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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated JFK (1991) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)
"๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ด ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต. ๐๐ต'๐ด ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ."
Jesus Christ. Back when conspiracy theories were good, now all it takes is a shitty, debunked, and obviously phony Facebook meme to get people to believe 5G causes coronavirus or whatever stupid shit Trump retweets from hate groups this week. On the other hand you have this seemingly never-ending and soul-stirring barrage of lies, cover-ups, threats, deaths/suicides/murders, extensively planned attacks, and general anguish which still plays more truthful and earnest than most things that come out of the CIA, White House, and/or FBI. Not a single word wasted, crams more exhilaration into a group of people talking at a dinner table than the vast majority of MCU 'action' scenes - and the meticulous, airtight extent of the writing is nothing less than utterly flooring. As a result of the beyond exceptional jam-packed conspiracy narrative I can't say any of these characters are that compelling in their own regard (even though the cast is an unforgettable all-timer of screen legends), but given the end result it's a fair tradeoff for the type of movie that bangs around in your head like a rubber bullet after watching it. Feverish, hot-blooded, commanding provocation - even made *my* ass paranoid. The final thirty minutes of - essentially - one long courtroom speech shouldn't work in theory; but not only is it thrilling as can be (and *that* moment just pierces your mortal soul), but it offers some of Costner's finest work throughout his entire career as an actor. Imagine this coming out and still getting shit like ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ, ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐บ, and ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐บ - would have loved to have been there for the ensuing shitstorm this caused back in its day, must have been legendary. So great that it *actually* caused a big deal change in government legislation immediately upon release.
Jesus Christ. Back when conspiracy theories were good, now all it takes is a shitty, debunked, and obviously phony Facebook meme to get people to believe 5G causes coronavirus or whatever stupid shit Trump retweets from hate groups this week. On the other hand you have this seemingly never-ending and soul-stirring barrage of lies, cover-ups, threats, deaths/suicides/murders, extensively planned attacks, and general anguish which still plays more truthful and earnest than most things that come out of the CIA, White House, and/or FBI. Not a single word wasted, crams more exhilaration into a group of people talking at a dinner table than the vast majority of MCU 'action' scenes - and the meticulous, airtight extent of the writing is nothing less than utterly flooring. As a result of the beyond exceptional jam-packed conspiracy narrative I can't say any of these characters are that compelling in their own regard (even though the cast is an unforgettable all-timer of screen legends), but given the end result it's a fair tradeoff for the type of movie that bangs around in your head like a rubber bullet after watching it. Feverish, hot-blooded, commanding provocation - even made *my* ass paranoid. The final thirty minutes of - essentially - one long courtroom speech shouldn't work in theory; but not only is it thrilling as can be (and *that* moment just pierces your mortal soul), but it offers some of Costner's finest work throughout his entire career as an actor. Imagine this coming out and still getting shit like ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ, ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐บ, and ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐บ - would have loved to have been there for the ensuing shitstorm this caused back in its day, must have been legendary. So great that it *actually* caused a big deal change in government legislation immediately upon release.
ClareR (6250 KP) rated The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story in Books
Oct 5, 2020 (Updated Oct 5, 2020)
The Haunting of Alma Fielding is the non-fiction account of Nando Fodor and his investigation in to the haunting of a London housewife. Fodor was a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and worked for the International Institute for Psychical Research. When Fodor was tipped off about a possible poltergeist haunting, he rushed to Almaโs house to try and work out what exactly was going on. He was scrupulous. He involved trusted mediums, wrote detailed notes (lucky for us!) and whilst reading the book, it became obvious that Fodor became obsessed. His obsession however, had a deleterious effect on Alma. The more access to her that he had, the more physically ill she seemed to become and the more she seemed to be haunted.
There does seem to be a theme of obsession running through this with regards to Fodor. I was never quite sure if his obsession was with Almaโs haunting, or with Alma herself. She was an attractive woman, after all. He would certainly have been stopped a lot sooner if this had happened today (but I do wonder whether this would have happened at all).
The historical background and the build up to the Second World War was very interesting, and I enjoyed the historical detail throughout. I also liked that there was an ending. Summerscale researched up to the deaths of those involved - I appreciated that closure. But what interesting lives these people had!
This was a great story for a sceptic like me. Ghost stories fascinate me. I donโt believe that there are ghosts, but I still like that they have the ability to unnerve and scare me! And this was certainly unnerving!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I probably would have gone on the waiting list at the library because of the (well-deserved) buzz around it, but I really do much prefer not having to wait and reading along with my fellow pigeons!
There does seem to be a theme of obsession running through this with regards to Fodor. I was never quite sure if his obsession was with Almaโs haunting, or with Alma herself. She was an attractive woman, after all. He would certainly have been stopped a lot sooner if this had happened today (but I do wonder whether this would have happened at all).
The historical background and the build up to the Second World War was very interesting, and I enjoyed the historical detail throughout. I also liked that there was an ending. Summerscale researched up to the deaths of those involved - I appreciated that closure. But what interesting lives these people had!
This was a great story for a sceptic like me. Ghost stories fascinate me. I donโt believe that there are ghosts, but I still like that they have the ability to unnerve and scare me! And this was certainly unnerving!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I probably would have gone on the waiting list at the library because of the (well-deserved) buzz around it, but I really do much prefer not having to wait and reading along with my fellow pigeons!
Darren Fisher (2474 KP) rated Island of Death (1976) in Movies
Jan 11, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)
70's Exploitation At Its Best
Story has it that Greek director Nico Mastorakis saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the cinema and was impressed that such a violent low budget horror film could make so much money. So with that in mind Nico decided to make an even more depraved feature than Tobe Hooper and therefore make even more money! He succeeded in the latter but as for make more money? Well, we can only guess not. I won't bother going into the plot as I assume most people already know about this depraved and sick little flick. All that I will say is that as far as 70's exploitation flicks go this is one of the best. Depravity has never been in so much abundance as is on show here. This will not be to many viewers taste (and a big "no, no" for the Snowflake Generation) as we are subjected to rape, gay rape, incest, drug abuse, beastiality, torture, urinating on pensioners and even a fart in the face as a downright insult. The list of depravity doesn't stop there but to list them all would take some time and spoil it for those that want to watch it for the first time...
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
โDetroitโ tells the story of the Algiers Motel incident that took place during the massive 12th Street Riot in 1967 Detroit, Michigan. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal have created a stunning film that will suck the audience into a historical moment of horror.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, โDetroitโ brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, โDetroitโ brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
ClareR (6250 KP) rated The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna in Books
Aug 26, 2019
This is the family saga of the Fortunaโs, and follows their lives from poverty in Calabria to the USA. It follows Stella from the birth and death of her older sister (also called Mariastella), her siblings, parents and her life in Connecticut - covering 100 years. I still canโt quite believe that the author managed to fit so much into 460+ pages without it feeling rushed or shoe-horned in, it she did it!
As you can probably guess from the title, Stellaโs 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stellaโs unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
Iโll be honest, I thought Iโd made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didnโt think Iโd like it. Iโm so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and Iโd say that itโs well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
As you can probably guess from the title, Stellaโs 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stellaโs unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
Iโll be honest, I thought Iโd made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didnโt think Iโd like it. Iโm so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and Iโd say that itโs well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
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