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Jules and Jim (1962)
Jules and Jim (1962)
1962 | Drama, Romance
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Oh my God, how could I forget it? Jules and Jim. It’s that one with that very famous French actress, [yells at her husband to look up the name] Jeanne Moreau! I had never seen acting by a woman that way. She was so layered and complicated, and she threw things away that other actresses would nurture for a whole film. Do you know when I saw that movie — I saw it by myself — in the middle of it, it was so overwhelming I had to walk back and watch it from the back of the theater. I couldn’t just sit in my chair. It was so wonderfully honest and complex about relationships between men and women. And you saw aspects of her that were really dark that came out, as opposed to the stuff that was coming out back then."

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Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Romance
Loved it. It made me cry. Definitely the queer romantic comedy we all deserve. Kristen Stewart is excellent as Abby and Mackenzie does a good turn as Harper, her girlfriend who is struggling coming out to her family (and basically her entire hometown). Harper takes Abby home for the holidays, doesn't act her best, and heartbreak ensues. Daniel Levy is wonderful as Abby's best friend and Aubrey Plaza as Harper's ex. Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen are spot-on as Harper's parents, who demand perfection from all three of their daughters. If you've ever had to come out to your family, this film will deeply resonate with you. If you're straight and haven't had that experience, watch it, consider what others around you may have gone through and feel some empathy. It's funny, heartbreaking, and sweet.
  
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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies

Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)  
Snowpiercer (2013)
Snowpiercer (2013)
2013 | Sci-Fi
I first saw Snowpiercer on Netflix purely by skimming through what was on one night, when I found out that it was finally coming out on Blu-ray I got very excited, for those that don’t know the film is from the visionary mind behind 2020 Oscar-winner Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho’s star-studded dystopian sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer is a movie that has now also been made into a TV series, but today I’m bringing you my review of the film’s much-anticipated Blu-ray release.

Set in 2031, the entire planet is frozen and the world’s only survivors live aboard the Snowpiercer: a train that’s been hurtling around the globe for the past seventeen years. Within the carriages, the remnants of the human race have formed their own divisive economic and class system.
  
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Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1)
Seanan Mcguire | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow. That's about all I can think of to sum up my thoughts. <u>Rosemary and Rue</u> is a knock-out debut of what looks to be a fantastic series. The protagonist, October (Toby), is interesting, tough yet still fragile, sympathetic, and her character as a whole seems so realistic. The plot and mystery held my interest and I never fully grasped the truth, I pretty much found out when Toby did, and I respect an author who can do that without everything coming out of left field. The ending was melancholy, but perfectly done. The more I think about this book, the more impressed I am; there isn't one thing I would change (although I would like to know where I could get a rose goblin ;P). This secret world of faeries is well-developed, completely fascinating, and very different from other urban fantasy series, I can barely wait to see what the next book brings.

An aside: I appreciate the pronunciation guide at the front, it came in handy whenever I forgot how Cait or Luidgaeg were pronounced.
  
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
Nothing stood out - more of the same
Boy becomes reluctant hero. Hero does battle against villain. You fill in the rest.

Kind of a DC PG-13 version of Deadpool (or at least it wants to be).

I was really hoping the humor would be funnier and there would be something that would make it stand out for DC. Especially after really enjoying both Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

At 133 minutes, the movie needed quite a trimming as the beginning dragged and the movie lost its way a few times before coming together well at the end. I looked at my phone several times to see how much was left to go and that is never a good sign.

Zachary Levi stood out as the humorous protagonist (with a stupid-looking costume), but the rest of the cast was generic and boring including the blah villain.

If they make another film, hopefully they can concentrate more on the non origin story and make the humor and action scenes sharper and tighter.

  
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ClareR (5667 KP) Sep 2, 2019

We watched this at the weekend. My eldest son said it was ‘wrong’, the youngest thought it was loads of fun 🤷🏼‍♀️ I liked it, but it was nothing special. It whiled away a couple of hours. The villain could’ve been much better, I think (he’s a good actor!), and it’s a shame they didn’t make Shazam as he was in the comics. I think that’s what grated the most on my son - especially the end bit.

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Andy K (10821 KP) Sep 2, 2019

Yes I agree!

V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone, #22)
V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone, #22)
Sue Grafton | 2011 | Mystery
5
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stumbles at the End
Kinsey Millhone is in the right place and the right time to foil a shoplifter. She is surprised to find that the shoplifter kills herself the next day. But the surprises keep coming when the dead woman’s fiancé hired Kinsey to prove that the woman didn’t kill herself. The fiancé doesn’t think she was a shoplifter either, so he and Kinsey have a contentious relationship from the very start. But can Kinsey figure out what really happened?

This book started out mostly well. There’s a subplot told in third person point of view chapters that really slowed the book down, but the chapters from Kinsey’s point of view were engaging. The further I got into the book, the harder time I had putting it down. Then we came to the climax, which turned out to be pretty weak, with one development I really didn’t like. It’s a shame because I enjoyed spending time with Kinsey and the rest of the regulars as always. This one is for series fans only.
  
Crystal Shard (Paladins of Crystal. #1)
Crystal Shard (Paladins of Crystal. #1)
Nicola M. Cameron | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
10
9.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing world building!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Oooooohhhhh! I loved this! I really did!

The thing I loved the most, was there wasn't that info dump you get in some fantasy books. When Crystal gets pulled into the rose bush and spat out the other side, she has to learn everything about where she now is. And as she learns, we learn. So, it comes in dribs and drabs, just enough for you to process that bit and move on to the next. Loved that, it meant I could fully engage with the characters, instead of trying to keep up with information. Excellent world building!

I loved that Crystal has her say in the first person, and the Paladins, her group of protectors at this point, have their say in the third. Different, yes, but I loved that it was.

And I say at this point, because given what happens at the end (which, to be honest I saw coming, but hey, still loved it!) things will change in future books.

I've not tagged it as romance or multi partner YET, cos there isn't any romance, and the only smexy times is in dreams, for both Crystal and the guys. But it's coming, oh yes, it's a-coming!

Obviously, things aren't smooth sailing, and I've an idea who might be wanting to cause all this trouble. I'm fairly certain they aren't done yet.

So, when is the next one out? Cos I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED it!

This is the second book of Cameron's I tried to read. I didn't much care for the first one, but this?? Bloody loved it!

5 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Before I Go to Sleep
Before I Go to Sleep
S.J. Watson | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had been hearing good things about this book from a very large number of my coworkers, and with the movie coming out I figured it was a good time to tackle it. What a harrowing story it turned out to be. Christine wakes up every day having completely forgotten the majority of her life before that point, next to a husband she can't remember. She has begun keeping track of the events of her days in a journal, at the encouragement of a doctor who has to call her every morning to remind her to do so. Through doing this, she has begun to piece together the last several decades of her life and, perhaps most importantly, how it is that she came to be the way she is. This turns out to be a wonderfully clever way to tease out a mystery, and is balanced with just enough sadness and fear over the very condition itself, which truly does seem terrible. I can't say anything more without giving away the plot, but trust me, you will want to read this one for yourself, as it is quite the good climax. Read it before you see the movie, you won't be disappointed.