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KyleQ (267 KP) rated The Signal (2007) in Movies
Jul 21, 2020
A complete blast!
A mysterious signal is emitted through electronics when you hear it, a voice convinces you that you need to kill everyone else.
Mya (Anessa Ramsey) is traveling across the city to escape from her crazy boyfriend Lewis (AJ Bowen), while Ben (Justin Welborn) seeks Anessa too.
The Signal (2007) is done in three parts, the first part introduces the characters and the plot and throws them into a world of violence. It's brutal, crazy, and disturbing. The movie starts out like a good horror movie.
The second part shifts the tone entirely. It becomes a hilarious dark comedy. The cast is perfect in their dry witty delivery. I loved it!
The third part concludes the plot, returning the tone to a serious one again.
Overall, the acting was solid, the action was well done. The horrifying moments were disturbing, the comedic moments were hilarious. I minus one star for the big tonal shifts, which may turn away some viewers. But I still loved it. Highly recommended.
Mya (Anessa Ramsey) is traveling across the city to escape from her crazy boyfriend Lewis (AJ Bowen), while Ben (Justin Welborn) seeks Anessa too.
The Signal (2007) is done in three parts, the first part introduces the characters and the plot and throws them into a world of violence. It's brutal, crazy, and disturbing. The movie starts out like a good horror movie.
The second part shifts the tone entirely. It becomes a hilarious dark comedy. The cast is perfect in their dry witty delivery. I loved it!
The third part concludes the plot, returning the tone to a serious one again.
Overall, the acting was solid, the action was well done. The horrifying moments were disturbing, the comedic moments were hilarious. I minus one star for the big tonal shifts, which may turn away some viewers. But I still loved it. Highly recommended.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hubie Halloween (2020) in Movies
Oct 9, 2020
I would class Happy Gilmore as a good Adam Sandler comedy. I would class Jack & Jill as a straight up abomination of cinema. Hubie Halloween sits somewhere comfortably in the middle.
It's pretty much follows the formula of what's come before - Adam Sandler portrays a loser that falls over a lot and talks in a silly voice, there's some sort of heart-warming redemption plot that results in him not being a loser and getting the girl. It's ball achingly predictable, but is wrapped up in a very Halloween-y package, so that's nice I guess.
The main issue is that I just didn't laugh. There are a few amusing lines here and there (June Squibb wearing vulgar novelty t-shirts is always a good shour) but most of the humour falls flat. Adam Sandler talking in a silly voice has never been funny, and you can't change my mind.
The supporting cast is a fairly impressive collection of names - Steve Buschemi, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things, Tim Meadows, Michael Chiklis, Ben Stiller, goddam Shaquille O'Neal (legit probably the best part of the whole movie) - even Kenan Thompson of Kenan & Kel fame. And of course Kevin James, this being a Sandler film and all....
There's not much really to say. The mystery aspect of the plot doesn't really feel intriguing at any part, and it's honestly just another run of the mill Adam Sandler comedy. Relatively entertaing as a seasonal watch, and I'm sure kids will love it, but ultimately, pretty damn average.
It's pretty much follows the formula of what's come before - Adam Sandler portrays a loser that falls over a lot and talks in a silly voice, there's some sort of heart-warming redemption plot that results in him not being a loser and getting the girl. It's ball achingly predictable, but is wrapped up in a very Halloween-y package, so that's nice I guess.
The main issue is that I just didn't laugh. There are a few amusing lines here and there (June Squibb wearing vulgar novelty t-shirts is always a good shour) but most of the humour falls flat. Adam Sandler talking in a silly voice has never been funny, and you can't change my mind.
The supporting cast is a fairly impressive collection of names - Steve Buschemi, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things, Tim Meadows, Michael Chiklis, Ben Stiller, goddam Shaquille O'Neal (legit probably the best part of the whole movie) - even Kenan Thompson of Kenan & Kel fame. And of course Kevin James, this being a Sandler film and all....
There's not much really to say. The mystery aspect of the plot doesn't really feel intriguing at any part, and it's honestly just another run of the mill Adam Sandler comedy. Relatively entertaing as a seasonal watch, and I'm sure kids will love it, but ultimately, pretty damn average.
ClareR (5779 KP) rated The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle in Books
Apr 9, 2021
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle rather intoxicated me, if I’m honest. It’s one of those witty yet heart-rending books that I didn’t want to stop listening to.
Ben Aldridge, the narrator, did his part so well. I believed that he was each of the separate characters - he made each of them sound so different, and he especially made Lavelle sound just how I would have imagined him to.
Two brothers, Benjamin and Edgar are on what is probably the most exciting and daunting trip of their young lives - a Grand Tour of Europe. It was what all the well-heeled young men and women would do at the time, in the hope that they’d make good business and, you never know, romantic connections. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the Bowen brothers are looked down on as being of the mercantile class. This horrified me as a modern day reader. Firstly, that two sheltered, innocent boys should be sent out to travel across Europe alone (must be the ‘Mother of Sons’ in me), secondly, that the upper classes were so bloody rude! They had the power to destroy someone with just a word. I could have scooped these boys up and taken them home, just to remove them from these horrendous people.
This is also the story of Benjamin’s self discovery. He meets and falls in love with Horace Lavelle at a time when men could be hanged as a ‘sodomite’. The author is upfront at the start that he had taken some liberties with this book. Homosexuality was illegal. No-one would take a chance of showing that they were gay. And there is that element of danger, of being found out, in this book despite those liberties.
But it’s such a lovely book - I wanted Benjamin to be happy, and I could see the potential for a train wreck ahead. And that’s all I’ll say! What I will say, is that this is a novel well worth your time!
Ben Aldridge, the narrator, did his part so well. I believed that he was each of the separate characters - he made each of them sound so different, and he especially made Lavelle sound just how I would have imagined him to.
Two brothers, Benjamin and Edgar are on what is probably the most exciting and daunting trip of their young lives - a Grand Tour of Europe. It was what all the well-heeled young men and women would do at the time, in the hope that they’d make good business and, you never know, romantic connections. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the Bowen brothers are looked down on as being of the mercantile class. This horrified me as a modern day reader. Firstly, that two sheltered, innocent boys should be sent out to travel across Europe alone (must be the ‘Mother of Sons’ in me), secondly, that the upper classes were so bloody rude! They had the power to destroy someone with just a word. I could have scooped these boys up and taken them home, just to remove them from these horrendous people.
This is also the story of Benjamin’s self discovery. He meets and falls in love with Horace Lavelle at a time when men could be hanged as a ‘sodomite’. The author is upfront at the start that he had taken some liberties with this book. Homosexuality was illegal. No-one would take a chance of showing that they were gay. And there is that element of danger, of being found out, in this book despite those liberties.
But it’s such a lovely book - I wanted Benjamin to be happy, and I could see the potential for a train wreck ahead. And that’s all I’ll say! What I will say, is that this is a novel well worth your time!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Life of the Party (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) has spent the past 21 years being a dedicated wife and mother. Her and her husband Dan (Matt Walsh) have delivered their only daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon) to their alma mater for her Senior year at college. As Deanna and Dan leave to what she thinks is their romantic trip to Italy, Dan breaks the information that 1. He wants a divorce and 2. He has been seeing Marcie (Julie Bowen) for a while and is in love with her. In a tailspin, Deanna retreats to her parents Mike and Sandy (Stephen Root and Jacki Weaver, respectively)feeling upended and lost.
While recovering from the emotional bomb, her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph as that BFF who says all things unedited and is SO VERY Ride or Die) helps to pull her (and the audience) out of the dark depths with the best drunk racquetball sideline ever. The chemistry between McCarthy and Rudolph feels like two naturals riffing off with each other. Their interchanges throughout the film had me snort-laughing throughout.
Deanna decides that since she did not graduate with her degree due to motherhood and Dan, it’s an opportunity to finish and pursue her dream of being an archaeologist. Dee registers and lets her daughter know of the huge changes happening. Dee can come off as a Pollyanna to a degree, but it is her can do, positive attitude that eventually helps her ride out the rollercoaster for her senior year.
Once she is entrenched in the school year, her daughter’s friends bring her into their circle and forces her to life the college life instead of only studying all the time. She meets the very handsome Jack ( Luke Benward) a much younger man, teaching him the finer arts of canoodling of a more experienced kind.
The film is cleverly written and produced by McCarthy and Ben Falcone (her husband) at the helm directing this movie. Melissa, is brilliant at giving us wonderfully unexpected physical comedy with fantastic comic timing. The cast, have given us an enjoyable movie that is a heartily, welcomed respite.
Life of the Party is a fun Girls Night Out.
While recovering from the emotional bomb, her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph as that BFF who says all things unedited and is SO VERY Ride or Die) helps to pull her (and the audience) out of the dark depths with the best drunk racquetball sideline ever. The chemistry between McCarthy and Rudolph feels like two naturals riffing off with each other. Their interchanges throughout the film had me snort-laughing throughout.
Deanna decides that since she did not graduate with her degree due to motherhood and Dan, it’s an opportunity to finish and pursue her dream of being an archaeologist. Dee registers and lets her daughter know of the huge changes happening. Dee can come off as a Pollyanna to a degree, but it is her can do, positive attitude that eventually helps her ride out the rollercoaster for her senior year.
Once she is entrenched in the school year, her daughter’s friends bring her into their circle and forces her to life the college life instead of only studying all the time. She meets the very handsome Jack ( Luke Benward) a much younger man, teaching him the finer arts of canoodling of a more experienced kind.
The film is cleverly written and produced by McCarthy and Ben Falcone (her husband) at the helm directing this movie. Melissa, is brilliant at giving us wonderfully unexpected physical comedy with fantastic comic timing. The cast, have given us an enjoyable movie that is a heartily, welcomed respite.
Life of the Party is a fun Girls Night Out.