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I Love You Too Much
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I knew I was in Paris, I knew that was the Seine beneath me, the sky above, but when I looked around...
literary fiction
Clock Dance
8.3
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Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life: when she was 11 and her mother...
Tom Chaplin recommended Pink Moon by Nick Drake in Music (curated)
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A film that leaves you in two minds.
After all the terrible reviews of this movie (“The Times” reviewer described it as “excreble” which is harsh indeed) I was steeling myself to reach for my 1* rating. I was happy to find that it wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting it to be. Indeed parts of it were positively good fun.
The plot
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a San Franciscan investigative reporter who is engaged to hot-shot lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle WIlliams). Brock is a bit of a maverick and always tends to push things a bit far, both at work and at home. Brock targets for his latest investigation Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed): a billionaire space pioneer (I hope the producers got WELL lawyered up!) Drake is a Bond-style megalomaniac who is intend on saving mankind by merging humans with aliens to create a symbiotic organism. Not wishing to go through all the nampy-pamby clinical trials stuff, he is doing live research on vagrants and others who “won’t be missed”… with generally negative results. Infected accidently with the symbiont called Venom Brock’s future hangs in the balance: the meld will either kill him or else a new superhero will be born. (No guessing which!)
Review
For anyone with one foot already in the Spiderverse, Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom have appeared before, in the convoluted and pretty poor Tobey Maguire sequel “Spider-Man 3”. In that film Eddie (played by Topher Grace) was the boyfriend of Gwen Stacey (then played by Bryce Dallas-Howard) who was similarly infected by an alien symbiote and was transformed into Venom.
This new Venom incarnation is a Sony Pictures production “with” Marvel Studios, and although featuring a Stan Lee cameo it never quite feels like a Marvel picture. Posher critics have described it as “tonally inconsistent”…. which is posh-critic language for “it’s fecking all over the place”! And they are right. It veers suddenly from high drama and sci-fi action to plodding dialogue and Deadpool-style wisecracks with clutch-smoking rapidity. As such, the film never feels like it’s decided whether it wants to be at the po-faced Captain America end of the Marvel specturn or at the wise-cracking Deadpool/GotG end.
The Turns
Tom Hardy actually gets to spend a lot of this film without a mask over his face, which is certainly a novelty! And he gives it his all acting wise which will please his army of fans. But his pairing with the Oscar-winning Michelle Williams never feels comfortable: there seems little chemistry between the pair given that they are an “item”. None of this is helped by the grindingly turgid script which gives the pair, plus Reid Scott (“Dan” from “Veep”) as the third corner in the love triangle, some truly dire dialogue to spout at each other.
An act I did like in the film was Riz Ahmed as the “really bad guy” Drake. I found Ahmed extremely annoying in “Rogue One”, but here he slides into the smarmy evil role perfectly. A better script, like a future Bond film, would have benefitted from the turn!
Woody Harrelson also turns up in a mid-credit “monkey” as the supervillain Cletus Kasady, which meant nothing to me but certainly does to comic-book fans. (By the way, there is no “monkey” at the end of the film, but there is a 6 minute clip from the upcoming “Into the Spider Verse” cartoon feature tacked onto the end – at least of this Cineworld showing – which may or may not interest you).
A technical shout-out should go to Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (who’s previously done “Black Panther” and “Creed”): an unusual soundtrack with odd electronica, eerie electric-guitar riffs for Eddie’s theme interspersed with exciting fast-paced action beats.
Final Thoughts
I must admit that from starting with a cynical “don’t want to know” approach to the Marvel Universe, the damn thing is slowly wearing me down into being kind of intrigued with what they are going to do next. This is not a classic Marvel flick, but for me it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the critical reviews have made it out to be. I saw this alone: and we were quite entertained.
The plot
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a San Franciscan investigative reporter who is engaged to hot-shot lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle WIlliams). Brock is a bit of a maverick and always tends to push things a bit far, both at work and at home. Brock targets for his latest investigation Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed): a billionaire space pioneer (I hope the producers got WELL lawyered up!) Drake is a Bond-style megalomaniac who is intend on saving mankind by merging humans with aliens to create a symbiotic organism. Not wishing to go through all the nampy-pamby clinical trials stuff, he is doing live research on vagrants and others who “won’t be missed”… with generally negative results. Infected accidently with the symbiont called Venom Brock’s future hangs in the balance: the meld will either kill him or else a new superhero will be born. (No guessing which!)
Review
For anyone with one foot already in the Spiderverse, Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom have appeared before, in the convoluted and pretty poor Tobey Maguire sequel “Spider-Man 3”. In that film Eddie (played by Topher Grace) was the boyfriend of Gwen Stacey (then played by Bryce Dallas-Howard) who was similarly infected by an alien symbiote and was transformed into Venom.
This new Venom incarnation is a Sony Pictures production “with” Marvel Studios, and although featuring a Stan Lee cameo it never quite feels like a Marvel picture. Posher critics have described it as “tonally inconsistent”…. which is posh-critic language for “it’s fecking all over the place”! And they are right. It veers suddenly from high drama and sci-fi action to plodding dialogue and Deadpool-style wisecracks with clutch-smoking rapidity. As such, the film never feels like it’s decided whether it wants to be at the po-faced Captain America end of the Marvel specturn or at the wise-cracking Deadpool/GotG end.
The Turns
Tom Hardy actually gets to spend a lot of this film without a mask over his face, which is certainly a novelty! And he gives it his all acting wise which will please his army of fans. But his pairing with the Oscar-winning Michelle Williams never feels comfortable: there seems little chemistry between the pair given that they are an “item”. None of this is helped by the grindingly turgid script which gives the pair, plus Reid Scott (“Dan” from “Veep”) as the third corner in the love triangle, some truly dire dialogue to spout at each other.
An act I did like in the film was Riz Ahmed as the “really bad guy” Drake. I found Ahmed extremely annoying in “Rogue One”, but here he slides into the smarmy evil role perfectly. A better script, like a future Bond film, would have benefitted from the turn!
Woody Harrelson also turns up in a mid-credit “monkey” as the supervillain Cletus Kasady, which meant nothing to me but certainly does to comic-book fans. (By the way, there is no “monkey” at the end of the film, but there is a 6 minute clip from the upcoming “Into the Spider Verse” cartoon feature tacked onto the end – at least of this Cineworld showing – which may or may not interest you).
A technical shout-out should go to Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (who’s previously done “Black Panther” and “Creed”): an unusual soundtrack with odd electronica, eerie electric-guitar riffs for Eddie’s theme interspersed with exciting fast-paced action beats.
Final Thoughts
I must admit that from starting with a cynical “don’t want to know” approach to the Marvel Universe, the damn thing is slowly wearing me down into being kind of intrigued with what they are going to do next. This is not a classic Marvel flick, but for me it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the critical reviews have made it out to be. I saw this alone: and we were quite entertained.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Through the Storm (The Solar Storms #1) in Books
Dec 9, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
There have been countless books written about what would happen if a catastrophic event shut down all electronics on Earth. Usually they are set well after the event occurred. "Through the Storm (The Solar Storms #1)", however, starts just before the event and shows how fast civilization as we know it would collapse. The story follows a family of a father and his two sons and their ensuing struggle. Neal Evans, the father still grieving over the death of his wife, is at a conference and Connor, the oldest son, is away from home hunting when the event occurs. Drake, a high school freshman, is home alone on the farm and does not realize anything is wrong until hours after the event. I had not really considered how fast people would panic and therefore how fast the situation would turn dangerous. Kyle Pratt's style moves the story quickly but includes enough detail to keep readers caring about the Evans family's survival. This book is the first in the "Solar Storms" series. Its publication date was September 2017 and no date has been announced for other books in the series. Pratt's other series is called "Strengthen What Remains" and has concluded.
There have been countless books written about what would happen if a catastrophic event shut down all electronics on Earth. Usually they are set well after the event occurred. "Through the Storm (The Solar Storms #1)", however, starts just before the event and shows how fast civilization as we know it would collapse. The story follows a family of a father and his two sons and their ensuing struggle. Neal Evans, the father still grieving over the death of his wife, is at a conference and Connor, the oldest son, is away from home hunting when the event occurs. Drake, a high school freshman, is home alone on the farm and does not realize anything is wrong until hours after the event. I had not really considered how fast people would panic and therefore how fast the situation would turn dangerous. Kyle Pratt's style moves the story quickly but includes enough detail to keep readers caring about the Evans family's survival. This book is the first in the "Solar Storms" series. Its publication date was September 2017 and no date has been announced for other books in the series. Pratt's other series is called "Strengthen What Remains" and has concluded.
Jamie (57 KP) rated The Agency (Tess Drake, #1) in Books
Nov 28, 2018
Strong characters’, language, easy to read. Though Tess seemed to be a selfish woman at the beginning of the book, I believe she started seeing herself in the eyes of the people around her, especially her ex-best friend Saleema and her soon to be ex-boss Cosima. What struck me most about the story, though I never been in any of the awkward, sexual exploits , or even in the publishing world she wove her life in, I still could identify with her candor, her evaluation of her choices, and even with some of her weakness’. The end of the story, happy, still left me wondering what would have happened to her if that big movie star didn’t call about Oliver’s wonderfully written book, that no one seemed to think had potential but Tess Drake, or weather or not that Cosima got her just deserts or even Sally, a so called friend who betrayed her in the end, or if Dorothy settled that claim that was made against her . Hopefully, there will be a second book, where things are bright for Tess, Emma, Oliver, Dorothy, and Saleema, but doomed to hell for Cosima, Sally, and Jack. All together, a great read that I would recommend, especially for people who enjoy fast paced stories about glitz, glamour, and karma.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Golden Boy - Single by Young Pwavy in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Young Pwavy is an up-and-coming 15-year-old artist from Harlem, New York. Not too long ago, he released a tropical rap tune, entitled, “Golden Boy”, featuring Louyah.
“Now you have to see that I have been chosen. We about to blow. Make it so I never have to see another day where my momma stress about the bills that she got to pay. I stay on the path that I know. The road that leads straight to the goals. Hating ‘cause you see the growth. You ain’t gonna stop me, I shine through the storm. I will never worry about these hoes. I look over my shoulder as long as it goes ” – lyrics
‘Golden Boy’ tells an interesting tale of a young man who is determined to be the best version of himself.
Apparently, he’s not worried about promiscuous women or any other distraction. His main concern is stacking money as high as he can stack it and supporting his family.
‘Golden Boy’ contains a relatable storyline and harmonious rap vocals. Also, the likable tune possesses rhythmic instrumentation scented with an urban-tropical-rap fragrance.
Young Pwavy got involved in music after his cousin played him the work he had done for other artists. His musical influences include Drake, Post Malone, and Sheckwes.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/young-pwavy-golden-boy-louyah/
“Now you have to see that I have been chosen. We about to blow. Make it so I never have to see another day where my momma stress about the bills that she got to pay. I stay on the path that I know. The road that leads straight to the goals. Hating ‘cause you see the growth. You ain’t gonna stop me, I shine through the storm. I will never worry about these hoes. I look over my shoulder as long as it goes ” – lyrics
‘Golden Boy’ tells an interesting tale of a young man who is determined to be the best version of himself.
Apparently, he’s not worried about promiscuous women or any other distraction. His main concern is stacking money as high as he can stack it and supporting his family.
‘Golden Boy’ contains a relatable storyline and harmonious rap vocals. Also, the likable tune possesses rhythmic instrumentation scented with an urban-tropical-rap fragrance.
Young Pwavy got involved in music after his cousin played him the work he had done for other artists. His musical influences include Drake, Post Malone, and Sheckwes.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/young-pwavy-golden-boy-louyah/
David McK (3233 KP) rated Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the Night in Books
Jan 30, 2019
So, when you hear the name 'Batman' I'm sure most of you, like me, immediately associate that character with his alter-ego of Bruce Wayne.
Not of Jean-Paul Valley.
But that is precisely who Batman's alter-ego is in thus, with Bruce Wayne (the original Batman!) still in convalesence following his brutal battle - and defeat! - by Bane, and with Bruce then temporarily passing the mantle of the bat onto the former Azrael (another lesser-known comic book character to the general masses, of which I was one prior to TVs Gotham and Rocksteady's Arkham series of games) , and former foe rather than - for some inexplicable reason - passing it on to Nightwing, or even to his own sidekick Robin (or Tim Drake in this).
But this Batman proves to be rougher and more violent than his predecessor - harking back to the original anti-hero Batman? - dispensing extremely rough justice to the crooks of Gotham city and side-lining Robin (who seems to do nothing but wring his hands throughout). It's really only at the very end - when Jean-Paul crosses a line - that Bruce Wayne re-appears (somehow, and mysteriously, having recovered from his severr injury), leading to the set-up for the final part of the trilogy: a final part that I will read in due course, but that I currently feel I need a break from!
Not of Jean-Paul Valley.
But that is precisely who Batman's alter-ego is in thus, with Bruce Wayne (the original Batman!) still in convalesence following his brutal battle - and defeat! - by Bane, and with Bruce then temporarily passing the mantle of the bat onto the former Azrael (another lesser-known comic book character to the general masses, of which I was one prior to TVs Gotham and Rocksteady's Arkham series of games) , and former foe rather than - for some inexplicable reason - passing it on to Nightwing, or even to his own sidekick Robin (or Tim Drake in this).
But this Batman proves to be rougher and more violent than his predecessor - harking back to the original anti-hero Batman? - dispensing extremely rough justice to the crooks of Gotham city and side-lining Robin (who seems to do nothing but wring his hands throughout). It's really only at the very end - when Jean-Paul crosses a line - that Bruce Wayne re-appears (somehow, and mysteriously, having recovered from his severr injury), leading to the set-up for the final part of the trilogy: a final part that I will read in due course, but that I currently feel I need a break from!
Complicated
9.0
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When small town Nebraska sheriff Hixon Drake meets Greta Dare, the connection couldn’t be...
romance
