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The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Fall (2021)
2021 | Drama, Western
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A good old fashioned revenge story (2 more)
The villains are brilliant
Music is very atmospheric
Was skeptical, but enjoyed it!
I was initially skeptical of this film, thinking it was going to be an all black cast just for the sake of it, but I was very wrong!

The film is really enjoyable, and what colour-orientated aspects to it worked really well (the "white town" made me chuckle when I saw it).

The principal cast are all excellent, and I actually found the group of villains to be the most enjoyable to watch (the train heist is great).

Gory, entertaining and often heartfelt, I'd recommend giving it a watch. There aren't any lulls, there are a few twists, and the action is really well-paced and choreographed.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies

Dec 15, 2019  
Us (2019)
Us (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
The first thing I'll say about Us is just how unnerving it . It's one of those horror films that leaves you with a sense of unease at everyday normal things.

Jordan Peele's second horror offering verges on standard horror tropes, clearly taking influence from horror that had come before, and at times feeling similar in nature to The Strangers, and It Follows, but it's intriguing underneath-the-surface plot and underlying social commentary save it from being just another horror film.
The idea of doppelganger horror has been explored before, but it feels a bit more apt in todays climate, as Peele explores the fear of outsiders, whilst also carrying a message about wealth gaps and the effect of privilege obliviousness.
In doing so, he successfully crafts a family of character we can root for, facing off against 'monsters' that sometimes feel all to familiar.

Lupita Nyong'o in particular is a massive stand out here, playing an inherently good central character, desperately protecting her family against a shadow of herself, who at times come across as relatable.

The plot has a decent amount of depth to it, and I'm glad that the narrative explores beyond the central family.
Jordan Peele's camerawork is fantastic throughout. There are striking shots put forwards from start to finish. He also makes fantastic work of colour... The vibrant setting of Santa Cruz works nicely, and the simple colour setup for The Tethered creates a look that is sure to become iconic in the horror genre.

I found Us to be a hugely enjoyable experience, and between Peele and Ari Aster, the future of horror is looking pretty exciting.
  
Coco (2017)
Coco (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Animation
Lovable characters (3 more)
Fantastic story
Beautiful animation
Great music
Pretty much a perfect movie
This is a fantastic movie. I went into it full of expectation because of things I heard and it did not disappoint.

You become attached to each character thanks to the amazing acting as well as the stunning animation. The music adds so much emotion to every scene and it is just a beautiful story about a boy wanting to follow his dreams.

It stands among the best movies of the decade for me but I wouldn't want a sequel. It's best as its own thing and they should not try to replicate.

Everything from the colour, settings, sounds, acting all adds together to make something special and the ending had me tear up quite a lot.
  
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Loz Hughes (80 KP) rated Fitbit Versa in Tech

Jul 16, 2018  
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa
Wearable Technology > Smart Watches
Waterproof (4 more)
Colour screen
Low profile
Variety of customization and apps
Everything you'd expect from a smartwatch
Gps tracking through app on phone (1 more)
Design is a bit dull
Well worth the upgrade
Had a charge HR before and was waiting for a waterproof model to hit the market, upgraded to this as soon as it was released and I haven't been disappointed. Tracks various exercises, I mainly use mine for swimming, gym (weights mode) and treadmill/bike.
Can customize the screen with various app along with the ones already integrated. Secure strap with the possibility to upgrade the bands. Though changing bands can be a bit fiddly.
Only niggle is the design is a bit flat and boring, a slightly textured strap might have improved the look, like on the old HRs.
  
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Platform
Graphics, voice work (0 more)
Colour through gameplay, very limited combat options. (0 more)
Turtles in a half attempt at a decent game
So after finally getting to finish this somewhat attempt at a ninja turtles game, I quickly became disappointed at its alternate adaptation on a brilliant cgi movie.

Most of the gameplay is in black and white causing the game-view to become almost unwatchable, with bad camera view & no camera controls making this game feel broken.

A lot of the gameplay was difficult due to not being able to see lower platforms.

On the plus side you are able to switch between playing as each turtle who each have their own special move, unfortunately only the character your playing as appears on the screen at a time. That Sucks!
  
CBGB (2013)
CBGB (2013)
2013 | Drama, Musical
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Soundtrack (1 more)
Allan Rickman
Pre punk to post punk
As a lover of Punk it was only a matter of time before I watched this and it felt like a compilation album with extended talking in between. Loosely based on Hilly Crystal the owner of CBGS's in New York and the place where punk was formed.

There are appearances from Television, Talking Heads, The Ramones, The Dead Boys and it shows that Blondies did have more fun. The story is nothing too taxing and it's weaved round the music. Some famous faces and a Harry Potter characters bare bum as he proves his natural hair colour out of the cameras beady eye.

So if you like Punk, bare bums and don't mind a young Sting then this could help your life in a small way
  
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Guy Garvey recommended Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk in Music (curated)

 
Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
1988 | Jazz, Rock
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"The rumour goes that when the guys from the record company [wanted to] hear Spirit Of Eden, knowing the commercial success of The Colour Of Spring, Talk Talk wouldn't let them hear a note until the album was finished. They took a long time. The story goes that the label guy went to the studio, they lit some candles and put on that record and he cried and left. To this day they don't know whether he was moved or thought it was terrible. But from a personal point of view, they started out by their own admission as a Duran Duran copy band. I was tempted to put a solo record [by Mark Hollis] on the list as well. But I thought that was labouring the point."

Source
  
Encanto (2021)
Encanto (2021)
2021 |
8
6.8 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Family gal
Another power soaked disney adventure, about gifts, curses and family secrets....

Madrigals are afamily who live an extraordinary life hidden from the rest of the world in a little village called Encanto.

Encanto has given the children in the family with a unique power, except Mirabel. However, she soon may be their last hope when she breaks in the bedroom of "banished/missing" family member Bruno (who we don't talk about) and discovers that he left behind a prophecy and a powerless answer to her no magic self.
Time is running out as the magic Provided the Encanto is now in danger.

A great story in all, fun musical numbers and change from usual to characteristics in gender roles and another nice mix of colour design.
  
The Art Therapy Colouring Book
The Art Therapy Colouring Book
Hannah Davies | 2014 | Art, Photography & Fashion
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Doodle and colour your stress away!

See <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/art-therapy-an-anti-stress-colouring-book/">here</a>; and <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/a-middle-fingers-perspective/">here</a>; for image examples:

I was given a copy of this colouring book, Art Therapy, for Christmas a couple of years ago, before they became the latest craze. It was not until during the past half a year that I seriously got into colouring. Some people scoff and ridicule the idea that colouring can relieve stress, however, in my experience, it really can!

This particular book contains drawings from three different illustrators: Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt and Cindy Wilde; however you would not know it as all the pages are a similar style. The images range from animals, flowers and objects, to basic and complicated patterns.

With hundreds of colouring books to choose from, what makes Art Therapy, and others from the same series, different from the rest? Firstly, most of the patterns have been started for you. Some people may argue this is a negative point, yet I find it quite useful. I use the starting colours as a theme to stick to throughout the page (see above for examples). I like structure and rule following therefore this is a great book for me. Secondly, the book is split into to halves: images and patterns to colour in, and unfinished images and patterns. The second part of the book allows the owner of the book to finish the outlines of the colouring pages however they wish before colouring them in. This helps to nurture and develop illustration skills. I have not attempted these pages yet as I am moving through the book methodically (I did say I like structure and rule following!), I will post examples at a later date.

The paper quality is extremely good, a lot better than many other colouring books I have come across. Even though I do not use them (I only use pencils), this book should be suitable for felt tip pens – although I would avoid Sharpies, they go through everything!

Now the downside… it is a hardback. Not the easiest to colour in with it on your lap whilst watching television (although I manage some how). I have only completed 21 pages so far and I am already worried that it is going to fall apart. Having said that, the other day I noticed that The Works were selling a paper back version! Perhaps invest in that format if you are thinking of buying this book.
  
Codenames
Codenames
2015 | Card Game, Deduction, Party Game, Spies / Espionage, Word Game
Great party game for larger player counts, and isn't impacted greatly if people drop in and out (2 more)
Engages children and adults
Makes players think outside the box to convey their intentions
Can annoy people who may struggle to articulate themselves clearly, leading to them shying away from playing a lead role (0 more)
A brilliant party game
I play this game regularly with family and friends, the largest occasion being a New Years Eve party where we had approximately 20 people jumping in and out of the game at various stages. It was a great game to capture the minds of all in something that is fun, but also makes one think. The premise of the game is that two teams are pitted against each other to discover their corresponding teams words on a grid. The captain's have a grid, which their respective team members cannot see, telling them which spaces are for the red team, the blue team, neutral or black square (best analogy may be Minesweeper - you look to guess your team's colour, but if you guess a word that is the other teams or is neutral, then play passes to the other team. However, the black square is the mine-if this is selected, you lose and the other team automatically wins). Captains will look at the grid of words and use a one word clue and a number (denoting how many words on the grid they are referring to) for their team to guess their colour tiles...it's a tricky game, as a clue may be interpreted by your team in many ways! Truly enjoyable experience and a game I will teach my son when he is older. This is worth buying if you enjoy word games, without individual pressure (such as in Articulate).