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NO
No One Ever Asked
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am only allowed to give this book 5 stars in rating? Why? Why can't I give it 5 stars ten million times? It's that amazing. Yes, yes it is. It is absolutely raw. Utterly captivating. Beautifully written. Heart stoppingly real. Every. Last. Page.

Mrs. Ganshert takes every day questions, and every day situations and puts them into a novel that will consume you. Each of these characters jumped off the pages and told their stories to me like they were sitting right beside me on the couch. Each of them made me want to wrap my arms around them and hold on for dear life, telling them all would be okay and that the world isn't all bad.

This book brings to point so many things that today's society is dealing with. So many. Just as the book describes, we as humans have to have a label for everything. If there's not a label for it, we don't know how to exist. No one ever asks the real questions. We just slap a label and run. Mrs. Ganshert takes her readers on a deep journey showing us the outcome that can arise if we would just stop that, and live life for God, and for us. Life doesn't have to be so complicated.

If you are reading this review, then heade my words. Go preorder this book NOW. Don't wait. You will want to read this book and devour it in one sitting the way I did. This book is one of the best I have ever read, and I can't sing it's praises loud enough. Beautifully done, Mrs. Ganshert, and I absolutely can not wait for another thought provoking, jaw dropping, heart wrenching read from your talented hands!
 
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
Eternals (2021)
Eternals (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure
Works Well Enough
The interesting thing about creating a Cinematic “Universe” (like Marvel has done and others are desperately trying to do) is that because it is a “Universe” you can tell different types of stories with different types of characters in differing styles.

In ETERNALS, Marvel has really attempted to open up their “Universe” by introducing their audience to the Eternals, celestial beings that are tangentially interested in the goings-on of the human world.

It’s not a Super-Hero movie, per se, it’s a world of “Gods and Monsters” (to steal a phrase) that has repercussions across the Universe.

So with this background in mind, the ETERNALS succeeds, mostly, because it is trying to be something…else. NOT a SUPERHERO film, but something on a different plane.

Unfortunately, this probably will put off “Fan-boys” who want “more of the same” (more Avengers, more Thanos, more F/X smashy-smashy, fight-fight) and ETERNALS just isn’t intended to be that.

Your first clue that this film is trying to be something else is the choice of Director - recent Oscar Winner Chloe Zhao (NOMADLAND), known for her personal stories and interesting visuals. She brings that sensibility to this film and it (mostly), though it is the type of Cinematic style that works best in low-res (like an independent film like Nomadland) rather than large IMAX Comic-book film event films.

The movie itself is entertaining…enough. It is, necessarily, slow at the beginning as Zhao needs to set up these characters and the realm that they are playing on (and orient the audience as to how this fits with the AVENGERS:ENDGAME of it all). There are 10 (yes, TEN) Eternals to introduce along with ancillary characters, so the film has to take some time to gather steam.

And…it gathers steam, not in the action sequences (which are serviceable) but in the characters and the character interactions and this is where the film really works for me.

Gemma Chan (CRAZY, RICH ASIANS) and Richard Madden (Rob Stark on GAME OF THRONES) are, basically, the lead characters as their relationship takes center stage for most of the film - and these 2 (especially Chan) holds the screen well, which is tough to do since there are so many characters - and so much other things going on.

The real hero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, IMHO, is the Casting Director who, time-after-time, plucks relative unknowns and throws them into parts that they are perfectly cast for…Salma Hayak (leader of Eternals, Ajak), Lia McHugh (Sprite), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari) and Barry Keoghan (Druig) all fit their parts well, with the relationship between Makkari and Druig being particularly interesting.

Speaking of interesting relationships, Ma Dong-seok (so good in the Korean Zombie flick TRAIN TO BUSAN) as Gilgamesh almost steals the screen from MOVIE STAR Angelina Jolie’s Thena…almost. Jolie is a MOVIE STAR that just walks onto the screen and commands your attention - and she is perfectly cast as Thena. It is a very smart use of her talents…and her personae as a MOVIE STAR and works very well.

Finally, it took awhile for the film to figure out what to do with Kumail Nanjiani’s character of Kingo (and Nanjiani’s tremendous comedic talents), but, eventually, they do figure it out - but not entirely - which is really the problem with this film. It ALMOST figures out the formula to make this huge, broad, galactic film very personal, but doesn’t quite get there.

I liked, but didn’t LOVE, ETERNALS. I applaud what this film tries to do and I am fine with where it went and was entertained by it. If this is the first part of a journey, then I am anxious to see where ETERNALS goes from here. If this is a “one-off” film, then it doesn’t, quite, work well enough.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
    Sorcery!

    Sorcery!

    Games and Book

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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    An epic four-part adventure through a land of monsters, traps, and magic. Start your story here!...

A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic
V.E. Schwab, Victoria Schwab | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.2 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Super engaging and well rounded characters (2 more)
Great world building
Crisp readable writing
Nothing (0 more)
WONDERFUL Fantasy book!
Gotta recommend this one! It was SO GOOD. The writing is clean and addictive, the characters are unique and engaging, the magic is... well... magically magical and unlike most of the generic magic floating around out there.

A cross-dressing pick pocket pirate, a promiscuous prince, a moody magician with a forgotten past,
a pair of twin villains who make the Lannister twins look like snowflakes, and a vicious blood-enslaved magician. How's that for a cast? Side note -- even the bit players in this book are well drawn and stir emotions when they die. Yes. People actually die in this one...I've read several books lately where SOMEONE obviously should have died SOMEWHERE along the journey and no one did. I was SO ready for some "let's get real and kill people so the stakes are high" reading.

Four different versions of London exist on different planes... each magical in varying degrees, all in danger of destruction from a magical artifact that accidentally smuggled between the veils. This is the scene for the grand adventure.

I was really struggling to get over my book hangover after finishing Queen of Nothing and this was like the nectar that healed me. I can't wait to dive into book 2!

Also, Kell is my new fictitious boyfriend. Move over Rhysand from ACOTAR, we're starting a reverse harem.
  
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Come for Ralph and Vanelope, stay for the Disney Princesses
I'm pretty sure that this is going to be the only review of WRECK-IT RALPH 2: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET that will draw a comparison between Ralph2 and DEADPOOL 2.

Like, DP2, Ralph2 suffers in the first 1/2 hour of the film with an issue - it tries too hard to repeat what was successful in the first film. I spent the first portion of both films thinking "you did this - better - in the first film". But, like DP2, Ralph2 finds it's footing - and it's own voice - after a fashion and becomes a very entertaining film.

And you can thank the Disney Princesses for that.

Without giving too much away, the plot of Ralph2 has Wreck-it Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanelope (Sarah Silverman) heading to the Internet (notably E:BAY) to find a replacement part for her game. The main theme of this film is "finding the place where you belong" and along this journey Vanelope enters in the world of Disney and encounters all of the Disney Princesses backstage.

Kudos to The Walt Disney Company - and Disney Animation Studios - for having a sense of humor and poking fun at themselves. These versions of the princesses are funny and don't take themselves too seriously, by taking themselves very seriously (if that makes any sense) - every character acts (and reacts) ways that make sense. It's a tribute to this extended bit that EVERY original voice of these characters (at least the ones that are still alive) agreed to contribute their voice talents to this bit. The funniest bit was the way Disney Animation handled the character of Princess Merida from BRAVE - a Pixar film.

As for the film proper - it is fine enough. John C. Reilly (as Ralph) and Sarah Silverman (as Vanelope) reprise their roles and they are winning enough to hold our attention throughout (though Ralph is sidelined for long stretches as this is really Vanelope's story). Jacks McBrayer's Fix-It Felix is back (for small bits in the beginning and end) as is the great Jane Lynch's Calhoun character. I get that these 2 characters are not really in service to the story - and I applaud the filmmakers for not trying to shoehorn them in - but I can't believe ANY conversation that starts "We have Jane Lynch, so we're going to push her in the background and use very little of her."

As for the other voice cast, Alan Tudyk (the voice of the King Candy in the first Wreck-It Ralph) is back as the voice of an overly-aggressive search engine. Tudyk is this generation's "Man of a Thousand Voices" and I had no idea it was him until the credits, which was fun (for me). Joining the fun this time around - and acquitting herself quite well - is Gal Gadot as an on-line game Race Car Drive that becomes Big Sister/mentor to Vanelope.

One final mention, there are 2 credits scene. The first one is fun enough (and is a callback to the first film), but the 2nd one (at the very end of the credits) had me chuckling - and I was glad I stayed for it.

Come for Ralph and Vanelope, stay for the Disney Princesses. You'll be glad you did.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
The Night Of  - Season 1
The Night Of - Season 1
2016 | Drama
10
9.4 (5 Ratings)
Fantastic performances by the entire cast (4 more)
Phenomenal Script
Beautiful cinematography
Clever use of lighting
Brillaint direction
A Masterpice of Storytelling.
The Night Of stars Riz Ahmed as Naz, a young guy from Manhattan from an Asian family, who makes a series of bad decisions on what was supposed to be a simple night out; leading to his subsequent arrest and trial for the murder of a young girl. While there is no denying that Naz made some bad decisions and it is hard to deny he looks guilty, we are on this guy’s side at the start of the series. Then Jon Turturro comes into the show as Naz’s lawer John Stone. This is Turturro’s best role in years, possibly in his entire career and it serves as a stark reminder how wasted this guy is in the Transformers series and Adam Sandler Movies. Both leads give convincing performances as their respective characters, thrust into a situation that ends up being way out of their depth, they are both fish out of water, on either side of the justice system and we see the adapt or die method used by each of them.

Preacher, Westworld and Stranger Things are widely considered to be the best new TV shows of 2016, but I reckon that The Night Of is probably the most important new show broadcast this year. In the wake of a plethora of horrific, recent terror attacks across the world and following the vote to elect Donald Trump as the president of the most powerful country in the world, (a man who once expressed the desire to ban all Muslims from entering the USA,) this show seems unfortunately more relevant than ever. The show doesn’t shove any explicit propaganda down your throat, but there is no denying the racist undertones present and the social issues that the show presents to us. The writing is also fantastic throughout and this is by far the most painfully realistic show I have seen in the last few years. The show isn’t without its quirks though, but the consistently realistic nature of the writing and the performances are what make this show so immersive. The series also takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, constantly dropping unexpected character twists and new hints towards what really happened on the night referred to in the show’s title. This show throws so many interesting conversation starters into the viewership’s collective mind and constantly keeps you guessing as a spectator to these gruesome events.

This is a show that everyone should try, in a post brexit world where racial tensions are at an extreme high, this show is painfully relevant to people on either side of the argument. The crime itself becomes a background element as we see the biased treatment of a young Muslim man by the system and the assumptions made for and against him. There are so many backdoor deals being made between lawyers and other law officials and really the worst light is thrown on the criminal justice system itself and how broken the whole thing is. By halfway through the series’ 8 episodes, the issue of whether or not Naz actually committed the crime is irrelevant, the most important thing at this point being trying to keep everybody involved with this high profile case happy.

Although the moral points that this show chooses to pursue are unflinching and extremely well handled, the more technical aspects of the show are also expertly executed. I have already spoke about Riz Ahmed and John Turturro’s stand out performances, but the show’s supporting cast doesn’t contain any weak spots either and features a well rounded variety of races, ages and social classes. Naz’s family are all brilliant as are the other lawyers that make up the case. I have also already spoke about the high quality script present in the show, but I feel that the show’s writing team can’t be praised enough for the consistently high quality script they have produced. The cinematography of the show is also impressive throughout, with each shot perfectly complimenting the tone that the show sets and framing the actor’s performances masterfully. The use of light is also well implemented and adds to each shot composition and the overall aesthetic of the show. As highlighted above the actor’s performances are fantastic, but they are guided very well by the show’s directors. The score is also a nice addition to the tone of the show, as are all of the sound effects and audio used throughout.

Overall, this is the definition of great television and is the example that all other TV shows should aim for. Even if you don’t agree with the moral compasses of the show’s characters, it is objectively impossible to deny the show’s high caliber of technical filmaking. This is without a doubt one of the best shows aired in 2016 and could even be considered as one of the best seasons of a TV show of the last decade.
  
Good Thing by Leon Bridges
Good Thing by Leon Bridges
2018 | Soul
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Leon Bridges is a talented R&B/soul singer outta Fort Worth, Texas. Not too long ago, he released his second studio album, entitled, “Good Thing”.

BET AIN’T WORTH THE HAND


The artist sings a beautiful ballad about leaving a rocky relationship. He doesn’t want to leave because he still sees hope in making it work.

The Natalie Rae-directed video begins with Bridges walking the street. He’s hurt. The following scenes show him relating to other people going through the same emotional pain he’s experiencing.

The artist knows that’s a risky move staying in a broken relationship. Also, he looks at the cards he’s dealt with and realizes his best is to move on.

BAD BAD NEWS

The artist switches speed and takes listeners on a funky ride. It’s disco time and he celebrates on the dancefloor. Also, being there isn’t easy. So, he has to fight his way through the crowd to make it to the front.

The Natalie Rae-directed video begins with a voluptuous woman walking inside a train station. She hears someone whistling so she heads in that direction, following the whistler.

Somehow, Bridges’ music overtakes her soul and she begins to follow its funky rhythm. In the end, it leads her to the guy who was whistling in the beginning.

The artist sings a triumphant song. He questions people trying to hold him in the back. But that’s not where he belongs. So, he moves up front and kills them with style and grace.

SHY

The artist addresses a shy woman that he’s in love with. Also, he assures her that it doesn’t matter if she’s shy. He doesn’t care about her shyness because he’s into her.

BEYOND

Bridges is deep in love with the shy woman. Everything is moving fast. Also, he wants to slow things down but he can’t. Because of that, he’s scared to death that she might be the one.

FORGIVE YOU

The artist sings the blues. He admits he played the fool in the relationship where his girl took advantage of his kindness. But he forgives her even though it’s hard to. Also, his friends warned him not to be so gullible.

LIONS

The aftermath of experiencing bad love has Bridges feeling like a thirsty lion. But through his trials and tribulations, he remains true to himself. Also, he refuses to conform to who the woman wants him to be.

IF IT FEELS GOOD (THEN IT MUST BE)

The artist removes the bad love aura and freshens the air with truth and honesty. Also, he perfumes the dancefloor with a splash of funkiness and rhythm and blues.

He wants the mysterious lady bad. So, he tells her to let her guards down and enjoy herself. He doesn’t want her to act so seriously.

YOU DON’T KNOW

The artist continues dancing in the name of love. He’s head over heels for the woman in his life and he wants the world to know that. Also, he wants her to stop thinking because their loving might not go down if she continues to do so.

MRS.

The artist addresses his love and hate relationship with his girl. When they’re good they’re good, but when they’re bad they’re really bad. Also, whenever she shows him affection, he remembers that she still loves him.

GEORGIA TO TEXAS

The artist sings about his mother carrying him in her womb, while his father drove them from Atlanta to Texas. But years later, he admits that adapting to his surrounding wasn’t easy.

Apparently, the 504 black girl is Bridges’ mother, Lisa Sawyer. The number 504 is the area code where she’s from in New Orleans, Lousiana.

CONCLUSION

Leon Bridges’ “Good Thing” is a classic album perfumed with soul ballads, spicy topics, and danceable tunes. Its soulful sound is the perfect soundtrack for those who have loved and lost, and those who are in love for the very first time. It’s romantic, celebratory, with lush experiences. Also, it takes listeners on an emotional journey through the hills and valleys where love dwells.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/leon-bridges-good-thing/