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Pregnancy Notes Healthcare is very important in everyday life; it decided to issue life and death...
Another Escape: Designing the Modern Guest House: No. 2
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Another Escape: Designing the Modern Guest House II, features a wide array of guest houses from...
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If you loved Alan's first memoir - Look Who It Is! - then this follow-up, Alanatomy, will take you...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Crank (2006) in Movies
Jun 26, 2020
Quick Pacing, Bad Movie
When a former hitman’s enemies inject him with a lethal poison that will stop his heart if it goes below an active rate, that hitman Chev Chelios is on a race to find the antidote while keeping his heart pumping at the same time.
Acting: 10
I could think of worse actors to play the role of Chev outside of Jason Statham. He seems like he was made for this type of movie. He brings a successful intensity to the role that kicks the movie into a new gear. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to save the film as a whole. While other performances didn’t necessarily warrant a 10, Chev is pretty much the entire centerpiece so I’m basing the score off Statham’s performance alone.
Beginning: 10
I honestly didn’t hate how the movie began. It actually gets off to a pretty fast start only to let me down later. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
For what' it’s worth, the film does a good job of making you feel like you are in Chelios’ shoes. The camera relies on close up shots and jarring movement when Chelios has to “charge up”. The action is also captured fairly well, giving you a true sense of being in the moment.
Conflict: 10
Consistent action abounds throughout the movie. In addition to Chelios kicking much ass, there’s also the matter of him trying to keep his heart pumping while he finds the antidote. There is more than enough conflict to drive the story.
Entertainment Value: 6
While there are flashes of greatness in Crank, much of it is hyped up hyperbole so extreme it makes the movie really hard to get into. I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes throughout the movie. What did intrigue me throughout was just how much crazier the movie could potentially get.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 10
Plot: 0
What a dumbass story. That is all.
Resolution: 6
I give it props for an inventive ending. However, it wasn’t a successful resolution in my opinion. We followed Chelios on this entire journey for it to come to this? Nah, just…nah.
Overall: 64
You could tell this movie was going to be a mess from the trailer. Surprisingly enough it has a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it seems to have a cult following. I really don’t get it, even as an action lover. It’s a pass for me.
Acting: 10
I could think of worse actors to play the role of Chev outside of Jason Statham. He seems like he was made for this type of movie. He brings a successful intensity to the role that kicks the movie into a new gear. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to save the film as a whole. While other performances didn’t necessarily warrant a 10, Chev is pretty much the entire centerpiece so I’m basing the score off Statham’s performance alone.
Beginning: 10
I honestly didn’t hate how the movie began. It actually gets off to a pretty fast start only to let me down later. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
For what' it’s worth, the film does a good job of making you feel like you are in Chelios’ shoes. The camera relies on close up shots and jarring movement when Chelios has to “charge up”. The action is also captured fairly well, giving you a true sense of being in the moment.
Conflict: 10
Consistent action abounds throughout the movie. In addition to Chelios kicking much ass, there’s also the matter of him trying to keep his heart pumping while he finds the antidote. There is more than enough conflict to drive the story.
Entertainment Value: 6
While there are flashes of greatness in Crank, much of it is hyped up hyperbole so extreme it makes the movie really hard to get into. I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes throughout the movie. What did intrigue me throughout was just how much crazier the movie could potentially get.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 10
Plot: 0
What a dumbass story. That is all.
Resolution: 6
I give it props for an inventive ending. However, it wasn’t a successful resolution in my opinion. We followed Chelios on this entire journey for it to come to this? Nah, just…nah.
Overall: 64
You could tell this movie was going to be a mess from the trailer. Surprisingly enough it has a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it seems to have a cult following. I really don’t get it, even as an action lover. It’s a pass for me.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Iron Man 2 (2010) in Movies
Jul 10, 2020
Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios have pretty much been on a hot streak. It's easy to forget that this titan of a movie house still had to finds its feet once upon a time, and unfortunately they do have a handful of underwhelming titles in their arsenal.
Iron Man 2 is in of these titles, and whilst bit a far cry from a bad movie, the formula wasn't quite there yet.
It's main issues comes from the writing I think. The plot dates to tackle issues such as Tony Stark's trouble with alcohol, a result of slowly being poisoned by the very mechanism that's keeping him alive. He hits rock bottom, pisses off everyone he loves, creates a new element (in probably the most ridiculously convoluted and stupid scene in the MCU) and somewhere amongst all this, there's some big dumb superhero action.
As much as I admire this route, the balance is off, and a big chunk of the movie gets bigger down by these issues.
The side plot that involves a B list villain Whiplash is a nice touch, but it's ultimately wasted in yet another ending brawl that features the hero against an evil version of himself, the second Iron Man film to be released and the second Iron Man film to feature a final boss in a bigger Iron Man suit. It just doesn't feel over imaginative.
It's not all bad though - Iron Man 2 boasts an incredible cast of talent. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow of course return from the first movie. Mickey Rourke is the aforementioned Whiplash (I find it hard to dislike Mickey Rourke in general), Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of War Machine, and of course we get the first appearance for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
And a big reason why Iron Man 2 is better than it should be is down to the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. He plays secondary villain Justin Hammer and he oozes charisma, and fits in effortlessly opposite Downey Jr.
Other than that, the effects still hold up for the most part, and the set pieces are fun - the racing track scene is a particular highlight, and its always a treat to see the wider MCU being established as the main plot chugs along.
Iron Man 2 isn't as good as it's predecessor, and is at the lower and of the MCU quality spectrum, but there's still a lot to enjoy if you switch off a bit.
Iron Man 2 is in of these titles, and whilst bit a far cry from a bad movie, the formula wasn't quite there yet.
It's main issues comes from the writing I think. The plot dates to tackle issues such as Tony Stark's trouble with alcohol, a result of slowly being poisoned by the very mechanism that's keeping him alive. He hits rock bottom, pisses off everyone he loves, creates a new element (in probably the most ridiculously convoluted and stupid scene in the MCU) and somewhere amongst all this, there's some big dumb superhero action.
As much as I admire this route, the balance is off, and a big chunk of the movie gets bigger down by these issues.
The side plot that involves a B list villain Whiplash is a nice touch, but it's ultimately wasted in yet another ending brawl that features the hero against an evil version of himself, the second Iron Man film to be released and the second Iron Man film to feature a final boss in a bigger Iron Man suit. It just doesn't feel over imaginative.
It's not all bad though - Iron Man 2 boasts an incredible cast of talent. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow of course return from the first movie. Mickey Rourke is the aforementioned Whiplash (I find it hard to dislike Mickey Rourke in general), Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of War Machine, and of course we get the first appearance for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
And a big reason why Iron Man 2 is better than it should be is down to the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. He plays secondary villain Justin Hammer and he oozes charisma, and fits in effortlessly opposite Downey Jr.
Other than that, the effects still hold up for the most part, and the set pieces are fun - the racing track scene is a particular highlight, and its always a treat to see the wider MCU being established as the main plot chugs along.
Iron Man 2 isn't as good as it's predecessor, and is at the lower and of the MCU quality spectrum, but there's still a lot to enjoy if you switch off a bit.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Penpal in Books
May 12, 2021
I love books that keep you guessing throughout the story. When I heard about Penpal by Dathan Auerbach through a Facebook group I'm in, it sounded right up my alley. However, I was left with so many questions after finishing the book.
The premise for the plot of Penpal is an interesting one. I liked how Auerbach uses the narrator's memories to lead us up to big reveal of what the horrible thing is. However, the execution of this is where it falls short. The memories are out of chronological order which makes things confusing. There were times where I had to really think about what I was reading and try to place it before or after another memory I had read about. Putting the memories in chronological order would have really benefitted this book much better. I will say the pacing was great for Penpal though. I did find myself wanting to know what would happen. The suspense throughout was fantastic! However, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic considering all that had happened. By the ending, I was left feeling so confused! I can't really say too much, but there were some things that just didn't make sense. Some of my questions were answered by scouring the internet for answers, but many of my questions about the book went unanswered. I also noticed many had the same questions I had. On the plus side, there were no cliff hangers.
While the narrator and his best friend felt fairly fleshed out, I felt that the author missed their voice when they were children. I just felt that that when they were kids, they would not be talking or acting the way they did. I also felt that the parents needed to keep an eye on their children better! The narrator is never named which I think helps with the suspense of this book. I did like the characters and empathized with the narrator, but as I've stated previously, the author really needed to work on the voice of his characters as children to give them a more realistic feel.
Trigger warnings for Penpal include death, attempted murder, some profanity, implied pedophilia, violence, and kidnapping.
Overall, Penpal is a confusing book, but I did enjoy the writing style. With some rewriting, this book could be really good and even have the potential to be a great idea for a film. I'd recommend Penpal by Dathan Auerbach to those 16+ who like to figure things out on their own, but be prepared to be left with many questions after you've finished reading it.
The premise for the plot of Penpal is an interesting one. I liked how Auerbach uses the narrator's memories to lead us up to big reveal of what the horrible thing is. However, the execution of this is where it falls short. The memories are out of chronological order which makes things confusing. There were times where I had to really think about what I was reading and try to place it before or after another memory I had read about. Putting the memories in chronological order would have really benefitted this book much better. I will say the pacing was great for Penpal though. I did find myself wanting to know what would happen. The suspense throughout was fantastic! However, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic considering all that had happened. By the ending, I was left feeling so confused! I can't really say too much, but there were some things that just didn't make sense. Some of my questions were answered by scouring the internet for answers, but many of my questions about the book went unanswered. I also noticed many had the same questions I had. On the plus side, there were no cliff hangers.
While the narrator and his best friend felt fairly fleshed out, I felt that the author missed their voice when they were children. I just felt that that when they were kids, they would not be talking or acting the way they did. I also felt that the parents needed to keep an eye on their children better! The narrator is never named which I think helps with the suspense of this book. I did like the characters and empathized with the narrator, but as I've stated previously, the author really needed to work on the voice of his characters as children to give them a more realistic feel.
Trigger warnings for Penpal include death, attempted murder, some profanity, implied pedophilia, violence, and kidnapping.
Overall, Penpal is a confusing book, but I did enjoy the writing style. With some rewriting, this book could be really good and even have the potential to be a great idea for a film. I'd recommend Penpal by Dathan Auerbach to those 16+ who like to figure things out on their own, but be prepared to be left with many questions after you've finished reading it.
Daniel Rossen recommended track Myrrhman by Talk Talk in Laughing Stock by Talk Talk in Music (curated)
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Edge of Belonging in Books
Feb 24, 2021
<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/09/10/the-edge-of-belonging-lone-star-lit/">Travelers Wife 4 Life</a>
The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox was like a breath of fresh air amid uncertain times that cause you to reflect inward to who you really are. It is listed as a dual timeline, but I think it reads just like a complete story of getting to know a person from beginning to end, with some very thought-provoking moments.
<b>“What if this whole thing is really about finding your missing pieces?”</b>
This book and the characters in it made me go on a roller-coaster of thoughts, emotions, and feelings. I was hooked from the very beginning and read the book in one sitting because it was so good. I loved how Amanda Cox used the dialogue to make me feel as if I were in the story observing everything unfolding. She also used everyday life situations to convey hope for every situation tastefully touching on topics like depression, abandonment, abuse, PTSD, and death. It was masterfully done and quite hard to believe that this was her debut novel! (I cannot imagine what she will write after getting “practice” under her belt). The Edge of Belonging has some of the most poignant moments in it that I have ever read before in a book. Ivy Rose, Harvey James, Reese, and Pearl brought to light one of life’s most resounding questions… Who are you?
<b>“You are Braver than you know. And more Loved than you realize.”</b>
The plot is a dual timeline, I do not always like them because they can be kind of wonky, but wow, this one was done to perfection. It was really like looking through a window and watching the characters interact on the other side, definitely one of the best (if not the best) dual timelines I have ever had the pleasure of reading before. Interwoven with great landscape descriptions and interesting background on all the characters plus, the 20 years kept secrets… well this book is one I will be recommending for a long time to come.
While diving deep into the different characters' lives Amanda Cox managed to give many happy endings and bring you on a journey of discovery that I think everyone can relate to and enjoy. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars. Great job on your first book Amanda Cox, I cannot wait to see what you write next!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox was like a breath of fresh air amid uncertain times that cause you to reflect inward to who you really are. It is listed as a dual timeline, but I think it reads just like a complete story of getting to know a person from beginning to end, with some very thought-provoking moments.
<b>“What if this whole thing is really about finding your missing pieces?”</b>
This book and the characters in it made me go on a roller-coaster of thoughts, emotions, and feelings. I was hooked from the very beginning and read the book in one sitting because it was so good. I loved how Amanda Cox used the dialogue to make me feel as if I were in the story observing everything unfolding. She also used everyday life situations to convey hope for every situation tastefully touching on topics like depression, abandonment, abuse, PTSD, and death. It was masterfully done and quite hard to believe that this was her debut novel! (I cannot imagine what she will write after getting “practice” under her belt). The Edge of Belonging has some of the most poignant moments in it that I have ever read before in a book. Ivy Rose, Harvey James, Reese, and Pearl brought to light one of life’s most resounding questions… Who are you?
<b>“You are Braver than you know. And more Loved than you realize.”</b>
The plot is a dual timeline, I do not always like them because they can be kind of wonky, but wow, this one was done to perfection. It was really like looking through a window and watching the characters interact on the other side, definitely one of the best (if not the best) dual timelines I have ever had the pleasure of reading before. Interwoven with great landscape descriptions and interesting background on all the characters plus, the 20 years kept secrets… well this book is one I will be recommending for a long time to come.
While diving deep into the different characters' lives Amanda Cox managed to give many happy endings and bring you on a journey of discovery that I think everyone can relate to and enjoy. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars. Great job on your first book Amanda Cox, I cannot wait to see what you write next!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Distant Dead in Books
Mar 4, 2021
A dark and well-written tale of sadness and forgiveness
Adam Merkel left his job as a professor in Reno to come to Lovelock, a small town, to teach math at their middle school. He was mostly mocked by his students, except for one, Sal Prentiss. After the death of his mother, Sal lives outside of town with his two uncles. Mostly friendless, he bonds with Mr. Merkel over math, chess, and more. So when Sal finds Mr. Merkel's body on his way to schoool--burned so that it's nearly unrecognizable--it turns his small world upside down. It upsets Nora Wheaton as well. A colleague of Adam's at the school, she thought she recognized a kindred spirit in him. Both seemed trapped in Lovelock: Nora had to return to care for her father. After Adam's death, Nora starts looking into his past to see what led to his horrible undoing. But so much of what she finds keeps leading back to the boy who befriended him--and found his body. As she tries to befriend the wary Sal, it opens up old wounds of her own.
I really loved Heather Young's book The Lost Girls, and The Distant Dead didn't disappoint either. She excels at creating excellent atmospheric novels with well-drawn characters. The Distant Dead perfectly captures small town life: how nearly everyone knows almost everything about everyone, but rarely interferes. How a small town can feel so stifling and claustrophobic. How the secrets and lies pile up until a man finds himself burned to death.
Young also covers the timely topics of drugs and addiction, which run as a thread across the book. Opiates don't seem like a tired trope here, though, but something that is eating up the town and ruining people's lives. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a book with a good kid character, and I pretty much fell for Sal immediately. He's a great kid: real, vulnerable yet tough, and smart. He was an excellent narrator, with his portions telling what led up to Adam's death and Nora and Jake (a local EMT/firefighter) telling us what happened after. The book is surprisingly tense, with Young's beautifully written words jumping off every page. She's such a lyrical writer, weaving an amazing tale of sadness and redemption.
This isn't a fast read or a page-turning thriller. But it's a well-written book, with characters you won't soon forget. There's a lovely, albeit sad and dark, story here. Definitely worth a read. 4+ stars.
I really loved Heather Young's book The Lost Girls, and The Distant Dead didn't disappoint either. She excels at creating excellent atmospheric novels with well-drawn characters. The Distant Dead perfectly captures small town life: how nearly everyone knows almost everything about everyone, but rarely interferes. How a small town can feel so stifling and claustrophobic. How the secrets and lies pile up until a man finds himself burned to death.
Young also covers the timely topics of drugs and addiction, which run as a thread across the book. Opiates don't seem like a tired trope here, though, but something that is eating up the town and ruining people's lives. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a book with a good kid character, and I pretty much fell for Sal immediately. He's a great kid: real, vulnerable yet tough, and smart. He was an excellent narrator, with his portions telling what led up to Adam's death and Nora and Jake (a local EMT/firefighter) telling us what happened after. The book is surprisingly tense, with Young's beautifully written words jumping off every page. She's such a lyrical writer, weaving an amazing tale of sadness and redemption.
This isn't a fast read or a page-turning thriller. But it's a well-written book, with characters you won't soon forget. There's a lovely, albeit sad and dark, story here. Definitely worth a read. 4+ stars.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) in Movies
Jun 6, 2021
I've been told that 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' is the worst of the franchise and, so far, I'd have to agree. For what it is it's not terrible but it's not great either.
In my review for the the first 'The Fast and the Furious' I mentioned that parts of it felt like one of those movies set in a high school, well, 'Tokyo Drift' takes that and runs (Rides?) with it. The opening scenes are exactly that, a high school movie, we have the jocks being, well, jocks, as portraited in most 80's & 90's movies, bulling and making life miserable for those that aren't there own. But don't worry the film soon shifts from an American high school to a Japanese one and, lets face it we knew it would have to happen, the clues in the title after all. To be fair, from this point on most of the action is on the roads and not the school but as a lot of the plot revolves around Sean and Neela, a girl he met in his new school the high school film feel remains.
One good thing that 'Tokyo Drift' manages is to continue the idea of 'Family' that is present in the previous films with Sean finding his new family in Tokyo and his relationship with his, first his mother and then his farther and also with Neela having to choose which side side (or which family) she belongs to as well as the surprise cameo at the end (it's an old film but I didn't know about it so I'm probably not the only one).
One thing missing from 'Tokyo Drift' was the crime aspect (except, of course the street racing), the first movie had touched on it with the truck robbery's and the second was almost all about finding and moving the drug money. The Yakuza are mentioned and there are underground clubs but the yakuza are there more as another symbol of family and the clubs just are, there is no one investigating them and they are more just an excuse to have lots of scantily clad women wondering around.
If you just want a film that you can turn your brain off to then 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' is ok, it has action in the form of car chases, plenty of 'eye candy' and a bit of a story. Just don't expect anything to taxing.
In my review for the the first 'The Fast and the Furious' I mentioned that parts of it felt like one of those movies set in a high school, well, 'Tokyo Drift' takes that and runs (Rides?) with it. The opening scenes are exactly that, a high school movie, we have the jocks being, well, jocks, as portraited in most 80's & 90's movies, bulling and making life miserable for those that aren't there own. But don't worry the film soon shifts from an American high school to a Japanese one and, lets face it we knew it would have to happen, the clues in the title after all. To be fair, from this point on most of the action is on the roads and not the school but as a lot of the plot revolves around Sean and Neela, a girl he met in his new school the high school film feel remains.
One good thing that 'Tokyo Drift' manages is to continue the idea of 'Family' that is present in the previous films with Sean finding his new family in Tokyo and his relationship with his, first his mother and then his farther and also with Neela having to choose which side side (or which family) she belongs to as well as the surprise cameo at the end (it's an old film but I didn't know about it so I'm probably not the only one).
One thing missing from 'Tokyo Drift' was the crime aspect (except, of course the street racing), the first movie had touched on it with the truck robbery's and the second was almost all about finding and moving the drug money. The Yakuza are mentioned and there are underground clubs but the yakuza are there more as another symbol of family and the clubs just are, there is no one investigating them and they are more just an excuse to have lots of scantily clad women wondering around.
If you just want a film that you can turn your brain off to then 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' is ok, it has action in the form of car chases, plenty of 'eye candy' and a bit of a story. Just don't expect anything to taxing.