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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Lighthouse (2019) in Movies
Jun 18, 2020
The Lighthouse is destined to be one of those polarizing art house films that splits opinion straight down the middle, and it's easy to see why. I found it captivating, but I imagine some people would find it boring. I found it relatively haunting, but I imagine some people found it pretentious, and that's ok, I can see why.
It's bleak and minimalist, boasting a cast of two for 98% of the films runtime, it's completely open for interpretation, and poses more questions than it answers, and after a fair bit of thought, I think I actually loved it.
Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson are unarguably fantastic. There is nothing less than full commitment to what they're trying to do.
Robert Egger's shooting style is great as well. The whole movie is presented in a black and white 4:3 ratio. Some of the grainy framing shots littered throughout echo of old 40s and 50s horror classics, and everything else presented to us feels fresh and new, whilst being fed undertones of Greek mythology and H.P. Lovecraft.
The script is modest and subtle with flashes of intensity, a particular highlight is Willem Defoe's terrifying monologue after his cooking is criticized...
As for the plot, it's anything but straightforward. As I said, open for interpretation, but what starts off as a slightly off-feeling drama snowballs dramatically into something quite disturbing and tense. This is aided by a sporadic but great music score, and the constant noise of the lighthouse engine room (reminded me of the logging mill from Twin Peaks!)
The Lighthouse certainly isn't for everyone, but if you like a challenge with your horror then make sure you check it out.
It's bleak and minimalist, boasting a cast of two for 98% of the films runtime, it's completely open for interpretation, and poses more questions than it answers, and after a fair bit of thought, I think I actually loved it.
Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson are unarguably fantastic. There is nothing less than full commitment to what they're trying to do.
Robert Egger's shooting style is great as well. The whole movie is presented in a black and white 4:3 ratio. Some of the grainy framing shots littered throughout echo of old 40s and 50s horror classics, and everything else presented to us feels fresh and new, whilst being fed undertones of Greek mythology and H.P. Lovecraft.
The script is modest and subtle with flashes of intensity, a particular highlight is Willem Defoe's terrifying monologue after his cooking is criticized...
As for the plot, it's anything but straightforward. As I said, open for interpretation, but what starts off as a slightly off-feeling drama snowballs dramatically into something quite disturbing and tense. This is aided by a sporadic but great music score, and the constant noise of the lighthouse engine room (reminded me of the logging mill from Twin Peaks!)
The Lighthouse certainly isn't for everyone, but if you like a challenge with your horror then make sure you check it out.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Beautful Beureaucrat in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Josephine Jones has just move to the big city and is in need of a job. She finds one where her job is to input information into a database. She will sit in an office with smudged pink walls, in a building with no windows. Her only job is to enter the information and don't ask questions. But curiosity is a part of human nature. Will she be able to continue the job when she discovers what it is she is really doing?
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Josephine and Joseph Jones have left the hinterland(the place they call home) for the big city. I'm not sure what city they are in or what kind of people Josephine and Joseph are. Sometimes Josephine calls Joseph by a number 041-74-3400. They jump around their new city from sublet to sublet, each with one disgusting trait or another. Like black bubbling coming from the bathtub and gray sheets on the futon that were at some time in their life white.
This was a short story that captivated my attention, but also had me confused. There didn't seem to be enough time to tell the background of the story or develop the characters enough to really get to know them. There wasn't a name to the city they were living in and Josephine constantly refers to her boss as "The Person with Bad Breath". Overall this book was pretty good and I would read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Josephine and Joseph Jones have left the hinterland(the place they call home) for the big city. I'm not sure what city they are in or what kind of people Josephine and Joseph are. Sometimes Josephine calls Joseph by a number 041-74-3400. They jump around their new city from sublet to sublet, each with one disgusting trait or another. Like black bubbling coming from the bathtub and gray sheets on the futon that were at some time in their life white.
This was a short story that captivated my attention, but also had me confused. There didn't seem to be enough time to tell the background of the story or develop the characters enough to really get to know them. There wasn't a name to the city they were living in and Josephine constantly refers to her boss as "The Person with Bad Breath". Overall this book was pretty good and I would read more by this author.
Dakota and the American Dream
7.0
Rate It
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When ten-year-old Dakota becomes bored sitting next to his mother on a park bench, he drifts off and...
Merissa (12346 KP) rated Lost Cause (Life Sucks #8) in Books
Oct 10, 2023
LOST CAUSE is the eighth book in the Life Sucks and it would be handy to have read the others, just so you know the other characters and the bit of backstory that is mentioned.
Frankie says she had a privileged upbringing, but it sounds absolutely horrible. No wonder she left that life behind... or did she? Lex isn't convinced and watches her for a year to see if she's telling the truth. When her father shows up, Lex thinks he's both vindicated in his thoughts and has also caught the criminal who nearly wrecked his life. Is it black and white though?
Of course not! This is an Elise Faber novel! There are some twists and turns to it, but it is clearly laid out and none of it comes as a surprise. I guess the only surprise for me was how easily Frankie accepts Lex's excuses, which is touched on in the story and explained. I know Frankie is supposed to have a 'quiet strength,' but at times, she almost seemed too easy-going - especially with someone as strong-willed as Lex.
This was an enjoyable read where love conquers all and the good guys get the win. So if that's what you're after, you've got the right book. Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 9, 2023
Frankie says she had a privileged upbringing, but it sounds absolutely horrible. No wonder she left that life behind... or did she? Lex isn't convinced and watches her for a year to see if she's telling the truth. When her father shows up, Lex thinks he's both vindicated in his thoughts and has also caught the criminal who nearly wrecked his life. Is it black and white though?
Of course not! This is an Elise Faber novel! There are some twists and turns to it, but it is clearly laid out and none of it comes as a surprise. I guess the only surprise for me was how easily Frankie accepts Lex's excuses, which is touched on in the story and explained. I know Frankie is supposed to have a 'quiet strength,' but at times, she almost seemed too easy-going - especially with someone as strong-willed as Lex.
This was an enjoyable read where love conquers all and the good guys get the win. So if that's what you're after, you've got the right book. Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 9, 2023
Merissa (12346 KP) rated Prince of Frogs (Curse of the Dark Kingdom, #1) in Books
May 8, 2023
THE FROG PRINCE is the first book in the Curse of the Dark Kingdom series and manages to tell you all about how the curse was set in place without overloading you with information all at once. Each of the brothers and sister have to deal with a different curse. Alistair is the one who has turned green and has gills, together with a silver metal mask that has fused with his face.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story as Alistair, with help from his 2IC, comes to realise that he is more than just his father's weapon and that things aren't just black and white. Evonna has her own trials and tribulations to contend with and I loved how both sides were worked into the story, making you care about the characters.
There is an overall story arc and a HFN ending. You don't get a marriage but I do feel these will continue to grow in the other stories. One thing I loved is that the sister is the one freed first, even though this isn't her story! I can't wait to read more in this series.
If you're a fan of fantasy romance and fairy tale retellings, then I definitely recommend you try this one!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 8, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this story as Alistair, with help from his 2IC, comes to realise that he is more than just his father's weapon and that things aren't just black and white. Evonna has her own trials and tribulations to contend with and I loved how both sides were worked into the story, making you care about the characters.
There is an overall story arc and a HFN ending. You don't get a marriage but I do feel these will continue to grow in the other stories. One thing I loved is that the sister is the one freed first, even though this isn't her story! I can't wait to read more in this series.
If you're a fan of fantasy romance and fairy tale retellings, then I definitely recommend you try this one!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 8, 2023
Lee (2222 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Jul 26, 2017
Amazingly, I managed to head into Get Out having not even seen the trailer. It had been appearing more and more frequently on my news feeds recently, usually accompanied by a lot of positive buzz, and usually featuring an image of lead character Chris, wide eyed and terrified, with a tear running down his cheek (note that I’ve continued this trend with my review!). Described as a racial satire/horror it just didn’t really feature high on my watch list, but I booked a ticket to go see it, wanting to see what all the buzz was about. I’m kind of glad that I went in relatively blind as to what to expect though, as I was absolutely blown away by it.
Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris, a young black man dating a white girl called Rose (Allison Williams). He’s preparing to go and meet her parents for the first time but he’s a bit unsure as to what they’re going to think about him, despite Rose assuring him that he’s got nothing to worry about. When they arrive at the huge house out in the country, her parents really are fine with Chris. And they take every opportunity during their conversations to be positive about race and to assure Chris that they’re fine with him too, to the point where Chris (and us) begin to feel a little bit uneasy. This unease isn’t helped by the fact that there are two black servants in the house, neither of whom have very much to say and both acting very strangely. At night, the housekeeper wanders quietly around the house while the groundsman sprints around outside in the dark!
Paranoia and tension continues when a large group of family friends arrives for a party and they all seem very keen to get to know Chris and bond with him. One of the guests even has a black ‘companion’ who is also acting strangely. Despite the assurances from all, things definitely are not OK…
Of the little I read about Get Out beforehand, one of the reviews that stuck with me most described it a little bit like From Dusk Til Dawn in the way that everything suddenly all goes to shit in a hugely enjoyable and unexpected twist. There are definitely no vampires or anything similar in this movie, but I felt that it was a pretty good comparison. The movie spends a long time putting you on the edge of your seat, building up the tension, providing plenty of food for thought on modern day racism and adding the odd bit of welcome comedy relief from Chris’ friend on the end of the phone trying to support him. It’s all hugely enjoyable and even though you can guess pretty early on what’s going on, it’s all still hugely satisfying when the truth finally is revealed and the violence and action take over.
Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris, a young black man dating a white girl called Rose (Allison Williams). He’s preparing to go and meet her parents for the first time but he’s a bit unsure as to what they’re going to think about him, despite Rose assuring him that he’s got nothing to worry about. When they arrive at the huge house out in the country, her parents really are fine with Chris. And they take every opportunity during their conversations to be positive about race and to assure Chris that they’re fine with him too, to the point where Chris (and us) begin to feel a little bit uneasy. This unease isn’t helped by the fact that there are two black servants in the house, neither of whom have very much to say and both acting very strangely. At night, the housekeeper wanders quietly around the house while the groundsman sprints around outside in the dark!
Paranoia and tension continues when a large group of family friends arrives for a party and they all seem very keen to get to know Chris and bond with him. One of the guests even has a black ‘companion’ who is also acting strangely. Despite the assurances from all, things definitely are not OK…
Of the little I read about Get Out beforehand, one of the reviews that stuck with me most described it a little bit like From Dusk Til Dawn in the way that everything suddenly all goes to shit in a hugely enjoyable and unexpected twist. There are definitely no vampires or anything similar in this movie, but I felt that it was a pretty good comparison. The movie spends a long time putting you on the edge of your seat, building up the tension, providing plenty of food for thought on modern day racism and adding the odd bit of welcome comedy relief from Chris’ friend on the end of the phone trying to support him. It’s all hugely enjoyable and even though you can guess pretty early on what’s going on, it’s all still hugely satisfying when the truth finally is revealed and the violence and action take over.
The Great Work of the Flesh: Sexual Magic East and West
Book
Magic, almost in its entirety, is connected to sexuality. It is through the natural magic of love...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
We DO remember them.
“Trapped in a Charlie Chaplin World”. So says director Peter Jackson in a post-screening discussion with Mark Kermode, describing early black and white documentary footage. Whereas modern film runs at 24 fps, most of the old footage is hand cranked, with speeds as low as 12 fps which leads to its jerky nature. Jackson in this project with the Imperial War Museum took their WW1 footage and put it through a ‘pipeline process. This cleaned-up and restored the original footage; used clever computer interpolation to add in the missing 6 to 12 frames per second; and then colourised it.
The results are outstanding. Jackson wisely focuses the film on the specific slice of WW1 action from the trenches. And those anonymous figures become real, live, breathing humans on screen. It is obviously tragic that some (and as commented by Jackson, many in one scene) are not to be breathing humans for much longer.
These effects take a while to kick in. The early scenes in the documentary are in the original black and white, describing the recruitment process, and how many of the recruits were under-age. (To explain the varied comments in the film, they should have been 18, although officially shouldn’t have been sent overseas until 19).
It is when the troops arrive in France that we suddenly go from black-and-white to the fully restored and colourised footage, and it is a gasp-inducing moment.
Audio magic
All of the audio commentary is from original BBC recordings of war veterans recounting their actual experiences in the trench. Some sound like heroes; some sound like rogues; all came out changed men. Supporting music of WW1 ditties, including the incredibly rude “Mademoiselle from Armentières” over the end credits, is provided by Plan 9.
But equally impressive is the dubbing of the characters onscreen. Jackson employed forensic lip-readers to determine what the soldiers on-screen were saying, and reproduced the speech using appropriate regional accents for the regiments concerned. Jackson also recounts how the words associated with a “pep-talk” speech to troops by an officer he found on an original slip of paper within the regimental records: outstanding. Added sound effects include real-life shelling by the New Zealand army. It all adds to the overall atmosphere of the film.
3D = less
The film itself is a masterpiece of technical innovation that will change in the future the way in which we should be able to see this sort of early film footage forever. As a documentary it’s near-perfection. But if I have a criticism of the cinema showing I attended it is that the 3D tended to detract rather than add to the film. Perhaps this is just my eyesight, but 3D always tends to make images slightly more blurry. Where (like “Gravity”) there are great 3D effects to showcase, it’s worth the slight negative to get the massive positive. But here, there was no such benefit: 2D would have been better. For those in the UK (and possibly through other broadcasters worldwide) the film is being shown on BBC2 tonight (11/11/18) at 9:30: I will be watching it again to compare and contrast.
Final Thoughts
Jackson dedicated the film to his grandfather. And almost all of us Brits will have relatives affected by this “war to end all wars”. In my case, my grandfather was shot and severely wounded at Leuze Wood on the Somme, lying in the mud for four days and four nights before being recovered… by the Germans! Fortunately he was well-treated and, although dying young, recovered enough to father my father – else I wouldn’t be here today writing this. On this Rememberance Sunday, 100 years on, it is a time for us to truly remember the sacrifice these men and boys gave to what, all in the film agree, was a pretty obstinate and pointless conflict.
I’ll finish the review by reproducing one of the war poems of my wife’s Uncle Ivor (available in a collection here), written on 11/11/18 a hundred years ago:
Peace
At last O Lord the Day has come,
And hushed is now the noise of guns.
Peace is proclaimed over land and sea,
Our heartfelt thanks we give to Thee.
I thank thee Father for Thy care,
That thou hasn’t answered all my prayers.
This day I see in manhood’s strength,
The Peace we longed for, come at length.
O may my future actions be,
Worthy of all Thy care to me.
Let me forget not Thy Great Love,
Remembering chums who live Above.
I.G.H. 11/11/1918, France.
The results are outstanding. Jackson wisely focuses the film on the specific slice of WW1 action from the trenches. And those anonymous figures become real, live, breathing humans on screen. It is obviously tragic that some (and as commented by Jackson, many in one scene) are not to be breathing humans for much longer.
These effects take a while to kick in. The early scenes in the documentary are in the original black and white, describing the recruitment process, and how many of the recruits were under-age. (To explain the varied comments in the film, they should have been 18, although officially shouldn’t have been sent overseas until 19).
It is when the troops arrive in France that we suddenly go from black-and-white to the fully restored and colourised footage, and it is a gasp-inducing moment.
Audio magic
All of the audio commentary is from original BBC recordings of war veterans recounting their actual experiences in the trench. Some sound like heroes; some sound like rogues; all came out changed men. Supporting music of WW1 ditties, including the incredibly rude “Mademoiselle from Armentières” over the end credits, is provided by Plan 9.
But equally impressive is the dubbing of the characters onscreen. Jackson employed forensic lip-readers to determine what the soldiers on-screen were saying, and reproduced the speech using appropriate regional accents for the regiments concerned. Jackson also recounts how the words associated with a “pep-talk” speech to troops by an officer he found on an original slip of paper within the regimental records: outstanding. Added sound effects include real-life shelling by the New Zealand army. It all adds to the overall atmosphere of the film.
3D = less
The film itself is a masterpiece of technical innovation that will change in the future the way in which we should be able to see this sort of early film footage forever. As a documentary it’s near-perfection. But if I have a criticism of the cinema showing I attended it is that the 3D tended to detract rather than add to the film. Perhaps this is just my eyesight, but 3D always tends to make images slightly more blurry. Where (like “Gravity”) there are great 3D effects to showcase, it’s worth the slight negative to get the massive positive. But here, there was no such benefit: 2D would have been better. For those in the UK (and possibly through other broadcasters worldwide) the film is being shown on BBC2 tonight (11/11/18) at 9:30: I will be watching it again to compare and contrast.
Final Thoughts
Jackson dedicated the film to his grandfather. And almost all of us Brits will have relatives affected by this “war to end all wars”. In my case, my grandfather was shot and severely wounded at Leuze Wood on the Somme, lying in the mud for four days and four nights before being recovered… by the Germans! Fortunately he was well-treated and, although dying young, recovered enough to father my father – else I wouldn’t be here today writing this. On this Rememberance Sunday, 100 years on, it is a time for us to truly remember the sacrifice these men and boys gave to what, all in the film agree, was a pretty obstinate and pointless conflict.
I’ll finish the review by reproducing one of the war poems of my wife’s Uncle Ivor (available in a collection here), written on 11/11/18 a hundred years ago:
Peace
At last O Lord the Day has come,
And hushed is now the noise of guns.
Peace is proclaimed over land and sea,
Our heartfelt thanks we give to Thee.
I thank thee Father for Thy care,
That thou hasn’t answered all my prayers.
This day I see in manhood’s strength,
The Peace we longed for, come at length.
O may my future actions be,
Worthy of all Thy care to me.
Let me forget not Thy Great Love,
Remembering chums who live Above.
I.G.H. 11/11/1918, France.
Can express emotions. (4 more)
Can show off your photography skills.
Can keep up to date with family and friends.
It rarely crashes.
Can make your account private.
It reminds me a bit of Snapchat and Messenger now since all of the updates. (1 more)
Have a limit on video length.
My Main Social Media Platform!!
Instagram.....this is what I use mainly, more so than Facebook. It's something different and interesting to see people posts pictures instead of a status. I love putting up a picture of the day or even a quote of the day because I believe there's different ways to look at a picture, like that saying, a photo can tell you a 1000 words (something like that).
I do think it's got slightly more technical since the updates as years have gone on, I know to keep ahead of the game and more modernised. In some elements I do feel like it has copied Snapchat and Messenger were it didn't need it.
It has great effects on it from black and white to changing your photo to sepia or enhancing tones and shading. I do like doing all the different enhancements myself to find the perfect way I want my photo to look.
All in all, I can't really say much of a bad thing about Instagram because I use it everyday. I would definitely reccomend, especially if you want to try something new or express yourself more than words could.
I do think it's got slightly more technical since the updates as years have gone on, I know to keep ahead of the game and more modernised. In some elements I do feel like it has copied Snapchat and Messenger were it didn't need it.
It has great effects on it from black and white to changing your photo to sepia or enhancing tones and shading. I do like doing all the different enhancements myself to find the perfect way I want my photo to look.
All in all, I can't really say much of a bad thing about Instagram because I use it everyday. I would definitely reccomend, especially if you want to try something new or express yourself more than words could.
Telling Tales: Growing Up on a Highland Farm
Book
Growing up on a farm in the north of Scotland could be both rewarding and challenging. Now,...