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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated The Deep End in Books
Aug 14, 2019
I’m glad I Jumped into this Series
Ellison Russell is devoted to her teenage daughter, Grace, and her art. She and her husband are still living together, but that is only because they have decided to wait to get divorced until Grace is out of the house. Part of Ellison’s routine is a swim at dawn in the country club’s pool. On this particular June morning in 1974, she swims into a dead body in the pool. Worse yet, when the police arrive and pull the body out of the pool, she recognizes the victim as Madeline Harper, her husband’s mistress. Ellison knows that she makes a pretty compelling suspect in the woman’s murder, as does her husband. She knows she is innocent and she believes that her husband may be an adulterer, but he isn’t a killer. However, the fact that he’s suddenly left town for parts unknown doesn’t make him appear innocent. Can Ellison figure out what really happened to Madeline?
I’ve been hearing about this series for years, but I kept putting off starting it. I wish I’d read it sooner. The plot starts out right away and gives us plenty of action and twists along the way. I never saw the solution coming until Ellison figured it out either. The main characters are all strong and help pull us into the world, although I do wish that we had a little more context for some of the supporting players. I was also bothered by Ellison’s love life; it just felt inappropriate for this book. I’m sure in future books I will be fine with what is set up here. The subject matter does stray to the edges of cozies, but I thought how things were handled here was fine and it didn’t bother me. I greatly enjoyed the humor in the book, mostly coming from Ellison’s narration on things. Yet it is perfectly balances with some of the more serious elements of the plot. I can see why this series has so many fans, and I’m already one of them. Now, to find time to visit Ellison again.
I’ve been hearing about this series for years, but I kept putting off starting it. I wish I’d read it sooner. The plot starts out right away and gives us plenty of action and twists along the way. I never saw the solution coming until Ellison figured it out either. The main characters are all strong and help pull us into the world, although I do wish that we had a little more context for some of the supporting players. I was also bothered by Ellison’s love life; it just felt inappropriate for this book. I’m sure in future books I will be fine with what is set up here. The subject matter does stray to the edges of cozies, but I thought how things were handled here was fine and it didn’t bother me. I greatly enjoyed the humor in the book, mostly coming from Ellison’s narration on things. Yet it is perfectly balances with some of the more serious elements of the plot. I can see why this series has so many fans, and I’m already one of them. Now, to find time to visit Ellison again.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Iron Man 2 (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Iron Man 2 picks up right where the first one left off, and manages to continue the enjoyment without losing too much steam in the process. Jon Favreau has kept the exciting action, lost a bit of character development, but added more of a comic-book dimension to the film series.
The plot was slow to start, but once you see how events start fitting together for the eventual showdown, the movie picks up speed and leads in for a very satisfying finish. Thankfully, there weren’t too many slow moments (this is an action movie, after all), and the plot flowed well from scene to scene. The action-packed ending more than makes up for any slow moments toward the beginning.
The interplay between the characters definitely felt more formal than the first film. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the title character with just as much snarky humor and snide dialogue as he did in the first film, but he seems to play his dramatic scenes with less emphasis than the first. Don Cheadle, as Colonel Rhodes, continues with the memorable character that Terrence Howard defined, but doesn’t come into his own until near the finale. Scarlett Johansson performs the part of the sultry and mysterious Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff quite well, although aside from one stunning action scene, her role is relatively minor compared to the rest of the cast. The villains, Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke; and Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, more than match their opposition on screen. Rockwell in particular is absolutely fantastic in his portrayal: totally believable, animated, and fun to watch. I just wish everyone had his enthusiasm for the film, because I sensed less emotion this time around.
Iron Man 2 also has much more of a comic-book feel than the previous movie. Marvel fans will notice quite a few more nods to the Marvel Universe, but even more than that, Iron Man feels more like the fantastic character that he is when he has a properly villainous opponent. In the end, this film is a fitting sequel that nearly matches it’s predecessor.
The plot was slow to start, but once you see how events start fitting together for the eventual showdown, the movie picks up speed and leads in for a very satisfying finish. Thankfully, there weren’t too many slow moments (this is an action movie, after all), and the plot flowed well from scene to scene. The action-packed ending more than makes up for any slow moments toward the beginning.
The interplay between the characters definitely felt more formal than the first film. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the title character with just as much snarky humor and snide dialogue as he did in the first film, but he seems to play his dramatic scenes with less emphasis than the first. Don Cheadle, as Colonel Rhodes, continues with the memorable character that Terrence Howard defined, but doesn’t come into his own until near the finale. Scarlett Johansson performs the part of the sultry and mysterious Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff quite well, although aside from one stunning action scene, her role is relatively minor compared to the rest of the cast. The villains, Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke; and Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, more than match their opposition on screen. Rockwell in particular is absolutely fantastic in his portrayal: totally believable, animated, and fun to watch. I just wish everyone had his enthusiasm for the film, because I sensed less emotion this time around.
Iron Man 2 also has much more of a comic-book feel than the previous movie. Marvel fans will notice quite a few more nods to the Marvel Universe, but even more than that, Iron Man feels more like the fantastic character that he is when he has a properly villainous opponent. In the end, this film is a fitting sequel that nearly matches it’s predecessor.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
When you look at the directorial line up from Paul Feig, with hilariously funny movies such as Ghostbusters, Bridesmaids, and The Heat under his belt, it’s a bit of a surprise to see him take on a suspense thriller. Don’t worry Feig fans, there’s plenty of outlandish, laugh out loud moments.
A Simple Favor centers around the perky Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a widowed stay at home mommy vlogger whose life revolves around her son. She struggles with making friends due to her overly ambitious attempts at being the best at everything she does—think Stepford wife without the husband. Enter Emily (Blake Lively)—a brash, confident, mysterious woman whose son just happens to be best friend’s with Stephanie’s little boy. To both mom’s dismay, they are forced to hang out afterschool because their boys want to have a playdate. Stephanie thinks Emily has everything—the perfect marriage, the amazing career, and the gorgeous designer house. To the surprise of all the parents at school, the two moms spark an unlikely friendship. Until one day, Emily calls Stephanie and asks her for a simple favor. Little did Stephanie know this simple favor ends up uncovering a slew of secrets of deceit and lies.
Feig’s propensity for comedy still lingers even in the blackest of moments throughout the movie. He knew exactly which moments to take it up a notch and add in some witty humor to let his leading ladies shine. Lively exudes a callous charisma that makes her perfect to take on the role of Emily. I’d like to think Anna Kendrick’s acting chops are just that good, because she does such a great job at playing an insufferable perfectionist.
It’s hard to pick sides in this film. Everyone is so twisted, you find yourself rooting for one person in part of the movie, and then their skeleton’s come out, and you want to root for the other. This is a true testament to the screenwriters—they make you want to be both women. Doesn’t apologize for its sick and twisted manic storyline. It’s upscale garbage at its finest! Can’t help but love seeing the downfall of perfection.
A Simple Favor centers around the perky Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a widowed stay at home mommy vlogger whose life revolves around her son. She struggles with making friends due to her overly ambitious attempts at being the best at everything she does—think Stepford wife without the husband. Enter Emily (Blake Lively)—a brash, confident, mysterious woman whose son just happens to be best friend’s with Stephanie’s little boy. To both mom’s dismay, they are forced to hang out afterschool because their boys want to have a playdate. Stephanie thinks Emily has everything—the perfect marriage, the amazing career, and the gorgeous designer house. To the surprise of all the parents at school, the two moms spark an unlikely friendship. Until one day, Emily calls Stephanie and asks her for a simple favor. Little did Stephanie know this simple favor ends up uncovering a slew of secrets of deceit and lies.
Feig’s propensity for comedy still lingers even in the blackest of moments throughout the movie. He knew exactly which moments to take it up a notch and add in some witty humor to let his leading ladies shine. Lively exudes a callous charisma that makes her perfect to take on the role of Emily. I’d like to think Anna Kendrick’s acting chops are just that good, because she does such a great job at playing an insufferable perfectionist.
It’s hard to pick sides in this film. Everyone is so twisted, you find yourself rooting for one person in part of the movie, and then their skeleton’s come out, and you want to root for the other. This is a true testament to the screenwriters—they make you want to be both women. Doesn’t apologize for its sick and twisted manic storyline. It’s upscale garbage at its finest! Can’t help but love seeing the downfall of perfection.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Bad Santa (2003) in Movies
Jul 26, 2019
"I'm On My Fucking Lunch Break!"
A crook poses as a mall Santa over the holidays to pull off a quick score.
Acting: 10
Billy Bob Thornton is, dare I say, brilliant in his role as Willie Stokes. His rage alone makes for a number of hilarious moments throughout the movie. In one of my favorite scenes, a kid walks up to him in the food court because he is still in his Santa pants. After the kid continues to pester him, Willie finally screams, “I’m on my fucking lunch break!” as pieces of food fly out of his mouth. It is still to this day one of the most memorably hilarious scenes I’ve ever seen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Just like Willie, Bad Santa features a bunch of broken characters that are messed up and dysfunctional. They are the reason this movie works as its fun watching everyone walk around so screwed up. Screwed up people have a tendency to leave a mark on scenes and this movie is no exception. Some of my favorite scenes involve the senile Grandma played by Cloris Leachman. Like most of these characters. You really just don’t know what to expect from her.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
This category fell short of a perfect score for me due to the fact that, while I think it’s absolutely hysterical, I also understand that this is a specific type of humor that may not cater to everyone. Speaking for myself, it had me in stitches. It is one of those comedies that’s just hard to forget.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 6
Plot: 10
I will admit, the story is a bit of a stretch in certain spots, but otherwise very creative. Its originality allows me to say that I have seen anything like it before it or since. The best part is though it follows the story of an alcoholic crook, it manages to somehow still stay within the spirit of Christmas.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 93
If you’re not watching Bad Santa during the holidays, you’re doing something wrong. It’s about as ridiculous as a softcore porn movie, but if we’re being honest, aren’t most Christmas movies? Ah, Christmas and porn. Yup, that just happened.
Acting: 10
Billy Bob Thornton is, dare I say, brilliant in his role as Willie Stokes. His rage alone makes for a number of hilarious moments throughout the movie. In one of my favorite scenes, a kid walks up to him in the food court because he is still in his Santa pants. After the kid continues to pester him, Willie finally screams, “I’m on my fucking lunch break!” as pieces of food fly out of his mouth. It is still to this day one of the most memorably hilarious scenes I’ve ever seen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Just like Willie, Bad Santa features a bunch of broken characters that are messed up and dysfunctional. They are the reason this movie works as its fun watching everyone walk around so screwed up. Screwed up people have a tendency to leave a mark on scenes and this movie is no exception. Some of my favorite scenes involve the senile Grandma played by Cloris Leachman. Like most of these characters. You really just don’t know what to expect from her.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
This category fell short of a perfect score for me due to the fact that, while I think it’s absolutely hysterical, I also understand that this is a specific type of humor that may not cater to everyone. Speaking for myself, it had me in stitches. It is one of those comedies that’s just hard to forget.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 6
Plot: 10
I will admit, the story is a bit of a stretch in certain spots, but otherwise very creative. Its originality allows me to say that I have seen anything like it before it or since. The best part is though it follows the story of an alcoholic crook, it manages to somehow still stay within the spirit of Christmas.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 93
If you’re not watching Bad Santa during the holidays, you’re doing something wrong. It’s about as ridiculous as a softcore porn movie, but if we’re being honest, aren’t most Christmas movies? Ah, Christmas and porn. Yup, that just happened.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
After having spent the first two films focused on the common story of Dracula with a comedic spin and family focused story line. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation introduces the tale of Van Helsing and his family who have spent ages trying to exterminate Dracula and all the monsters of the world.
After centuries of running the Hotel Transylvania and escaping extinction, Drac (Adam Sandler), his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), and crew of oddball and lovable friends and family embark on their first vacation aboard a monstrous filled cruise ship headed for the lost city of Atlantis by way of the Bermuda Triangle. Feeling lonely, ready to find love again, Drac ends up ‘zinging’ with the human cruise director, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). As you may recall from the first installment, to ‘zing’ only happens once in a monster’s life when two individuals first meet eyes, they find their true love and in that moment are meant to spend the rest of their lives together. Attempting to keep their rendezvous and connection a secret from Mavis, Drac decides to recruit his loyal subjects to help him distract his daughter. As the ship starts narrowing in on the Las Vegas-esque lost city of Atlantis, Mavis grows very suspicious of what her father is up to. She decides to start tracking his every move and realizes their vacation is not all it’s cracked up to be.
From the imaginative mind of Director Genndy Tartokovsky. HT3 is dazzling animated film that brings all the laughs, and humor that one can expect when Adam Sandler and his motley crew of usual suspects are involved. When you involve such talent as Steven Duscemi, Adam Sandberg, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Kevin James, and Mel Brooks to helm the character voices, it’s guaranteed to be a fun filled ride that will keep you laughing from one moment to the next. A wise cracking, witty summer treat that teaches the importance of seeing past our differences and accepting people/monster’s for who they are and realize we’re not so different to begin with.
After centuries of running the Hotel Transylvania and escaping extinction, Drac (Adam Sandler), his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), and crew of oddball and lovable friends and family embark on their first vacation aboard a monstrous filled cruise ship headed for the lost city of Atlantis by way of the Bermuda Triangle. Feeling lonely, ready to find love again, Drac ends up ‘zinging’ with the human cruise director, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). As you may recall from the first installment, to ‘zing’ only happens once in a monster’s life when two individuals first meet eyes, they find their true love and in that moment are meant to spend the rest of their lives together. Attempting to keep their rendezvous and connection a secret from Mavis, Drac decides to recruit his loyal subjects to help him distract his daughter. As the ship starts narrowing in on the Las Vegas-esque lost city of Atlantis, Mavis grows very suspicious of what her father is up to. She decides to start tracking his every move and realizes their vacation is not all it’s cracked up to be.
From the imaginative mind of Director Genndy Tartokovsky. HT3 is dazzling animated film that brings all the laughs, and humor that one can expect when Adam Sandler and his motley crew of usual suspects are involved. When you involve such talent as Steven Duscemi, Adam Sandberg, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Kevin James, and Mel Brooks to helm the character voices, it’s guaranteed to be a fun filled ride that will keep you laughing from one moment to the next. A wise cracking, witty summer treat that teaches the importance of seeing past our differences and accepting people/monster’s for who they are and realize we’re not so different to begin with.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Fragments of Fear in Books
Nov 4, 2019
From award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes a new novel with danger that reaches from a New Mexico Anasazi archaeological dig to micro- and nano-chip technology.
Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, shes given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesnt own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers. Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Carons murdered body. After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancés death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.
My Thoughts: This is an interesting suspense mystery novel. The author has a whimsical way of writing, that puts a little humor into the storyline. When the story begins, we have a young woman at the funeral of her fiance, then finds herself with a dog she doesn't really want and then discovers that it's the owner has been murdered. No wonder Tavish had so many panic attacks. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept my attention from the beginning and did not disappoint me throughout the story.
I enjoyed this novel, the one point I did like about this novel, is that the main character does come to Christ, and learns to overcome her fears by leaning on God.
I look forward to more from Carrie Stuart Parks.
????
Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, shes given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesnt own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers. Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Carons murdered body. After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancés death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.
My Thoughts: This is an interesting suspense mystery novel. The author has a whimsical way of writing, that puts a little humor into the storyline. When the story begins, we have a young woman at the funeral of her fiance, then finds herself with a dog she doesn't really want and then discovers that it's the owner has been murdered. No wonder Tavish had so many panic attacks. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept my attention from the beginning and did not disappoint me throughout the story.
I enjoyed this novel, the one point I did like about this novel, is that the main character does come to Christ, and learns to overcome her fears by leaning on God.
I look forward to more from Carrie Stuart Parks.
????
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Turned at Dark (Shadow Falls, #0.5) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
As you may know from reading <i>Born at Midnight</i>, the first book of the <i>Shadow Falls</i> series, Della Tsang is Kylie Galen's Vampire friend. Here, we learn how Della was turned into a vampire and how she came about Shadow Falls. We also go into a bit more depth of Della's life before <i>Shadow Falls</i> and a brief history about Supernaturals. Warning though: like <i>Forgotten Lyrics</i> by Amanda Hocking (which I'm currently reading), it's a quick read. Actually, even more quick since it's only 32 pages long.
To be frank, I don't think I was expecting Vampirism to be a virus. I was expecting Della to get bitten by an actual vampire when I first met her in <i>Born at Midnight</i>. And was I so very very wrong at that assumption. The fact that Della had a Vampire virus in her blood was an unexpected twist in the series.
If I were Della's shoes, I probably would've reacted the same way as she did if I found out that *insert spoiler* wasn't actually dead and I was carrying a virus that could turn me into a vampire (It might even be cool). And that the fact blood will taste yummy. o_o
As for Della's issues in real life, I can totally compare my own life to her life. High expectations? yep. Sometimes too high? yep! Super harsh? Harsh, yes, but not like Della's parents in a way. Therefore, Della is now one of my favorite characters from Shadow Falls. Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of them as well. Della just has that "twin-like" quality. :)
Overall, I love the humor that Hunter has woven into this story and find that Turned at Dark is a great prequel to Born at Midnight. It's not necessary to read Born at Midnight first, but if you want to, feel free to do so. I actually enjoyed the series and the shortstory. :)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-turned-at-dark-by-c-c-hunter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
To be frank, I don't think I was expecting Vampirism to be a virus. I was expecting Della to get bitten by an actual vampire when I first met her in <i>Born at Midnight</i>. And was I so very very wrong at that assumption. The fact that Della had a Vampire virus in her blood was an unexpected twist in the series.
If I were Della's shoes, I probably would've reacted the same way as she did if I found out that *insert spoiler* wasn't actually dead and I was carrying a virus that could turn me into a vampire (It might even be cool). And that the fact blood will taste yummy. o_o
As for Della's issues in real life, I can totally compare my own life to her life. High expectations? yep. Sometimes too high? yep! Super harsh? Harsh, yes, but not like Della's parents in a way. Therefore, Della is now one of my favorite characters from Shadow Falls. Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of them as well. Della just has that "twin-like" quality. :)
Overall, I love the humor that Hunter has woven into this story and find that Turned at Dark is a great prequel to Born at Midnight. It's not necessary to read Born at Midnight first, but if you want to, feel free to do so. I actually enjoyed the series and the shortstory. :)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-turned-at-dark-by-c-c-hunter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Forget Me Always (Lovely Vicious #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>Several months ago, I first got introduced to the life of Isis Blake and Jack Hunter in the first book of the <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series, <i><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-love-me-never-by-sara-wolf-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Love Me Never</a></i>. If anyone remembers from my review of the first book, I confessed that I had a case of the giggles (and had trouble stifling said giggles) because Isis Blake is hilarious and sarcastic and just hard to hate (okay that last one applies to Jack as well).
So when I found out <i>Forget Me Always</i> was available to request… which means more of Isis Blake and Jack Hunter and everything that comes with those two, I confess I leapt at the chance to read the second book in the <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series. (I promise this is the last book I'm touching until I actually go through the ARCs from earlier this year and posting those reviews. But really, they're in drafts.)
<i>Forget Me Always</i>, unfortunately, did not leave me in a constant puddle of giggles like its predecessor. It is much darker than the first book - both Isis’s and Jack’s pasts come to light and sort of… mesh together. Rather, they don’t actually mesh together, but what was originally two different pasts have something in common between the two that’s bringing the pasts together.
However, despite the darker atmosphere of <i>Forget Me Always</i>, the second book in the <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series still has Isis Blake’s signature humor and sarcasm found throughout the first book, which will surely lighten up the third and final book’s darker atmosphere.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-forget-me-always-by-sara-wolf/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
So when I found out <i>Forget Me Always</i> was available to request… which means more of Isis Blake and Jack Hunter and everything that comes with those two, I confess I leapt at the chance to read the second book in the <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series. (I promise this is the last book I'm touching until I actually go through the ARCs from earlier this year and posting those reviews. But really, they're in drafts.)
<i>Forget Me Always</i>, unfortunately, did not leave me in a constant puddle of giggles like its predecessor. It is much darker than the first book - both Isis’s and Jack’s pasts come to light and sort of… mesh together. Rather, they don’t actually mesh together, but what was originally two different pasts have something in common between the two that’s bringing the pasts together.
However, despite the darker atmosphere of <i>Forget Me Always</i>, the second book in the <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series still has Isis Blake’s signature humor and sarcasm found throughout the first book, which will surely lighten up the third and final book’s darker atmosphere.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-forget-me-always-by-sara-wolf/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
A funny angle
Gentleman is Guy Richie's attempt to bring the british gangster movies from the past back into the modern time and while it may just be an updated version of Snatch its a bloody enjoyable update. It seems like years ago now since I grew out of the 'British Gangster' film phase of my life and while I actaully find Snatch to be over rated myself instead much preferring Guy Richie's other work I can still understand why it has such a big following. Gentleman follows the same formula either deliberately or coincidentally and while this does feel repetative/outdated I couldnt help but be pulled in and deliciously entertained by it. Playing out a bit like reading a comic book Gentleman is satisfyingly violent, full of cusing/crudness and full of mostly satisfying twists and turns. At first I hated it but after the first 20 minutes I just let go and finally started getting back in to this sort of style. Full to the brim with exposition dialog but its handled in a refreshing new way which made hearing it less eye rolling and instead kept it constantly entertaining. Essentially one big power struggle between an assortment of characters non of which are actually very nice people but the ones Hugh Grant and Charlie hunnam play are extremely likeable. Watching these two interact on screen is the absolute bread and butter and they both play interesting characters both with very unique individual traits and characteristics. Colin Farrell is also superb and memorable too and the film has a wicked sense of humor that kept me laughing the whole way through. If you are easily offended its safe to say this is not the film for you as its not only full of extreame cursing but constant racism and violence too. By no means a perfect film or a gangster masterpiece Gentleman is still and absolute blast to watch and has enough twists/turns, quirky characters, witty dialog, fresh ideas, tension, violence/mucking about to entertain and offend pretty much anyone. Highly enjoyable.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Popstar Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
If you go into this movie expecting anything other than crude comedy, you should not go see this movie. But this is not a bad thing. If you are at all familiar with, and like, the music of The Lonely Island, you will absolutely enjoy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Which is pretty much The Lonely Island’s take on a Scary Movie, only focused solely on Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never.
Popstar is filmed in documentary style following Conner (Andy Samberg) , aka Conner4Real, as he is getting to release his second solo album after splitting from an influential hip-hop group, Style Boyz. Conner is the complete exaggeration of the real life Bieber, and the film follows his antics as he prepares for the big day and beyond.
In addition to Jorma Taccone and Akiva Shafer, the rest of The Lonely Island, there is a slew of familiar faces and cameos, including, but not limited to, Imogen Poots; Bill Hader; Maya Rudolph; Sarah Silverman; Tim Meadows; Pink; Usher; Nas; Joan Cusack; Adam Levine; and Will Arnett. There are so many more, also, but I would be remiss to give them away.
Ultimately it comes down to this: as I said before, if you are fan of The Lonely Island, you will enjoy this film. I honestly kind of walked out of the theater thinking that the film basically serves as a vehicle for a new Lonely Island album as there all the songs performed in the movie are original and new. But, again, that’s not a bad thing. It, at times, goes a little overboard, but it quickly reels you back in the next moment. I suppose you could say there is humor for all tastes. Well… most tastes anyway.
It’s not going to win any awards. Let’s just get that on the table, but it is a film that will have you laughing most of the way through. There was definitely big audience reaction during my screening of the film. I will most definitely be picking up the soundtrack and the film upon home release.
Popstar is filmed in documentary style following Conner (Andy Samberg) , aka Conner4Real, as he is getting to release his second solo album after splitting from an influential hip-hop group, Style Boyz. Conner is the complete exaggeration of the real life Bieber, and the film follows his antics as he prepares for the big day and beyond.
In addition to Jorma Taccone and Akiva Shafer, the rest of The Lonely Island, there is a slew of familiar faces and cameos, including, but not limited to, Imogen Poots; Bill Hader; Maya Rudolph; Sarah Silverman; Tim Meadows; Pink; Usher; Nas; Joan Cusack; Adam Levine; and Will Arnett. There are so many more, also, but I would be remiss to give them away.
Ultimately it comes down to this: as I said before, if you are fan of The Lonely Island, you will enjoy this film. I honestly kind of walked out of the theater thinking that the film basically serves as a vehicle for a new Lonely Island album as there all the songs performed in the movie are original and new. But, again, that’s not a bad thing. It, at times, goes a little overboard, but it quickly reels you back in the next moment. I suppose you could say there is humor for all tastes. Well… most tastes anyway.
It’s not going to win any awards. Let’s just get that on the table, but it is a film that will have you laughing most of the way through. There was definitely big audience reaction during my screening of the film. I will most definitely be picking up the soundtrack and the film upon home release.