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Merissa (12861 KP) rated Dustwalker in Books
Aug 25, 2017
Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts
Dustwalker is a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, set around the community of Cheyenne. The humans scrimp through their living as best as they can, ruled over by the bot Warlord. Our main female, Lara, is worried about her missing sister, and surviving the best way she can, by finding scraps and trading them for food. Ronin is a dustwalker, a bot who goes out into the Dust. Some say the dustwalkers are a crazy lot, but Ronin knows that he is alone. No one will come looking for him if something happens to him out there. Through fate, Lara and Ronin's live connect, and what happens next is something that neither of them saw coming.
This is an amazing story, with world-building that is second to none. Every scene is 'real' and completely believable, even when they involve bots ;) This book is a bit of a slowburner, but in the best possible way. You get drawn into Lara's world, with all the hunger and pain and loss that goes with it. You feel for Ronin as he tries to understand what he has said to upset Lara! Most of all, you root for these two, and everyone else in Cheyenne, to get their HEA. After all they have been through, they deserve it; and as a reader, you will want it for them.
The pace is smooth, slow and gentle to entice you into their world, and building up as the story progresses. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters are all highly developed and completely distinct. There is simply no way you could confuse one character with another. There are some steamy bits but they are completely in keeping with the story, not superfluous in any way. This book had me right up until the last word - which I had to reread once I had wiped my eyes! Absolutely outstanding, I am so pleased I was given the opportunity to read this book. Highly recommended by me.
* 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!
This is an amazing story, with world-building that is second to none. Every scene is 'real' and completely believable, even when they involve bots ;) This book is a bit of a slowburner, but in the best possible way. You get drawn into Lara's world, with all the hunger and pain and loss that goes with it. You feel for Ronin as he tries to understand what he has said to upset Lara! Most of all, you root for these two, and everyone else in Cheyenne, to get their HEA. After all they have been through, they deserve it; and as a reader, you will want it for them.
The pace is smooth, slow and gentle to entice you into their world, and building up as the story progresses. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters are all highly developed and completely distinct. There is simply no way you could confuse one character with another. There are some steamy bits but they are completely in keeping with the story, not superfluous in any way. This book had me right up until the last word - which I had to reread once I had wiped my eyes! Absolutely outstanding, I am so pleased I was given the opportunity to read this book. Highly recommended by me.
* 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!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Hellboy (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
More like Hellno
#hellboy is an #abomination, a brain dead overlong shit show of bad decisions & sheer laziness. I can honestly say i was so pumped for this film but it was such a monstrosoty that i considered walking out after just 30mins. Lets kick this off so i can at least pretend i havent wasted my night with this dross. To sum the film up its a cross between #eastenders & #kingsman (no not the good kingsman either that dire sequel #kingsmanthegoldencircle) & as you can imagine it doesnt work at all. Its not gritty, its not #funny, its not #stylish & its not well made, in fact its also not even half as good as it seems to think it is either coming across so #happy & smug with itself its practically flipping you the middle finger the entire run time. Tacky is a great word i would use to describe this movie, tacky & childish with #humour that wouldn't go a miss in a kids tv program (eg burp jokes, dribble jokes & #jokes about kissing old ladies). Acting is poor everyone just looks & talks half arsed like they can't be bothered, delivering emotionless lines without conviction making dialog a bland back & forth chore. I hope you like bickering too because theres a #hell of alot of pointless bickering scenes that just feel unnecessary. Not one character is developed or likeable not even hellboy himself with the #villain #millajovovich feeling like a bad guy in a stage play just minus the hissing. Cgi is so woefully bad is downright embarrassing sticking out like a saw thumb ruining the forgettable action scenes. Camera work is choppy & the film is badly edited with disorienting quick cuts. Sets & #creatures are bland/unimaginative & prosthetics feel cheaply made (even hellboys face feels off round the eyes). Plot was so paint by numbers i lost interest midway & put my head in my hands when the terrible climax hit (Talk about build up with no pay off). Hellboy ultimatly prooves filling a film with #violence, swearing, popular #music & #popculture references doesnt make your film cool if everything else around it lacks. Lazy forgettable boring poorly made shite. Avoid. #odeon #odeonlimitless #superhero #ronperlman #strangerthings #dc #guillermodeltoro #demons #horror #gore #comic
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Captain Mehvel
#captainmarvel isnt a bad movie its just not a very #super one, instead feeling hollow & lacking in excitement & wow factor. I was actually really #hyped for this movie but at just 40 minutes in I was not only bored but feeling extreamly exhausted. Feeling like a strange mix of #powerrangers, #buffythevampireslayer & a #startrek episode from the #90s Captain Marvel certainly feels tone wise very different to other #marvel films. This i found to be a blessing & a curse leading to the style a lot of the time coming across as outdated/low budget & also made the film seem silly ruining all the serious plot points & making characters feel very out of place. Another problem i had was the #nostalgia bombardment it becomes so distracting to the point where i felt like i was watching a #PeterKay stand up show "remember this? remember that? wasnt this good?" etc. #brielarson & #judelaw stand out acting wise yet i feel we dont really get to know their characters intricately enough, meaning when the films final act hits i wasnt emotionally invested in either of them or the struggles they have overcome & internal progress they had made felt a bit flat/less exciting. Theres a cool theme explored about people & how we never give up no matter how many times we are knocked down but this was possibly the only time i felt the #film going deeper or in a unique direction. Action is done well with some awesome sound design but again there's nothing incredible or that memorable its all just ok completly watchable stuff really. Now don't get me wrong it is very well made (as you would expect) the special effects are stellar as are the fantastic costume designs, the score is electrifying & the soundtrack is really #fun. I think the problem with this movie is that it has to fit & tie all the other movies together while bringing us this cool character & because of this it suffers as a #film feeling more like filler until #avengersendgame. Theres no omph, wowness, interesting relationships, engrossing story or high stake moments that make you stand up & shout HELL YEAH! its just very Captain Meh-vel. #wonderwoman did it better. #disney #mcu #avengers #stanlee #superhero #nationalwomensday
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Dangerously Dark (The Dreamcaster Series #3) in Books
Jun 19, 2018
Dangerously Dark (The Dreamcaster Series #3) by C.J. Burright
Dangerously Dark is the third book in The Dreamcaster series, and I would recommend you read the first two books prior to this one. Although we don't hear from the 'older' characters until the latter part of the book, you will still need to have some idea about the V'alkara to gain the most enjoyment from it.
So, that being said, let's start. We have Zaire, who popped up in Ella and Dax's book. We found out he was 'helping' the Red Crows but only because he had to. In this book, we learn more about Zaire's history, and why he feels unworthy of love, indeed, he fears it. As for Quinn, we don't find out much about her past as a 'normal' person, but as a Dreamcaster, she rocks! She is tough, having fought her way through too many demons to count. She takes her knocks and rolls with them. She sets her sights on Zaire (through their connected past), and won't let him go. Just what the stubborn-ass V'alkara needs.
For me, this was the best of the bunch so far. I don't know if it's because I know their world now, The Faction, the Red Crows, the V'alkara, or maybe it was just Zaire and Quinn. Whatever the reason, I was completely committed to this book from the very beginning.
Full of action, and yet with a smooth and flowing pace, this book is full of brilliant characters and situations. Our tortured hero is dark enough to be fully rounded, whilst our sassy heroine sparks off him and keeps things interesting. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed their story. I am really hoping Mel and Izzy get a story, and it won't be too long in coming! Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
So, that being said, let's start. We have Zaire, who popped up in Ella and Dax's book. We found out he was 'helping' the Red Crows but only because he had to. In this book, we learn more about Zaire's history, and why he feels unworthy of love, indeed, he fears it. As for Quinn, we don't find out much about her past as a 'normal' person, but as a Dreamcaster, she rocks! She is tough, having fought her way through too many demons to count. She takes her knocks and rolls with them. She sets her sights on Zaire (through their connected past), and won't let him go. Just what the stubborn-ass V'alkara needs.
For me, this was the best of the bunch so far. I don't know if it's because I know their world now, The Faction, the Red Crows, the V'alkara, or maybe it was just Zaire and Quinn. Whatever the reason, I was completely committed to this book from the very beginning.
Full of action, and yet with a smooth and flowing pace, this book is full of brilliant characters and situations. Our tortured hero is dark enough to be fully rounded, whilst our sassy heroine sparks off him and keeps things interesting. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed their story. I am really hoping Mel and Izzy get a story, and it won't be too long in coming! Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Louise (64 KP) rated Blue Bottle Mystery - The Graphic Novel: An Asperger Adventure in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I was provided a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest opinion.
The artwork in this graphic novel is very simplistic and colourful, easy to follow as targeted for middle grade.
I enjoyed this Graphic Novel it was very informative on a basic level, it showed family dynamics and symptoms of aspergers. I believe this should be put in all schools for children to read, to recognise that there are illnesses out there that define people the way they are. I have only really learnt about AS in my adult life, this could be that it's more recognised and understood now.
There are several characters in this story that surround Ben and you get to see all their ways in which they communicate.
Grandma is around to look after Ben when his father is working, she is very supportive and understanding and is a go between Ben and his father.
The dad, is a stereotypical dad, wants his son to be good at sports and have a rough and tumble, he doesn't understand why Ben is the way he is and clearly gets frustrated when Ben can't explain himself.
Andy, Ben's best friend, is a decent kid and is very tolerant but he himself also gets frustrated with Ben on occasions but sticks with him, its great to see that true friends will stick around and keep coming back.
The teacher (I have forgotten her name.... it's something double-barreled) is very frustrated, she has her own problems too, but Ben can't read her emotions, he takes things too literally and is mistaken for being rude.
The blue bottle and the genie is just added to make the story interesting for the kids to read, It doesn't have any real relevance to AS.
This book looks at family dynamics, friendship, bullying and obviously Aspergers Syndrome.
This is such an easy read, definitely one to read with kids to make them more aware or anyone that has never heard of AS as it shows all they symptoms in Ben's character.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
The artwork in this graphic novel is very simplistic and colourful, easy to follow as targeted for middle grade.
I enjoyed this Graphic Novel it was very informative on a basic level, it showed family dynamics and symptoms of aspergers. I believe this should be put in all schools for children to read, to recognise that there are illnesses out there that define people the way they are. I have only really learnt about AS in my adult life, this could be that it's more recognised and understood now.
There are several characters in this story that surround Ben and you get to see all their ways in which they communicate.
Grandma is around to look after Ben when his father is working, she is very supportive and understanding and is a go between Ben and his father.
The dad, is a stereotypical dad, wants his son to be good at sports and have a rough and tumble, he doesn't understand why Ben is the way he is and clearly gets frustrated when Ben can't explain himself.
Andy, Ben's best friend, is a decent kid and is very tolerant but he himself also gets frustrated with Ben on occasions but sticks with him, its great to see that true friends will stick around and keep coming back.
The teacher (I have forgotten her name.... it's something double-barreled) is very frustrated, she has her own problems too, but Ben can't read her emotions, he takes things too literally and is mistaken for being rude.
The blue bottle and the genie is just added to make the story interesting for the kids to read, It doesn't have any real relevance to AS.
This book looks at family dynamics, friendship, bullying and obviously Aspergers Syndrome.
This is such an easy read, definitely one to read with kids to make them more aware or anyone that has never heard of AS as it shows all they symptoms in Ben's character.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Nov 16, 2018
Foy is good - the rest is bland and boring
I, like many of you,was surprised to learn that there was a new "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" film coming out. I thought, "do we need another one"? I got my answer.
We don't.
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB continues the story of crusading, crime-fighting, techno-punk computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as she continues on her journey to right the wrongs committed to women from no-good men. She is joined in her quest, once again, by journalist Mikael Bloomkvist.
Claire Foy (The Crown) takes over the title role and she is the ONLY thing in this film worth watching. Her Lisbeth is interesting, intense and doggedly-determined. Foy is a charismatic actress and this charisma comes off on the screen. Unfortunately, the other characters/actors that Foy is asked to play with (and off of) are bland, boring and very, very forgettable. Staring with Sverrir Gudnason as Bloomkvist. This character is supposed to by Lisbeth's partner and former lover, but there was no spark of recognition or connection between the two of them and this fellow could have been ANYBODY. Sylvia Hoeks, Adreja Pejic and even Vicky Krieps (so interesting in THE PHANTOM THREAD) were all disposable and interchangeable. Only Stephen Merchant (in a serious role) and Lakeith Stanfield showed any spark of interest.
The plot of this film didn't help matters either. Where the first GIRL IN THE DRAGON TATOO is a very intimate, very personal story, SPIDER'S WEB is bigger and broader (almost entering into James Bond territory) making the stakes superficial and phony (even though the plot involved her sister and her father, which SHOULD make it VERY personal). Director Fede Alvarez (working from his own screenplay) also brings nothing to the table, visually, making this a very slow, very tedious slog, indeed.
But then, Foy/Salander shows up on the screen and interest increases - at least until she leaves the screen again.
Avoid this Spider's Web and go find the original Dragon Tatoo films.
Letter Grade B- (for Foy's performance)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
We don't.
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB continues the story of crusading, crime-fighting, techno-punk computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as she continues on her journey to right the wrongs committed to women from no-good men. She is joined in her quest, once again, by journalist Mikael Bloomkvist.
Claire Foy (The Crown) takes over the title role and she is the ONLY thing in this film worth watching. Her Lisbeth is interesting, intense and doggedly-determined. Foy is a charismatic actress and this charisma comes off on the screen. Unfortunately, the other characters/actors that Foy is asked to play with (and off of) are bland, boring and very, very forgettable. Staring with Sverrir Gudnason as Bloomkvist. This character is supposed to by Lisbeth's partner and former lover, but there was no spark of recognition or connection between the two of them and this fellow could have been ANYBODY. Sylvia Hoeks, Adreja Pejic and even Vicky Krieps (so interesting in THE PHANTOM THREAD) were all disposable and interchangeable. Only Stephen Merchant (in a serious role) and Lakeith Stanfield showed any spark of interest.
The plot of this film didn't help matters either. Where the first GIRL IN THE DRAGON TATOO is a very intimate, very personal story, SPIDER'S WEB is bigger and broader (almost entering into James Bond territory) making the stakes superficial and phony (even though the plot involved her sister and her father, which SHOULD make it VERY personal). Director Fede Alvarez (working from his own screenplay) also brings nothing to the table, visually, making this a very slow, very tedious slog, indeed.
But then, Foy/Salander shows up on the screen and interest increases - at least until she leaves the screen again.
Avoid this Spider's Web and go find the original Dragon Tatoo films.
Letter Grade B- (for Foy's performance)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Megamind (2010) in Movies
Dec 5, 2018
Holds up well - very entertaining
When one thinks of Animation studios, the first 2 names that come to mind are, probably, PIXAR and DISNEY ANIMATION. Coming in 3rd on that list is probably DREAMWORKS with such hit franchises as SHREK, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and KUNG FU PANDA. But Dreamworks also made a few, fun "one-off" films (animation films that spawned no sequels), most notably OVER THE HEDGE, SHARK TALE and the animated film I'm reviewing today, MEGAMIND.
What? You don't remember MEGAMIND? Well, you should. Spooffing SuperHero films by focusing on the villain, Megamind stars some incredible voice talents - Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Johan Hill - and tells the cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
Ferrell, of course, stars as the titular Megamind, a Super Villain who after years of failure, finally defeats SuperHero Megaman (Brad Pitt). He realizes that without his arch-nemesis, his life is empty and begins to search for meaning in his life. Along for the journey is a reporter (Tina Fey), her Cameraman (Jonah Hill) and Megamind's Minion (long before Despicable Me), David Cross.
Sounds like pretty standard stuff, huh? But in the hands of comedians like Ferrell, Fey, Cross and Hill it elevates itself to something more. The comic sensibilities make a little more sense to me when I realized that Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were the Excecutive Producers - both very funny men. They, smartly, turned the Direction of this film over to Dreamworks Animation veteran Tom McGrath (REN & STIMPY, some of the MADAGASCAR films and THE BOSS BABY), he keeps the events of the film moving swiftly and simply, being really clear of the events and motivations of the players while not getting too clever and complex.
I caught this film on HBO, and am sure you can stream it elsewhere. If you're looking for a fun film for the whole family this Holiday Season - especially one without Princes & Princesses in it - check out MEGAMIND, it's a fun way to spend a few hours.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
What? You don't remember MEGAMIND? Well, you should. Spooffing SuperHero films by focusing on the villain, Megamind stars some incredible voice talents - Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Johan Hill - and tells the cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
Ferrell, of course, stars as the titular Megamind, a Super Villain who after years of failure, finally defeats SuperHero Megaman (Brad Pitt). He realizes that without his arch-nemesis, his life is empty and begins to search for meaning in his life. Along for the journey is a reporter (Tina Fey), her Cameraman (Jonah Hill) and Megamind's Minion (long before Despicable Me), David Cross.
Sounds like pretty standard stuff, huh? But in the hands of comedians like Ferrell, Fey, Cross and Hill it elevates itself to something more. The comic sensibilities make a little more sense to me when I realized that Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were the Excecutive Producers - both very funny men. They, smartly, turned the Direction of this film over to Dreamworks Animation veteran Tom McGrath (REN & STIMPY, some of the MADAGASCAR films and THE BOSS BABY), he keeps the events of the film moving swiftly and simply, being really clear of the events and motivations of the players while not getting too clever and complex.
I caught this film on HBO, and am sure you can stream it elsewhere. If you're looking for a fun film for the whole family this Holiday Season - especially one without Princes & Princesses in it - check out MEGAMIND, it's a fun way to spend a few hours.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Debbiereadsbook (1434 KP) rated Home and Heart in Books
Jan 7, 2019
so much sex!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
For the most part, I DID enjoy this. Mostly.
I will always say I like my male/male books on the more explicit side, and I will make no apologies for that. More sexy time is always better for me, SO LONG as the story can carry it. However, HERE, I found that while there is a lot of sex, it's not carried well by the story. What is here is good, and it's well written and super sexy, but I just felt the overall story gets lost somewhere along the way.
Sawyer's husband died 6 years ago, and he took to the bottle to literally drown his sorrows. Now, he's sober and ups and moves clear across the country for a new start. That there are three guys in the building with a friends with benefit type arrangement, helps Sawyer a lot.
The type of relationship Sawyer had with his husband, the depth of that, creeps out slowly, as does the depth of the relationship between Benny and Luke, and I did like that. I LOVED that Luke and Benny were well established and Derek their sometime third. LOVED that Luke saw that Sawyer was a sub, very quickly, and that he began teaching Derek to be Sawyer's Dom. Loved that Derek didn't even KNOW he wanted to be a Dom, before Sawyer. I loved that once in, Derek was adamant that Sawyer was HIS and HIS alone and HE would be the one to give Sawyer what he needed, even if Derek wasn't keen on whatever that might be.
So, what is here is great, brilliant and all that but I just felt the STORY, Sawyer's story, about moving across the country for a new start, coming out of his shell, was lost in all that, very well written and delivered, sex.
And if I say there is too much sex, you gotta know there is a lot!
All four guys do get a say, and I did finish it in one sitting. Enjoyable enough for that so
3 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
For the most part, I DID enjoy this. Mostly.
I will always say I like my male/male books on the more explicit side, and I will make no apologies for that. More sexy time is always better for me, SO LONG as the story can carry it. However, HERE, I found that while there is a lot of sex, it's not carried well by the story. What is here is good, and it's well written and super sexy, but I just felt the overall story gets lost somewhere along the way.
Sawyer's husband died 6 years ago, and he took to the bottle to literally drown his sorrows. Now, he's sober and ups and moves clear across the country for a new start. That there are three guys in the building with a friends with benefit type arrangement, helps Sawyer a lot.
The type of relationship Sawyer had with his husband, the depth of that, creeps out slowly, as does the depth of the relationship between Benny and Luke, and I did like that. I LOVED that Luke and Benny were well established and Derek their sometime third. LOVED that Luke saw that Sawyer was a sub, very quickly, and that he began teaching Derek to be Sawyer's Dom. Loved that Derek didn't even KNOW he wanted to be a Dom, before Sawyer. I loved that once in, Derek was adamant that Sawyer was HIS and HIS alone and HE would be the one to give Sawyer what he needed, even if Derek wasn't keen on whatever that might be.
So, what is here is great, brilliant and all that but I just felt the STORY, Sawyer's story, about moving across the country for a new start, coming out of his shell, was lost in all that, very well written and delivered, sex.
And if I say there is too much sex, you gotta know there is a lot!
All four guys do get a say, and I did finish it in one sitting. Enjoyable enough for that so
3 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Hamilton: An American Musical Soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda in Music
Dec 31, 2018 (Updated Dec 31, 2018)
Possibly the greatest hip hop album ever written (1 more)
Definitely the greatest musical ever written
One Of The Greatest Things That I Have Ever Had The Pleasure Of Witnessing
Let me start this review by saying that I strongly dislike musical theatre. I have always found the concept of musicals dumb and pretty naff.
Back before Cracked.com dissolved, I was a loyal listener of their weekly podcast. Each week the host, Jack O'Brian would play songs throughout the podcast from an album that he had been listening to that week. During an episode that they dropped back in early 2016, Jack explained at the start of the episode that he had been to see a musical called Hamilton the previous weekend and he would be playing songs from that through the episode. I rolled my eyes, expecting to be bombarded with cheesy broadway show tunes and was unbelievably pleasantly surprised by what I heard.
Right away, these songs grabbed me, to the point that I actively seeked out the rest of the soundtrack to listen to the rest of the songs. The following summer, my girlfriend and I were planning a trip to NYC and I was dying to go and see Hamilton live, even though Lin-Manuel Miranda had moved away from the title role, as had a lot of the other OG cast, I still wanted to experience the soundtrack live. However, after seeing that the price of 2 tickets equated to an amount equal to a deposit for a house, we had to let the chance pass us by.
Last week, while on a trip down to London, we finally got to see the play live and it was most definitely worth the wait. Seeing the songs play out live only enhances the genius of Lin-Manuel's writing and the cast that we seen were absolutely stellar, (even though they were apparently mostly the understudy cast.)
Hamilton is one of the greatest things ever written and if you ever get the chance, I implore you to do everything that you can to see it live - and this is coming from someone who hates musical theatre.
Back before Cracked.com dissolved, I was a loyal listener of their weekly podcast. Each week the host, Jack O'Brian would play songs throughout the podcast from an album that he had been listening to that week. During an episode that they dropped back in early 2016, Jack explained at the start of the episode that he had been to see a musical called Hamilton the previous weekend and he would be playing songs from that through the episode. I rolled my eyes, expecting to be bombarded with cheesy broadway show tunes and was unbelievably pleasantly surprised by what I heard.
Right away, these songs grabbed me, to the point that I actively seeked out the rest of the soundtrack to listen to the rest of the songs. The following summer, my girlfriend and I were planning a trip to NYC and I was dying to go and see Hamilton live, even though Lin-Manuel Miranda had moved away from the title role, as had a lot of the other OG cast, I still wanted to experience the soundtrack live. However, after seeing that the price of 2 tickets equated to an amount equal to a deposit for a house, we had to let the chance pass us by.
Last week, while on a trip down to London, we finally got to see the play live and it was most definitely worth the wait. Seeing the songs play out live only enhances the genius of Lin-Manuel's writing and the cast that we seen were absolutely stellar, (even though they were apparently mostly the understudy cast.)
Hamilton is one of the greatest things ever written and if you ever get the chance, I implore you to do everything that you can to see it live - and this is coming from someone who hates musical theatre.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019 (Updated Dec 27, 2019)
The future is bright for the MCU
Contains spoilers, click to show
Far From Home is in a tricky position, coming out a couple of months after Avengers Endgame, having to deal with the fallout out of the Infinity story arc, and also having to follow up a great first entry into the MCU Spider-Man franchise, and it's does a damn fine job.
Tom Holland continues to be a near perfect Peter Parker, and he's surrounded by a charming cast - Zendaya is great as MJ, Jon Favreau is always welcome as Happy, and Samuel L. Jackson does his usual broody Nick Fury, this time going up against the more cooky humour of Peters classmates, and it all works - the humour all lands for the most part (and as Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, I couldn't help but enjoy JB Smoove).
But the shining star in Far From Home is of course Jake Gyllenhaal. His portrayal of Quentin Beck/Mysterio is great - watching him go from a sad and scarred man, looking to save the world and be Peters friend, to the eventual (and of course expected) reveal that he's actually a calculating-genius-maniac is pretty great.
The set pieces to begin with are standard Marvel fun, but the first time Spider-Man goes head to head with Mysterio and his illusions is ok another level (zombie Iron Man anyone!?) - it feels lifted straight from the comics, and is a visual treat, knocking down Doctor Strange in terms of crazy hallucinating sequences. It's perfect!
It's also a lovely touch just how much Tony Stark has to do in this film - his character may be gone but his presence is constant throughout.
And to top everything off - the first post credit scene includes a unexpected come back that made me grin from ear to ear, and then the second one, well that was just nuts - needless to say, I'm truly excited for what comes next in the MCU.
Far From Home is fun, visually thrilling, with great cast, and for me, is up there with the top tier MCU films.
Tom Holland continues to be a near perfect Peter Parker, and he's surrounded by a charming cast - Zendaya is great as MJ, Jon Favreau is always welcome as Happy, and Samuel L. Jackson does his usual broody Nick Fury, this time going up against the more cooky humour of Peters classmates, and it all works - the humour all lands for the most part (and as Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, I couldn't help but enjoy JB Smoove).
But the shining star in Far From Home is of course Jake Gyllenhaal. His portrayal of Quentin Beck/Mysterio is great - watching him go from a sad and scarred man, looking to save the world and be Peters friend, to the eventual (and of course expected) reveal that he's actually a calculating-genius-maniac is pretty great.
The set pieces to begin with are standard Marvel fun, but the first time Spider-Man goes head to head with Mysterio and his illusions is ok another level (zombie Iron Man anyone!?) - it feels lifted straight from the comics, and is a visual treat, knocking down Doctor Strange in terms of crazy hallucinating sequences. It's perfect!
It's also a lovely touch just how much Tony Stark has to do in this film - his character may be gone but his presence is constant throughout.
And to top everything off - the first post credit scene includes a unexpected come back that made me grin from ear to ear, and then the second one, well that was just nuts - needless to say, I'm truly excited for what comes next in the MCU.
Far From Home is fun, visually thrilling, with great cast, and for me, is up there with the top tier MCU films.