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Leigh J (71 KP) rated Dancer in the Dark (2000) in Movies
Nov 17, 2019 (Updated Nov 17, 2019)
I cried... and cried... and cried
Contains spoilers, click to show
Selma (played by Björk) is an immigrant living and working a Factory job in America to support her son, who also lives with her. She suffers from a degenerative Eye disease that leads of complete blindness and has found out that this condition is hereditary and her son will go blind also if he doesn't get Surgery soon. Determined to save the money for the operation so her Son won't go blind, Selma cheats eye tests and makes out that she's less blind than she really is so that she can continue work. One night, she and her Landlord whom she considers to be a trusted friend, are having a conversation, when he suddenly breaks down and confides in Selma that he is completely broke and cannot tell his Wife, who is used to a life of luxury. Feeling empathy for her friend; Selma reveals to him that she is going blind and that she is saving money for her son to have the operation to save his own sight. Disgustingly, the "friend" steals her money and gives Selma no other option but to kill him, but promise to keep what he told her secret. Selma, in her sweet naivety and generally being a good person, keeps his secret... even when she is arrested and faced with a life or death situation. Will Selma reveal the secret and save herself? Will her son be able to get the operation he needs? Or will Selma's determination not to break the trust of another mean sacrificing everything?
I'll start by saying I'm not a fan of Musicals at all. With the exception of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease; they make me cringe in embarrassment. The only reason I gave this a go is because a) I'm a HUGE Lars Von Trier fan and b) Björk!! However,this is a musical that made me cry like a baby almost all the way through. It's incredibly tragic (even the songs) and is sad enough to reduce even the most hardened Movie-goer to a puddle of teary mess. It's such a beautiful Movie that I recommend you watch it without hesitation however... have plenty of Tissues ready. There will be tears.
I'll start by saying I'm not a fan of Musicals at all. With the exception of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease; they make me cringe in embarrassment. The only reason I gave this a go is because a) I'm a HUGE Lars Von Trier fan and b) Björk!! However,this is a musical that made me cry like a baby almost all the way through. It's incredibly tragic (even the songs) and is sad enough to reduce even the most hardened Movie-goer to a puddle of teary mess. It's such a beautiful Movie that I recommend you watch it without hesitation however... have plenty of Tissues ready. There will be tears.
Oracle WebLogic Server 12c Administration I Exam IZ0-133: A Comprehensive Certification Guide
Book
Study this comprehensive guide for the Oracle WebLogic Server 12c Administration I Exam IZ0-133. It...
Sarah (7800 KP) rated WandaVision in TV
Mar 7, 2021
A welcome return to the MCU
WandaVision is the latest Marvel series to hit the small screen, arriving in a flood of hype as the first official series to tie in with the rest of the MCU. Initially I hadn’t been interested in this after struggling to enjoy previous series, however after discovering that everyone I know was watching this, FOMO and the fact that we haven’t had a new MCU release since Phase 3 wrapped up with 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, has prompted me to give this a go. And I’m rather glad I did.
WandaVision is set not long after the events of Endgame, and follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they live an idyllic suburban life in the small town of Westview. However all is not as it seems; Wanda and Vision appear to be starring in their own 1950s style sitcom, as a odd couple with superpowers trying to blend in with the neighbours, including nosy Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and committee leader Dotty (Emma Caulfield). Strange things soon start happening, and as Wanda and Vision become increasingly confused and suspicious about their new life, outside of Westfield agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), Dr Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) are also trying to figure out what’s going on.
Setting WandaVision in the style of various popular sitcoms from the 1950s onwards is a genius move. BeWitched, I Love Lucy, Malcolm in the Middle and Modern Family to name but a few of the obvious influences on show here, and this changing sitcom style really works and blends very well with the super powered action we know and love from the MCU. I’ll admit that I’m not a massive fan of sitcoms in general and my knowledge of older ones pre-1990 is limited at best, however even I could appreciate the love and care that has gone in to crafting this. It looks amazing and feels so authentic, from everything to the set design, costumes and change in aspect ratio.
It is of course helped by the stellar performances by Elizabeth Olsen. In the MCU so far Wanda has been rather sidelined and Olsen has been given little chance to shine. However she is undoubtedly the star of WandaVision and has been given ample opportunity to show off her versatility and talents, and she certainly does. We see a side of Wanda we’ve never seen before and Olsen’s ability to transform into each decade’s sitcom character is brilliant to watch. It’s a shame then that Bettany’s Vision doesn’t quite match up. No matter the decade, Vision never really seems to change much and while he is funny on occasion, I’m not entirely convinced that seeing more of Vision is a good thing. He’s always been the aloof synthezoid and this may have made him a little too ‘human’. However that said, it was still nice to see a lot more of Bettany than we have done in a while.
Once you get over the sitcom styling, the first couple of episodes are quite slow and had it continued in this vein I may have struggling to keep interested. However in typical Marvel style, it soon picks up and immerses us into the full MCU experience I was expecting. While I don’t want to say much about the plot, from episode 3 onwards I was hooked and the story never felt drawn out, and this wasn’t just due to the short half hour episodes. Unravelling the world of WandaVision was hugely enjoyable and one particular character reappearance in episode 5 had me almost squealing in geeky happiness. The only thing WandaVision is really lacking is the humour and camaraderie that have made the rest of the MCU films into what we love best. Yes there is humour and fun, but this mostly comes from Woo and Darcy, and I think it’s noticeable that the funnier Avengers are missing.
For me, WandaVision isn’t perfect however it was still hugely enjoyable and has definitely given me a new found appreciation for Wanda as a character. And mor important of all, it’s filled a rather large Marvel shaped hole brought on by coronavirus. Bring on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
WandaVision is set not long after the events of Endgame, and follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they live an idyllic suburban life in the small town of Westview. However all is not as it seems; Wanda and Vision appear to be starring in their own 1950s style sitcom, as a odd couple with superpowers trying to blend in with the neighbours, including nosy Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and committee leader Dotty (Emma Caulfield). Strange things soon start happening, and as Wanda and Vision become increasingly confused and suspicious about their new life, outside of Westfield agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), Dr Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) are also trying to figure out what’s going on.
Setting WandaVision in the style of various popular sitcoms from the 1950s onwards is a genius move. BeWitched, I Love Lucy, Malcolm in the Middle and Modern Family to name but a few of the obvious influences on show here, and this changing sitcom style really works and blends very well with the super powered action we know and love from the MCU. I’ll admit that I’m not a massive fan of sitcoms in general and my knowledge of older ones pre-1990 is limited at best, however even I could appreciate the love and care that has gone in to crafting this. It looks amazing and feels so authentic, from everything to the set design, costumes and change in aspect ratio.
It is of course helped by the stellar performances by Elizabeth Olsen. In the MCU so far Wanda has been rather sidelined and Olsen has been given little chance to shine. However she is undoubtedly the star of WandaVision and has been given ample opportunity to show off her versatility and talents, and she certainly does. We see a side of Wanda we’ve never seen before and Olsen’s ability to transform into each decade’s sitcom character is brilliant to watch. It’s a shame then that Bettany’s Vision doesn’t quite match up. No matter the decade, Vision never really seems to change much and while he is funny on occasion, I’m not entirely convinced that seeing more of Vision is a good thing. He’s always been the aloof synthezoid and this may have made him a little too ‘human’. However that said, it was still nice to see a lot more of Bettany than we have done in a while.
Once you get over the sitcom styling, the first couple of episodes are quite slow and had it continued in this vein I may have struggling to keep interested. However in typical Marvel style, it soon picks up and immerses us into the full MCU experience I was expecting. While I don’t want to say much about the plot, from episode 3 onwards I was hooked and the story never felt drawn out, and this wasn’t just due to the short half hour episodes. Unravelling the world of WandaVision was hugely enjoyable and one particular character reappearance in episode 5 had me almost squealing in geeky happiness. The only thing WandaVision is really lacking is the humour and camaraderie that have made the rest of the MCU films into what we love best. Yes there is humour and fun, but this mostly comes from Woo and Darcy, and I think it’s noticeable that the funnier Avengers are missing.
For me, WandaVision isn’t perfect however it was still hugely enjoyable and has definitely given me a new found appreciation for Wanda as a character. And mor important of all, it’s filled a rather large Marvel shaped hole brought on by coronavirus. Bring on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Aug 24, 2019
Married into a life with the mob, three women living in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City in the late ‘70s find themselves trapped in their husband’s shadows in Andrea Berloff’s debut film, The Kitchen. Based on a 2014 DC Comics graphic novel by the same name, the film focuses on these three female friends facing the aftermath of their husband’s botched crime and subsequent imprisonment. Their Italian crime family promised to take care of them while their spouses are locked away, but their measly support simply isn’t enough when they’ve got mouths to feed and bills to pay. Tired of being weak and dependent, the ladies band together to take control of their situation by trying to take over the mob.
The Kitchen stars actresses Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the female trio who work to rise to the top of their crime family by carrying the dead weight of the lazy men who lead it. McCarthy plays Kathy Brennan, a housewife and mother of two, whose seemingly good-natured husband is clearly involved in the wrong crowd. In spite of that, she appears to have a pleasant life at home, but her heavy reliance on her husband puts her in peril once he’s locked away. On the other hand, Haddish and Moss play Ruby and Claire, who are both victimized and disrespected by their husbands, with Claire even being regularly abused. These characteristics help to define the women and their actions as they attempt to upend the male-dominated establishment.
However, despite The Kitchen’s strong set-up, the characters themselves don’t show much depth beyond this, and the film’s performances leave a lot to be desired. McCarthy felt like she was acting in an entirely different movie. I’ve never seen a more passive and unconvincing crime boss. She’s struggling with a balancing act that sees her going between being tough, funny, ruthless, submissive, and sweet. By comparison to the rest of the movie, her whole character feels off-key. Then there’s Haddish who gives the worst acting performance I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m not really a fan of her brand of humor, but I didn’t like her dramatic turn here either. She just delivers snarky lines with attitude and death glares before walking off-camera in practically every shot she’s in. It’s almost funny how cheesy and over-the-top it is. You can’t just go mean-mugging your way through a whole major motion picture and expect to be taken seriously.
On a more positive note, Moss was much more impressive as Claire, who is fed up with being beaten down and bullied, and is determined to learn how to defend herself. She partners up with Domhnall Gleeson’s hitman character Gabriel who teaches her how to kill. Their relationship ends up being perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole movie, and it has something of a Bonnie and Clyde quality to it. I only wish we could have seen it fleshed out a bit more.
For all of its potential, especially in terms of portraying female empowerment, The Kitchen regrettably winds up being a generic, inconsistent, and lethargic affair. I personally love the premise of the film. It’s a bad ass statement to any man who has ever said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. It sticks up a middle finger to sexism by taking the action to the criminal streets of Hell’s Kitchen where the women rise to power. Unfortunately, despite the kick-ass feminist concept, I found that the film’s attempt at empowerment never really manifests into anything meaningful.
Instead, The Kitchen feels messy and uninspired. There isn’t a single scene in the entire film that I would consider to be good. The story is thin, the suspense is absent, the setting is bland, the tone is confusing, and the characters are mostly uninspired. I hate to even say it, but while watching it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of last year’s train-wreck of a film, Gotti, starring John Travolta. I think both of these films had a lot of promise, but seriously failed to deliver. As someone who loves a good gangster movie, I feel really disappointed.
There’s ultimately very little I liked about The Kitchen. The movie lacks a pulse, and the stakes never feel significant, not even as the body count piles up. The set design shows no strong sense of place or time period. Most of the settings outside seemed to be looking at nondescript sidewalks that could have been filmed anywhere. With the setting of Hell’s Kitchen, I can’t help but immediately think of The Godfather. Similarly, the use of The Rolling Stones in the trailer evokes thoughts of Scorsese and Goodfellas. Unfortunately, this movie clearly doesn’t even come close to comparing to either of those classics. This movie’s plot is weak, the betrayals are obvious, and the ending is uncomfortably idiotic. Despite it all, however, I find myself still interested in The Kitchen’s graphic novel at least, because I can’t imagine it being this bad.
The Kitchen stars actresses Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the female trio who work to rise to the top of their crime family by carrying the dead weight of the lazy men who lead it. McCarthy plays Kathy Brennan, a housewife and mother of two, whose seemingly good-natured husband is clearly involved in the wrong crowd. In spite of that, she appears to have a pleasant life at home, but her heavy reliance on her husband puts her in peril once he’s locked away. On the other hand, Haddish and Moss play Ruby and Claire, who are both victimized and disrespected by their husbands, with Claire even being regularly abused. These characteristics help to define the women and their actions as they attempt to upend the male-dominated establishment.
However, despite The Kitchen’s strong set-up, the characters themselves don’t show much depth beyond this, and the film’s performances leave a lot to be desired. McCarthy felt like she was acting in an entirely different movie. I’ve never seen a more passive and unconvincing crime boss. She’s struggling with a balancing act that sees her going between being tough, funny, ruthless, submissive, and sweet. By comparison to the rest of the movie, her whole character feels off-key. Then there’s Haddish who gives the worst acting performance I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m not really a fan of her brand of humor, but I didn’t like her dramatic turn here either. She just delivers snarky lines with attitude and death glares before walking off-camera in practically every shot she’s in. It’s almost funny how cheesy and over-the-top it is. You can’t just go mean-mugging your way through a whole major motion picture and expect to be taken seriously.
On a more positive note, Moss was much more impressive as Claire, who is fed up with being beaten down and bullied, and is determined to learn how to defend herself. She partners up with Domhnall Gleeson’s hitman character Gabriel who teaches her how to kill. Their relationship ends up being perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole movie, and it has something of a Bonnie and Clyde quality to it. I only wish we could have seen it fleshed out a bit more.
For all of its potential, especially in terms of portraying female empowerment, The Kitchen regrettably winds up being a generic, inconsistent, and lethargic affair. I personally love the premise of the film. It’s a bad ass statement to any man who has ever said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. It sticks up a middle finger to sexism by taking the action to the criminal streets of Hell’s Kitchen where the women rise to power. Unfortunately, despite the kick-ass feminist concept, I found that the film’s attempt at empowerment never really manifests into anything meaningful.
Instead, The Kitchen feels messy and uninspired. There isn’t a single scene in the entire film that I would consider to be good. The story is thin, the suspense is absent, the setting is bland, the tone is confusing, and the characters are mostly uninspired. I hate to even say it, but while watching it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of last year’s train-wreck of a film, Gotti, starring John Travolta. I think both of these films had a lot of promise, but seriously failed to deliver. As someone who loves a good gangster movie, I feel really disappointed.
There’s ultimately very little I liked about The Kitchen. The movie lacks a pulse, and the stakes never feel significant, not even as the body count piles up. The set design shows no strong sense of place or time period. Most of the settings outside seemed to be looking at nondescript sidewalks that could have been filmed anywhere. With the setting of Hell’s Kitchen, I can’t help but immediately think of The Godfather. Similarly, the use of The Rolling Stones in the trailer evokes thoughts of Scorsese and Goodfellas. Unfortunately, this movie clearly doesn’t even come close to comparing to either of those classics. This movie’s plot is weak, the betrayals are obvious, and the ending is uncomfortably idiotic. Despite it all, however, I find myself still interested in The Kitchen’s graphic novel at least, because I can’t imagine it being this bad.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated I Am Not Okay With This in TV
Mar 3, 2020
Proof that Netflix can rule your life, in an OK way, I guess. Every time I have dropped in for the last two weeks, this is the show they went out of their way to push on me. I watched the trailer and thought hmm, I don’t get it… but after relentless publicity I ended up watching the entire first series within 36 hours of its release on February 26th. Which is easy enough to do, as the entire first series only lasts 2 1/2 hours, in 7 x 23 minute easy to swallow episodes. Another nice tactic for the attention deficient generation.
Based on the graphic novels of Charles Forsman, who also gave us The End of the F***ing World – an equally dark edged teen angst story, that has had 2 full seasons of similarly short episodes. It also continues the partnership of that series’ main director, British born Jonathon Entwistle, who seems happily stuck with this genre on his, as yet, limited CV. It stars the quirky charm of Sophia Lillis, best known from the It reboot movies, and Wyatt Oleff, also plucked from that franchise. And, oh yeah, it shares production credits with a small show called Stranger Things; so it has a pop culture pedigree 100% guaranteed to attract a young audience.
In terms of tone and direction, it does wobble at the beginning, but also shows a lot of promise, thanks largely to the watchability of Lillis, who is perfectly cast as a nervy, nerdy teen with a lot of smarts, but not too many friends. The humour is black, the satire subtle, and the delivery is disarmingly adult; on the surface this is a high school comedy, but underneath it is a fucked up, biting exploration of grief, paranoia and anger (mis)management – it pushes boundaries on content, visually and in use of language that only Netflix can endorse and get away with. Which of course is what audiences want!
The premise is that after the suicide of her father, 17 year old Sydney Novak is having some emotional issues beyond the normal teenage stuff of zits on your thighs. As she keeps a secret journal to document her worries and thoughts (heard in voice-over consistently, giving it a definite graphic novel thought bubble vibe) we are in from the start on the possibility she may have a dubious superpower linked to being pissed off.
It takes a while for that aspect to kick in, however, so don’t expect big, showy, superhero set pieces; this is a comedy drama that borrows from every teenage trope available, and is focussed more on the troubles of high school, a single mom and general growing pains. It is funny – I laughed, and found it a charming mix of something really modern feeling, but with retro vibes; it is clearly 2020, but could be 1985, a trick Stranger Things has taught them well.
Really, it is almost all over before it gets started, with these brief episode times – which is smart; no time to waste, so it moves along, and is always endearingly entertaining. In essence, what we have here is a 2 1/2 hour pilot show, chopped into bite sized chunks and released as a tease for the main show, which will be series 2. Think of it as an origin story, if you will. Undoubtedly, that 2nd series is already on the way. Early critical response is solid, and in about another month you will be hearing everyone and their cat talking about it, for sure.
The lack of originality didn’t massively bother me, as you could see what they were trying to do with it, and the large appeal is to recreate a teen world that feels familiar and comfortable, and then play with those preconceptions, choosing the right moments to flip it upside down. Which eventually it does. The final episode of seven is an absolute doozy! Talk about teasing cliff-hangers! They really know how to keep us hooked!
The best thing about it, by a country mile, is the obvious star quality of Sophia Lillis, who must surely use this as a stepping-stone to a fine career, if she can master the emotional scenes as well as the charming quirky ones, at which she already excels. She reminds me a lot of Ellen Page, without the unlikely gravitas… yet. There is time to mature. I will be there for season 2 for sure, so it will be exciting to find out where it all goes next – this is a big opportunity for a BIG little show. I am only half sure they won’t fuck it up…
Based on the graphic novels of Charles Forsman, who also gave us The End of the F***ing World – an equally dark edged teen angst story, that has had 2 full seasons of similarly short episodes. It also continues the partnership of that series’ main director, British born Jonathon Entwistle, who seems happily stuck with this genre on his, as yet, limited CV. It stars the quirky charm of Sophia Lillis, best known from the It reboot movies, and Wyatt Oleff, also plucked from that franchise. And, oh yeah, it shares production credits with a small show called Stranger Things; so it has a pop culture pedigree 100% guaranteed to attract a young audience.
In terms of tone and direction, it does wobble at the beginning, but also shows a lot of promise, thanks largely to the watchability of Lillis, who is perfectly cast as a nervy, nerdy teen with a lot of smarts, but not too many friends. The humour is black, the satire subtle, and the delivery is disarmingly adult; on the surface this is a high school comedy, but underneath it is a fucked up, biting exploration of grief, paranoia and anger (mis)management – it pushes boundaries on content, visually and in use of language that only Netflix can endorse and get away with. Which of course is what audiences want!
The premise is that after the suicide of her father, 17 year old Sydney Novak is having some emotional issues beyond the normal teenage stuff of zits on your thighs. As she keeps a secret journal to document her worries and thoughts (heard in voice-over consistently, giving it a definite graphic novel thought bubble vibe) we are in from the start on the possibility she may have a dubious superpower linked to being pissed off.
It takes a while for that aspect to kick in, however, so don’t expect big, showy, superhero set pieces; this is a comedy drama that borrows from every teenage trope available, and is focussed more on the troubles of high school, a single mom and general growing pains. It is funny – I laughed, and found it a charming mix of something really modern feeling, but with retro vibes; it is clearly 2020, but could be 1985, a trick Stranger Things has taught them well.
Really, it is almost all over before it gets started, with these brief episode times – which is smart; no time to waste, so it moves along, and is always endearingly entertaining. In essence, what we have here is a 2 1/2 hour pilot show, chopped into bite sized chunks and released as a tease for the main show, which will be series 2. Think of it as an origin story, if you will. Undoubtedly, that 2nd series is already on the way. Early critical response is solid, and in about another month you will be hearing everyone and their cat talking about it, for sure.
The lack of originality didn’t massively bother me, as you could see what they were trying to do with it, and the large appeal is to recreate a teen world that feels familiar and comfortable, and then play with those preconceptions, choosing the right moments to flip it upside down. Which eventually it does. The final episode of seven is an absolute doozy! Talk about teasing cliff-hangers! They really know how to keep us hooked!
The best thing about it, by a country mile, is the obvious star quality of Sophia Lillis, who must surely use this as a stepping-stone to a fine career, if she can master the emotional scenes as well as the charming quirky ones, at which she already excels. She reminds me a lot of Ellen Page, without the unlikely gravitas… yet. There is time to mature. I will be there for season 2 for sure, so it will be exciting to find out where it all goes next – this is a big opportunity for a BIG little show. I am only half sure they won’t fuck it up…
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Thanos is badass
Starring - EVERYONE!! (almost)
Plot - Mad Titan Thanos is hunting down the infinity stones to add to his gauntlet so he can kill half the universe. Avengers, Guardians and co must stop him.
First impressions - Holy crap this film looks excellent. As expected the trailer was the unfinished article and this film looks amazing.
The plot is thin but with 10years of back story, I'd say that's allowed. Thanos is an excellent villain who is fleshed out and well motivated. Something that has been lacking from most MCU Villians.
Were the Russo brothers able to pull off so many characters being in one film?
- in a word, yes. True that some characters get more time than others but the way they jump between plot lines and sub plots feels incredibly well stitched together.
Action?
Action a plenty and very well done. Inventive and on a cosmic scale.
Is it a clever film?
....it has plot holes but they could be explained away if you so wish. My advice, just go with it. It's a universe with rage monsters, Gods and Titans.
Is it worthy of the MCU?
This is the MCU at some of its finest.
Sum up:
This is balls to the wall crazy. Some of the most fun I've had at the cinema in years. I cheered on multiple occasions, found myself holding my breath and gave it a standing ovation.
Plot - Mad Titan Thanos is hunting down the infinity stones to add to his gauntlet so he can kill half the universe. Avengers, Guardians and co must stop him.
First impressions - Holy crap this film looks excellent. As expected the trailer was the unfinished article and this film looks amazing.
The plot is thin but with 10years of back story, I'd say that's allowed. Thanos is an excellent villain who is fleshed out and well motivated. Something that has been lacking from most MCU Villians.
Were the Russo brothers able to pull off so many characters being in one film?
- in a word, yes. True that some characters get more time than others but the way they jump between plot lines and sub plots feels incredibly well stitched together.
Action?
Action a plenty and very well done. Inventive and on a cosmic scale.
Is it a clever film?
....it has plot holes but they could be explained away if you so wish. My advice, just go with it. It's a universe with rage monsters, Gods and Titans.
Is it worthy of the MCU?
This is the MCU at some of its finest.
Sum up:
This is balls to the wall crazy. Some of the most fun I've had at the cinema in years. I cheered on multiple occasions, found myself holding my breath and gave it a standing ovation.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Tall Man in Books
May 22, 2019
They went looking for a story. What they found was a nightmare.
It started as nothing, just a scary story passed around between schoolchildren. But for Sadie and her friends, the rumours soon became an unhealthy obsession - and the darkness all too real.
Years later, Sadie's teenage daughter Amber has been charged with murder, and her trial shocks the world. How could such a young girl commit such a terrible crime?
It seems the secrets of Sadie's past have come back to haunt her daughter. And the terrifying truth of what happened all those years ago is finally about to come out . . .
The heart of the novel is the urban legend about the Tall Man who comes from the shadows to take daughters away.
There are three timelines: 1990 where three young girls make a pact with a scary man who loves in the woods, 2000 where a young, new mother disappears leaving behind her baby daughter and confused partner and 2018 where a teenage girl adjusts to life with her mother back in her life. The thing that connects them all is the scary man who lives in the woods.
This is a novel about what lurks in the shadows, and what are shadows if not shades of grey?
I thought this was a brilliant thriller.
Gripping with great characters and psychological suspense.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
It started as nothing, just a scary story passed around between schoolchildren. But for Sadie and her friends, the rumours soon became an unhealthy obsession - and the darkness all too real.
Years later, Sadie's teenage daughter Amber has been charged with murder, and her trial shocks the world. How could such a young girl commit such a terrible crime?
It seems the secrets of Sadie's past have come back to haunt her daughter. And the terrifying truth of what happened all those years ago is finally about to come out . . .
The heart of the novel is the urban legend about the Tall Man who comes from the shadows to take daughters away.
There are three timelines: 1990 where three young girls make a pact with a scary man who loves in the woods, 2000 where a young, new mother disappears leaving behind her baby daughter and confused partner and 2018 where a teenage girl adjusts to life with her mother back in her life. The thing that connects them all is the scary man who lives in the woods.
This is a novel about what lurks in the shadows, and what are shadows if not shades of grey?
I thought this was a brilliant thriller.
Gripping with great characters and psychological suspense.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The 18th Abduction in Books
May 25, 2019
Hunt for Missing Teachers
Three teachers have gone missing in San Francisco, and all eyes are on San Francisco police officer Lindsay Boxer as she is leading the hunt for them. Unfortunately, there are few leads. Can she find anything before it is too late? Meanwhile, her new husband, Joe Molinari, has found a woman near the FBI’s San Francisco office. This woman, Anna, claims to have just seen a known war criminal from her native Serbia in the city. Is she right? What is he doing there? Can Joe make sure this man receives the justice he deserves?
Outside the prologue and epilogue, this book takes place five years in the past, meaning that some of the recent stupidity in Joe and Lindsay’s marriage has been forgotten. I couldn’t be happier about that. The story is another fast-paced mystery against overwhelming odds that keep the pages turning. It even gave me something I’ve been wanting for a long time in this series (no spoilers, don’t worry). Unfortunately, most of the Women in the Women’s Murder Club are reduced to cameos as the plot drives forward. The characters continue to be fairly thin, but that’s no surprise to fans. We get into Anna’s past and the war crimes that took place in Serbia, so expect the heavier subject matter when you pick up this book. Overall, fans of the series should be happy with this latest offering.
Outside the prologue and epilogue, this book takes place five years in the past, meaning that some of the recent stupidity in Joe and Lindsay’s marriage has been forgotten. I couldn’t be happier about that. The story is another fast-paced mystery against overwhelming odds that keep the pages turning. It even gave me something I’ve been wanting for a long time in this series (no spoilers, don’t worry). Unfortunately, most of the Women in the Women’s Murder Club are reduced to cameos as the plot drives forward. The characters continue to be fairly thin, but that’s no surprise to fans. We get into Anna’s past and the war crimes that took place in Serbia, so expect the heavier subject matter when you pick up this book. Overall, fans of the series should be happy with this latest offering.
Alicia S (193 KP) rated Crow (Boston Underworld, #1) in Books
Sep 28, 2018
Tough as any Irish mobster out there, Mackenzie has been fighting her way through living on the streets of Boston since she was 13. In and out of foster homes since her father's murder, she is the daughter and granddaughter of two of the best underground Irish fighters and can surely handle herself as such. When her best friend Talia disappears from the Irish mob run strip club she started working at, Mac is determined to find out what happened. On her own she is ready to take on the Russian Mafia and Irish mobsters clearly involved in some way. Deciding to go undercover... she has no idea no idea just how deep this will take her. She finds herself working for Lachlan attempting to get answers without letting on why she is really there. This book sucked me right in from page one... Lachlan was as fierce and determined as he is sexy. Mac has never let anyone in before, determined to be the tough as fighter her Dad raised, yet she simply can't stop the feelings she that continue to grow for this ferocious man... I ABSOLUTELY loved these two!? The book was absolutely fantastic and Im SO glad to have found this author! Ill surely be back for more as the book was so well written, with a fantastic storyline and characters you can't help but fall in love with. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997) in Movies
Nov 15, 2020 (Updated Nov 15, 2020)
I found the first three Leprechaun films to be consistently average, but Leprechaun 4: In Space puts a brutal end to that middle of the road streak and aims straight for the gutter.
Once again, we have a sequel that has absolutely no relation to any of the previous films, is full of unlikable dicks, and has Warwick Davis doing his best to polish a turd, except this time around, there's not a whole lot he can do.
Moving the setting to space is certainly a novelty idea, and a clear indication that this film is not to be taken seriously, but the grandiose idea of spaceships require a half decent budget. The sets look cheap as hell, and the exterior CGI shots of the ship are beneath original PlayStation cutscene levels.
The characters are a bunch of misogynistic, unfunny tossers that aren't relatable in any shape or form. This movie goes in hard with the comedy angle, and granted, a few lines actually got me, but it's mostly misfire after misfire. Leprechaun himself is still just about tolerable, but honestly, even Warwick Davis looks done with this shit by now.
There is still some fun to be had with Leprechaun 4, but it's mostly a boring and lazy sequel. If you've seen the first three and are satisfied with the amount of limerick riddled material consumed, then you could probably give this one a skip and just enjoy your day instead.
Once again, we have a sequel that has absolutely no relation to any of the previous films, is full of unlikable dicks, and has Warwick Davis doing his best to polish a turd, except this time around, there's not a whole lot he can do.
Moving the setting to space is certainly a novelty idea, and a clear indication that this film is not to be taken seriously, but the grandiose idea of spaceships require a half decent budget. The sets look cheap as hell, and the exterior CGI shots of the ship are beneath original PlayStation cutscene levels.
The characters are a bunch of misogynistic, unfunny tossers that aren't relatable in any shape or form. This movie goes in hard with the comedy angle, and granted, a few lines actually got me, but it's mostly misfire after misfire. Leprechaun himself is still just about tolerable, but honestly, even Warwick Davis looks done with this shit by now.
There is still some fun to be had with Leprechaun 4, but it's mostly a boring and lazy sequel. If you've seen the first three and are satisfied with the amount of limerick riddled material consumed, then you could probably give this one a skip and just enjoy your day instead.