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Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
2
7.0 (23 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I... well, that took a turn.

Where to start? This felt like I was watching an episode of Dimension 404/Electric Dreams/Black Mirror... take your pick, and that's kind of my first problem with it. There are a lot of things that don't need to be there for it to work. It could easily have been an episode of something and had more of an impact (for a good reason).

Credit where credit is due though, I have never seen anything quite like this before. I'd like to say I hope I never do again but with my cinema policy of seeing nearly everything that comes out it's bound to happen. I just can't really work out how to sum it up. It starts with a little humour and an intriguing idea and then it takes such a bizarre turn that I lost any enjoyment I'd had for the rest of the film.

Cassius making calls and then being physically put into the life of that person was a triumph for the film. It was funny and worked with the off the wall nature of the entire production. Watching his rise at the company is actually an uplifting sequence of events. From his very first interview through to power caller there's a certain amount of joy watching him succeed. How I wish that feeling hadn't ended.

When we go to the party with Cassius and Mr ___ my enjoyment started to slide. It was an awkward kind of humour that I really don't like. Most of the elements seemed to be unnecessary and by the end we'd just reached gratuitous. Then of course we get the biggest twist of the film. That's when I really lost it.

I just can't think of anything else I want to say about this film.

What you should do

Lots of people seem to like it... but I'm not one of them. Just watch some of the TV shows listed above instead.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I don't want anything from this film apart from the two hours of my life it took.
  
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Family
The last crusade
Dora And The Explorer And The Lost City Of Gold maybe this years biggest shocker. A mix of Tomb Raider & Indiana Jones this one really does hit you right in the nostalgia gland. After not knowing anything about this character what so ever I was seriously expecting to walk out this movie shortly after it began, so imagine my surprise when just 15 minutes in I found myself not only highly entertained but actually full on laughing constantly at all the jokes too. Ok so Im not really sure who this movie is aimed at to be honest as theres not much in here that will apeal to young kids bar the strange inclusion of two horribly animated cgi characters (which I feel didn't fit at all with the look of the film & ruined the overall visual style of the movie). Dora the movie is also so self aware & full of strange adult humour/jokes that seemingly mock its own source material too which found hilarious. This along with how the overall tone was handled made such a fun & fresh aproach for a kids film that made it exciting & enjoyable to watch. Visually its beautiful with such vibrancy & vastness that sets feel alive/exciting to explore. They really captured the sense of adventure & discovery here & although most of the film is just a re-skin of Indiana jones and the last crusade it never felt stale or any less thrilling bringing back the same feelings I had while watching those films way back when I first saw them in my youth. Cast wise everyone one does a smashing job at over acting which only adds to the tone & humour with Michael Pena owning every scene he's in with his energy alone. Miles better than the last Tomb Raider & Indy films & filled with such randomness, strangeness, 4th wall breaking & fun Dora is a film recent Disney movies could learn a thing or to from, its genuinely hilarious, has great production values, a decent sense of threat, positive messages about leaving your comfort zone & a smart self awareness making it a really enjoyable watch. Oh & that Danny Trejo cameo 😂
  
EO
Empire of the Vampire
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Empire of the Vampire
This book is not for the feint hearted. Not only is it decidedly grotesque and gruesome, but its also a monster of a book, coming in at 725 pages with another book on the way.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order couldn’t stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.

The book is dark and gruesome, but also delightfully entertaining. Kristoff puts an original spin on the vampire world and created a deep, well-rounded character with the biggest chip on his shoulder. All the characters are well-developed, to be honest.

The humour, as expected, is dark. Which is what makes it so great. I found myself laughing out loud in parts. I loved the witty banter and insults from the characters.

My woe with this book was, though I enjoyed it, it did feel like I was reading a 725 page book. Sometimes the time flew, and others I found myself counting the pages wondering how much longer this was going to go on for. I think the story could have been shorter without losing anything vital.

Read if you like:

Adult fantasy
Legendary battles
Blood and gore/violence
Religious occult
Dark humour

Don't read if:

You are a child
And dont like:
Prolific swearing
Sexual Content
Violence
Religious Themes

Trigger warnings:
Anything mentioned above
Drug addiction
Child abuse
Homophobia

It reminds me of Interview With a Vampire meets Van Helsing...
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Digging Up Mother: A Love Story in Books

Oct 14, 2017 (Updated Oct 15, 2017)  
Digging Up Mother: A Love Story
Digging Up Mother: A Love Story
Doug Stanhope | 2016 | Biography, Humor & Comedy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Crude, hilarious, and sombre at times
Listened to on Audible.

For all lovers of gonzo, Doug Stanhope reaches the top of the list of crude humour, insane experiences muddled in with bittersweet memories.

This autobiography is hilarious, and the only way to read it, is to listen to it, given there are so many 'director's comments', in which Doug and his friends discuss the incident at hand. Also the fact that he is drunk at times and will loudly burp just adds to the book so much more than skimming through the pages. While the majority is about him, it premises around his mother's life and death which have ultimately shaped him. She's no ordinary mother that's a fact.

From being a pyromaniac as a child, a teen male prostitute to telephone salesman, Stanhope has had an interesting life mixed in with drugs, alcohol, women and stand up comedy. And while you do think he's a bit of a so-and-so, it's still very funny. A great listen.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated 20th Century Women (2017) in Movies

Oct 15, 2017 (Updated Oct 15, 2017)  
20th Century Women (2017)
20th Century Women (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Drama
8
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A solid drama with beautiful cinematography
I began watching this thinking it would be like Little Miss Sunshine aka dark humour but good comedy. But it's not at all - it's pure drama, but still good nevertheless.

Annette Bening plays a lonely 54 year old mother living with her teenage son, and various lodgers in 1979. There's a massive generational divide, Bening was born in the 1920's and feels overwhelmed with her son in this era where punk rock is all the rage and there's general apathy at the world.

At this point she asks for help from her lodger, a young feminist photographer in remission from cervical cancer and a much older hippy mechanic. Instead they seem to confuse the situation further due to a gap in understanding about one another's circumstances, causing mother and son to further drift apart.

It's a different style of coming-of-age film because it shows how the mother's role is also changing and adapting to a new age of politics and societal pressures. A poignant, beautifully shot drama.
  
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
It was Ok I guess
Contains spoilers, click to show
The movie on the whole was pretty decent yet I felt there was something missing. I feel like there was questions left than answers given. I also feel they tried to mimic Empire just s bit too much especially with the opening scenes where the rebels were evacuating the base. I had hoped for a bit more information as to who Lord Snoke really was and as a character he was wasted. I felt Disney tried to Marvel the movie by adding unnecessary humour is Finn banging his head on his healing capsule and walking around half naked with tubes dripping or with Snoke hitting Rey in the head with a floating light sabre just to mention a few. That being said I did enjoy the movie and strongly recommend it to any Star Wars fans out there. The light sabre battle at the end between Kylo and Rey vs The imperial guards was worth the wait and Luke's triumphant return to the force was a spectacle to behold.
  
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TCBellflower (2 KP) Dec 29, 2017

I think the set up from The Force Awakening was diminished by this movie. It wasn’t as bad as the Episodes 1 - 3, but I had high hopes for this one. I did like the “remake” of Obi-Won scene with Darth Vader between Luke and Kylo. But it looked like they tried to add force humour to this one. I’m ready for the next one to see how it closes. I think changing directors is what did this one. The vision changed.

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Ross (3284 KP) rated Ferdinand (2017) in Movies

Dec 27, 2017  
Ferdinand (2017)
Ferdinand (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
This is a pretty typical offering these days - someone in a group is a little different, is mocked by the others who don't realise that his difference is a good thing, he runs away, comes back stronger, wins them round and eventually everyone wins.
This was basically Chicken Run in a Spanish bull farm. The bulls are all vying to become the one chosen to take place in the big bullfight, not realising it meant their death.
Given the subject matter and how controversial bullfighting has become, I thought this was dealt with quite carefully. The death was only hinted at early on and then was quite a shock to the characters so was delivered as a plot point rather than a moral statement. The end does move slightly towards preaching but it doesn't force it home. My daughters both left knowing bullfighting was wrong and not nice but they weren't traumatised by it.
As usual, there is a fair amount of humour for adults mixed in through the film, and the voice actors are all quite adequate.
Overall a decent family film.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Going Postal in Books

Jul 25, 2017  
Going Postal
Going Postal
Terry Pratchett | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sheer brilliance
I tried reading the first Discworld book (The Colour of Magic) years ago & I couldn't get into it. Skip forward to this year & a conversation with some of my learned Pratchett reading colleagues who advised that starting at Book 1 wasn't advisable & instead offered a few alternative starting points - Going Postal being the favourite.

All I can say is that I will be forever thankful for this book. Not only was it a fantastic way of getting into the Discworld series, but it is now among my favourite ever books of all time.


It's beautifully written - full of humour and wit. It's also a great alternative take on industrialisation and the introduction of the postal service. Moist Von Lipwig is a brilliant character, flawed but still loveable, and the supporting characters too all have their charms. Mr Pump especially raised quite a few laughs.


This is Pratchett at his best and if youre ever thinking about tackling the mammoth Discworld series, this is the place to start.
  
Ghostbusters (2016)
Ghostbusters (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Decent Cgi for the Ghosts (1 more)
Good cast chemistry
Feels like it was aimed at a very young audience. (0 more)
Who ya gonna call?
Well this caused a stir among the Fanboys. I really like the original but not so much I don't think anyone should make another Ghostbusters film. Some didn't like the idea of an all female team this time round, who cares? From the director of @Spy (2015) , @The Heat (2013) @Bridesmaids (2011) , along with some cast members from the latter. This had a good comedy team involved. It's not great, the humour is more on the silly and slapstick side, a bit crude at times as well. The Cgi and ghost designs were pretty good, if a little cartoonish. Almost like something out of Scooby-Doo. Something that makes me feel this was aimed a young audience and not really fans of the original. It has some nice cameos but overall it's an average film. Watch and make your own mind up.
  
The House of the Dead: Overkill
The House of the Dead: Overkill
2009 | Action/Adventure, Horror, Shooter
Great graphics (2 more)
Variety of levels and enemies
Very funny!
A little bit easy (0 more)
A bloody good shooter!
An excellent light gun game for the Wii. One of the best I've played on any console and definitely the most fun. The best House of the Dead game for me, this was the first game that really sold the light gun gaming on the Wii.
The graphics are very good, it's quite a big game compared to other gun games. Some levels could take a good 15-20 minutes to complete. The music is groovy, there are plenty of guns to use. There is plenty of replay value with mini-games, various achievements to go for.
The thing that stands out the most is the humour. The whole feel is a tongue in cheek '70's grindhouse, Horror B Movie vibe. It works, the voice acting is good and it will probably make you laugh.
Overall it is a little easy on the normal levels but it's so enjoyable. If you like Horror films and light gun games you'll love this.