Flannery
Book
The landscape of American literature was fundamentally changed when Flannery O'Connor stepped onto...
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Pitching Tents (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Pitching Tents is exactly this type of movie. Its 1984 its the end of the school year and Danny (Micheal Grant) has very little clue what he is going to do with his life past High School, before he has to really worry about any of that he is having one last weekend at Trout Camp with his buddies. However before his weekend can really begin he is cornered by over zealous guidance counselor Mr. Mulligan (Jim Norton) who has pretty much guaranteed Danny a place at a good college. Obviously though things are never that simple because Danny’s dad (Eric Allan Kramer) has gone to the liberty of securing him a job at the local factory.
Torn between his passion for Art and his desire to please his father, Danny has a tough life choice ahead of him. Of course that can wait because a weekend of smoking weed, contemplating life, trying to get laid lies ahead of Danny and his closest friends. You know standard Dazed and Confused territory.
You could argue that there is not really anything original here and you would right, we have seen these movies before and often done better. However I personally felt the Tug of War between Danny, his father and the Counselor is an interesting spin of the teen coming of age drama. Add to this the supporting cast of friends all hugely believable and relate-able with good turns from Disney alumni BooBoo Stewart (Descendants) as Todd and everyone’s favorite child star Jonathan Lipnicki (who is all growed up nowadays) as Scott. Then there is the final third of the movie in which Danny is to make his choice and the movie shows a level of maturity rarely seen in this type of Flick. Props to director Jacob Cooney on this count.
This is a recommend if these movies take your fancy, I know they are not for everyone but personally it ticked a lot of my boxes, and its always good to see what Lipnicki is doing these days. Oh then theres the soundtrack, typical 80s movie soundtrack, but hey who doesnt love that.
How to Abandon Ship: The World War II Classic That Can Save Your Life
Phil Richards, John J. Banigan and Twain Braden
Book
Based on interviews with the crew and captain of a torpedoed tanker who survived nineteen days in a...
Accidental Presidents
Book
This New York Times bestselling "deep dive into the terms of eight former presidents is chock-full...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Train to Busan (2016) in Movies
Jul 27, 2017
This South Korean movie doesn’t waste much time in setting the scene – a banker agrees to take his daughter by train to visit her mother in Busan. But as the train pulls out of the station, a zombie epidemic breaks out. And the last person to rush through the closing train doors appears to be a little bit unwell…
The epidemic quickly spreads throughout the train and those who are left must act quickly to seal off the carriages and try to work out how to make it to their loved ones who they’ve become separated from in other carriages. Like 28 days later, or World War Z, our zombies move quickly and aren’t afraid to climb all over each other in their ravenous pursuit of the living, piling themselves up against glass walls and doors in order to break through, then continuing to chase with broken, contorted limbs. In an interesting twist though, these zombies work on their sense of sight a lot more than smell or hearing, something which works to the advantage of the living as the train rockets through dark tunnels for minutes at a time.
As the living quickly start dwindling in numbers, we’re left with a pretty good and varied selection of characters. Among them – our hero and his young daughter, a man and his pregnant wife, a bunch of high school kids, a couple of elderly sisters and a selfish businessman who’s out for himself. After a brief stop at a supposedly safe station turns out to be overrun by hordes of zombies, the survivors barely make it back onto the train and continue on their way to Busan, rumoured to be a safe haven.
Aside from the highly enjoyable zombie action, there’s plenty of human emotion and sadness, along with some great performances from all involved. This is a highly innovative and serious enjoyable thrill ride and I cannot recommend it enough.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Janna of Castle Ambrose in Books
Sep 10, 2019
With the aid of a secret ability to freeze people and being the only person in the country to know of the existence of sea serpents, Janna sets off to the capital where she worms her way into the castle by becoming the apothecary's apprentice. To save her friends and defeat the usurper, Janna must round up rebels across Hamlin. Yet, as she adjusts to her life in the city, Janna realises there are two sides to every story and she may not be on the right side after all. With the rebels rallying troops from across the sea, she may be too late to prevent another civil war.
The story ends with one side becoming the victors and Janna's sea serpents earning their right to come out of hiding and being accepted by human society. The narrative is fast-paced with days, weeks and months speeding past within each chapter. There is an eclectic mix of characters whose personalities pull the story in different directions.
Janna of Castle Ambrose contains some adult scenes that may be unsuitable for younger readers. Although no sex scenes occur per se, they are eluded to in heavy detail. This is a new aspect to Jordan Elizabeth's writing, however, the young adult writing style clashes with the adult material.
Being the first book in a series, it is clear the story is going to continue, however, as the main issue has been resolved, the plot of the next book is unguessable. We shall just have to wait and see.
Hancock's Half Hour: 20 Episodes of the Classic BBC Radio Comedy Series: Series 5
Alan Simpson, Sid James, Ray Galton and Tony Hancock
Book
The complete fifth series of the legendary BBC Radio comedy series starring Tony Hancock. Created by...
Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal Journey with My Father
Tracey Davis and Nina Bunche Pierce
Book
Nicknamed Mr. Show Business, Sammy Davis Jr. was a consummate performer who sang, danced, and acted...
An Uncommon Protector
Book
Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a ranch on her own, Laurel Tracey decides to hire a...
Gifts for the Season: Winter & Christmas MM Charity Anthology
Garrett Leigh, RJ Scott, Felice Stevens, Annabeth Albert, Eli Easton, Annabelle Jacobs, V.L. Locey, A.E. Via, Amber Kell, Posy Roberts, Suki Fleet, Clare London, Joanna Chambers, Lane Hayes and Alex Jane
8.0
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All proceeds donated to The Trevor Project - you can find out about the wonderful things they do...
MM Seasonal Romance