocking and horrible yes, but really just poorly overshadows what was otherwise a fairly well-written and interesting (albeit sad and horrific) story about the women's daughters.
Also, while we get a lot of arguing among the elder sisters and their mom, and whispers about their troublesome upbringing and childhood, there's no real character development, so I wound up feeling more annoyed by them (especially Tricia and her mom) versus sympathetic. It seems especially appalling that no one listens to Aly -- you'd think one would rather be safe than sorry when the subject is potential child abuse.
I'm giving this three stars for the story that focuses more on the younger generation and Myah, but feel the book needed to better deal with Alyson and Tricia's backstory and character development.
This book was a quick read with a timely plot. It's always horrific to read about abuse, especially at it relates to children. In many ways, I would have enjoyed this book more if Aly was simply an overprotective parent and the story unfolded based on what happened at the sleepover, without involving Aly and Tricia's past. The novel unwinds from both their perspectives, as well as that of their mother, Ida, and their friend, Myah, who teaches the girls' dance class. For me, the messed up family tale involving Aly, Tricia, and Ida simply became too much after a while - the constant bickering and allusions "to things in the past." When all is revealed, it's shocking and horrible yes, but really just poorly overshadows what was otherwise a fairly well-written and interesting (albeit sad and horrific) story about the women's daughters.
Also, while we get a lot of arguing among the elder sisters and their mom, and whispers about their troublesome upbringing and childhood, there's no real character development, so I wound up feeling more annoyed by them (especially Tricia and her mom) versus sympathetic. It seems especially appalling that no one listens to Aly -- you'd think one would rather be safe than sorry when the subject is potential child abuse.
I'm giving this three stars for the story that focuses more on the younger generation and Myah, but feel the book needed to better deal with Alyson and Tricia's backstory and character development.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Silence (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Good But Not Great, Hints of Tension & Terror
The Silence is a 2019 horror film directed by John R. Leonetti and based on a screenplay by Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke. It is an adaptation of a novel by the same name by author Tim Lebbon. The movie was produced by Constantin Film and EMJAG Productions and distributed by Netflix. It stars Kiernan Shipka, Stanley Tucci, and Miranda Otto.
A team of researchers accidentally unleash an unknown species of blind winged creatures deep in a cavern underground. The creatures, called "vesps", violently attack the researchers, killing them before flying out of the cave seeking the noisiest areas next. Ally (Kiernan Shipka), who lost her hearing in a car accident, lives with her brother Jude (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf), parents, Hugh (Stanley Tucci) and Kelly (Miranda Otto), grandmother Lynn (Kate Trotter) and dog Otis. As the outbreak spreads, a state of emergency is declared and people are urged to stay quiet and indoors. However Ally suggests the countryside is likelier to be more quiet so they set out in two cars, accompanied by Glenn (John Corbett), Hugh's best friend.
This movie was alright, but i felt it could have been better. It wasnt terrible though and even had some really good scenes. It was a pretty cool idea/concept. I feel that the film A Quiet Place, did a better job in almost every way in comparison. I think that this movie wasn't able to sell the tension in a convincing way and was unrealistic in some parts. I liked Stanley Tucci's acting but the daughter's was hit or miss for me the entire film. And I'm sure there were plenty of plot holes in this film too, I could feel them as the movie went on. As critic Chris Agar of Screen Rant put it, "...a fairly bland thriller that struggles to leave much of an impact - despite some fleeting moments of pure tension and terror." I give it a 6/10.
A team of researchers accidentally unleash an unknown species of blind winged creatures deep in a cavern underground. The creatures, called "vesps", violently attack the researchers, killing them before flying out of the cave seeking the noisiest areas next. Ally (Kiernan Shipka), who lost her hearing in a car accident, lives with her brother Jude (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf), parents, Hugh (Stanley Tucci) and Kelly (Miranda Otto), grandmother Lynn (Kate Trotter) and dog Otis. As the outbreak spreads, a state of emergency is declared and people are urged to stay quiet and indoors. However Ally suggests the countryside is likelier to be more quiet so they set out in two cars, accompanied by Glenn (John Corbett), Hugh's best friend.
This movie was alright, but i felt it could have been better. It wasnt terrible though and even had some really good scenes. It was a pretty cool idea/concept. I feel that the film A Quiet Place, did a better job in almost every way in comparison. I think that this movie wasn't able to sell the tension in a convincing way and was unrealistic in some parts. I liked Stanley Tucci's acting but the daughter's was hit or miss for me the entire film. And I'm sure there were plenty of plot holes in this film too, I could feel them as the movie went on. As critic Chris Agar of Screen Rant put it, "...a fairly bland thriller that struggles to leave much of an impact - despite some fleeting moments of pure tension and terror." I give it a 6/10.
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Hadley (567 KP) rated Ghostly Tales: Spine-Chilling Stories of the Victorian Age in Books
Jan 20, 2021
Ghost stories (1 more)
Well-written
This collection of tales will transport you to a time when staircases creaked in old manor houses, and a candle could be blown out by a gust of wind, or by a passing ghost. Penned by some of the greatest Victorian novelists and masters of the ghost story genre, these stories come alive alongside exquisitely eerie art in this special illustrated edition.
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated Here We Lie in Books
Jun 24, 2018
Two Worlds Collide
Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey are polar opposites. While Megan comes from a middle-class family in Kansas, Lauren hails from a wealthy Connecticut-based family. While Megan’s father slowly succumbed to mesothelioma which he referred to as the poor man’s cancer, Lauren’s father is a well-liked U.S. Senator with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. While Megan has to use her father’s life insurance money to pay for tuition and housing at Keale College (a prestigious, private, and all-girls school), Lauren is given a continual allowance that gets her through her college years with utmost ease. When they meet during their freshman year at Keale College, they unexpectedly become the best of friends. Sharing clothes, secrets, roommates, ambitions, and more, the pair goes through many ups and downs in their friendship during the following years. But one fateful night while they’re vacationing with Lauren's family on an island off the coast of Maine, something terrible happens to Megan and their friendship is irreparably damaged afterwards.
Told in an alternating first-person perspective between Megan and Lauren, Here We Lie is a powerful and relevant story about friendship, betrayal, political scandal, and abuse. I enjoyed everything about it, from the back-and-forth jumps between past and present to the incredible growth of both the main characters. The narrative is fast-paced and compelling, and the ending is beautiful and inspiring. With the rise of the #MeToo movement in the present-day world, Paula Treick DeBoard’s incredibly timely latest novel is sure to spark plenty of conversation about sexual abuse victims and perpetrators, motivation for reform and accountability, and at the very least food for thought.
Told in an alternating first-person perspective between Megan and Lauren, Here We Lie is a powerful and relevant story about friendship, betrayal, political scandal, and abuse. I enjoyed everything about it, from the back-and-forth jumps between past and present to the incredible growth of both the main characters. The narrative is fast-paced and compelling, and the ending is beautiful and inspiring. With the rise of the #MeToo movement in the present-day world, Paula Treick DeBoard’s incredibly timely latest novel is sure to spark plenty of conversation about sexual abuse victims and perpetrators, motivation for reform and accountability, and at the very least food for thought.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Water for Elephants (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The future is bright with promise for Jacob, a Cornell veterinary sciences student, ready to graduate and follow in his father’s footsteps. But after a series of unfortunate events, Jacob finds himself a college dropout, homeless and penniless. He sets out to find work and stows away on a passing train which turns out to be the Benzini Brothers Circus train.
Jacob appeals to the vanity of the heartless circus owner and ringmaster, August, convincing him to keep him on as the circus veterinary doctor. One of his first patients is the horse of the circus’ star attraction, Marlena, who also happens to be August’s wife. When Marlena’s horse is replaced by an elephant, Jacob is made responsible for the elephant’s care and training. This gives Marlena and Jacob a common ally in Rosie, the elephant, and a common enemy in an increasingly violent August. Cue the furtive glances, the stilted conversations and awkward moments that signal the start of the mutual attraction between Marlena and Jacob.
While Jacob, Marlena and August form the romantic triangle that drives the story, it’s Rosie and the circus backdrop that provide the more entertaining aspects of the movie. Director Francis Lawrence (Constantine and I Am Legend) pays decent attention to period detail, highlighting the desperation and brutality of The Great Depression while romanticizing the ephemeral circus life and the subversive lifestyles enjoyed in defiance of The Prohibition. Sadly they were just quick peeks into a curious world.
Based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants is a sweet tale told in retrospect by a 90-something-year old Jacob, played by a wistful Hal Holbrook. Robert Pattinson plays young Jacob capably, and I have no doubt his fans will swoon at the many close ups of his brooding stare, pained grimaces and the occasional delighted smile. While this character gives him a few more lines than his more well-known role as Edward, the tortured vampire of the Twilight saga, it was difficult to watch him and not see the similarities in how he portrays Jacob and Edward. Reese Witherspoon’s Marlena was in turns adequately fragile and sufficiently steely. With negligible chemistry, Pattinson and Witherspoon’s performances paled in comparison to that of Christoph Waltz whose sadistic August was played with cunning zeal.
A carefully told story, Water for Elephants is however too carefully told, in a predictable, pedantic pace. However, fans of Pattinson will not be disappointed.
Jacob appeals to the vanity of the heartless circus owner and ringmaster, August, convincing him to keep him on as the circus veterinary doctor. One of his first patients is the horse of the circus’ star attraction, Marlena, who also happens to be August’s wife. When Marlena’s horse is replaced by an elephant, Jacob is made responsible for the elephant’s care and training. This gives Marlena and Jacob a common ally in Rosie, the elephant, and a common enemy in an increasingly violent August. Cue the furtive glances, the stilted conversations and awkward moments that signal the start of the mutual attraction between Marlena and Jacob.
While Jacob, Marlena and August form the romantic triangle that drives the story, it’s Rosie and the circus backdrop that provide the more entertaining aspects of the movie. Director Francis Lawrence (Constantine and I Am Legend) pays decent attention to period detail, highlighting the desperation and brutality of The Great Depression while romanticizing the ephemeral circus life and the subversive lifestyles enjoyed in defiance of The Prohibition. Sadly they were just quick peeks into a curious world.
Based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants is a sweet tale told in retrospect by a 90-something-year old Jacob, played by a wistful Hal Holbrook. Robert Pattinson plays young Jacob capably, and I have no doubt his fans will swoon at the many close ups of his brooding stare, pained grimaces and the occasional delighted smile. While this character gives him a few more lines than his more well-known role as Edward, the tortured vampire of the Twilight saga, it was difficult to watch him and not see the similarities in how he portrays Jacob and Edward. Reese Witherspoon’s Marlena was in turns adequately fragile and sufficiently steely. With negligible chemistry, Pattinson and Witherspoon’s performances paled in comparison to that of Christoph Waltz whose sadistic August was played with cunning zeal.
A carefully told story, Water for Elephants is however too carefully told, in a predictable, pedantic pace. However, fans of Pattinson will not be disappointed.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Carson McCullers and Kasia Boddy
Book
Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a powerful exploration of alienation and...