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Scott McGuinness (6 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies
May 3, 2019
Absolutely nailed the whole feel of the suicide squad and adding Jared Leto's Joker on the side, put the final cherry on the cake. The only let down for DC, was casting Ben Affleck as Batman, though we are saved the torture of his presence, as his appearance in this movie is relatively small. It's not often DC make a good live action movie, but this one does hold the ranks.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated In This Ground in Books
Nov 17, 2018
Interesting Book
This book follows the story of Ben. In his younger days he wrote songs for a small band that gained some popularity. The story shows the reader how Ben got to where he is, and why he views music the way he does.
While the main plot is about Ben and his music a lot of other stuff is going on. My favorite thing about this book is that it takes what would normally be considered obscure or random, such mushroom hunting, grave digging, and yarn bombing, and makes them really interesting parts of the story. If you're looking for a good story that is a little different this is a book for you.
While the main plot is about Ben and his music a lot of other stuff is going on. My favorite thing about this book is that it takes what would normally be considered obscure or random, such mushroom hunting, grave digging, and yarn bombing, and makes them really interesting parts of the story. If you're looking for a good story that is a little different this is a book for you.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Happy Gilmore (1996) in Movies
Jun 29, 2018
It's ok with a few funny scenes, not quite sure why it's held in such high regard by many?! The sight of Sandler losing it with the clubs and smashing stuff up is over used. A has the odd moment that will make you laugh out loud, but a long shot short of a classic! Odd to see Ben Stiller in such a small, weird role in this?
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Before and After (1996) in Movies
Mar 5, 2021
Liam Neeson (2 more)
Meryl Streep
Edward Furlong
Whatever The Cost
Before and After- is a intense drama crime thriller. The performances are excellent. The movie is full of dramatic moments.
The plot: The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns.
I highly recordmend watching this film.
The plot: The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns.
I highly recordmend watching this film.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Pelican Point (Hope Harbor #4) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Pelican Point is the fourth novel in the Hope Harbor series. In this intriguing novel, we are introduced to Army doctor Ben Garrison who has arrived back to Hope Harbor for his grandfather's funeral.
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Nothingness of Ben (The Austin Trilogy, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
3.5 stars.
I don't know how to review this. There was stuff I liked and stuff I wasn't so keen on.
Let's start with the pros:
1) The developing relationship between the brothers; the younger three were close and seeing them grow closer to their older sibling was really cute.
2) Ben's willingness to change; even if it did take a while.
3) The camaraderie between many of the characters; Ben and Colin; Cade and Travis; Colin and Jason, the list goes on.
Cons:
1) The length of time for Ben and Travis' relationship to bloom; it seemed a bit too quick in some respects, although Travis was very willing once he came around to the idea.
2) This is not necessarily about the book itself, but some of the characters: How they treated Travis at the dinner party.
I have come to notice that I like to read books that involve children in my m/m romances ([b:One Small Thing|13186809|One Small Thing (One Thing, #1)|Piper Vaughn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327464763s/13186809.jpg|18367666]) and that really helped me in this. They were all really great kids and I liked how they all grew and ended up really happy.
I don't know how to review this. There was stuff I liked and stuff I wasn't so keen on.
Let's start with the pros:
1) The developing relationship between the brothers; the younger three were close and seeing them grow closer to their older sibling was really cute.
2) Ben's willingness to change; even if it did take a while.
3) The camaraderie between many of the characters; Ben and Colin; Cade and Travis; Colin and Jason, the list goes on.
Cons:
1) The length of time for Ben and Travis' relationship to bloom; it seemed a bit too quick in some respects, although Travis was very willing once he came around to the idea.
2) This is not necessarily about the book itself, but some of the characters: How they treated Travis at the dinner party.
I have come to notice that I like to read books that involve children in my m/m romances ([b:One Small Thing|13186809|One Small Thing (One Thing, #1)|Piper Vaughn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327464763s/13186809.jpg|18367666]) and that really helped me in this. They were all really great kids and I liked how they all grew and ended up really happy.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated The Guardian (2006) in Movies
Feb 7, 2018
Swim for it
A master diver/rescuer for the coast guard Ben Randall (Costner) has an accident at sea and is asked to teach A school cadets (Coast Guard enlistees) the right and wrong ways to save someone and survival skills. A cadet Jake Fischer (Kutcher) has a troubled past from a small town and is a world class swim champ is arrogant and is put to the test by Randall. Will he have to swim for it or be a fish out of water.
A good look into the way Coast Guard divers/rescuers are trained and what they have to endure. The story line is pretty good and the movie dosen't have a dull moment
A good look into the way Coast Guard divers/rescuers are trained and what they have to endure. The story line is pretty good and the movie dosen't have a dull moment
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
May 19, 2018
Felt a little small
As usual, I don't go to theatres much so I watched this on home video last night after rewatching Batman vs. Superman last week.
Having my expectations low, I actually enjoyed the film. Certainly has its flaws, but I was never bored while watching. The whole Superman mustache thing I thought was a little blown out of proportion, or maybe not as noticeable on a smaller screen.
The film is certainly carried by the larger-than-life perfect castings of Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot who continue their masterful portrayals of Superman and Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck looked bored throughout and the others didn't matter.
I was waiting the whole time for Aquaman to do something actually Aquamanish and he never did. Not even make a group of sharks go attack someone. I was surprised by that.
My main criticism is the film just feels small, meaning not epic. The final resolution was satisfying, but that's about it. Sort of anticlimactic I thought.
Still enjoyed a lot.
Having my expectations low, I actually enjoyed the film. Certainly has its flaws, but I was never bored while watching. The whole Superman mustache thing I thought was a little blown out of proportion, or maybe not as noticeable on a smaller screen.
The film is certainly carried by the larger-than-life perfect castings of Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot who continue their masterful portrayals of Superman and Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck looked bored throughout and the others didn't matter.
I was waiting the whole time for Aquaman to do something actually Aquamanish and he never did. Not even make a group of sharks go attack someone. I was surprised by that.
My main criticism is the film just feels small, meaning not epic. The final resolution was satisfying, but that's about it. Sort of anticlimactic I thought.
Still enjoyed a lot.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Captain Fantastic (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Written and directed by Matt Ross, “Captain Fantastic” is perhaps the most beautiful film put out in many years. It tells the story of a family living in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, surviving off of the land.
Viggo Mortensen plays Ben, a father who raises his children away from society, training them to be hunters and philosophers. The first scene is of an epic chase of a deer in the forest. In a manner that can only be equated to tribal tradition, the children stalk the animal while covered in black mud. When the eldest son takes down the deer, he is fed its heart and pronounced a man. Although, the film is not filled with scenes aimed at shock value. It has far too much depth to be described in that way.
When tragedy strikes, the family is forced to go into the city and face the rest of the world. Ben and his children stop at a diner in a small town, and everything is bizarre to the kids. They had never heard of soda, and they don’t understand why everyone is so overweight around them.
Quickly though, it becomes clear to them that they are the “strange” ones. When they visit their relatives, Ben is confronted with disdain and concern for how he chooses to raise his children. Everyone is panicked that he is not providing them with an adequate upbringing, while he feels it is the only acceptable path.
Together, they go on a journey that invokes the beauty, wildness, and sadness of being human.
“Captain Fantastic” takes audiences through the spectrum of human emotion, and truly makes one think about what it means to live in society today so far disconnected from our animal roots.
Each character delivers a raw and authentic performance. At moments Ben seems like a lunatic; at other times he seems like he is actually the sanest person on the planet.
The film is beautifully shot in some amazing parts of Washington, inciting nostalgia for Seattleites.
The music is subtle and helps to make the film a riveting experience.
Not just a movie, but a true masterpiece. Though it seems like a massive understatement, I give “Captain Fantastic” 5 out of 5 stars.
Viggo Mortensen plays Ben, a father who raises his children away from society, training them to be hunters and philosophers. The first scene is of an epic chase of a deer in the forest. In a manner that can only be equated to tribal tradition, the children stalk the animal while covered in black mud. When the eldest son takes down the deer, he is fed its heart and pronounced a man. Although, the film is not filled with scenes aimed at shock value. It has far too much depth to be described in that way.
When tragedy strikes, the family is forced to go into the city and face the rest of the world. Ben and his children stop at a diner in a small town, and everything is bizarre to the kids. They had never heard of soda, and they don’t understand why everyone is so overweight around them.
Quickly though, it becomes clear to them that they are the “strange” ones. When they visit their relatives, Ben is confronted with disdain and concern for how he chooses to raise his children. Everyone is panicked that he is not providing them with an adequate upbringing, while he feels it is the only acceptable path.
Together, they go on a journey that invokes the beauty, wildness, and sadness of being human.
“Captain Fantastic” takes audiences through the spectrum of human emotion, and truly makes one think about what it means to live in society today so far disconnected from our animal roots.
Each character delivers a raw and authentic performance. At moments Ben seems like a lunatic; at other times he seems like he is actually the sanest person on the planet.
The film is beautifully shot in some amazing parts of Washington, inciting nostalgia for Seattleites.
The music is subtle and helps to make the film a riveting experience.
Not just a movie, but a true masterpiece. Though it seems like a massive understatement, I give “Captain Fantastic” 5 out of 5 stars.
