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Alphaville (1965)
Alphaville (1965)
1965 | Mystery, Sci-Fi
7
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
This is one of the best bad films I have ever seen. It looks cheap (at one point the camera-man is clearly entirely visible in a mirror), the story is preposterous, the dialogue is insane, the characters behave like no one in reality ever, and it is sci-fi in name only, as no attempt whatsoever has been made to stretch the budget to anything remotely futuristic – and yet, I loved it! Perhaps it reminded me of Blake’s 7 and Doctor Who, and therefore my happy childhood relationship with cheap sci-fi? Or it could have been that there are so many essential ideas and tropes that exist in my favourite big budget sci-fi films, such as Blade Runner (for which it is an obvious influence), that it felt familiar and friendly from the start. Part hard boiled detective story and part pulp fiction fantasy, as with most Godard, I am discovering, it is all about mood and chic, not remotely about the plot.

Eddie Constantine is awful as an actor, but he looks and feels perfect here. And Anna Karina is entirely lovely, oozing intelligent sexuality and seductive vibes in every scene. Not a heroine that needs the man to save her, but a strong and independent woman as much the hero of the story as the trenchcoated lead. Every noir stereotype is adhered to without fail, punctuated with the bizarre and the incongruous whenever possible. Without this film existing there would be so many good things from The Prisoner to Predestination that wouldn’t have been the same. Groundbreaking and charming without even trying. It grows in my imagination as a cult entity by the week – I can’t wait to watch it again fairly soon.
  
Nine Small Sips (Tales Of Bryant #2)
Nine Small Sips (Tales Of Bryant #2)
V.L. Locey | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
my only fault? No Brian!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is NOT a stand alone, you really MUST read Tales of Bryant before this one, it is a continuation of Isamu and Brian’s story.

Brian and Isamu have a wedding coming up, and with an over sensitive-to-change wedding planner, a grandmother who demands traditions and a job that could take Isamu away from Brian so soon after their wedding, things are not going to plan!

Again, only the fact that Brian does not have a say is the only fault I can find with this book!

Adrian, the wedding planner, provides hysterical moments, that made me laugh out loud, cos the man simply does NOT like to change his wedding plans. But as Brian points out, it is NOT Adrian’s wedding, it is Isamu and Brian’s wedding, and Isamu needs to stand his ground.

Isamu’s grandmother and parents provide the serious side to this tale. Baba wants Isamu to embrace his Japanese heritage and include a ceremony that would honour his grandfather. I loved Isamu’s family. While they were still unsure about the age gap, they could see that Brian loves Isamu, and Isamu loves Brian.

We catch up with Isamu’s boss, Canada, oh, sorry, Caiden (love that Brian calls him Canada!) and with Isamu’s friend, Devon. Devon and Caiden have instant and powerful attraction, and I hope they get a tale of their own!

Its sexy and steamy in the most sweetest way, not quite as sweet as Tales of Bryant but still sugar rush enducing.

Like I said, just the fact that Brian isn’t given a voice, is the only reason I can’t stretch to 5 stars, and I am sorry for that!

4 very good stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #3)
The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #3)
V.L. Locey | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
an enjoyable read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book three in the Colors of Love series, but save for the hockey player and the agent (Arn) there is not real connection, so you don't need to read Lost In Indigo or Touch of a Yellow Sun before this one.

I enjoyed this one, as much as book two, but not as much as book one, and the same reason applies.

Only Nathan has a voice. Now I know I say it often enough, but here I think I'm justified!

Nathan is a force of nature and he plows himself into Bran's business while doing his community service. Bran is still grieving the loss of his husband two years before. Nathan decides he wants Bran but Bran is in a position of power over Nathan and Bran doesn't want Nathan, or so he says.

But I wanted to hear from Bran, about how he feels about the attraction to Nathan, a much younger man. About his grief for the loss of his husband. About taking the steps he does to, not remove his husband, but to allow Bran and Nathan to move on, without his presence. And Bran doesn't have that voice.

I enjoyed watching Nathan get to the root cause of his behaviour, felt for him when he finally lets it all out, when we hear what happened. Wanted to punch the brother so bloody hard though!

I don't know if there will be any more of this series, but I hope so. I'm enjoying watching these hockey players meet the men who will colour their world!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
    mtv Al Lubnaniya

    mtv Al Lubnaniya

    News

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    MTV is a leading independent media station in Lebanon and the Arab world. Features: - Live Live...

    The Room Three

    The Room Three

    Games

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    ***WARNING: DUE TO HEAVY GRAPHICS REQUIREMENTS, THE ROOM THREE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH IPAD 1, IPHONE...

    iFlyZED

    iFlyZED

    Travel and Reference

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    iFlyZED is an independent source designed to provide Seat Availability Search for most of the...

    DMIMixer

    DMIMixer

    Music

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    Use Your stereo USB AD Converter as a dual mono input and mix the two inputs in stereo. Just plug...

    Ultraviolet Dawn HD

    Ultraviolet Dawn HD

    Games

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    From the makers of critically-acclaimed "Project Phoenix" comes a new, exciting creation....

They Wish They Were Us
They Wish They Were Us
Jessica Goodman | 2020 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
They Wish They Were Us is about Jill Newman and her senior year at Gold Coast Prep. Though everything looks perfect, it's far from it. Three years ago, Jill's best friend Shaila Arnold was murdered. Her boyfriend Graham confessed, the police arrested him, cased closed. Now, Jill is a senior member of the Players (a Gold Coast Prep exclusive, not-so-secret society) and she's ready to make a change. One night, she gets a text claiming Graham's innocence and her year begins to crumble. She needs to find out what really happened to her best friend, no matter the cost.

I enjoyed this book, but I think I enjoyed it most because of the character of Jill Newman. She's a badass, independent female character who knows what she wants. Her friends though, I absolutely hated them at the beginning - spoiled little rich kids who thinks the world owes them everything. But throughout the book, Jessica Goodman was able to drop hints here and there about why they are the way they are, and it made me hate them less. By the end of the book, I actually started rooting for them.

Towards the end of the book, I had a thought as to what the twist was, but still didn't know who the killer was, not until it was basically revealed. Goodman did an excellent job at keeping the suspense. The twist ended up being good - sometimes with murder mysteries, the killer/killing ends up being a bit out there, but this one added up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery within. It kept me turning the pages to see what the end results were.

*Thank you Bookishfirst and Razorbill for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.