Search
Search results
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies
Jan 26, 2018
Exceptional remake
Based on the famous book written by Agatha Christie Novel Murder On The Orient Express. The story of thirteen different strangers and one famous Detective are on one of the most luxurious trains in the eastern hemisphere. One man gets murdered and it is up to famous detective Hercule Poirot to solve the case. The train passengers contain a mixture of classes from a Princess, to countess, a Doctor, a Dancer, The valet, The professor, the gold digger a antiquities dealer and a nurse, a governess, a Count, the Italian fan and the Conductor. They are the suspects in this cold blooded murder. During the murder the an avalanche knocks the train off the tracks and during this is when the body is discovered. It is this stoppage of time that allows our Hero to question the suspects and try to make sense of all the evidence what ever there maybe.
I can't divulge more because there are so many different plot points that it would ruin the chance for you to see the movie and enjoy it.
The Book can never be beat, The first movie was ok but, the remake was fantastic. Stars Melanie Griffith, Judi Dench, William Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Deep, Josh Gad, Penople Cruz and Kenneth Branagh. This is an excellent cast for this movie and it is amazing. I do suggest you read the book first but, that is just a suggestion
I can't divulge more because there are so many different plot points that it would ruin the chance for you to see the movie and enjoy it.
The Book can never be beat, The first movie was ok but, the remake was fantastic. Stars Melanie Griffith, Judi Dench, William Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Deep, Josh Gad, Penople Cruz and Kenneth Branagh. This is an excellent cast for this movie and it is amazing. I do suggest you read the book first but, that is just a suggestion
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Otherworld (Otherworld, #1) in Books
Apr 30, 2019
I was quite surprised by the book! I had no idea that the author was the "Jason Segel" from tv and movies, until midway through the book when I needed to know more about the author. I was pleasantly surprised the characters were well fleshed out and were not two dimensional as most sci-fi can do. I was a bit hesitant at the start of the book as I had seen some hype saying that this was the next "Ready Player One". I really dislike when people compare things like that. Especially when they are compared with my favorite book. Don't even get me started on the movie for that book.
This had a great world, and I'm really excited to get to go back for the second book, currently it's on hold at the library once I'm off the waitlist will definitely dive in. I'm glad that the characters were flawed and real. The worlds were developed and thought out. The plot was fully considered. I'm rather impressed with Jason Segel's writing ability.
This had a great world, and I'm really excited to get to go back for the second book, currently it's on hold at the library once I'm off the waitlist will definitely dive in. I'm glad that the characters were flawed and real. The worlds were developed and thought out. The plot was fully considered. I'm rather impressed with Jason Segel's writing ability.
Kelsey Hathaway (21 KP) rated Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine in Books
Sep 16, 2019
I waited a long time to read this book. When I finally did, it took me until 150 pages in to actually like the protagonist. I think Honeyman was going for humor with Eleanor Oliphant’s complete lack of social grace; but it was off-putting when her bluntness because insulting to everyone around her. Good turnaround, though: by the end, I was really attached to Eleanor and invested in her happiness. So, a bit of a roller coaster, but ultimately wonderful. Will make a good movie.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
A writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island in the aftermath of World War II, when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.
This one was a nice harmless kind of movie. Not one I'd feel compelled to see again, but enjoyable.
Before I went off to see this one I was read some comments on it from the Times. The assessment from their point of view was that this one won the award for “absolutely no screen chemistry whatsoever”. This is why I don't read reviews before I go. There was some awkwardness between the main characters, but had I not had that in my mind before going then I wouldn't have noticed. That awkwardness was entirely appropriate for the position that the pair were in.
There's nothing too objectionable about the Guernsey movie, apart from the long and unwieldy title it has inherited from the book. I just can't find anything more to say about it.
This one was a nice harmless kind of movie. Not one I'd feel compelled to see again, but enjoyable.
Before I went off to see this one I was read some comments on it from the Times. The assessment from their point of view was that this one won the award for “absolutely no screen chemistry whatsoever”. This is why I don't read reviews before I go. There was some awkwardness between the main characters, but had I not had that in my mind before going then I wouldn't have noticed. That awkwardness was entirely appropriate for the position that the pair were in.
There's nothing too objectionable about the Guernsey movie, apart from the long and unwieldy title it has inherited from the book. I just can't find anything more to say about it.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Another case of 'visionary film-makers' getting together to produce something visually lavish but also very derivative and hobbled by a goosey-goosey-gander plot. Cyber-surgeon and part-time bounty hunter (you can tell it's a comic book movie) finds a brain in a can and installs it in his dead daughter's robotic body; she turns out to be Alita, who looks like Gollum's better groomed little sister but fights like a CGI'd version of Bruce Lee. Alita tries bounty hunting, also has a go at roller-boogie, falls in love (somewhat unconvincingly). Some good actors are saddled with unrewarding parts.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
May 6, 2020
Read the book first
Made the very big mistake of watching the movie before I knew of the books existence, so the storyline was not unfamiliar to me... However I do stand my view that a film based on a novel, rarely lives up to its literary starting point. In this case it was definitely true, whilst the movie was well casted and well acted, Yoon’s novel was wonderfully fresh and gives real in head insight into Maddy and Olly and the development of their relationship!
Well worded and written it allows you to imagine and form your own images from the words on the pages. Loved it. Will be ordering more from Nicola Yoon.
Well worded and written it allows you to imagine and form your own images from the words on the pages. Loved it. Will be ordering more from Nicola Yoon.
Amanda (96 KP) rated Five Feet Apart in Books
Jul 7, 2019
I FINALLY finished this book and it took forever to do so. I remember starting this book a while back and I just had a difficult time getting through this story. I couldn't pin point as to why it was difficult to finish, and to this day, I really still can't.
This book had/has so much hype and more so when the movie was released. I almost skipped the book and watched the movie because of who was playing the Will character, but I decided against it and went for the book first.
First and foremost, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I wanted to get the book with the original cover and I sometimes just stare at it. I understand why there is a re-release of the book with the movie poster on the covers, but to me, it takes away from the author and the publisher. I try my best NOT to buy the books with the movie posters.
So we have two teenagers, Stella and Will, whom both have Cystic Fibrosis. In a nutshell, this disease affects the lungs and digestive system. The lungs fill rapidly with mucus and makes it difficult to breathe. The highly big part, and the main story of this novel, is that two people with the SAME disease have to stay a minimum of six feet apart. That is because one of them could get worse, or die, just from the others contamination.
Stella is optimistic and uploads YouTube videos and tries to keep her parents notified and tries to not think about her older sister being gone.
Will has not so much as given up, but more like kind of goes with the flow of his condition. So much so that he lets his friends use his hospital room as a 'hook up' area. Such a nice guy, don't you think?
Anyway, so these two don't really like each other at first but feelings are developed over bonding of memories and Stella getting Will to get back to doing his treatments on a regular basis. The story starts that they have to be six feet apart, but Stella pushes the boundary and keeps it at five feet apart - hence the title.
I hate to say this, but I had a hard time connecting with either one of these characters. The only one I really somewhat liked was Poe.
I can see the whole similarity with this book and The Fault in Our Stars, but I can't compare the two. Because, in TFIOS, they had cancer and didn't have to stay away from each other. And to me, those characters were easier to connect with than Will and Stella. I'm not saying I didn't like them, but I just couldn't connect.
Stella basically lives so her parents don't fall a part and Will is just kind of 'whatever' about the whole thing because he sees no future for himself, or a treatment that will help him.
I don't really see the hype in this story. It felt rushed to me as well. I'm not sure if it's because the story was kind of short for the plot. Maybe it's because we didn't get a lot of story. I'm not fond of how it was written. It was almost written like it was going to be a movie so it was scripted.
I'm not saying it was a bad story. It really wasn't. I just feel like there was something missing and I couldn't really feel much for these two characters. I couldn't fathom some of the decisions and through process that Stella has done.
All in all, not a terrible story, but I don't see what the hype was about and I don't think I'll be watching the movie.
This book had/has so much hype and more so when the movie was released. I almost skipped the book and watched the movie because of who was playing the Will character, but I decided against it and went for the book first.
First and foremost, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I wanted to get the book with the original cover and I sometimes just stare at it. I understand why there is a re-release of the book with the movie poster on the covers, but to me, it takes away from the author and the publisher. I try my best NOT to buy the books with the movie posters.
So we have two teenagers, Stella and Will, whom both have Cystic Fibrosis. In a nutshell, this disease affects the lungs and digestive system. The lungs fill rapidly with mucus and makes it difficult to breathe. The highly big part, and the main story of this novel, is that two people with the SAME disease have to stay a minimum of six feet apart. That is because one of them could get worse, or die, just from the others contamination.
Stella is optimistic and uploads YouTube videos and tries to keep her parents notified and tries to not think about her older sister being gone.
Will has not so much as given up, but more like kind of goes with the flow of his condition. So much so that he lets his friends use his hospital room as a 'hook up' area. Such a nice guy, don't you think?
Anyway, so these two don't really like each other at first but feelings are developed over bonding of memories and Stella getting Will to get back to doing his treatments on a regular basis. The story starts that they have to be six feet apart, but Stella pushes the boundary and keeps it at five feet apart - hence the title.
I hate to say this, but I had a hard time connecting with either one of these characters. The only one I really somewhat liked was Poe.
I can see the whole similarity with this book and The Fault in Our Stars, but I can't compare the two. Because, in TFIOS, they had cancer and didn't have to stay away from each other. And to me, those characters were easier to connect with than Will and Stella. I'm not saying I didn't like them, but I just couldn't connect.
Stella basically lives so her parents don't fall a part and Will is just kind of 'whatever' about the whole thing because he sees no future for himself, or a treatment that will help him.
I don't really see the hype in this story. It felt rushed to me as well. I'm not sure if it's because the story was kind of short for the plot. Maybe it's because we didn't get a lot of story. I'm not fond of how it was written. It was almost written like it was going to be a movie so it was scripted.
I'm not saying it was a bad story. It really wasn't. I just feel like there was something missing and I couldn't really feel much for these two characters. I couldn't fathom some of the decisions and through process that Stella has done.
All in all, not a terrible story, but I don't see what the hype was about and I don't think I'll be watching the movie.
Idols, Icons, and Illusions
Book
There is cinema ...and there are the movies. This is a book for movie junkies: salutes to the once...
Emma (519 KP) rated Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jun 3, 2019
I really enjpyed this book, i have been meaning to read it for some time. I watched the film first which I don't usually do but that inspired me to buy the book. I have given it eight stars because i enjoyed the storyline and the development of the characters, even down to the school bullies. I love the character of Macon Ravenwood as much as I loved Jeremy Irons playing the role of him in the movie. My only criticism would be that it is perhaps a bit too long and drawn out, especially as it is part of a series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
It’s the week before Christmas, and a movie crew is coming to film at Flavia’s family home. While excited, Flavia is plotting how to trap Father Christmas when he shows up on Christmas morning. However, that takes a back seat when the lead actress is film is murdered. Fortunately for Flavia, the suspects are trapped in her home due to a massive snow storm. Can she figure out who the killer is?
While I do like the characters and didn’t find Flavia nearly as annoying in this book as I did the previous one, I found the plot way too slow. The murder happened half way through the book, and the tension and set up to justify that just wasn’t present. Once the murder took place, the book definitely picked up, however.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-i-am-half-sick-of-shadows.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
While I do like the characters and didn’t find Flavia nearly as annoying in this book as I did the previous one, I found the plot way too slow. The murder happened half way through the book, and the tension and set up to justify that just wasn’t present. Once the murder took place, the book definitely picked up, however.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-i-am-half-sick-of-shadows.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.