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Beckman (2020)
Beckman (2020)
2020 | Action
David A.R. White and William Baldwin both give good portrayals in this interesting take on vengeance.

Kind of felt like a cross between Taken and John Wick, on a budget. I completely understand that not all movies have astronomical budgets. Considering what this film had to work with, they accomplished quite a lot. Definitely worth giving it a go.
  
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David McK (3222 KP) rated Twisted Metal - season 1 in TV

May 4, 2024 (Updated May 4, 2024)  
Twisted Metal - season 1
Twisted Metal - season 1
2024 |
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Twisted Metal, the console game, is a post apocalyptic racer of sorts from all accounts.

I've never played it.

It does seem to be a strange choice for an action-adventure comedy series, but I actually found this to work quite well, largely based in the chemistry of the co-leads (Mackie as the 'milkman' John Doe, hired to deliver a package cross country and encountering Beatriz's Quiet along the way) and the antagonist played by Thomas Haden-Church.

Oh, and never forgetting the murderous clown Sweet Tooth who steals pretty much every scene he is in ...
  
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Sacha Gervasi recommended Chinatown (1974) in Movies (curated)

 
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
1974 | Classics, Drama, Mystery

"Obviously Chinatown. Seeing Nicholson with his destroyed nose [laughs], as Polanski is slitting his nose by the reservoir and calling him “pussy cat,” and all that stuff; and him and Faye Dunaway, you know, it’s just extraordinary. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s one of the greatest screenplays ever written. I’m a huge Robert Towne fan, and a Polanski fan. And it was great on this movie — on Hitchcock — to work with John Huston’s son, Danny. He had some stories about his dad. [Laughs] That Noah Cross character [played by John Huston], I think is one of the darkest villains in cinematic history. Every little detail of that film, you know — whether it’s Gittes choosing the cheap bourbon at the beginning, rather than the expensive stuff; every single touch, I think, was masterful. It has such brilliance, and poise, and ultimately humanity to it. And again, it’s a story of power, of big city power and corruption and how power and privilege can destroy people and families. That’s a theme in Sweet Smell of Success as well."

Source
  
HO
House of Thieves
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? That’s the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his son’s gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.

I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of John’s family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.

If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
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Karl Hyde recommended Tripper/Springer by Efterklang in Music (curated)

 
Tripper/Springer by Efterklang
Tripper/Springer by Efterklang
2010 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is a very important album for me. When John Peel was alive, before he went off on the holiday that he didn’t come back from, he asked a few of us to look after his radio show for him – Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith – and he said that Rick and I could do anything we wanted, which was very generous of him. So Rick asked him if there was anything he wanted us to play and he handed us Tripper and said, “this has just come in and I really like it.” As somebody who grew up with John being my most important musical teacher, especially his philosophy around cross-collateralised ideas between musical genres – this was important because it was the last album he ever gave me. The last record he asked to be played on air. But I loved the sound of the album – again, they have a whole other structure for writing songs. They have this filmic quality. It’s a very panoramic sound. They were one of the first bands I ever heard using that glitchy, cut-up electronic vibe and yet incorporating it with traditional instruments. And when I go and see them live, sometimes they’re a three-piece, then a seven-piece, or they’ll have an orchestra with them – they defy definition. They just make beautiful music."

Source
  
Nobody (2021)
Nobody (2021)
2021 | Action, Comedy, Crime
9
7.8 (20 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Nobody is what you get when you cross 'John Wick', 'Falling Down' and throw in a pinch of the British T.V. show 'The Prisoner'.
Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is a seemingly normal family man who would let robbers take his money to make sure his son doesn't get shot, However, Hutch has a secret past which he has to turn to when events spiral out of control.
Bob Odenkirk plays Hutch well and manages an interesting take on the 'Past warrior/now family man' trope, most of the time the characters past is acknowledged/known by other characters and the viewer but Hutch comes across as a normal boring man whilst most of the other male characters seem to all be stronger than he is and the film slowly builds up to show us just how 'bad ass' he really is. And this leads to one of the problems with 'Nobody', it is obvious that Hutch's children know nothing of his past life but I was never sure of how much his wife, Becca, knew. From the beginning you assume she knows nothing, however as the film goes on Hutch and Becca refer to how things were before and some times it seems like she knew and even worked with Hutch whilst other times they could just be referring to earlier in there relationship and Becca's behaviour both seems to indicate that she does and doesn't know about Hutches past .
The action scenes are good with Hutch being a 'John Wick light' or a 'MacGyver', using guns and traps more than improvised weapons but still being able to make the fights entertaining.
Over all 'Nobody' is a good, entertaining film and well worth a watch and, lets face it, anything with Christopher Lloyd in it can't be all bad.
  
Lost in the Sun (2015)
Lost in the Sun (2015)
2015 |
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – John is a crook, he seems to be freshly out of prison needing to payback debts for protection in prison, he offers to take Louis to his grandparents and starts using him to help pay of the debts, showing him the life of crime, it is clear early on that he does have a connection to Louis, we are left to see what that connection is. Louis is the teenager that has been left orphaned when his mother dies, he reluctantly joins John in the cross-country trip where he gets to learn certain things he wouldn’t have before, including how to drive and how to shoot a gun. We do only meet characters along the way, some help and most are the people they are robbing.

Performances – Josh Duhamel is good in the leading role, it is one of his better performances as she shows how conflicted his character is and just how desperate he is to clear his debts, while trying to guide the teenager. Josh Wiggins is great in his role of the film, he gets to show moments of grief and moments of moving on with life as he is the one that needs to learn the biggest life lessons. The rest of the cast are solid without needing to do that much.

Story – The story here comes down to one man trying to make up for his own mistakes in life by helping a young teenage boy across country to live with his grandparents only along the way we see him teach him life lessons which could one day prepare him for the real-world. This gives us a chance to see a redemption story while also giving us a coming-of-age chapter in Louis’s life, this isn’t going to break any ground in the genre and does everything it needs to do for the characters. We do get moments of questioning moments of what Louis is forced to do and for the most we don’t get enough time to look at the crimes that have left John where he is in life.

Action – The action in the film is simple, we get a couple of weak chases and robberies, they are easy to watch and barely break into a sweat.

Settings – The film takes us across America, we don’t hit any landmarks which just shows us small town after small town or open roads.


Scene of the Movie – The final moment.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Boys don’t just want to drive cars and shoot guns.

Final Thoughts – This is a simple coming of age film, it checks the boxes well without doing anything we haven’t seen before.

 

Overall: Coming-of-age 101
  
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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The One in Books

Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)  
The One
The One
John Marrs | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is what I love about reviewing books, it takes you out of your comfort zone and you get to experience author's that perhaps might never cross your radar and what a shame that would be as, The One by John Marrs was one of those gems that I may have passed by, an utterly brilliant captivating phycological thriller which kept me entranced till the final pages.

How to adequately convey this story and do it justice, as it truly is a unique concept. I have read an abundance of fiction over the years and the subject expressed in The One, A Gene that matches you with another individual romantically, a soul mate. is truly a unique idea.


In The One, we have what seems like five different stories all wrapped up in a shared Tale, Five Love matches all separate but also intertwined in a bigger picture. The unique writing style of John Marrs makes this very addictive reading, each chapter focusing on a gene match playing in an enthralling loop that makes you want to keep reading.


We have,
Mandy & Richard
Christopher & Amy
Jade & Kevin
Nick & Sally
Ellie & Tim


Finding the love of your life, the other half of you may seem an amazing and wonderous thing. But in reality, the obstacles this can throw at you if you think on this logically are truly shocking, What if your match is married or old, dead or disabled. He or she could be a criminal when you ponder deeper on this matter all sorts of shockingly crazy scenarios spring to mind.The one explores these situations giving us an insight into what could happen when we ask the question WHAT IF?


In conclusion, this book is a breathtaking phycological thriller that keeps you gripped throughout. I've tried to convey a sense of what The one gives you without giving too much away as this is one of those stories you really need to go in blind to truly appreciate the sheer brilliance of its storyline. Love doesn't always run smoothly, in fact in this tale don't expect the ordinary it abounds with twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout.


I Received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in return for a review and this is my own honest opinion.
  
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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The One in Books

Feb 8, 2018  
The One
The One
John Marrs | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is what I love about reviewing books, it takes you out of your comfort zone and you get to experience author's that perhaps might never cross your radar and what a shame that would be as, The One by John Marrs was one of those gems that I may have passed by, an utterly brilliant captivating phycological thriller which kept me entranced till the final pages.

How to adequately convey this story and do it justice, as it truly is a unique concept. I have read an abundance of fiction over the years and the subject expressed in The One, A Gene that matches you with another individual romantically, a soul mate. is truly a unique idea.

In The One, we have what seems like five different stories all wrapped up in a shared Tale, Five Love matches all separate but also intertwined in a bigger picture. The unique writing style of John Marrs makes this very addictive reading, each chapter focusing on a gene match playing in an enthralling loop that makes you want to keep reading.

we have,

Mandy & Richard
Christopher & Amy
Jade & Kevin
Nick & Sally
Ellie & Tim

Finding the love of your life, the other half of you may seem an amazing and wonderous thing. But in reality, the obstacles this can throw at you if you think on this logically are truly shocking, What if your match is married or old, dead or disabled. He or she could be a criminal when you ponder deeper on this matter all sorts of shockingly crazy scenarios spring to mind.The one explores these situations giving us an insight into what could happen when we ask the question WHAT IF?

In conclusion, this book is a breathtaking phycological thriller that keeps you gripped throughout. I've tried to convey a sense of what The one gives you without giving too much away as this is one of those stories you really need to go in blind to truly appreciate the sheer brilliance of its storyline. Love doesn't always run smoothly, in fact in this tale don't expect the ordinary it abounds with twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout.

I Received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in return for a review and this is my own honest opinion.

https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
  
The Gray Man (2022)
The Gray Man (2022)
2022 | Action, Thriller
7
7.0 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Entertaining Enough...but...NOTHING NEW
Have you seen the touring company of Hamilton when it came to your town? You liked it, didn’t you? I sure did, but I didn’t like it as much as I liked the Broadway Company of Hamilton that I saw in NYC the year before.

Such is the case with the new Ryan Gosling/Chris Evans action flick THE GRAY MAN. It is reminiscent of the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, BOURNE and JOHN WICK films - and is very enjoyable - but I like the other movies better.

Directed by THE RUSSO BROTHERS (AVENGERS: ENDGAME) and written by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (writers of AVENGERS: ENDGAME), based on the book by Mark Greaney, THE GRAY MAN stars Gosling (LA LA LAND) as an enigmatic secret agent (is their any other kind) who is sent on a deadly mission that, perhaps isn’t what it seems on the surface (are there any other)?

This is a plot VERY reminiscent of the aforementioned MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, BOURNE and JOHN WICK films and when Chris Evans (CAPTAIN AMERICA, of course) and Ana de Armas (the latest James Bond flick, NO TIME TO DIE) show up as a few other mercenaries who might be on Gosling’s side - or might not - you can’t help but be reminded of those other flicks.

And that’s the trouble with THE GRAY MAN, it just can’t compete (at least in my memory) with those other films, mostly because it doesn’t do anything new. It is your basic “Super Spy” flick, very professionally done, but it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.

The actors (Gosling, de Armas and Evans) are very good in their roles and have enigmatic (Gosling), out of control (Evans) and mysterious (de Armas) down very well and are ably assisted by wily veterans like Alfre Woodard (CROSS CREEK) and good ol’ Billy Bob Thornton (SLINGBLADE) who seem to having a good time going along for the ride.

And…it’s a fun ride…the action scenes are well done, set-up and choreographed professionally with just enough unique ways to take out a henchman or blow-up some sort of transport to make it interesting to watch, but…again…it’s really nothing new.

An entertaining 2 hours of film-making - and a film that will have a sequel on the way - there are worst ways to spend your time and with good (enough) action sequences and interesting and charismatic performers to watch - THE GRAY MAN suits its purpose…it entertains.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)