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Leoncavallo: Pagliacci / Act 2 (with Ana Mar�Mart�z / Francesco Piccoli / Orchestra Of The Teatro Massimo Bellini / Catania / Steven Mercurio, Ana Mar�Mart�z, Catania, Francesco Piccoli, Orchestra of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, Steven Mercurio) by Andrea Bocelli / Leoncavallo / Mercurio / Tmbo
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Murder on Wall Street in Books
Feb 18, 2023 (Updated Feb 18, 2023)
High Finance Murder
Frank Malloy might not normally take on the case of investment banker Hayden Norcross, but when a friend hires him to look into it, Frank can hardly refuse. Hayden was shot in his office after hours, and the list of possible suspects in long. Enlisting the help of his wife, Sarah, and her parents, Frank must navigate society and the world of finance to figure out what happened. Working together, can they do it?
This book is a perfect example of why I love this series so much. All the regulars and supporting players are here and in top form. There were a couple of moments that were absolutely special for those who really know the characters. The plot was complex and kept me guessing right up to the page turning and fun ending. While the book does take on some serious subjects, it balances those with humor, mainly the interactions of the regular characters. The time period also comes to wonderful life. If you are a fan who hasn’t read this book yet, you will be in for a treat.
This book is a perfect example of why I love this series so much. All the regulars and supporting players are here and in top form. There were a couple of moments that were absolutely special for those who really know the characters. The plot was complex and kept me guessing right up to the page turning and fun ending. While the book does take on some serious subjects, it balances those with humor, mainly the interactions of the regular characters. The time period also comes to wonderful life. If you are a fan who hasn’t read this book yet, you will be in for a treat.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Super (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When I first heard about Super, written and directed by James Gunn, my first thought was “Dwight (from The Office) will be a superhero?” However what I saw on the screen was anything but Dwight, it was 75% awesome and 25% “I can’t believe they did that!”
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Veiled Threat in Books
Dec 15, 2018
Kidnapping at Christmas
Giulia Falcone is on a mission when she brings her friend Laurel into the office of Driscoll Investigations to meet Frank Driscoll. Laurel's baby daughter that she and her partner just adopted has been kidnapped, and Giulia fears that the police aren't taking the threat seriously, especially since this fits a pattern spread out over several years and several states. Frank is reluctant to get involved, but Giulia dives in head first anyway. The trail leads Giulia to an undercover job just out of town. But will she get a lead on the kidnappers? Or is Frank right that the odds aren't in favor of recovering the baby?
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Be Frank With Me in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Alice has worked a string of dead-end jobs until she winds up as an assistant for a literary agent, Mr. Vargas. He is impressed with her work at a tech store (think Apple Genius Bar) and takes her under his wing. Eventually Mr. Vargas dispatches Alice to assist with one of his most famous, but reclusive, clients: M.M. "Mimi" Banning. Mimi wrote a famous bestseller book as a young woman and then basically disappeared off the grid. She's recently lost all her money in a Ponzi scheme, however, and she needs an assistant to help with delivery of a new manuscript. Enter Alice. However, when Alice arrives in California, she finds herself mainly acting as caretaker to Mimi's nine-year-old son, Frank: a quirky and unique boy who changes Alice's life.
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)