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The Ultimate One-Pot Dishes: A Feast of Simple, Delicious One-Pot Wonders for the Whole Year Round
Book
A revised edition of the best-selling 'Stewed!' by Alan Rosenthal. A modern twist on the...
Chris Parnell recommended Chariots of Fire (1981) in Movies (curated)
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Better than Fiction in Books
Feb 23, 2021
Two books in one, where do I sign up?
I love stories that go back and forth between past (in this case 1916) and present day. There are few authors who can pull off writing a duel story line well, however, I have found two author who did one together! They did a fantastic job. I think that the author’s expressed both sets of characters accurately and I really felt involved in their lives by the end of the book. I was sad to see it end. My favorite part though was probably the premise. Too often I think we chose to live in a made-up world rather than being thankful for the one we have. I am guilty of that myself. I believe that the authors did justice to this problem and summed it up in an understandable way. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the duel story line that was unique and interesting, the great premise, and the amazing characters.
I love stories that go back and forth between past (in this case 1916) and present day. There are few authors who can pull off writing a duel story line well, however, I have found two author who did one together! They did a fantastic job. I think that the author’s expressed both sets of characters accurately and I really felt involved in their lives by the end of the book. I was sad to see it end. My favorite part though was probably the premise. Too often I think we chose to live in a made-up world rather than being thankful for the one we have. I am guilty of that myself. I believe that the authors did justice to this problem and summed it up in an understandable way. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the duel story line that was unique and interesting, the great premise, and the amazing characters.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Honey Boy (2019) in Movies
Nov 17, 2020
I'm going to keep this one short because I feel it's important to just go and experience Honey Boy without too much prior knowledge.
Written by Shia LaBeouf and based on parts of his childhood and his relationship with his father, Honey Boy is brimming with raw emotion. It flicks from heartwarming to traumatic with a finger snap, and captures the turbulence of this haphazard upbringing in a hugely effective manner.
LaBeouf also stars, and takes on the role of his father, so this movie is also a sort of therapy, splayed out right in front of us. It feels personal.
The rest of the cast are fantastic - Noah Jupe, Lucas Hedges, and FKA Twigs in particular - Everyone just knocks it out the park.
Honey Boy also boasts a multitude of beautiful shots. Alma Har'el has done a wonderful job of bringing this story to fruition.
Shia LaBeouf has really come into his own in recent years, and between this and The Peanut Butter Falcon, he is.further proving why he is one the best acting talents around at the moment. Wonderful stuff!
Written by Shia LaBeouf and based on parts of his childhood and his relationship with his father, Honey Boy is brimming with raw emotion. It flicks from heartwarming to traumatic with a finger snap, and captures the turbulence of this haphazard upbringing in a hugely effective manner.
LaBeouf also stars, and takes on the role of his father, so this movie is also a sort of therapy, splayed out right in front of us. It feels personal.
The rest of the cast are fantastic - Noah Jupe, Lucas Hedges, and FKA Twigs in particular - Everyone just knocks it out the park.
Honey Boy also boasts a multitude of beautiful shots. Alma Har'el has done a wonderful job of bringing this story to fruition.
Shia LaBeouf has really come into his own in recent years, and between this and The Peanut Butter Falcon, he is.further proving why he is one the best acting talents around at the moment. Wonderful stuff!
Jeremy Renner recommended E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) in Movies (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) in Movies
Mar 15, 2021
Ignore the fact that Michael Myers' mask looks a bit silly in this one and there's a lot to love.
It's back-to-basics approach of Myers stalking his way though Haddonfield is a welcome one after the hospital setting of II, and the bonkers acid trip of III.
Danielle Harris displays a damn fine performance as lead kid character Jamie Lloyd, and Donald Pleasance returns again as Loomis (apparently not dead after the almost certainly fatal explosion he was right next to at the end of II), acting suitably crazy as is to be expected by now.
There are some great shots on display, once again, courtesy of the simple, striking, and terrifying look of Michael Myers (from far away this time though, seriously, the mask looks really silly close up) and the general production values are pretty decent.
It's of course not a patch on the original, but as far as sequels go, Halloween 4 is one of the better ones. Also, one character gets impaled with a shotgun, which is just ridiculous and fantastic at the same time.
It's back-to-basics approach of Myers stalking his way though Haddonfield is a welcome one after the hospital setting of II, and the bonkers acid trip of III.
Danielle Harris displays a damn fine performance as lead kid character Jamie Lloyd, and Donald Pleasance returns again as Loomis (apparently not dead after the almost certainly fatal explosion he was right next to at the end of II), acting suitably crazy as is to be expected by now.
There are some great shots on display, once again, courtesy of the simple, striking, and terrifying look of Michael Myers (from far away this time though, seriously, the mask looks really silly close up) and the general production values are pretty decent.
It's of course not a patch on the original, but as far as sequels go, Halloween 4 is one of the better ones. Also, one character gets impaled with a shotgun, which is just ridiculous and fantastic at the same time.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Ginger Snaps (2001) in Movies
Mar 22, 2021
Ginger Snaps is certainly a product of it's time. A couple of decades later and it's so painfully 2000s, however, it still offers something fresh to the werewolf sub genre.
The allegory of burgeoning womanhood and simultaneously turning into a force of nature is an effective one, and is realised well, thanks to its well written characters and solid cast. Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins do a fantastic job in carving a realistic portrayal of sisterhood and a challenging time in life. Mimi Rogers is great on her supporting role as well.
For a film that has some potential to be silly, Ginger Snaps plays the whole ordeal pretty straight and sticks the landing for the most part. Nothing comes across as goofy.
There's plenty of impressive practical gore on display and some decent creature effects to top it all off.
This movie has a huge following for a reason, and although it's a little dated these days, it's still an enjoyable horror with a surprisingly emotional centre.
The allegory of burgeoning womanhood and simultaneously turning into a force of nature is an effective one, and is realised well, thanks to its well written characters and solid cast. Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins do a fantastic job in carving a realistic portrayal of sisterhood and a challenging time in life. Mimi Rogers is great on her supporting role as well.
For a film that has some potential to be silly, Ginger Snaps plays the whole ordeal pretty straight and sticks the landing for the most part. Nothing comes across as goofy.
There's plenty of impressive practical gore on display and some decent creature effects to top it all off.
This movie has a huge following for a reason, and although it's a little dated these days, it's still an enjoyable horror with a surprisingly emotional centre.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Devil's Advocate (Eddie Flynn #6) in Books
Aug 1, 2021
Yet again, Mr Cavanagh has written a belter ... definitely one of my reads of 2021 so far and one I can't recommend highly enough and even though this is number 6 in the series, don't let that put you off because you can absolutely read and enjoy this delight as a standalone.
I am a fan of Mr Cavanagh's incarnation of Eddie Flynn having read a couple of his previous outings but, I have to say, this is the best one I have read so far - an absolute peach of a story that had me on tenterhooks and devouring the pages as quick as my little eyes could manage.
With excellent characters, fantastic plot and side plots, perfect setting and pace, the right amount of twists and thrills, I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who loves a great thriller.
What are you waiting for? Go get it!
Many thanks to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
I am a fan of Mr Cavanagh's incarnation of Eddie Flynn having read a couple of his previous outings but, I have to say, this is the best one I have read so far - an absolute peach of a story that had me on tenterhooks and devouring the pages as quick as my little eyes could manage.
With excellent characters, fantastic plot and side plots, perfect setting and pace, the right amount of twists and thrills, I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who loves a great thriller.
What are you waiting for? Go get it!
Many thanks to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Prince of Darkness (1987) in Movies
Feb 15, 2021
John Carpenter is rightly considered a master of his craft, especially in the horror genre, and Prince of Darkness is yet another prime example of why.
The overall tone of PoD is one of constant dread, thanks in no small part to Carpenters' fantastic score work (probably my favourite film music of his), and also his directing style. It's a portfolio of wonderful shots, plenty of them are creepy as hell, and there's an air of mystery to compliment it all. The narrative is never clear cut, even by then end. The viewer has a solid idea of what if happening, but it's not a handled in a hand holding way, and leaves a load of questions in its wake, well still being satisfying in its conclusion.
It has a decent cast headed by Halloween alumni Donald Pleasence, and features the talents of Lisa Blout and era fixture Victor Wong, and an engaging screenplay. The dialogue is plentiful here, but none of it comes across like dead weight, and the finished product is a competent and unsettling religious horror.
The overall tone of PoD is one of constant dread, thanks in no small part to Carpenters' fantastic score work (probably my favourite film music of his), and also his directing style. It's a portfolio of wonderful shots, plenty of them are creepy as hell, and there's an air of mystery to compliment it all. The narrative is never clear cut, even by then end. The viewer has a solid idea of what if happening, but it's not a handled in a hand holding way, and leaves a load of questions in its wake, well still being satisfying in its conclusion.
It has a decent cast headed by Halloween alumni Donald Pleasence, and features the talents of Lisa Blout and era fixture Victor Wong, and an engaging screenplay. The dialogue is plentiful here, but none of it comes across like dead weight, and the finished product is a competent and unsettling religious horror.
