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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
2018 | Action, Animation, Sci-Fi
The first "true" comic book movie
The animated feature, SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, is the first, true "comic-book" film I have ever seen.

"But wait", you say, "How about the Marvel films? Or the DC Universe films? Or the X-Men or DeadPool? Aren't they Comic-Book films?".

I would have to answer - "no". At least not in the same way. All of those properties are films that are BASED on comic-books. Spider-verse, brilliantly, is a comic-book brought to life. It includes scenes that look like pages of a comic book (or graphic novel). It uses thought bubbles,sound effect words and abstract images. The characters are distorted and when other versions of the Spider-Verse are scene (not a spoiler: it's in the title), they are designed in a different graphic style.

Credit for this unique vision/type of film must start with the writers, Phil Lord (The Lego Movie) and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street) as well as Directors Bob Persischetti (in his Directing debut) and Rothman (again). These 3 brought to the screen a dazzling visual storytelling vision that is engrossing and interesting and (I am sure) will become richer and richer the more that this film is viewed.

This vision must have been apparent from the "get-go" as these 3 were able to load some top-notch voice talent into this film - Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Lily Tomlin(!), Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schrieber, Chris Pine and good ol' Nicholas Cage all bring their "A" game to the voices, presenting (instantly) interesting, distinct characters to this interesting, distinct world.

The action of this film moves at a fast-pace, but not so fast that you get lost and the emotions of the film are strong, so the "slow" scenes are just as well paced and don't seem too slow.

I see alot of films, and it is rare when I am struck with how "unusual" a film is. And this one IS unusual - in a very good way. I was thoroughly entertained throughout and I cannot wait to see this film again to catch some of the things I missed the first time through and have a deeper and richer experience for knowing what is to come.

Letter Grade: A

9 (out of 10) stars (yes, it's that good!) and you can take this to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Demon House (2018)
Demon House (2018)
2018 |
8
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Since binge watching Zak Bagan’s Haunted Museum news story tours I stumbled across this documentary. A documentary so chilling that there really isn’t much explanation or way to debunk my sceptical mind. Demon House is without a doubt the most compelling evidence of demonic activity to date.

In Gary, Indiana in 2014 The Ammons House was known as a portal to hell. The case drew media attention and the sheer amount of witnesses to these events is undeniable. Latoya Ammons claimed her and her three children had been possessed by demands. Witnesses from the Department of Child Services, law enforcement and medical professionals all witnessed the unexplained.

Zak Bagans visited the ‘Demon House’ and interviewed those who were involved in these eerie activities. Zak actually went and brought the house to investigate and thus this documentary was born.

Demon House is a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Filmed in true Ghost Adventures style, the show never forces us to believe what we are seeing, or convince you in any way shape or form. Throughout the documentary, a rollercoaster of emotions comes across the group. From noises, bangs, weird behaviours and the chilling account of past inhabitants of the home.

What I didn’t like about Demon House were the cheesy reenactments of the story told by those involved. I get that its a visual reenactment of the true-life event but it’s so cheesy and detaches me from the gripping and chilling events that I’ve been absorbing for the duration. The story gets stranger and stranger as it goes along and I cannot for the life of me debunk this movie. When the credits rolled I had so many questions.

Zak is usually quite the showman when it comes to Ghost Adventures / Deadly Possessions but even he is out of his element in this film. It’s absolutely incredible watching events unfold on screen. This documentary is irrefutable proof that something dark and unexplainable happened within that house.

Demon House was eventually torn down at Zak’s request and pieces of the house now reside in Zak’s Haunted Museum in Las Vegas. If anyone from the Haunted Museum ever reads this I’d fly all the way to Vegas JUST to review your establishment! Hit me up!

https://backtothemovies.com/spine-chilling-and-compelling-demon-house-review/
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated Ruin Me (2017) in Movies

Oct 24, 2019  
Ruin Me (2017)
Ruin Me (2017)
2017 | Horror
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Alex joins her boyfriend on this weekend, she isn’t the biggest horror fan, but a couples weekend, is a couple weekends, she has a past which has seen her struggle through events in her life, which will make her fit the typical final girl for a slasher experience. Nathan is the boyfriend that was going on this weekend with his best friend who paid for everything, only to drop out, he has always been loyal toward Alex, whatever her struggles. Larry is a lone man that has been on this style of weekend before and enjoys meeting the new people that take part in the games. Marina is one half of a horror fan couple, she does fill the slutty figure of the cast.

Performances – Marcienne Dwyer in the leading role is strong through the film, we see her go through the range of emotions as her character becomes more complex as the film unfolds. When it comes to the rest of the cast they do hit their characters well and look like they fit into the horror genre.

Story – The story follows six people that entertain a horror theme weekend of fun that soon spirals out of control as one of them finds themselves alone and wondering if this is real or not. This is an interesting story to watch unfold, we are entering a world where horror films exists which is important for the way of surviving what is happening. We will be left to wonder if this is real or not which is just what we want. This is a simple enough story that will keep us guessing and waiting to see how the events unfold.

Horror – The horror in this film comes from knowing horror movies, which will see how the group look to survive the events of a horror film.

Settings – The film uses the settings that are known in horror, including the woods which is one of the easiest slasher locations in horror.

Special Effects – The film uses practical effects to achieve everything it wants to during the weekends events.


Scene of the Movie – The beach.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The supporting members of the group feel too generic for the genre of horror.

Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that really does try to push the limits of the audience by showing us just how people can become affected by a horror weekend event.

 

Overall: Enjoyable horror.
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Dec 23, 2019  
'The Neon Demon' 2016 is my film of the decade and also my favourite film of all time too.

'The Neon Demon' is all my passion, my addiction, my love for cinema and everything that inspires me, excites and drives me in life all crammed together into one cinematic masterpiece. In fact I think this film is so perfect and it means so much to me that its become a huge obsession of mine to the point where I think about it on a daily basis and even have my phone/room themed around it, tattoos of it, clothing/earnings based around it and it also influences most photos I take too. Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn and just like 'Only God Forgives'/'Drive' its visually immense, beautiful, intimidating, full of mystery and chock full of raw emotion too. Every scene is dense, rich and stylish with clearly a lot of time, care and thought put into each one be it the colours, lighting, camera angles or object placement everything in the frame is there for a purpose both visually and metaphorically. This film invokes and awakens so many emotions with me every single time I watch it that every time it ends I feel I've learnt something new not onlu about the film but about myself too. With next level acting and such an unnerving yet spellbinding soundtrack 'The Neon Demon' almost sends shivers down my spine and catapults me into a hypnotic state of immersion still when rewatching it to this day. Clearly inspired by Dario Argento movies such as 'Suspira' this film also has such a nostalgic feel to it as well containing very similar themes and uncomfortable visual/psychological horror too that many will no doubt find disturbing but to me it helps ramp up the tension, create a chilling atmosphere and adds huge emotional impact to the film. I doubt any film will ever replace this film as my top spot and although its slated by pretty much everyone (Jena Malone however said she was proud of it when I met her) the sheer depth, horror, inspiration, courage, enlightenment and joy that I personally get from watching it makes me feel so alive that if I met NWR I think I'd just burst into tears of gratitude.

Tom Nanni aka Neon Nans Reviews
     
GG
Gamer Girl
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was in the process of getting another book entirely at the library when I noticed Mari Mancusi's Gamer Girl peeking out from its hiding place between two other books. Being the occasional gamer myself (though currently I'm being a little too scholarly to even focus on gaming), I could definitely relate to the title (not so much the synopsis).

There's much to love about Gamer Girl: the synopsis made the book sound like a very happy book – something that I've been on the hunt for awhile. The cover is simplistic and gorgeous – it definitely puts down the entire idea of the book with the drawing of the main character, Maddy, and the avatar she uses in a game (Fields of Fantasy) she gets for her birthday shortly after her parents divorce. The interior is just as gorgeous as the cover – the chapter headings depict Maddy's main emotions she's feeling by the end of the chapter.

Mancusi's writing style and use of Maddy's voice is great as well – Maddy is a very relatable character and she has an attitude that isn't annoying, making the book feel perfectly paced as Maddy gets to know SirLeo in Fields of Fantasy and falls in love with him. For awhile it probably feels as though Maddy will find out SirLeo is really an online predator.

Much as I really loved Gamer Girl and Mancusi's writing style, the book feels as though it's aimed more toward middle grade than a high schooler my age. The book is stereotypical with Maddy being bullied by the "Royal Court" as soon as she starts a new school and Maddy tries to escape from the troubles of her reality by entering the gaming world and playing Fields of Fantasy with an elfin character named Allora, someone she would rather be. It all leads to a very cute and adorable ending with the popular guy falling for the outcast – very happy and light-hearted, and certainly not something you're likely to come across in real life, compared to the realistic drama of Margo Kelly's Who R U Really.
----------------
Review originally posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-gamer-girl-by-mari-mancusi.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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<b><i>‘’I was born to destroy everything you ever loved before me.’’</i></b>

It is very hard for me to judge this work and write a book review. It's hard to tell you what I think because I don't feel like I'm an expert in poetry.  I love reading poetry, but I don't read it as much. I love poetry, but maybe I don't understand it.

<b><i>Bright Pink Ink: New and Selected Poems</i></b> has a jolly vibe to it, a lot of love & happiness, emotions of loss, missing loved ones and love, as well as a feminist vibe that is refreshing. It was an enjoyable read. 

However, it also holds a little bit if monotony with it, very short poems or poems that are written as prose. I encountered a few repetitive sentences on a few occasions and while I know that repeating a line is common in poetry to straighten the meaning and add rhythm - in this occasion it wasn't pleasurable to read. 

<b><i>"Maybe I should tell them about my husband's laugh. A sound that erupts as suns inside me till I float - free as dust." </i></b>

I loved <b><i>‘’A poem from 4/14/2015 read on 6/21/2017’’.</i></b> It is written quite well, with two parallel stories happening while you read, in a different timeline. I really enjoyed it, despite the great annoyance that is the date. The only logical date format I know of is day - month - year. 

There were a lot of feminist vibes through the poems, which was pleasantly enjoyable. On this topic, <b><i>"Mortal Gods Demand a Sacrifice"</i></b> was my favourite one. 

<b><i>"The moon must've thought you were the sun." </i></b>

Thank you to the author Laura Dinovis Berry for sending me a copy of Bright Pink Ink in exchange for an honest review. 

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This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
2014 | Comedy
This is Where I Leave You focuses on Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) and his relationships with the many personalities in his family. We open the film with Judd walking in on his wife in bed with his boss. We flash forward about 3 months to find Judd feeling pretty miserable still, only to find out that his father passed away. And his father’s last wish is that his family sit Shiva (a Jewish tradition of mourning where the close relatives of the deceased sit for 7-days in the same house, as friends and family come by to offer their condolences. (There’s more to it than this, but it’s the general idea). Over the 7-days following the funeral, a rollercoaster of emotions, excitement and tragedy pass.

This film, in my opinion, is very smartly written. It has the qualities in a film that will attract men and women alike. They also create an atmosphere that most people can relate to. It’s simplistic formula really, there are enough siblings to exhibit the different personalities you can find in most families and no matter who you are, you will find someone to relate to in the cast. And, oh boy, what a cast. Judd’s siblings include Corey Stoll, Adam Driver and Tina Fey. Rounding out the close friends and family include Jane Fonda as mama Altman, Rose Byrne as Penny Moore, Connie Britton as girlfriend of Philip Altman (Driver), Timothy Olyphant as Horry, a man with brain damage who has a secret shared with one of the Altmans, and the list goes on and on (go look it up on IMdB already).

The premise is old, cliché jokes are used, and we all know how it ends. However, we don’t really know how it ends. The cast delivers so well that you can see past the recycled items to the true genius that this film is, and how great an adaptation it is from the book. While I haven’t read the book myself, I have been told it’s quite good. And if it’s half as good as this film, I’m definitely going to enjoy reading it.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for a great date movie this weekend, this is the one to see. You will not regret it, and will probably learn a little something about yourself too! This is another to add to my collection upon release.
  
Cars 2 (2011)
Cars 2 (2011)
2011 | Action, Animation, Comedy
9
6.8 (26 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Producer Brad Lewis (Ratatouille)steps into the director’s chair for this sequel that follows racing legend Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his trusty sidekick, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).

Passports are secured and ready to take part in the biggest race on the planet, Lightning and his freinds prepare to take on the best racers in the world. As the first-ever World Grand Prix approaches, cars from every continent prepare for the ultimate competition. But who will have what it takes to become the fastest car on the planet? Just as Lightning McQueen edges up to the starting line, however, his old pal Mater gets sidetracked on a top-secret spy mission that takes him from Japan to Europe. Thankfully Mater’s friends are always willing to lend a helping wheel, and as the race gets under way, everyone shifts into high gear to help out an old friend.

“Cars 2” It’s James Bond meets “Fast and the Furious” and Full of ACTION! None of the characters from the first film are forgotten Of course Tow Mater stands out the most for his hilarious ways of a small town country tow truck who isn’t afraid to do or say anything! Mater is as FUNNY as can be and shares a range of emotions with Lightning . The bond between Lightning McQueen and Tow mater “Mater” are classic as for Mater he encounters a reality check when he’s able to understand how others view him for the first time out of Radiator Springs. When Mater is mistaken for someone else a whole new world of adventure is opened up for him which causes him to grow.

I saw the film with an all ages group in the theater and I observed that everybody was enjoying it as well.

Watching this movie in 3D really made you feel like you were there! It’s funny when computer graphics of animation are realistic enough to make you become part of the story. It is amazing how much technology has changed from when I first encountered Disney animation in the 1970’s.

If you enjoyed the first Cars movie your sure to enjoy this one too! It is a must see! Never a dull moment. A Wonderful start to the Summer of family Movies.