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Out for Blood
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Firstly, I want to thank TWCS and Mike Walker for sending me this book because I flipping LOVED it! I honestly have not read a book so engaging in quite a while, so huge thanks! I'm likely to gush a lot whilst reviewing this, so I'll give you a brief over view now before going into a tad more detail but seriously this book is funny, touching, incredibly engaging, a fabulously fresh take on vampires and impossibly difficult to put down!



So let's pick up on some of those points, and I think the thing that deserves the first real mention is Mike Walker's writing style. He has such wit and dry humour that at times I was literally laughing out loud at this book (much to the aghast of some others in the doctors waiting room earlier today!) and I honestly tittered my way through the story. It's just so funny, even where it probably shouldn't be, and this is definitely down to the expert style of writing used by Walker. It's very hard to make me laugh at a book as I'm more of a fan of visual humour, but Walker had me literally rolling, and I'd love to thank him for cheering me up and making my sides ache!

This book was reviewed as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie and the rest of this review can be viewed here - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=234
  
N(
Need (Finding Anna, #2)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was reviewed as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie and the whole review can be seen here http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=185

This book was very hit and miss for me. There were some aspects of it that were brilliant, yet there were others that just failed to grab my attention, and left me struggling to pick the book up once I put it down. That being said, I still had a desire to find out what happened, and I still read it from cover to cover with considerable speed. Hence why this review is rather bitty, and hit and miss, rather like the book. I really want to like it, but there are just some more niggles that build on those from the first in the series.

So, grumbles over, what did I actually like? Well, there's plenty, as you're about to find out. I LOVED the fact that at long last, Brianna and Stephan actually 'got together'! And boy was it well written. Delicate, just like their love, and completely consensual. There was a real message in there to a lot of younger people out there who perhaps don't go about sex in the right way. Also, unlike sex in a lot of other books I've read in the last few years, it was rather beautiful and so sensitively written, that you could imagine that having actually been someone's first time (without the background of Brianna of course).
  
Cult Classic by Fiona Grey
Cult Classic by Fiona Grey
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Fiona Grey is an LA-based singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Not too long ago, she released a music video for her “Saviour” single featuring Emma Cole.

The Sean Berger-music video was choreographed by Kevin Stea (Madonna, Michael Jackson).

The visuals are an ode to Felini, Marie Antoinette, and the dark and dreamy black and white films of the ‘60s.

‘Saviour’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and charismatic instrumentation flavored with an indie-alternative aroma.

Also, the likable tune is featured on Fiona Grey’s latest EP, entitled, “Cult Classic”.

“Each song has its own identity and story it wants to tell.” – Fiona Grey

‘Cult Classic’ vocalizes cultural issues and expresses Fiona Grey’s vulnerability. Also, it highlights her anger towards the world we are living in and her desires for the world we are shaping.

Grammy Award-Winning Mike Schuppan (Paramore, M83, Ziggy Marley) produced the 6-track project. Also, Dave Cooley (Fitz & The Tantrums, Stone Temple Pilots) mastered it.

“There is a lot about living in a pop culture centered world that we deem as ‘normal behavior’. Also, I hope that the music can remind the listener that this follower-centric, alternate persona universe we live in is all temporary happiness.” – Fiona Grey

Fiona Grey draws inspiration from the world of Hollywood, it’s unrealistic expectations and the vices that people use as a form of escapism.

She hopes her music will help listeners aim to be the purest and honest versions of themselves.
  
Man on Fire (2004)
Man on Fire (2004)
2004 | Action, Drama, Mystery

"Man on Fire, I think what Tony Scott did was ahead of his time, revolutionary. I mean, as far as how he shot it and how he used and maximized his ability to shape a film with sound. He would loop in, like, tiger, animal noises with Lupita Ramos’ scream. He put in a foreshadowing scene, like when we first see Creasy in the cab with the beard, and he flashes to the end when he dies, and then he flashes back to the cab scene, and we didn’t even know. It took me like four times to realize, “Oh, that was at the end!” And just getting introduced to Mexico in that way, how he captured it. How he captured the performances of Christopher Walken and Mr. Washington. It was like an indie film, and then it turned into this beautiful action film in the same movie. To me it was the perfect film. It was the perfect balance of art and commerce. You could sell this thing, but again, like Dances with Wolves, he didn’t compromise anything for the sake of story. Again, how he used language, too., When they’re speaking Spanish, but how he kind of had it where you can read the subtitles — how he did that, and how he mixed sounds and mixed music. I think it’s a perfect film. I love that film. I really do."

Source
  
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
2012 | Drama
I will defend these pretentiously indie YA movies to my last breath; they're my bread and butter, cringe and all - and this one was forever used as the template for quite nearly every single one of these things from then on. The only reason most of this feels so basic, superficial, and emulative in comparison now is because of how many carbon copies of itself this spawned ("13 Reasons Why" is literally just this in *spades*, right down to the eerily similar lead performance). Of course I laugh heartily at lines like "Let's go be psychos together" and "I feel infinite" (wtf who talks like this lmfao) being delivered with a straight face and zero winking, but I'll once again defend how fake-deep this all is because have you ever fucking met a high schooler? They live in the most overexaggerated, toxic, self-absorbed, pointless milieus ever - so naturally this deliciously campy melodrama perfectly represents/exemplifies that. Sweetly and bitingly captures the essence of that time in our lives when we really thought high school mattered, and our worlds were so so small - but also has a nostalgic youthful energy headlong into the poignant transition towards adulthood. Very bittersweet, those last ten minutes are deliriously weird, bro. As somebody who loathed high school, I love this sillyass, weepy movie - it means every ounce of its cheese. Totally understand why people hate this.
  
Peaks and Valleys (2020)
Peaks and Valleys (2020)
2020 | Crime, Drama
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Acting of the two leads (2 more)
Cinematography of the beautiful Alaskan wilderness
Script and direction both good
Two strangers forced to over-winter in Alaskan wilderness
In “Peaks and Valleys”, Jack (Kevin T. Bennett) is living as a recluse in a remote cabin in Alaska. His solitude is rudely interrupted by a plane which drops a naked, trussed-up and drugged-up girl into his lake. Traumatised by her experiences, the girl (Bailey, played by Kitty Mahoney) is unwilling to trust the man. But trust him she must, since they are in the Alaskan wilderness and Jack tells her that the supply plane might not come for a couple of months.

How and why was Bailey dumped from the plane? Why is Jack living all alone in the wilderness, and why is he packing a hand-gun? As tempers fray, can the pair survive each other’s company? All intriguing questions that demand answers.

Positives:
- Although it’s only a low-budget Indie-film, it has an intriguing premise that packs a punch above its weight. Since although the story is told in a linear way, the script includes ‘asides’ – told either through imagined conversations or dreams – that create a jigsaw of questions for the viewer. And the dynamic between Jack and Bailey develops in an interesting way. Overall, I was intrigued to see how the questions raised would pan out.
- I’m often disappointed that the acting in these types of Indie films is below par. To a large degree, this is not the case here. Kevin Bennett is very believable as the crusty old backwoodsman. And Kitty Mahoney, in her movie debut, delivers a smashing performance. She has real screen-presence. I’m not sure if this was a “one off” for her, or if she intends to pursue an acting career: but I really hope it’s the latter.
- Another star of the show is the dramatic Alaskan landscapes, lovingly photographed by cinematographer Bryan Pentecostes. Some of the shots are just “double-WOW”! The movie is a wonderful piece of PR for the Alaskan Tourist Board, for sure.
- Michael Dillon’s script avoids clichés and lazy wins. It would be an easy plot point to see the vulnerable young Bailey sexually exploited by the older man. But very much on topic, following the debate around “Promising Young Woman” and earning the film a welcome #notallmen hashtag, Jack makes it abundantly clear that this is not a route we’re going to go down.
- The clever script also has some nice lines that resonate: “We can’t change the wrong that’s been done to us.” growls Jack, “But we’re damned if we don’t let it change us”. But amongst the philosophical sound-bytes, the script also finds time to have some light-hearted fun at times. A nice scene to emphasise the growing relationship and mutual respect between the pair is when Jack teaches Bailey to ice-fish. Jack examines Bailey’s amateurish efforts. “It ain’t the prettiest hole, but I’d stick my pole in it” he says. “I bet you say that to all the girls” quips back Bailey.
- I enjoyed the music by Evan Evans very much too. There’s also a nice song over the end credits by Gregory Alan Isakov as well.
- Finally, a special shout-out to Garrett Martin for some very well done and quease-inducing injury make-up.

Negatives:
- For all the good aspects about the script, there are a few times, particularly early on in Jack and Bailey’s relationship, where I found the exchanges between them forced and unconvincing. This was sometimes down to the script, and sometimes down to over-stretching the acting abilities of the cast.
- The dramatic finale – although surprising and satisfying – relies on some rather unbelievable timing.

Summary Thoughts: When I start watching a low-budget Indie film, I tend to set my expectations accordingly. Often the acting is naff; the script will be hand-gnawingly awful; and/or the production values are found wanting. I was really pleasantly surprised that this movie ticked the “none of the above” box. And yes, there were a few rough edges here and there, but I’ve seen multi-million pound Hollywood blockbusters that were far worse. Michael Burns has delivered a tight and intriguing movie that sensibly sticks to a 96 minute run time, such that I was never bored.

I really enjoyed this one and recommend it. And you only need to fork out a few quid to rent it on Amazon. If you do, I’d be interested in your views.

(For the full graphical review, please check out the One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/04/29/peaks-and-valleys-two-strangers-forced-to-over-winter-in-the-alaskan-wilderness/. Thanks).
  
Free Fire (2017)
Free Fire (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy, Drama
Well this was a fun movie. So much can happen in 90 minutes when there tons of guns. I have never seen anyone waste so many bullets.

This movie is about a 2 groups, one buying guns and one selling guns. Everything seems to be going great until one guy recognizes someone on the crew buying the guns and all hell breaks loose. Now for a movie about gun running there was a good amount of story and dialogue.


The 2 sides were at each others throats for the whole movie and a lot of flying bullets. At some point it looked like people were switching sides and switching back. The plot took an interesting twist when the phone in the warehouse started ringing and both sides thought they could call for help. At that point they all thought they could get out and it was a race to the phone.


With a mix of comedy and action this was a good movie. Very well written and directed. The fact that it was all filmed to appear to be about 2 hours in a warehouse is a cool twist on a single day type movie. It all worked very well. These types of indie movies should always get a watch. Even if it is only once.


This was such a good watch that I think everyone that reads this should watch it. You can watch it on Amazon Prime right now, so if you have it take a look. As always, enjoy the show.
  
40x40

Ian McCulloch recommended Automatic for the People by REM in Music (curated)

 
Automatic for the People by REM
Automatic for the People by REM
1992 | Rock

"One of the classic albums. Played it to death. I was pissed off when it came out, it was when the Bunnymen had just split up and it would have inspired me with the band. When he gets it right, Michael Stipe, he’s just brilliant. It’s not that kind of American music that makes you feel queasy like The Eagles, it’s more indie. When you go to America and see some of the natural beautiful vastness of the country, it moves you onto your kneecaps, the prairie beauty of it. ‘Find The River’ - when I heard that it was instant choking up. I went up to my missus at the time and didn’t know if I could speak. I wrote ‘Nothing Ever Lasts Forever’ after it. I don’t know if it was inspired by it. It made me like a type of American that I’ve never liked, the Mark Twainy kind. For some reason it connected with me, but the last thing I’d like to do is buy a pair of dungarees and go net fishing in a stagnant pond. But each to their own – Stipey obviously does it. The videos and the bit in ‘Man In The Moon’ where he does the little shuffle and the Elvis “hey baby” - when I saw that I thought, you twat, you’ve got it completely right, and here’s me hacking about with some half-baked solo songs. And they were half-baked, some of them from Mysterio. But after Automatic they did too much and a lot of it wasn’t up to that standard."

Source
  
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
2021 | Horror, Thriller
That final trap is as heart-stopping and clever a piece of political commentary that's been put into any horror film this decade thus far - but the rest (I'm immeasurably disappointed to report) is a bland, run-of-the-mill police procedural which only occasionally resembles a 𝘚𝘢𝘸 movie. Don't know whose idea it was to have less gore and crappier traps but fire them immediately. I think outside of that grievous oversight the other major problem is that this tries to be both a Saw movie as well as a modern movie - way less of the 2000s scary crackhead camerawork + editing, much fewer unnerving layers of overexposed shots, and now a clean frame replaces what was once a grimy sheen of iconic dilapidation. If you want this franchise to stay ahead of the pack in a day in age where even the cheapest indie flicks can have solid gore, you can't be this polished. No cutting away from the action right as it happens, and don't be afraid to cling onto what worked during its inception just because the passage of time may have left those trends behind - with this kind of cleanliness it's too easy to see the inherent seams of these things. Also you'd have to be an idiot not to see this 'twist' coming from a mile away. But Chris Rock is awesome in the last 20 minutes when he's snapping at everybody. Without a shadow of a doubt the worst film in the series.
  
The Racer is an indie-band from New York’s Hudson Valley. Not too long ago, they released their “I’ll Find You in Dreams” single featuring singer Tiphanie Doucet.

“Head down can’t keep from falling over. Eyes blurred with grief, we’ve grown like the trees, now slowly older, and I’ll never be your island king. The city sings her song to me. The only soul alone on these tangled streets.” – lyrics

‘I’ll Find You in Dreams’ tells an emotional tale of an individual who yearns for something or someone who seems completely out of reach.

The likable tune contains a dreamy storyline, heartfelt vocals, and emotional instrumentation flavored with great piano lines, evocative synths, and nostalgic elements.

The Racer consists of Pete Marotta (vocals, keys), Mike Esserman (guitar, keys), Eric Sosler (bass, keys, sax).

One day, while looking for artists in New Jersey to be on a show they were organizing, they came across Tiphanie Doucet’s music and loved it.

Shortly afterward, they performed live with Doucet at their show. Later, while hanging out, they asked her to sing on their “I’ll Find You in Dreams” single.

At the age of 15, Tiphanie Doucet starred in the film Le bébé d’Elsa, and later in the Glee-like TV series Chante!

Those exposures increased her popularity in France, where she grew up studying ballet and harp. After her career in TV ended, she made her way to America for a fresh start.

Since then, she’s been writing songs and testing them out on street corners, cruises, and cafés throughout New York and Jersey City.