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Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Turning Red (2022) in Movies
Mar 7, 2022
The digital animation geniuses at Pixar are back with “Turning Red” and it marks a departure for the studio known for the “Toy Story” and “Cars”, franchises.
Set in 1990s Toronto, the film centers around 8th grader Mei (Rosalie Chiang), who considers herself an adult at 13 and eagerly applies herself to school when she is not helping her family tour business at a local Temple or hanging with her friends.
Life comes crashing to a halt when after a traumatic day of embarrassment; Mei awakens in the form of a large Red Panda. In a panic, Mei attempts to hide her situation which causes her over-protective mother to assume it is Puberty related and that her hormones are kicking in.
Mei desperately wants to get her life back to normal and learns that as long as she is calm her Panda is under control. However, this proves to be harder than expected and soon Mei learns that the Panda is the result of a family bloodline but there is a way to end it during a Lunar ceremony in a couple of weeks.
Chaos soon follows as Mei struggles with her situation and must find a way to cope with the changes that are going on and make some very important decisions about her life and her future.
The film is a difficult one to review for me as never having been a teenage girl dealing with puberty, raging estrogen, and the issues that go with it. That being said the film struggles to find a balance as it tacks on the capers of Mei in Panda form without being overly funny or charming and keeps the focus on Teen Angst, puberty-related issues and becoming an adult.
The film lacks the interesting characters, charm, and appeal that have set the foundation for so many Pixar films and it is surprising that a company that can elicit a range of emotions in an animated short fail to really connect with their latest feature. There were some amusing parts but the film as a whole was rather dull and lacked much in the way of humor and was very predictable.
The decision to put the film directly on Disney+ as the studio’s recent “Soul” and “Luca” was raised some controversy but in the end, I do believe it was the right decision as “Turning Red” is not likely to be a film that draws people to the cinema beyond the opening weekend.
It is a film that is a bold step for the company, but one that lacks the charm and humor of previous films as not everyone is going to want to sit through a feature-length film on teenage angst and dealing with changing bodies and the emotional turmoil that follows. However, the target audience is likely to connect with the characters and it will be interesting to see what the reaction to the film is long-term.
3 stars out of 5
“Turning Red” will debut on Disney+ on March 11th
Set in 1990s Toronto, the film centers around 8th grader Mei (Rosalie Chiang), who considers herself an adult at 13 and eagerly applies herself to school when she is not helping her family tour business at a local Temple or hanging with her friends.
Life comes crashing to a halt when after a traumatic day of embarrassment; Mei awakens in the form of a large Red Panda. In a panic, Mei attempts to hide her situation which causes her over-protective mother to assume it is Puberty related and that her hormones are kicking in.
Mei desperately wants to get her life back to normal and learns that as long as she is calm her Panda is under control. However, this proves to be harder than expected and soon Mei learns that the Panda is the result of a family bloodline but there is a way to end it during a Lunar ceremony in a couple of weeks.
Chaos soon follows as Mei struggles with her situation and must find a way to cope with the changes that are going on and make some very important decisions about her life and her future.
The film is a difficult one to review for me as never having been a teenage girl dealing with puberty, raging estrogen, and the issues that go with it. That being said the film struggles to find a balance as it tacks on the capers of Mei in Panda form without being overly funny or charming and keeps the focus on Teen Angst, puberty-related issues and becoming an adult.
The film lacks the interesting characters, charm, and appeal that have set the foundation for so many Pixar films and it is surprising that a company that can elicit a range of emotions in an animated short fail to really connect with their latest feature. There were some amusing parts but the film as a whole was rather dull and lacked much in the way of humor and was very predictable.
The decision to put the film directly on Disney+ as the studio’s recent “Soul” and “Luca” was raised some controversy but in the end, I do believe it was the right decision as “Turning Red” is not likely to be a film that draws people to the cinema beyond the opening weekend.
It is a film that is a bold step for the company, but one that lacks the charm and humor of previous films as not everyone is going to want to sit through a feature-length film on teenage angst and dealing with changing bodies and the emotional turmoil that follows. However, the target audience is likely to connect with the characters and it will be interesting to see what the reaction to the film is long-term.
3 stars out of 5
“Turning Red” will debut on Disney+ on March 11th
Lirahlu (37 KP) rated Dread Nation in Books
Mar 1, 2019
Amazing Alternative History Horror
In a post-Civil War America where neither side won because of the Zombie Apocalypse, Jane McKeene studies to become an Attendant – part body guard, part chaperone – as part of the Native and Negro Reeducation Act due to the breakdown of institutionalized slavery. While she excels at the fighting and weaponry, Jane continually fails her etiquette lessons despite being the daughter of a wealthy, white plantation owner. While other girls at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore County, Maryland desire an Attendant’s life with a wealthy family, Jane’s one goal is to return home to Rose Hill Plantation in Kentucky. Just weeks shy of graduation, Jane, her ex-beau Red Jack, and her light-skinned “frenemy” are sent West to a “Survivalist” pioneer town where blacks are still very much treated as slaves and forced to fight “shamblers” on the front lines with rusty, ineffective weapons. Though segregated with the rest of the blacks, Jane refuses to accept the town’s ingrained injustice – even when the price of resistance is death.
Dread Nation is a fantastic mashup of the alternate history and horror genres. Ireland’s characters are intricate and flawed, and therefore believable. Ireland does not shy away from the horrific history of slavery and racism in the United States and the characters and world she’s built around them are stronger for facing these issues head-on. An absolute must-read for anyone who is not shy about gore and loves a strong female character who can hold her own in a fight.
Dread Nation is a fantastic mashup of the alternate history and horror genres. Ireland’s characters are intricate and flawed, and therefore believable. Ireland does not shy away from the horrific history of slavery and racism in the United States and the characters and world she’s built around them are stronger for facing these issues head-on. An absolute must-read for anyone who is not shy about gore and loves a strong female character who can hold her own in a fight.
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Black Christmas (1974) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019 (Updated Jun 15, 2019)
The ultra dark atmosphere, even with the beautiful Christmas setting. (7 more)
The super gritty and dark tone of the film.
The acting, especially Olivia Hussey is perfect.
A terrifying boogeyman who is not supernatural in any way.
Even being made in 1974, the film still holds up and is just as terrifying today.
John Saxon
The plastic bag.
The touching on hot button issues such as abortion still resonates today, and may be one of the best uses of the issue ever.
There is truly only one word to describe this movie: PERFECT. This is everything a perfect score film should be. Black Christmas is suspenseful, intense, and absolutely provocative. The film is deeply disturbing even by today's standards. Most films don't hold up in that department. What was provocative and disturbing in 1974 is by comparison tame and cheesy in 2018. Not Black Christmas. This film is just as terrifying and just as vile as it was when it came out. Nothing makes your skin crawl quite like this film. If you were to pair this as a double feature with 2008's The Strangers, you just might need to take some heart medication, and just like the latter film, the ending to this film is a nihilistic mindfucking piece of genius. If you haven't seen Black Christmas, what in the he'll are you waiting for? I think this film is a better Bob Clark Christmas film than his ever popular family film, A Christmas Story, but that's just my opinion.
Brandy Bentley (3 KP) rated Complicated in Books
Jan 21, 2018
Good small town, law enforcement romance
Contains spoilers, click to show
Complicated is classic Kristen Ashley! Lots of alpha male action that you either love or hate at times, but ultimately love because he's our hero.
Hixon Drake and Greta Dare begin their story with misunderstanding and hurt feelings. After a night together, Hix brushes Greta off like a one night stand and drives off. Greta, a kind-hearted and generous soul, does not know how to hold a grudge, though, so when Hix gets another chance, she lets him in.
Both characters have issues: Hix is a newly single dad with a slightly unstable ex-wife. Greta is responsible for the care of her mentally disabled younger brother (made so by an accident caused by their self-involved mother.) Both have to overcome their hang-ups and interfering third parties in order to finally find their HEA.
Outside of family drama, Hix is the county sheriff investigating a murder in a town that hasn't had a homicide in decades. Greta finds herself attacked by a stalker, which leads her to seek Hix's help.
Ashley is well known in the romance world for crafting swoonworthy alpha heroes and kickass heroines. Complicated is one of her rare standalones, and is not connected to any of her other books.
I really, really LIKED this book, but I can't say that I LOVED it. I'm not sure if I can put my finger on why. I am a huge KA fan, and LOVE many of her books; most of which I've read more than once.
Hixon Drake and Greta Dare begin their story with misunderstanding and hurt feelings. After a night together, Hix brushes Greta off like a one night stand and drives off. Greta, a kind-hearted and generous soul, does not know how to hold a grudge, though, so when Hix gets another chance, she lets him in.
Both characters have issues: Hix is a newly single dad with a slightly unstable ex-wife. Greta is responsible for the care of her mentally disabled younger brother (made so by an accident caused by their self-involved mother.) Both have to overcome their hang-ups and interfering third parties in order to finally find their HEA.
Outside of family drama, Hix is the county sheriff investigating a murder in a town that hasn't had a homicide in decades. Greta finds herself attacked by a stalker, which leads her to seek Hix's help.
Ashley is well known in the romance world for crafting swoonworthy alpha heroes and kickass heroines. Complicated is one of her rare standalones, and is not connected to any of her other books.
I really, really LIKED this book, but I can't say that I LOVED it. I'm not sure if I can put my finger on why. I am a huge KA fan, and LOVE many of her books; most of which I've read more than once.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated A Reflection of Ice in Books
Apr 12, 2018
A Reflection of Ice by Katherine McIntyre
A Reflection of Ice is a contemporary, urban, fairy-tale suited more to the Brothers Grimm than Disney! Lyra is a young girl at school, struggling with issues in her home life. When she arrives home earlier than expected one day, she sees something she shouldn't and ends up fleeing. During her escape, she finds somewhere new and shiny (literally). Exhausted from her escape, she is rescued and taken into the home. Once she awakens, she finds out she is in between. She has a choice to make - stay in the castle that has sheltered her and kept her safe? Or return to her broken family life and home in the 'real' world?
This is a gripping, enthralling read that would seamlessly fit with stories of old; where fairy-tales were meant as warnings, not as glitter covered cupcakes. The descriptions in this story give the whole thing a feeling of foreboding, an eeriness guaranteed to seep into your veins as you read. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I read this book in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. An amazing story from a brilliant author. This is another jewel in the crown of Katherine McIntyre. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a gripping, enthralling read that would seamlessly fit with stories of old; where fairy-tales were meant as warnings, not as glitter covered cupcakes. The descriptions in this story give the whole thing a feeling of foreboding, an eeriness guaranteed to seep into your veins as you read. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I read this book in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. An amazing story from a brilliant author. This is another jewel in the crown of Katherine McIntyre. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
An interesting new take on a dystopian future
What worried me the most about this book is that the dystopian future is one you can quite realistically see happening, even in our lifetime. And that’s one of the things I liked about this book, it really makes you think about the current political climate and how easily things could descend into this sort of dystopia. And it really brings out some powerful emotions - it’s amazing how angry and frustrated you can get about a fictional future.
The book itself is well written, and Jean McClellan is a fairly engaging and well developed protagonist. It’s interesting to read about the history from Jean’s point of view and share her frustration with the system and how it affects her family. There are a lot of similarities to other books about dystopian futures, like 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, and even references some of these at times. However there are a few issues, firstly that the book plods along at a fairly decent pace but yet the ending is wrapped up so quickly in just a few paces, it’s feels very rushed and not as satisfying as I’d like. The other issue is that I’m concerned about how events unfold for Jean and how it compares to the rest of the women still suffering in silence. I feel like the book could’ve concentrated more on women who hadn’t had their counters removed, to really impact and show more about the regime.
The book itself is well written, and Jean McClellan is a fairly engaging and well developed protagonist. It’s interesting to read about the history from Jean’s point of view and share her frustration with the system and how it affects her family. There are a lot of similarities to other books about dystopian futures, like 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, and even references some of these at times. However there are a few issues, firstly that the book plods along at a fairly decent pace but yet the ending is wrapped up so quickly in just a few paces, it’s feels very rushed and not as satisfying as I’d like. The other issue is that I’m concerned about how events unfold for Jean and how it compares to the rest of the women still suffering in silence. I feel like the book could’ve concentrated more on women who hadn’t had their counters removed, to really impact and show more about the regime.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Half Dead & Fully Broken in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Curiosity Quills in return for a fair and honest review.
This book starts with a bang and will draw you in as you continue to read every word. Imagine being an identical twin, identical in every way even down to a mole on your foot. Now imagine that you are the quieter one, the one who messes things up rather than puts them right. Imagine that your twin in the "go-to guy" in every situation. Now imagine that in an accident caused by abnormal behaviour, he is ripped away from you, from your family, from his friends, and from school. Now imagine that you have to carry on living.
This is what happens at the start of this book and then you discover just how Carter feels as he walks around sharing a face with his dead twin. We also get an insight on how Mel (Marcus' girlfriend) feels and also Justin, the boy who was driving the truck also involved with the accident. The depth of emotion that is covered between these three is brilliant to read.
Marcus plays a bigger part in this book than I realised and to be honest, he freaked me out a bit every time he showed up. I wasn't sure if he was a good guy or bad guy and it didn't help that Carter didn't know either!
If you are looking for a Young Adult story that deals with emotional issues, with a dash of the paranormal, then I can highly recommend this book.
This book starts with a bang and will draw you in as you continue to read every word. Imagine being an identical twin, identical in every way even down to a mole on your foot. Now imagine that you are the quieter one, the one who messes things up rather than puts them right. Imagine that your twin in the "go-to guy" in every situation. Now imagine that in an accident caused by abnormal behaviour, he is ripped away from you, from your family, from his friends, and from school. Now imagine that you have to carry on living.
This is what happens at the start of this book and then you discover just how Carter feels as he walks around sharing a face with his dead twin. We also get an insight on how Mel (Marcus' girlfriend) feels and also Justin, the boy who was driving the truck also involved with the accident. The depth of emotion that is covered between these three is brilliant to read.
Marcus plays a bigger part in this book than I realised and to be honest, he freaked me out a bit every time he showed up. I wasn't sure if he was a good guy or bad guy and it didn't help that Carter didn't know either!
If you are looking for a Young Adult story that deals with emotional issues, with a dash of the paranormal, then I can highly recommend this book.
Lenard (726 KP) rated A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) in Movies
Nov 22, 2019
Based on a magazine article written by an Esquire investigative reporter assigned a profile on Fred Rogers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is the Tuesdays With Morrie adaptation of the man who guided generations of children through the perils of childhood. Opening in the style of the famed PBS series Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, we begin by learning the story of journalist Lloyd Vogel, a man very much in need of a change in attitude. He harbors a lot of father issues. The editor of Esquire wants him to write one of the articles for an issue on Heroes, but everyone has read his work and is afraid to talk to him. That is,except for the one man in the world who never judges others until he has walked in his shoes. In other words, you need to know a person in order to really be able to know someone. Tom Hanks is a national treasure and perfectly captures the heart and soul of a man who exuberates compassion and willing teaches everyone the most important lesson of life. Matthew Rhys capably plays Lloyd as he comes to grips with all the buried feelings of the childhood he had which turned him into the man he is. Chris Cooper stands out as Jerry, the father who abandoned his family when life became too rough. Overall, the movie is good, and the movie achieves its goal: telling the story of how one person can make a huge difference in the lives of others just by listening.
RW
Reckoning with Race: America's Greatest Failure
Book
Reckoning with Race confronts America's most intractable problem - race. The book outlines in a...