The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot by Captain Beefheart
Album
These two albums, which appear on one CD in reverse chronological order, capture Don Van Vliet, aka...
Purple Method
Book
An up-and-coming heavy metal singer and a martial artist desperate to join a top MMA gym must decide...
Contemporary MM Romance Music
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) in Movies
Nov 13, 2020
GOTG was a very niche property before hand. A bunch of little know Marvel characters galavanting around space, with revolving line ups involving inconsistent degrees of absurdity. The fact that batshit crazy characters such as Groot and Rocket Raccoon are now household names is an indication of just how effective this movie was.
James Gunn proves that he is the man for the job by melding together his own signature style (alongside his regular collaborator Michael Rooker of course) with the tried and tested Marvel formula of big action, and frequent humour. It's a toss up between this and Thor Ragnarok for funniest MCU movie for sure. Nearly every joke lands well, and unlike the sequel, the humour is never overdone. The balance is near perfect.
The cast are mainly to thank for that of course. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voice talents of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel make up the titular Guardians, and they are all unique and have intriguing back stories. They are well developed as the film plays out, and together make for an irreplaceable band of misfits.
The supporting cast include the aformentioned Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, Peter Serafinowicz, Sean Gunn, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio Del Toro, and a first appearance by Josh Brolin as Thanos... It's another undeniably impressive ensemble cast for the MCU.
The special effects on display here are incredible. The whole film looks amazing and the big set pieces are hugely entertaining, and emotionally charged...These characters make a quick impression!
The only real criticism I have is that Ronan the Accuser, this films main antagonist, feels a little wasted. He looks great, and Lee Pace does the best with what he's given, but by the time the credits roll, he unfortunately joins the big pile of disposable MCU villains.
It's a small gripe when compared to all the good in this movie - that includes it's fantastic soundtrack by the way.
Guardians of the Galaxy is wonderful. It's proof that studios no longer have to rely on the big A-list names to make a great film, and as a result, this opened the doors for even more weird and wonderful characters to make their way into this behemoth of a series. One of my personal favourite MCU entries.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Amber (Red Hot Love #1) in Books
Sep 3, 2019
This one started off a little crazy with a lawyer visiting Amber and her families farm to tell them that their dads want to meet them in New York. Amber appears to have never left the farm before to visit big cities and is wowed by some things and horrified by others in the Big Apple.
Amber and Ty certainly rubbed each other the wrong way to start but you could see a tentative connection between them from pretty early on. I actually really liked Ty, and Amber's intuitiveness; the way she picked up on little things and tried to solve problems was great. It was a very good plotline and I loved that part of the story.
And the romance, of course. It was very sweet. I was "aaahh"ing and smiling like a loon with the gentleness of it all. Super cute. Not what I was expecting but I really liked it.
Now I've finished the story, I still find the beginning and that part of the story with the hippie compound a little strange/out there but the rest of the story? I liked it, though I would have liked more band stuff included.
I can't help wondering if Red Hot's story will continue through Emerald and Rose's romances which I will buy and read at some point in the future.
Secondhand Souls (Grim Reaper #2)
Book
It seems like only yesterday that Charlie Asher took on a very dirty job--collecting souls and...
Calling Me Home: Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock
Book
On September 19, 1973, Gram Parsons became yet another rock-and-roll casualty in an era of excess, a...
Duff McKagan recommended 1999 by Prince in Music (curated)
Jonathan Higgs recommended track He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot by Grandaddy in Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy in Music (curated)
Graham Bonnet: The Story Behind the Shades
Book
Graham Bonnet was born in Skegness in 1947 and had his first hit single with The Marbles in 1968,...