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Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
1960 | Horror

"The perfect example of an adult fairytale. Everything about this—the visual set pieces, the mournful musical theme, the mad doctor (!), and the unforgettable sight of Edith Scob in her mask, roaming the gardens and joined by her doves—is horror at its finest."

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Purple Rain Soundtrack by Prince
Purple Rain Soundtrack by Prince
1984 | Rock
9
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Album Rating
Rolling Stone's 76th greatest album of all time
Brilliant funk-pop album with some of the biggest pop anthems of all time (the title track and When Doves Cry) as well as the likes of I Would Die 4 U, which may have been the inspiration for the text messaging lexicon and many a ropey website/shop.
  
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Alicia Keys recommended Purple Rain Soundtrack by Prince in Music (curated)

 
Purple Rain Soundtrack by Prince
Purple Rain Soundtrack by Prince
1984 | Rock
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Prince is a legend and this album sealed the deal. From 'Let's Go Crazy' to 'When Doves Cry' and 'I Would Die 4 U,' this album is so great to listen to. But the song 'The Beautiful Ones' melts me every time—his passion is so tangible! This is really an intense song about the deepest longing and the frustration of unrequited love. Whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of that feeling."

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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 1, 2020  
Check out this awesome interview with Shanessa Gluhm, Author of the historical mystery ENEMIES OF DOVES on my blog. There's also a GIVEAWAY to win a copy of the book and/or a $20 Amazon gift card!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-enemies-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Told in alternating timelines from World War II to 1992, debut author Shanessa Gluhm's Enemies of Doves is a tale of family secrets, jealousy, and deception perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Katherine Webb.

On a summer night in 1932, twelve-year-old Joel Fitchett wanders into an East Texas diner badly beaten and carrying his unconscious brother, Clancy. Though both boys claim they have no memory of what happened, the horrific details are etched into their minds as deep as the scar left across Joel's face.

Thirteen years later, both men still struggle with the aftershocks of that long-ago night and the pact they made to hide the truth. When they find themselves at the center of a murder investigation, they make a decision that will change everything. A second lie, a second pact, and, for a time, a second chance. In 1991 college student Garrison Stark travels to Texas chasing a rumor that Clancy Fitchett is his biological grandfather. Clancy has been missing since 1946, and Garrison hopes to find him and, in doing so, find a family. What he doesn't expect to discover is a tangle of secrets spanning sixty years involving Clancy, Joel, and the woman they both loved, Lorraine.
     
Parade by Prince and The Revolution
Parade by Prince and The Revolution
1986 | Soundtrack, Psychedelic
5.5 (4 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I grew up in a house with two older brothers, and my parents played music a lot. I remember that Prince just used to be on in the car. Parade is one that I remember from a young age more than the others. I remember bringing a tape of Purple Rain into school and playing 'When Doves Cry' and people dancing to that. I remember all of those records in a bit of a blur. I remember being in the playground at school, and singing to myself the song 'Under The Cherry Moon' from that album, and also 'New Position'. Lyrics would just come into my head because I heard them so much at home. Parade is just the one of all of them that I believe is the least dated to the time that it was made. It feels quite adventurous musically. I always thought it was Prince and the band, but actually, the first four songs he just sat down and made in one continuous go. He played the drum parts for the first four tracks in sequence, and then overdubbed the rest of the instruments. It's a really amazing sequence. The rhythms are changing and the tracks speed up and slow down, but it has this great live feel to it. It's really unusual instrumentation for what is essentially a funk record - it's got double bass, it's got strings and orchestrations There are some very short, odd songs, but they're these real bursts of energy. His lyrics are really playful on 'New Position', but then it goes to something more melodramatic on 'Under The Cherry Moon', then there's 'Girls & Boys' which is one of the biggest tunes on the record outside of 'Kiss'. It doesn't feel like a very mainstream or chart-orientated record. It feels like a very eccentric record that only Prince could have made."

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Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
2000 | Action, Mystery
6
5.6 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Short of Average
When you spend two hours on a movie like Mission: Impossible 2, you can’t help but wonder, “Did they make this just to piss me off?” I knew the answer was no, but I was pissed nonetheless. In the franchise’s first sequel, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back at it trying to recover a deadly virus from a rogue agent.

Acting: 8

Beginning: 9

Characters: 8

Cinematography/Visuals: 3
I wish I could have been in the editing room when they were working on this movie. Everytime director John Woo would mention anything about slow mo, I would send an electric shock down his spine. Enough already. You can slow the camera down, great! It doesn’t add to the value of the action. The John Wick movies are a perfect example of that. He cuts through guys with efficiency and speed. And you know what else? He does it without the damn doves! M:I 2 is a visual mess.

Conflict: 8

Genre: 3
When I think of great actions movies, this ain’t it. Not even close. It had flashes, but falls well short of being even average.

Memorability: 5

Pace: 6

Plot: 5
This movie breaks two major rules of filmmaking by having: 1. A love relationship that develops way too quickly and 2. A plot that advances based on sheer coincidence. You can’t be clever with screenwriting and take shortcuts at the same time, good writing just doesn’t work that way. At best, the story is mediocre.

Resolution: 7

Overall: 62
Mission: Impossible 2 reminds me of those cheesy action movies of old that you knew would be bad, but you suffered through it because you just wanted to see stuff blow up. Actually, it’s worse than that because it actually attempts to be a good movie and, in the process, takes itself way too seriously. Flashes of greatness, but moreso just a flash in the pan.