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Anders Holm recommended Scary Monsters by David Bowie in Music (curated)

 
Scary Monsters by David Bowie
Scary Monsters by David Bowie
1980 | Rock
8.4 (8 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Beastie Boys and David Bowie are two of my favorite artists. The David Bowie album I am going to choose is Scary Monsters, which is kind of different. He always reinvented himself and he was doing something in the 1980s with Scary Monsters that nobody was doing. You can kind of hear stuff on that album that a lot of groups are doing now like, 'Aw, yeah I know where you got that from. That’s off that album.' It’s not one of his most popular albums to everybody, but I think it’s my favorite. There was a song on that, ‘Teenage Wildlife,’ and if you don’t like that, we don’t have to associate with each other. If you don’t get that song—it's cool man, I’ll see you around. “‘Teenage Wildlife’ is just epic. It’s like five or six minutes long and it kind of crescendos and builds into this insane vocal of Bowie wailing. I think I would pay $5,000 dollars to see footage of that recording session. I don’t know how he hits the notes that he’s doing and how long he does it but he’s just belting it out. You know he was feeling something when he was doing it. It’s just a cool song."

Source
  
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
2017 | Drama, Mystery
Great cast, fresh retelling (0 more)
A little laboured in places (0 more)
Beautiful cinematography
Stellar cast from diverse backgrounds really added depth to the characters and pulled together to breathe new life into an already very familiar story.

Kenneth Branagh did an excellent turn as director for this film with beautiful scenery shots and tight edits.


His Piorrot was unexpectedly excellent (David Sachet has spoiled me for all other Piorrot), offering a very human take on the detective without losing any of his steel.


If I had one criticism, the film felt very long and slightly laboured, but overall was a stunning film.
  
Boston Legal  - Season 1
Boston Legal - Season 1
2004 | Drama
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
James Spader as Alan Shore and William Shatner as Denny Crane (0 more)
It ended. (0 more)
Flawless Drama
This show doesn't need a long review - it's too perfect. Too funny. Too clever. the chemistry between James Spader and William Shatner as Alan and Denny respectively draws you in and makes you wish they were your buddies, that you could hang out with them on the penthouse office balcony, talking philosophically about life with a cigar in one hand and a fine scotch whiskey in the other. The cast is superb and the writing brilliant...Thank you David E Kelly et al.
  
Confession (David de Morrissey, #3)
Confession (David de Morrissey, #3)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's been many years since i read books 1 and 2 of this series and as much as i wanted to read them all together, it took me a long time to find them in paperback considering how old they are (1992). Because of their age, they are rather old fashioned in style, using terms like "vampiress" and it took me quite a bit to get back into. Once i got past the first third of the book, I was used to it and though it took me a while, i got into the series again.

I feel a little bad for Darienne, though i do think she brought it on herself and the fact that she's off to London is not looking good. As for David and Veronica, I'm happy for them. It's taken three books but they're finally getting their HAE.

And because they got their HAE, I'm confused by book 4, [b:Eternity|1935575|Eternity (David de Morrissey, #4)|Lori Herter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1317366813s/1935575.jpg|1938087]. I always assumed it would be David and Veronica as vampires spending eternity together, but maybe it has something to to with Darienne?

I'm off to go find out.
  
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Moby recommended Station to Station by David Bowie in Music (curated)

 
Station to Station by David Bowie
Station to Station by David Bowie
1976 | Pop
8.8 (6 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is his Los Angeles album, and what's funny about that is it's one of his most European records. On the 'Station To Station' song he even sings "the European cannon is here", and it's ironic that he recorded it in the Hollywood hills while doing tons and tons of cocaine. It's odd when you talk about these really iconic artists, whether it's Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones, there's always that debate about which is their best album, and usually there's some degree of consensus. With David Bowie most of my music cognoscenti friends will go with Low, but for me Station To Station is the weirdest, most subtly strong David Bowie album. It doesn't have the ambient beauty of Heroes or Low, but it's almost as if he was trying to make a conventional record, but it ends up sounding even stranger because it's trying to be conventional. And that's why I picked it. In a way it reminded me of some of the Roxy Music albums being made around this time, like Manifesto in that was these very strange artists trying to be a little more normal and ending up making something even more disconcertingly odd. How he could make this amazing record when he was constantly out of his mind on cocaine, and also the courage of having the first song on the record nine and a half minutes long, but the music on 'Station To Station' doesn't even get going for the first few minutes. When I was growing up Bowie really had this otherworldly mystique. There was so many different David Bowies, there was glam Bowie, European Bowie, then later on there was dance album Bowie. There was an assumption that whatever he was doing was phenomenal because he was David Bowie. To be a celebrity name-dropper one thing that amazed me was that I lived across the street from David Bowie for a while in New York and we had BBQs together, we went on tour together, and one of my most treasured memories, if I'm on my death bed this might be the thing that I think of. One morning David Bowie came over to my apartment and we were sitting on my couch at 10 in the morning drinking tea, and I played 'Heroes' on acoustic guitar and he sung along. Even if I end up getting married, having children and a family life, my favourite memory will be playing 'Heroes' on acoustic guitar with David Bowie."

Source
  
AP
A Plain and Simple Christmas: A Novella
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
WAnna Mae McDonough is shunned by her family and the Amish community. She left her community to marry Kellen McDonough who is an Englisher and moved to Baltimore. She is know expecting her first child and is now long to reconnect with her family and with the approaching of the holidays.

Anna Mae reach out to her sister in law to make arrengments to come and visit her family for the holidays. Her sister in law talks to her husband David. Her husband tell her not to do this and agrees to take her and the children to visit Anna Mae and Kellen in the spring. Katherine goes against her husband wishes and plans this visit for Anna Mae.
  
AP
A Plain and Simple Christmas: A Novella
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
WAnna Mae McDonough is shunned by her family and the Amish community. She left her community to marry Kellen McDonough who is an Englisher and moved to Baltimore. She is know expecting her first child and is now long to reconnect with her family and with the approaching of the holidays.

Anna Mae reach out to her sister in law to make arrengments to come and visit her family for the holidays. Her sister in law talks to her husband David. Her husband tell her not to do this and agrees to take her and the children to visit Anna Mae and Kellen in the spring. Katherine goes against her husband wishes and plans this visit for Anna Mae.
  
The songs (1 more)
The complication of 70s artists
Not in the best order, however follows the movie (0 more)
Fan favourite driving anthems
I won this in a contest, by far best decision ever. What a fantastic set of songs, I have it playing in my car the entire way to work and back. Starting my day with Mr, Blue Sky is always a fantastic start and ending with Guardians Inferno by David Hasselhoff. These classic anthems always bring a smile to my face during the long drive to and from work. Definitely a recommended compilation for all those who love the 70s, guardians, or even just enjoyable upbeat music. In these times of hardship, just remember, we...are...Groot!
  
We're The Millers (2013)
We're The Millers (2013)
2013 | Comedy, Crime
Life for petty drug dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikes) is a fairly routine existence. He has his regular customers and makes his living selling small quantities of marijuana to his regulars while maintaining his ethical standards not to sell to children. David had fallen into this line of work in college and is managed to get by and save $20,000 for himself. David’s former college cohort Brad (Ed Helms) is his major supplier and unlike David, Brad has grown extremely wealthy and powerful through letting people like David do the dirty work.

David has long held a torch for his neighbor Rose (Jennifer Aniston), a stripper with a heart of gold who seems only successful at attracting loser boyfriends and maintaining her disdain for David.

 

When a local homeless girl named Casey (Emma Roberts), is accosted in front of his apartment building, David reluctantly comes to the aid of a well-intentioned dork named Kenny (Will Poulter), who has a habit of acting without thinking. Since Kenny is one of David’s neighbors and despite his geeky nature a good kid, David reluctantly becomes involved and soon finds himself the target of the assailants. Adding insult to injury, the robbers take all his money and drug supplies, including his savings.

 

Unable to pay Brad for what was taken, David reluctantly enters into an agreement where he traveled to Mexico and return a quantity of marijuana for Brad who in turn will wipe his debts clean and pay him for his efforts. Not wanting to end up in jail but seeing no other way out of his predicament, David enlists Casey, Kenny, and a reluctant but desperate Rose to pose as his all-American family for the trip in an effort to throw off any customs or law enforcement officials would be suspicious of David traveling alone.

 

Things seem to go smoothly at first despite tensions amongst the ad hoc family and despite a rendezvous with some scary individuals; they soon find their R.V. loaded to the max with bundles of drugs. This development panics David as he was expecting to transport only a modest amount across the border and realizes that being discovered with the quantities he’s attempting to smuggle into the country would result in some serious jail time.

 

Undaunted, the family who dubbed themselves the Miller’s continue with the plan which results in a series of humorous misfortunes along the way him including an overzealous RV couple (Nick Offerman and Katheryn Hahn), who just happens to be an active DEA agent with a knack for showing up no matter where the Miller’s go. You race against time with some serious bad guys in pursuit; the Miller’s must come together and put aside their dysfunctions to accomplish their bizarre and wacky mission.

 

While most people will be able to see the romantic subplots from a mile away what really makes this film shine is the outrageous comedy that is persistent throughout. The best laughs have not been wasted in the trailers which is unfortunately all too common for films of this type and the supporting work of Offerman and Poulter nearly steal the movie. Aniston is essentially playing the same character she plays in almost every one of her performances but at least she gets to take a little bit wilder edge that she teased in last year’s “Horrible Bosses”. Her repair shop striptease is definitely one of the more memorable scenes in the film that has nothing on the tender yet humorous scene or she decides to help Kenny out in regard to his awkwardness with women.

 

Sudeikes has really been on a roll of late as he not only had a hit with the previously mentioned “Horrible Bosses”, but has done solid work in the interim not the least of which is his outing as the sympathetic Dave. One would think film about drug smugglers, strippers, and other social undesirables would not be so enjoyable nor would characters come across is so endearing and sympathetic. That being said the film was definitely very pleasant supriserites and if you set your expectations accordingly you may find yourself not only laughing along at the outrageous antics but looking forward to spending more time with this crazy group in the future.

http://sknr.net/2013/08/07/were-the-millers/
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Zodiac (2007) in Movies

Sep 7, 2020  
Zodiac (2007)
Zodiac (2007)
2007 | Mystery
Good but drawn out
I've had this film on my to watch list for a long time, but the runtime has always put me off. Having finally found the time and inclination to watch it recently, I'm glad I finally did.

I'd completely forgotten this was a David Fincher film, and it is very well done. The style and overall cinematography are very good. It also has a fantastic cast too, although i wish there had been a little more RDJ. As thrillers go it's very understated, maybe a little too understated in parts but it at least doesn't go OTT on action or kills and there are some very suspenseful and tense scenes dotted throughout. My main problem is this is a very long film and often feels rather drawn out. I feel like it could've been cut done a little to up the pace a bit. But despite this it's still an enjoyable film and fascinating that it's based on a true story I knew little about.