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Ready or Not (2019)
Ready or Not (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Very strong cast (1 more)
The black humour
A fun horror rather than a gory horror
I really enjoy horrors, thrillers and dramas set predominantly in mansions, stately homes castles, chateaux etc so it gets off to a good start. The setting has a feel of a cross between Clue and the original Sleuth... Both of which are among my favourite films...

Marrying into a family who made their money through games all new family members have to play a random game, most harmless but draw one card and you are in for a bumpy ride, and might not see the night through...

An oddball bunch of family members make this a fun horror movie rather than a gory or suspenseful one, even though there is a lot of blood and gore it doesn't feel like it, it's certainly not like watching the Saw franchise, the black humour works brilliantly alongside the serious moments and you can really get behind Samara Weavings character, trying to remain alive in a cat and mouse chase around the Mansion with her portrayal of newlywed Grace who instead of spending her wedding night with her husband ends up playing a scary and dangerous game of hide and seek with her new family...

A well made film that delights with its humour, made stronger by the cast and not a stereotypical usage of the usual, lone girl (potential) victim/survivor seen in other horror films.
  
Unforgotten (Forgiven #2)
Unforgotten (Forgiven #2)
Garrett Leigh | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
UNFORGOTTEN is the second book in the Forgiven series, and this time, the focus is on the brothers - Luke's brother, Billy, and Mia's brother, Gus. They both had a moment in the past, and neither of them has forgotten about it. So what will happen when they start sharing a house and working together?

This is what I would call a high-angst book. There is not a page where there isn't some form of trouble, whether it's between Luke and Billy, Gus and Mia, Luke and Mia, or Billy and Gus! And, oh, for the love of god, will someone please explain how a conversation works to these people?

As with book one, I found this to be brilliantly written, but I was just unable to connect with the characters as I wanted to. Mia still annoys me. I can feel my teeth grinding whenever she is in a scene. I think there was only one where she behaved in a more compassionate way.

I feel this book was better than book one, but I still prefer other books by this author. If you are after a contemporary romance with high angst, then I can definitely recommend this book.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Pain and Glory (2019)
Pain and Glory (2019)
2019 | Drama
Not Enough Conflict For Me
A director is forced to confront his past when an old flame shows up.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 4

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
From a cinematic standpoint, I dare call the movie a masterpiece, or this portion of it rather. Love the way the movie unfolds on screen. Regardless of how I feel about the movie as a whole, it is visually beautiful.

Conflict: 2

Entertainment Value: 7

Memorability: 8
This movie is full of poignant cinematic moments that remain etched in your brain. Director Pedro Almodovar has an extreme talent for capturing just the right moment in time that is perfect. It is like watching a beautiful dream unfold.

Pace: 7

Plot: 5
There is a story here, but too often it felt aimless. This was one of the biggest misses for me, the fact that I could never really get a good grasp on where this movie was going. I was hoping for more of an arrowed directive.

Resolution: 6
Decent ending, but again I felt like there was something lacking here. I was hoping for more closure for Salvador (Antonio Banderas) the main character. It didn’t feel like the proper sum to its parts.

Overall: 69
Heartfelt, Pain and Glory certainly means well. I can see what it was trying to do, but I felt like the execution could have been much better. A stronger story most certainly would have sold me.
  
D
Danje
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
185 of 235
Kindle
Book sirens arc
Danje
By Gitte Tamar
⭐️⭐️

In a small Louisiana Bayou town during mid-September 1965, Albert Gilly frantically prepares his family's fishing store for an impending hurricane. Amid the chaos, he notices Adonis, a drifter, lying motionless on the street. With the wind raging and debris swirling violently around them, Albert's mind is consumed with thoughts of his family and their dependence on him as the sole breadwinner. Knowing that they would be destitute without him, he makes the painful decision to prioritize his own safety over rescuing the stranger. As Albert stands in his shop's doorway, the weight of his guilt is almost suffocating, causing him to hesitate before locking himself inside. He shouts one last time, urging the young man to seek shelter in his late father's houseboat at the end of the pier. Adonis is startled awake by his words, his mind still hazy, as he struggles through the strong winds until arriving at the floating sanctuary. However, his relief is short-lived upon discovering the sinister secrets concealed within the old wooden walls.


It was a strange read I’m not 100% sure on how I actually feel about it. The story was had good basis and the writing was pretty decent the ending just seemed a little rushed and it needed more I think! It just didn’t feel finished.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
  
The Ritual
The Ritual
Adam Nevill | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror
7
7.9 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great Horror, Could have been shorter.
So you know when you’re watching a horror movie and there’s an unseen being involved and you only catch little glimpses here and there throughout the film, and when you do actually see it you think (or more likely, scream out) WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?

Yeah that’s basically what you get throughout the book. It could be similar horror elements like Blair Witch Project, only you do find out what it is towards the latter part of the story. (And it’s still pretty creepy to figure out and picture).

I really do enjoy the horror aspects in this book and the feelings it invokes. You can really feel the desperation, frustration, and anguish felt within the characters. Tempers flare and understandably fights happen from within the group. You feel Luke’s anger and his highs and lows as you follow him throughout this horror journey.

There’s not many twists or blindside moments in this book it’s pretty much standard that you would see in horror books but the setting is very well done. A remote forest in Scandinavia while there’s something big and bad out there provides great atmosphere for the dark and scary.

It does drag out through the last third of the novel where you just have to feel for Luke and you wonder how much the human spirit can take. The ending really should have ended about 50 pages ago and there is repetition through the novel that some may find a trial to go through when reading. It’s manageable most of the time but I was close to losing my interest towards the end of the novel but powered through. It was still an enjoyable read, and recommended for those that want a good solid horror.

I’ll be reading more of his books for sure. I enjoyed the thrill and can only imagine what his other books will be like.
  
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) by Brian Eno
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) by Brian Eno
1974 | Rock
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"There’s something very quirky about the two records Brian Eno made just after he left Roxy Music. They feel naturally 'him’, in a way, like he didn’t really think about it too much. He did it very quickly, in a sort of 'of-the-time’ kind of way, and those records really brought out his character more than any other music he’s done over the years, even including his ambient stuff – I think he thinks about all that ambient stuff too much, in a way. The earlier records feel like they were done with humour and fun. Obviously there’s a big cash incentive if you’re asked to produce Coldplay or U2, they’re difficult things to turn down if you’re any producer. But I think it’s been debilitating for him, he should just be more experimental. [But] I do hear a lot of good stories about his approach and the way he coaxes the best out of people as a producer. There was a bit of a connection between him and Depeche Mode – he did some remixes for 'I Feel You', which were called the Swamp mixes, and they’re typical Eno. They sound exactly like the kind of thing you’d expect him to do, and I loved them. And I thought they were great. There was a connection because Flood had worked with on the U2 records, and they’d hired a house and built a studio there, and all lived together to make a record. I said 'That’s a great idea, let’s do the same thing’. And it was a total disaster. We lived together and recorded together, and of course, it was one of the most uncreative recording sessions… actually, it wasn’t really – it was one of the most difficult recording sessions we’ve ever had. We were all living in this house and nothing was getting done, and yet, when I look back and see what we produced over a very long period of ten weeks, we recorded three of the best Mode tracks ever."

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Sean Astin recommended Patton (1970) in Movies (curated)

 
Patton (1970)
Patton (1970)
1970 | Classics, Drama, War

"With Patton, understanding the second World War is required spiritual learning for anyone born in the later 20th century going forward. You know, I could list 50 films, but that one… There’s something about the mantle of celebrity, mixed with a really good rendering of military tactics, and finally, George C. Scott’s performance… I mean, really, if you look at them, it’s Ben Kingsley and George C. Scott that have me put them on the list, because they make those portraits feel so authentic. This idea that, “I’ve been here in countless guises before,” this hint at reincarnation, if you will, and destiny. This questing for destiny is something I feel in my life. I’m put here at this moment, in this time, when social media is doing what it’s doing, and filmmaking has reached this kind of new zenith, and I feel like everything I’ve been born and raised and taught and experienced has put me here for a particular reason, and I just know it’s gotta be something. The fact that Patton feels that, this quest for destiny, that he’s supposed to be doing something… You know, the actual morality of war… Karl Malden’s character, who’s nowhere near the forceful personality and couldn’t probably whip a battalion into shape in the way that Patton does — you need both guys. But ultimately when it goes on, Patton doesn’t know when to stop, and I love that they dramatize that. He’s being interviewed and he talks about the Russians, that he should just keep going and fight the Russians — “We’re going to have to fight that war sooner or later” — and oh, guess what? In the news today is this Crimea issue, and you sort of go, “Boy, what does that mean? How are we going to relearn that lesson?” So there’s just so much stuff wrapped around it that’s relevant and interesting, and it’s a story well-told. Just the way they set up the conflict and everything, I love it, love it, love it."

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