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Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Antichrist (2009) in Movies
Jan 13, 2020
Great script (1 more)
Amazing lead performances
Lars Von Trier you magnificent BASTARD you!!!
When you sit down to watch a Lars Von Trier film... You have to be prepared for a lengthy trip into the unknown.
Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsborough star as a pair of parents who's child dies because... and lets be honest here... They were too busy fucking to realize they left a window open... And the kid plummets to a violently horrible end...
What we see is the slow regression of emotional damage. A decent into insanity that holds no bounds.
Von Trier is a master of dread... A story teller that knows no bounds... No topic is too much for this man's keyboard.
I've often thought how his mastery of the genre could've been better served as a novelist.
His vision would translate well onto the pages of a 40000 page novel :)
This film holds together by the brilliant performances of Gainsborough and Defoe... Following the direction of one of the greatest minds horror has ever known.
The descent into madness is documented perfectly as Gainsborough's grief takes over her everyday life in a fashion that only she could translate onto the screen. She really is a magnificent actress.
Willem Defoe does his best to hold her together, but soon he becomes a victim to her insanity in a third act that will leave the viewer's head spinning with an awesome helping of WTF!!!!
Von Trier is a master of his craft. Leaving the watcher satisfied with the end result. Not a lot of movies can say that...
If this were a Thai Massage Parlour... You'd definitely leave with a happy ending...ish...
Enjoy this one weirdos... Its in my top 20 of all time great horror films...
Sure it's artsy fartsy type stuff... But its also brilliant in its imagery... No one shoots madness like Lars Von Trier...
Enjoy....
Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsborough star as a pair of parents who's child dies because... and lets be honest here... They were too busy fucking to realize they left a window open... And the kid plummets to a violently horrible end...
What we see is the slow regression of emotional damage. A decent into insanity that holds no bounds.
Von Trier is a master of dread... A story teller that knows no bounds... No topic is too much for this man's keyboard.
I've often thought how his mastery of the genre could've been better served as a novelist.
His vision would translate well onto the pages of a 40000 page novel :)
This film holds together by the brilliant performances of Gainsborough and Defoe... Following the direction of one of the greatest minds horror has ever known.
The descent into madness is documented perfectly as Gainsborough's grief takes over her everyday life in a fashion that only she could translate onto the screen. She really is a magnificent actress.
Willem Defoe does his best to hold her together, but soon he becomes a victim to her insanity in a third act that will leave the viewer's head spinning with an awesome helping of WTF!!!!
Von Trier is a master of his craft. Leaving the watcher satisfied with the end result. Not a lot of movies can say that...
If this were a Thai Massage Parlour... You'd definitely leave with a happy ending...ish...
Enjoy this one weirdos... Its in my top 20 of all time great horror films...
Sure it's artsy fartsy type stuff... But its also brilliant in its imagery... No one shoots madness like Lars Von Trier...
Enjoy....
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Scorn of Secrets in Books
Jun 23, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)
SCORN OF SECRETS will tear your heart out and stomp on it - this I can promise you! It hooked me in from the start as Madison tries to cope with the death of her father, plus have a relationship with her oh-so-loving mother and older sister. Her whole world is upended when they move to a new state, but it's not all that bad... is it?
Told from Madison's perspective, you are with her as she meets the rich man her mother has latched onto, the new home, the new school, the new future step-siblings. She is the quiet one of the two, more introspective than the loud Tanya, and more likely to be on Goodreads than Instagram!
This book was so emotional, I swear I wanted to kill Tanya and Charlotte. Unfortunately, family can be too similar to the way the characters are described, so my heart broke for Madison and how they treated her. The confusion and trauma she goes through were made completely understandable and showed you how little choice she thought she had. Justin is a caring and mature young man who is swept away by Madison. He wants to be there for her in every way. He struggles to understand but, once the secret is out, he fully understands.
This is the first book and does have an open ending. I can't wait to read Book 2, Thorn of Secrets, and I really REALLY hope for a happy ending for Madison and Justin. These two, gah!!! Please let them be happy, they deserve it!
In case you hadn't figured it out, I highly recommend this book! Absolutely brilliant.
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 23, 2021
Told from Madison's perspective, you are with her as she meets the rich man her mother has latched onto, the new home, the new school, the new future step-siblings. She is the quiet one of the two, more introspective than the loud Tanya, and more likely to be on Goodreads than Instagram!
This book was so emotional, I swear I wanted to kill Tanya and Charlotte. Unfortunately, family can be too similar to the way the characters are described, so my heart broke for Madison and how they treated her. The confusion and trauma she goes through were made completely understandable and showed you how little choice she thought she had. Justin is a caring and mature young man who is swept away by Madison. He wants to be there for her in every way. He struggles to understand but, once the secret is out, he fully understands.
This is the first book and does have an open ending. I can't wait to read Book 2, Thorn of Secrets, and I really REALLY hope for a happy ending for Madison and Justin. These two, gah!!! Please let them be happy, they deserve it!
In case you hadn't figured it out, I highly recommend this book! Absolutely brilliant.
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 23, 2021
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Long Shot (2019) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
#Punching.
#Punching refers to an in-family joke….. my WhatsApp reply to my son when he sent me a picture of his new “Brazilian supermodel girlfriend” (she’s not). Bronwyn is now my daughter-in-law!
Similarly, the ‘out-there’ journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan) has been holding a candle for the glacial ice-queen Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) for nearly twenty years. At the age of 16 she was his babysitter. Always with an interest in school issues, she has now risen to the dizzy heights of secretary (“of State”) to the President of the United States (Bob Odenkirk). With Charlotte getting the opportunity to run for President, fate arranges for Fred to get hired as a speechwriter on the team to help inject some necessary humour into Charlotte’s icy public persona. But in terms of romantic options, the shell-suited Fred is surely #punching isn’t he?
A rare thing.
Getting the balance right for a “romantic comedy” is a tricky job, but “Long Shot” just about gets it spot on. The comedy is sharp with a whole heap of great lines, some of which will need a second watch to catch. It’s also pleasingly politically incorrect, with US news anchors in particular being lampooned for their appallingly sexist language.
Just occasionally, the humour flips into Farrelly-levels of dubious taste (one “Mary-style” incident in particular was, for me, very funny but might test some viewer’s “ugh” button). The film also earns its UK15 certificate from the extensive array of “F” words utilized, and for some casual drug use.
Romantically, the film harks back to a classic blockbuster of 1990, but is well done and touching.
Writing and Directing
The sharp and tight screenplay was written by Dan Sterling, who wrote the internationally controversial Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy “The Interview” from 2014, and Liz Hannah, whose movie screenplay debut was the Spielberg drama “The Post“.
Behind the camera is Jonathan Levine, who previously directed the pretty awful “Snatched” from 2017 (a film I have started watching on a plane but never finished) but on the flip side he has on his bio the interesting rom-com-zombie film “Warm Bodies” and the moving cancer comedy “50:50”, also with Rogan, from 2011.
Also worthy of note in the technical department is the cinematography by Yves Bélanger (“The Mule“, “Brooklyn“, “Dallas Buyers Club“) with some lovely angles and tracking shots (a kitchen dance scene has an impressively leisurely track-away).
The Cast
Seth Rogen is a bit of an acquired taste: he’s like the US version of Johnny Vegas. Here he is suitably geeky when he needs to be, but has the range to make some of the pathos work in the inevitable “downer” scenes. Theron is absolutely gorgeous on-screen (although unlike the US anchors I OBVIOUSLY also appreciate her style and acting ability!). She really is the Grace Kelly of the modern age. She’s no stranger to comedy, having been in the other Seth (Macfarlane)’s “A Million Ways to Die in the West“. But she seems to be more comfortable with this material, and again gets the mix of comedy, romance and drama spot-on.
The strong supporting cast includes the unknown (to me) June Diane Raphael who is very effective at the cock-blocking Maggie, Charlotte’s aide; O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Fred’s buddy Lance; and Ravi Patel as the staffer Tom.
But winning the prize for the most unrecognizable cast member was Andy Serkis as the wizened old Rupert Murdoch-style media tycoon Parker Wembley: I genuinely got a shock as the titles rolled that this was him.
Final thoughts.
Although possibly causing offence to some, this is a fine example of a US comedy that delivers consistent laughs. Most of the audience chatter coming out of the screening was positive. At just over 2 hours, it breaks my “90 minute comedy” rule, but just about gets away with it. It’s not quite for me at the bar of “Game Night“, but it’s pretty close. Recommended.
#Punching refers to an in-family joke….. my WhatsApp reply to my son when he sent me a picture of his new “Brazilian supermodel girlfriend” (she’s not). Bronwyn is now my daughter-in-law!
Similarly, the ‘out-there’ journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan) has been holding a candle for the glacial ice-queen Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) for nearly twenty years. At the age of 16 she was his babysitter. Always with an interest in school issues, she has now risen to the dizzy heights of secretary (“of State”) to the President of the United States (Bob Odenkirk). With Charlotte getting the opportunity to run for President, fate arranges for Fred to get hired as a speechwriter on the team to help inject some necessary humour into Charlotte’s icy public persona. But in terms of romantic options, the shell-suited Fred is surely #punching isn’t he?
A rare thing.
Getting the balance right for a “romantic comedy” is a tricky job, but “Long Shot” just about gets it spot on. The comedy is sharp with a whole heap of great lines, some of which will need a second watch to catch. It’s also pleasingly politically incorrect, with US news anchors in particular being lampooned for their appallingly sexist language.
Just occasionally, the humour flips into Farrelly-levels of dubious taste (one “Mary-style” incident in particular was, for me, very funny but might test some viewer’s “ugh” button). The film also earns its UK15 certificate from the extensive array of “F” words utilized, and for some casual drug use.
Romantically, the film harks back to a classic blockbuster of 1990, but is well done and touching.
Writing and Directing
The sharp and tight screenplay was written by Dan Sterling, who wrote the internationally controversial Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy “The Interview” from 2014, and Liz Hannah, whose movie screenplay debut was the Spielberg drama “The Post“.
Behind the camera is Jonathan Levine, who previously directed the pretty awful “Snatched” from 2017 (a film I have started watching on a plane but never finished) but on the flip side he has on his bio the interesting rom-com-zombie film “Warm Bodies” and the moving cancer comedy “50:50”, also with Rogan, from 2011.
Also worthy of note in the technical department is the cinematography by Yves Bélanger (“The Mule“, “Brooklyn“, “Dallas Buyers Club“) with some lovely angles and tracking shots (a kitchen dance scene has an impressively leisurely track-away).
The Cast
Seth Rogen is a bit of an acquired taste: he’s like the US version of Johnny Vegas. Here he is suitably geeky when he needs to be, but has the range to make some of the pathos work in the inevitable “downer” scenes. Theron is absolutely gorgeous on-screen (although unlike the US anchors I OBVIOUSLY also appreciate her style and acting ability!). She really is the Grace Kelly of the modern age. She’s no stranger to comedy, having been in the other Seth (Macfarlane)’s “A Million Ways to Die in the West“. But she seems to be more comfortable with this material, and again gets the mix of comedy, romance and drama spot-on.
The strong supporting cast includes the unknown (to me) June Diane Raphael who is very effective at the cock-blocking Maggie, Charlotte’s aide; O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Fred’s buddy Lance; and Ravi Patel as the staffer Tom.
But winning the prize for the most unrecognizable cast member was Andy Serkis as the wizened old Rupert Murdoch-style media tycoon Parker Wembley: I genuinely got a shock as the titles rolled that this was him.
Final thoughts.
Although possibly causing offence to some, this is a fine example of a US comedy that delivers consistent laughs. Most of the audience chatter coming out of the screening was positive. At just over 2 hours, it breaks my “90 minute comedy” rule, but just about gets away with it. It’s not quite for me at the bar of “Game Night“, but it’s pretty close. Recommended.
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Champions: at fire's end (Champions #1) in Books
Jul 27, 2017
Champions: at fire's end (Champions #1) by Charlotte Jain
Champions: at fire's end is the first book in the Champions series, and we hit the ground running with the first chapter from Hermes' point of view as the scene is set over why the flames are here, and why they will live in children. After that, we jump 18 years to Kyle, the bearer of the blue (water) flame. We find out that he and April (red/fire bearer) have known all along what their purpose in life is, and have Hermes and Themis to guide them. Now, this is where it got a bit confusing for me. It sounded at the beginning that all the flames had to fight each other, with only one winner. Then we find out that Kyle and April are "battle partners". Kyle has the noble notion of finding the other two flames and helping them grow into their powers so that it becomes a fair fight, which still doesn't explain how the pairing is going to work. Kim and Noah are found, but you don't really learn much about them. With different points of view, time disappearing, and honestly not knowing whether Kyle was paired up romantically with either Kim or April at any given time, plus other things, this book quickly became mystifying.
The premise is a good one - after all, who doesn't love a good Greek mythology story in a book? It was the execution of the idea that let it down. I have given this story 3-stars because it was intriguing enough for me to finish it, and I think the premise and the series has a lot of potential. This may be a series where it is in the final book that everything becomes clear. I don't know. What I do know is that this book will appeal to some, and not to others. Personally, I enjoyed it, even if I was a bit lost!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The premise is a good one - after all, who doesn't love a good Greek mythology story in a book? It was the execution of the idea that let it down. I have given this story 3-stars because it was intriguing enough for me to finish it, and I think the premise and the series has a lot of potential. This may be a series where it is in the final book that everything becomes clear. I don't know. What I do know is that this book will appeal to some, and not to others. Personally, I enjoyed it, even if I was a bit lost!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I picked this book up for the #AntiBullyReads readathon and wow I am so glad I did. In 2015 there was a lot of hype going around booktube about this book about how important this book was. So I got myself a copy and year down the line I actually managed to read it and loved it.
George is a 10-year-old boy on the outside but on the inside he is a girl and has felt like one for a long time. George wants to be accepted for who she truly is but she is terrified of the repercussions of telling her family and friends. George’s school is putting on play – Charlotte’s Web – George wants a part, not just any part, the main part. She wants to play Charlotte. George and her best friend Kelly practice for the part and knows every line, every pause, she has the perfect timing to become the star of the show. When George auditions the Teacher thinks it’s a joke and says that she can have any other part but there is only one part George wants.
I pretty much-loved all the characters in this book and their actions and thoughts were so impactful as to George’s journey. There were characters that made me angry but then they realised that they were in the wrong and some characters (Headteacher)made me swell up with happiness and gratitude that they recognised George for who she really is.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l2R01mSIsazqNQ7ks/giphy.gif"; width="300" height="200" alt="description"/>
This is the first book that I have read with a transgender character and what it means to be transgender too and would like to read some other books that deal with topic.
I really enjoyed this story, it is sensitively written, packed full of emotion and a very important read for anybody. There needs to be more diverse books for Middle-Grade to read and then maybe (hopefully..fingers crossed)there will be less bullying and stigma in the world. This book may be written for Middle-Grade but should be read by everyone and definitely recommend.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars.
George is a 10-year-old boy on the outside but on the inside he is a girl and has felt like one for a long time. George wants to be accepted for who she truly is but she is terrified of the repercussions of telling her family and friends. George’s school is putting on play – Charlotte’s Web – George wants a part, not just any part, the main part. She wants to play Charlotte. George and her best friend Kelly practice for the part and knows every line, every pause, she has the perfect timing to become the star of the show. When George auditions the Teacher thinks it’s a joke and says that she can have any other part but there is only one part George wants.
I pretty much-loved all the characters in this book and their actions and thoughts were so impactful as to George’s journey. There were characters that made me angry but then they realised that they were in the wrong and some characters (Headteacher)made me swell up with happiness and gratitude that they recognised George for who she really is.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l2R01mSIsazqNQ7ks/giphy.gif"; width="300" height="200" alt="description"/>
This is the first book that I have read with a transgender character and what it means to be transgender too and would like to read some other books that deal with topic.
I really enjoyed this story, it is sensitively written, packed full of emotion and a very important read for anybody. There needs to be more diverse books for Middle-Grade to read and then maybe (hopefully..fingers crossed)there will be less bullying and stigma in the world. This book may be written for Middle-Grade but should be read by everyone and definitely recommend.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Oh dear.
I decided to take this book for review as Austen is by far my favourite novelist and I thought this sounded like an interesting concept - what makes the protagonists' matches so good. And there is always the sticky Charlotte Lucas question to ponder over. This isn't really what I got; I felt that this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a work of literary criticism/analysis or a self help manual. I'm also not entirely sure who the target audience for this book are supposed to be. I got a very strong impression that it wasn't supposed to be me! References to 'we Americans' can be somewhat alienating to the rest of the world. Although the whole book seems to push Austen as a main selling point, it also seems to be aimed at people who don't really know the novels that well - too much of obvious plot details have to be explained and there is an over use of quotation, beyond what was needed to make the point.
The text of the book is only about 250 pages, but there must be at least another 100 pages of endnotes. This is an area of complete overkill, in my opinion. When a single endnote can go on for a couple of pages, by the time you get back to the main text, you've pretty much lost whatever plot there was. Endnotes; just too many and too long and in many cases just too unnecessary.
I was only reading from a proof copy, but there were textual errors - Maria Crawford, anyone?! Hopefully someone familiar with Austen can pick this up.
At the time of writing I see that only one other amazon.co.uk reviewer has come forth to note that they didn't like it much either, while the amazon.com reviews seem to be positive. Maybe this has something to do with targeting, as the writing style was very informal and slangy and with a number of American cultural references that meant very little to me. Such a narrow focus seems a bad error of judgement as far as the rest of the world is concerned. If you want my recommendation, I wouldn't bother with this one.
I decided to take this book for review as Austen is by far my favourite novelist and I thought this sounded like an interesting concept - what makes the protagonists' matches so good. And there is always the sticky Charlotte Lucas question to ponder over. This isn't really what I got; I felt that this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a work of literary criticism/analysis or a self help manual. I'm also not entirely sure who the target audience for this book are supposed to be. I got a very strong impression that it wasn't supposed to be me! References to 'we Americans' can be somewhat alienating to the rest of the world. Although the whole book seems to push Austen as a main selling point, it also seems to be aimed at people who don't really know the novels that well - too much of obvious plot details have to be explained and there is an over use of quotation, beyond what was needed to make the point.
The text of the book is only about 250 pages, but there must be at least another 100 pages of endnotes. This is an area of complete overkill, in my opinion. When a single endnote can go on for a couple of pages, by the time you get back to the main text, you've pretty much lost whatever plot there was. Endnotes; just too many and too long and in many cases just too unnecessary.
I was only reading from a proof copy, but there were textual errors - Maria Crawford, anyone?! Hopefully someone familiar with Austen can pick this up.
At the time of writing I see that only one other amazon.co.uk reviewer has come forth to note that they didn't like it much either, while the amazon.com reviews seem to be positive. Maybe this has something to do with targeting, as the writing style was very informal and slangy and with a number of American cultural references that meant very little to me. Such a narrow focus seems a bad error of judgement as far as the rest of the world is concerned. If you want my recommendation, I wouldn't bother with this one.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Overnight (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
In the mood for a quickie? Patrick Brice’s “The Overnight” is just that – a short in length, long in substance cinematic romp.
The film follows a laid back, somewhat boring Seattle couple, Alex (Adam Scott) and Emily (Taylor Schilling), who have just relocated to LA. As young parents they seem to be doing everything the “normal” way. They work hard, dote on their little boy, and their love life is rushed.
One afternoon while taking their son to the park, they have a chance meeting with, Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) and Charlotte (Judith Godrèche), an eccentric LA couple who have a son about the same age.
The two couples decide to get together again for a play date at Kurt and Charlotte’s house. Once the kids are put to bed by Kurt’s unique method of melodic keyboard playing, the adults decide to have a play date of their own.
At first the film seems to center on the mundane expectation of how life should be. A strategic starting point for the plot, as it develops into a raw and titillating experience.
Increasingly throughout the evening their blood alcohol levels rise and inhibitions wane, until the night turns into somewhat of a kinky party. Far from smooth and seductive, the interplay between the characters is uncomfortable and ridiculously funny.
The comedic style is unabashedly salacious. For example, at one point Kurt shares his unique paintings. They are the type one would expect to find somewhere like LA’s art scene. If you stare long enough into one, you realize they are all portraits of anuses – beautiful, colorful ass portraits.
The short length of the film in combination with a quick witted comedic style makes for a great date movie. It is both sensual and awkward, much like first dates can be. It will be an effective ice breaker, because it is sure to be the most awkward thing occurring in that moment.
People tend to lock themselves into boundaries which may not serve their best interest, simply because they believe that is how society works. This film pushes & explores those boundaries in a brilliantly humorous way without turning into a cheesy romantic comedy.
I give “The Overnight” 4.5 out of 5 stars
The film follows a laid back, somewhat boring Seattle couple, Alex (Adam Scott) and Emily (Taylor Schilling), who have just relocated to LA. As young parents they seem to be doing everything the “normal” way. They work hard, dote on their little boy, and their love life is rushed.
One afternoon while taking their son to the park, they have a chance meeting with, Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) and Charlotte (Judith Godrèche), an eccentric LA couple who have a son about the same age.
The two couples decide to get together again for a play date at Kurt and Charlotte’s house. Once the kids are put to bed by Kurt’s unique method of melodic keyboard playing, the adults decide to have a play date of their own.
At first the film seems to center on the mundane expectation of how life should be. A strategic starting point for the plot, as it develops into a raw and titillating experience.
Increasingly throughout the evening their blood alcohol levels rise and inhibitions wane, until the night turns into somewhat of a kinky party. Far from smooth and seductive, the interplay between the characters is uncomfortable and ridiculously funny.
The comedic style is unabashedly salacious. For example, at one point Kurt shares his unique paintings. They are the type one would expect to find somewhere like LA’s art scene. If you stare long enough into one, you realize they are all portraits of anuses – beautiful, colorful ass portraits.
The short length of the film in combination with a quick witted comedic style makes for a great date movie. It is both sensual and awkward, much like first dates can be. It will be an effective ice breaker, because it is sure to be the most awkward thing occurring in that moment.
People tend to lock themselves into boundaries which may not serve their best interest, simply because they believe that is how society works. This film pushes & explores those boundaries in a brilliantly humorous way without turning into a cheesy romantic comedy.
I give “The Overnight” 4.5 out of 5 stars
ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Hiding Game in Books
Sep 8, 2019 (Updated Sep 9, 2019)
A completely engrossing novel about Weimar, Bauhaus and complicated relationships
The Hiding Game is set mostly in the period between the two World Wars at the Bauhaus art school. This was a time of great change in Germany, both politically and artistically. Paul Beckermann starts his study at Bauhaus in 1922, and forms one of a group of six friends. He falls in love with the unobtainable Charlotte, a young woman from Czechoslovakia, but she loves Jenö, who in turn is loved by Paul’s best friend Walter. It seems like an impossible love triangle (or even a square?!). These strong feelings lead to betrayal in a time that it was very easy to utterly destroy lives. The six friends drift apart, mainly out of necessity (Bauhaus was not liked at all by the traditionalists in the National Socialist party), but also they just couldn’t be together anymore.
Paul, as an older man living in England, looks back at this period in his life and how it went tragically wrong. Not all of the six friends were as fortunate as he was.
It’s a heartbreaking and also a suspenseful novel. Someone with only a limited knowledge of this period will know of the kind of tragedy that could befall people then. Paul’s guilt and sadness are palpable throughout the book, and I really felt for him. This isn’t really a book where the characters find some sort of forgiveness for themselves - there is none to find. Terrible things happened, and the survivors had to find a way to live with themselves afterwards.
I loved the details about Bauhaus. I did some study on it during my German degree, and it filled in some gaps in my knowledge (there are quite a few gaps to fill when you did that degree 25 years ago!), and I’m always on the lookout for books set in Germany, especially those with a good helping of history (this has it in spades!). And for me, this really didn’t disappoint. I loved it, and I’ll be recommending it to friends (ex-German degree friends as well!).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for my copy of this wonderful book.
Paul, as an older man living in England, looks back at this period in his life and how it went tragically wrong. Not all of the six friends were as fortunate as he was.
It’s a heartbreaking and also a suspenseful novel. Someone with only a limited knowledge of this period will know of the kind of tragedy that could befall people then. Paul’s guilt and sadness are palpable throughout the book, and I really felt for him. This isn’t really a book where the characters find some sort of forgiveness for themselves - there is none to find. Terrible things happened, and the survivors had to find a way to live with themselves afterwards.
I loved the details about Bauhaus. I did some study on it during my German degree, and it filled in some gaps in my knowledge (there are quite a few gaps to fill when you did that degree 25 years ago!), and I’m always on the lookout for books set in Germany, especially those with a good helping of history (this has it in spades!). And for me, this really didn’t disappoint. I loved it, and I’ll be recommending it to friends (ex-German degree friends as well!).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for my copy of this wonderful book.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The End (The Stained Duet #2) in Books
Oct 6, 2017
What the hell did I just read and how did Blaine Jacobs make me fall hook line and sinker for his cruelly sadistic Arse when in real-time I would be running screaming for the hills.
Five Stars and more if I could give more, sooo fantastically addictive reading was this.
Charlotte Hart has achieved the impossible, actually crafting a story that shows this unapologetic sadist in an actual sympathetic warm light, don't ask me how she has achieved this I just know my feelings towards Blaine were akin to puppies and rainbows approaching the end of this story. I really wanted him to get his HEA with his little Dove like so so badly.
So this is the second part in The stained duet it is ironically and appropriately named "The End"
my review for the first novel "Once Upon A" is here
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm assuming that you've read Part 1 and as such should have a fairly good idea of the kind of content to expect from this as Despite me previously mentioning puppies and rainbows, well let's just say I wouldn't bank on anything remotely fluffy in this tale.
its More akin to whips, Blood and Pain with a side order of degradation and humiliation thrown in just for shit and giggles.
So "The End" begins where "Once Upon A" left off with Alana thinking she is ready to handle a relationship with Blaine, That she can provide what he needs while still not realising that it is something that she herself also finds necessary to quiet the noise inside.
So the next chapter for Blaine and Alana's unique love story begins and for every step forward Alana takes Blaine seems to take ten backward, so scared of the feelings emerging from the barren expanse that is his usually cold heart and his past heavily impacting on there future, Blaine desperately tries to lock down his emotions scared of the past repeating itself when this time around he has something of importance and value to lose, an irreplaceable, breakable and vulnerable Toy, irresistible to his monster
We are also introduced to Blaine's inner psyche's, he sees each mask as a separate persona all functioning as individuals, all identities performing a purpose he needs in what he explains as his madness and self-diagnosed insanity.
The Professor, The Magician and The monster.
one to adore and teach, one to manipulate and manoeuvre/Blaine's puppet master if you will and one to annihilate, play and devastate, unapologetic in its savagery and mercilessness
Can Alana his little Dove accept all of these faces leaving Blaine grounded in Alana's love and acceptance of his true nature.
Alana herself grows so much also, accepting her inner masochistic nature seems to give her a strength and also a peace she has struggled to find in her busy demanding life, surrendering to Blaine silences the noise if just for a little while.
It was interesting to see the dynamics between these two evolve as both slowly realise that they had found there soul in each other.
"The end" was such a deeply intense and emotional tale, exploring and dissecting the dynamics of the unconventional.
Though this was a hot read, for me it was more the emotion and obvious adoration here that drew me in, captivating and hooking me completely, there was a scene towards the end of the book where Blaine openly shows his love for Alana and to me, it was stunning in its intention and brutality, showcasing Blaine's commitment and intentions and cementing their relationship.
Oh, I could just go on and on exploring the blurred grey lines of this very unique love story it's just such delicious reading.
but all good things must come to an end sigh. So just to conclude this is a very dark love story with a sadist that only follows his own rules, Please do avoid if the darkness is a trigger for you, myself I love that Alana and Blaine stay true to there natures even in love, Sadist and Masachist a match made in heaven or maybe hell, there's no childhood trauma or rhyme or reason to this it just is what it is. Alana and Blaine laid bare. I raced through this in record time and loved every second of the experience. I adored "Once Upon A" but "The End" is in a league all of its own beguiling and thought-provoking in its originality.
Thank you so much, Charlotte E Hart for providing me with an arc of The End (The Stained Duet #2) This is my own honest unbiased opinion
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Five Stars and more if I could give more, sooo fantastically addictive reading was this.
Charlotte Hart has achieved the impossible, actually crafting a story that shows this unapologetic sadist in an actual sympathetic warm light, don't ask me how she has achieved this I just know my feelings towards Blaine were akin to puppies and rainbows approaching the end of this story. I really wanted him to get his HEA with his little Dove like so so badly.
So this is the second part in The stained duet it is ironically and appropriately named "The End"
my review for the first novel "Once Upon A" is here
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm assuming that you've read Part 1 and as such should have a fairly good idea of the kind of content to expect from this as Despite me previously mentioning puppies and rainbows, well let's just say I wouldn't bank on anything remotely fluffy in this tale.
its More akin to whips, Blood and Pain with a side order of degradation and humiliation thrown in just for shit and giggles.
So "The End" begins where "Once Upon A" left off with Alana thinking she is ready to handle a relationship with Blaine, That she can provide what he needs while still not realising that it is something that she herself also finds necessary to quiet the noise inside.
So the next chapter for Blaine and Alana's unique love story begins and for every step forward Alana takes Blaine seems to take ten backward, so scared of the feelings emerging from the barren expanse that is his usually cold heart and his past heavily impacting on there future, Blaine desperately tries to lock down his emotions scared of the past repeating itself when this time around he has something of importance and value to lose, an irreplaceable, breakable and vulnerable Toy, irresistible to his monster
We are also introduced to Blaine's inner psyche's, he sees each mask as a separate persona all functioning as individuals, all identities performing a purpose he needs in what he explains as his madness and self-diagnosed insanity.
The Professor, The Magician and The monster.
one to adore and teach, one to manipulate and manoeuvre/Blaine's puppet master if you will and one to annihilate, play and devastate, unapologetic in its savagery and mercilessness
Can Alana his little Dove accept all of these faces leaving Blaine grounded in Alana's love and acceptance of his true nature.
Alana herself grows so much also, accepting her inner masochistic nature seems to give her a strength and also a peace she has struggled to find in her busy demanding life, surrendering to Blaine silences the noise if just for a little while.
It was interesting to see the dynamics between these two evolve as both slowly realise that they had found there soul in each other.
"The end" was such a deeply intense and emotional tale, exploring and dissecting the dynamics of the unconventional.
Though this was a hot read, for me it was more the emotion and obvious adoration here that drew me in, captivating and hooking me completely, there was a scene towards the end of the book where Blaine openly shows his love for Alana and to me, it was stunning in its intention and brutality, showcasing Blaine's commitment and intentions and cementing their relationship.
Oh, I could just go on and on exploring the blurred grey lines of this very unique love story it's just such delicious reading.
but all good things must come to an end sigh. So just to conclude this is a very dark love story with a sadist that only follows his own rules, Please do avoid if the darkness is a trigger for you, myself I love that Alana and Blaine stay true to there natures even in love, Sadist and Masachist a match made in heaven or maybe hell, there's no childhood trauma or rhyme or reason to this it just is what it is. Alana and Blaine laid bare. I raced through this in record time and loved every second of the experience. I adored "Once Upon A" but "The End" is in a league all of its own beguiling and thought-provoking in its originality.
Thank you so much, Charlotte E Hart for providing me with an arc of The End (The Stained Duet #2) This is my own honest unbiased opinion
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Long Shot (2019) in Movies
May 4, 2019 (Updated May 4, 2019)
Surprisingly Strong Chemistry Between The Leads
Quite a few people that I have spoken with don't like either Charlize Theron or Seth Rogan as performers, so the idea of a pairing of the straight-laced, uptight politician played by Theron and the shlubby, weed-smoking slacker played by Rogan was like "nails on a chalkboard" to them.
And these people would be wrong, for LONG SHOT is a very entertaining, heartfelt romantic comedy that has one big surprise - the strong chemistry between the two leads.
Kind of the "anti-AMERICAN PRESIDENT" (the 1995 Michael Douglas/Annette Benning RomCom written by Aaron Sorkin), LONG SHOT tells the tale of Secretary of State, Charlotte Field (Theron) who embarks on a Presidential bid. When she polls low in "sense of humor" she decides to add a comedy writer to her staff to punch up her speeches. A chance encounter with her childhood next door neighbor leads Field to hire Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan). Will sparks fly? Can Fred remind Charlotte of why she chose politics in the first place?
What do you think? It's a RomCom afterall, but it's the journey and not the destination that is important.
And...his is a fun journey...mostly because of the performances of Theron and Rogan. Over the years, I have grown to really appreciate Theron - from dramas like NORTH COUNTRY and her Oscar-winning turn in MONSTER, to action flicks like MAD MAX:FURY ROAD and FATE OF THE FURIOUS, to comedies like A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST and this film - there is nothing (apparently) that she can't do. She is really good in all of these - even if the material is not the greatest.
The surprise to me here was the performance of Rogan - it was "wacky", "stoner-ish" and "out there", but toned down and tempered - probably the sign of a good, strong Director at the helm. I bought Flarsky's journey in this story and the relationship between these two characters was believable because Rogan was able to match Theron's energy and show real chemistry between the two.
Other fine turns are given by O'Shea Jackson, Jr (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), as Rogan's buddy, Ravi Patel (TV's MASTER OF NONE) as one of Theron's support staff and (especially) June Diane Rapheal (TV's GRACE AND FRANKIE) who really shines in the unenviable role of the Theron's Chief of Staff who doesn't approve of putting Rogan's character on the team, but she plays the role with layers - not one-note - and so we get a real person, with conflicted feelings at time, and she rises above the typical type of character in this type of role.
The only disappointment for me was Bob Odenkirk's President (who is stepping down for - he hopes - a much bigger job, MOVIE STAR) and not because of Odenkirk's performance, he was fine with what he was given, but there wasn't much nuance written in this part and (compared to the layers shown/written by others) the one-note-ness of Odenkirk's character was noticeable. As was Andy Serkis as a heavily-made up, older media mogul who is trying to use his wealth to manipulate the events from behind the scene - this character (and make-up) was a "swing and a miss" for me. But, fortunately, neither Serkis nor Odenkirk have much screen time, so it was more of a "distraction" than an "annoyance" for me.
I mention the Director - so I better give credit to Jonathan Levine (the awful SNATCHED with Amy Shumer and Goldie Hawn) - I have not really enjoyed anything else he has Directed, but I have to give him credit for this one - he brings "the funny and the crude" without going overboard, driving the story efficiently while putting in enough yuks and (surprisingly) heart in this movie along the way.
Now...don't be fooled here...there is quite a bit of "crude, lewd and rude" behavior and jokes (a crucial plot point hangs on a "sex act"), so don't expect a gentile, Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn battle of the sexes. Expect a funny (crude), sexy (lewd) and opinionated (rude) take on the modern political system and how a person can lose their soul if they choose to play the game.
With a large amount of heart - and strong performances/chemistry between the two leads - I was pleasantly surprised by LONG SHOT - and, if you can handle the crude, lude and rude, then you will have a good time at this film.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
And these people would be wrong, for LONG SHOT is a very entertaining, heartfelt romantic comedy that has one big surprise - the strong chemistry between the two leads.
Kind of the "anti-AMERICAN PRESIDENT" (the 1995 Michael Douglas/Annette Benning RomCom written by Aaron Sorkin), LONG SHOT tells the tale of Secretary of State, Charlotte Field (Theron) who embarks on a Presidential bid. When she polls low in "sense of humor" she decides to add a comedy writer to her staff to punch up her speeches. A chance encounter with her childhood next door neighbor leads Field to hire Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan). Will sparks fly? Can Fred remind Charlotte of why she chose politics in the first place?
What do you think? It's a RomCom afterall, but it's the journey and not the destination that is important.
And...his is a fun journey...mostly because of the performances of Theron and Rogan. Over the years, I have grown to really appreciate Theron - from dramas like NORTH COUNTRY and her Oscar-winning turn in MONSTER, to action flicks like MAD MAX:FURY ROAD and FATE OF THE FURIOUS, to comedies like A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST and this film - there is nothing (apparently) that she can't do. She is really good in all of these - even if the material is not the greatest.
The surprise to me here was the performance of Rogan - it was "wacky", "stoner-ish" and "out there", but toned down and tempered - probably the sign of a good, strong Director at the helm. I bought Flarsky's journey in this story and the relationship between these two characters was believable because Rogan was able to match Theron's energy and show real chemistry between the two.
Other fine turns are given by O'Shea Jackson, Jr (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), as Rogan's buddy, Ravi Patel (TV's MASTER OF NONE) as one of Theron's support staff and (especially) June Diane Rapheal (TV's GRACE AND FRANKIE) who really shines in the unenviable role of the Theron's Chief of Staff who doesn't approve of putting Rogan's character on the team, but she plays the role with layers - not one-note - and so we get a real person, with conflicted feelings at time, and she rises above the typical type of character in this type of role.
The only disappointment for me was Bob Odenkirk's President (who is stepping down for - he hopes - a much bigger job, MOVIE STAR) and not because of Odenkirk's performance, he was fine with what he was given, but there wasn't much nuance written in this part and (compared to the layers shown/written by others) the one-note-ness of Odenkirk's character was noticeable. As was Andy Serkis as a heavily-made up, older media mogul who is trying to use his wealth to manipulate the events from behind the scene - this character (and make-up) was a "swing and a miss" for me. But, fortunately, neither Serkis nor Odenkirk have much screen time, so it was more of a "distraction" than an "annoyance" for me.
I mention the Director - so I better give credit to Jonathan Levine (the awful SNATCHED with Amy Shumer and Goldie Hawn) - I have not really enjoyed anything else he has Directed, but I have to give him credit for this one - he brings "the funny and the crude" without going overboard, driving the story efficiently while putting in enough yuks and (surprisingly) heart in this movie along the way.
Now...don't be fooled here...there is quite a bit of "crude, lewd and rude" behavior and jokes (a crucial plot point hangs on a "sex act"), so don't expect a gentile, Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn battle of the sexes. Expect a funny (crude), sexy (lewd) and opinionated (rude) take on the modern political system and how a person can lose their soul if they choose to play the game.
With a large amount of heart - and strong performances/chemistry between the two leads - I was pleasantly surprised by LONG SHOT - and, if you can handle the crude, lude and rude, then you will have a good time at this film.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)