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Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Toy Story 4 (2019) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019
Toy Story 4 was good, I enjoyed it, but didn't really seem necessary(other than to make money and can't fault them for that, it is business). Toy Story 3 was a proper ending in my opinion and if my heart had a pull string it ripped it hard, but for me Toy Story 4 just didn't capture the emotion like the last three did, nor did it really feel like a kids movie. Some of the scenes in the antique store are legitimately creepy and startling. Now that I think about it though, those scenes in the original with Sid were pretty dang creepy too. Any adult who enjoys the Toy Story franchise will enjoy this one I think, but I'm not sure how it'll be received by kids.
Perfect You
8.0
Rate It
Book
Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the...
Neil Hannon recommended Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel by Scott Walker in Music (curated)
Danielle Chaplin (81 KP) rated The Girl in Red in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Very enjoyable
I was exceedingly excited to read this book and was a little disappointed that it didn't live up to my very high expectations of it but I think that was just because I felt that the story didn't really fit in with the Little Red Riding Hood story except for a girl in red going to grandma's house.
The story itself is really well written and I loved the characters in the story, I wasn't keen on the book going back and forth from present to the past and back again but I don't really like this setup in books in general. I thought the book would explain more about what had happened but it did leave some really big questions that were never answered in the end. I love that Henry uses a lot of 'damaged' characters in her books, from those with a mental illness to Red being an amputee, as she displays them as strong characters that deserve to be treated with respect and that they can be just as inspiring as those without disabilities.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book but it didn't really seem to fit in as well as her other books.
The story itself is really well written and I loved the characters in the story, I wasn't keen on the book going back and forth from present to the past and back again but I don't really like this setup in books in general. I thought the book would explain more about what had happened but it did leave some really big questions that were never answered in the end. I love that Henry uses a lot of 'damaged' characters in her books, from those with a mental illness to Red being an amputee, as she displays them as strong characters that deserve to be treated with respect and that they can be just as inspiring as those without disabilities.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book but it didn't really seem to fit in as well as her other books.
Since I'm a crafty-ish person, I wanted to like this book better than how it ended up. That's not to say there aren't some cute things in here, like the Monster Week Tampon/Pad Case, which could be used to hold other items as well, or handy, like the Secret Stash in Your Rack craft. Even the silly ones could be fun for a craft party or something. However, I don't see myself making many of these as they're just not how I am as a feminist. I'd like more crafts that have to do with equality than how women-centric those in this book are. I do like the cassette tape turned into a business card holder, although I could see ways of making it better, plus I'd urge those to keep the inside workings as they can be used for other things. I've had plans for more years than I care to think about to crochet with the tape. I like that there are recommendations for books, music, films, plus some quotations. I think this book would be better for newer crafters as the projects are fairly basic, but even those who are more advanced could think of ways of making the crafts more clean and upscale. Overall, this is a silly book and not to be taken too seriously.
Ama (21 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Sep 11, 2017
Shattering
The first couple of questions when writing a review here are What's good? and What's bad?
Now, as you've seen I have given this film a full score, but I could not for the life of me put into a sentence what was good about it. It's not a nice film. Nothing about it is good. Except the way it makes you feel with it. But then even that is not a good thing. It's ugly.
I watched Detroit yesterday at the local cinema. I had seen the trailer, knew it was gonna be a tearjerker, knew I would hate the world and myself after watching it.
What I realised is that I completely underestimated the film.
About half an hour to an hour in all I wanted to do was to turn it off. I had an urge to just turn the cinema off, go home and potentially have some chocolate.
It wasn't the fact that the film was bad (I repeat, I gave it a full score), nor was it surprising narrative (again, I had seen the trailer and my tiny bit of historical knowledge filled in the gaps), but something in the way it was presented somehow evoked that feeling of wanting it to go away.
When I walked out of the cinema and forced myself to think about it, I realised a couple of things (all of which eventually made me come to the conclusion that that might have been deliberate).
First of all that film was lit like a feature film and shot like a documentary. This means that watching it, my brain was trying to fool me into thinking this was real a lot more than it usually would. It's film like a documentary, so it's a documentary so this is exactly what must have happened, right? There was a camera at the scene, right?
Well, of course there wasn't. Of course it was still a feature film and of course before the credit it was even stated that besides the testimonies of the parties involved, there was still dramatic licence taken. But that didn't change the fact that it shook me. It shook me because that little shake of the camera that was a little more intense that I was used to and that little zoom every now and then to get closer to an action as though the camera had only just noticed it all lead to that convincing idea of this being real and having happened exactly as I was seeing it.
The acting was splendid. Again, upon contemplating the film, I wondered what it was like for all of these black people (the term used deliberately) to play these roles, having grown up in that country themselves. I wondered what it was like for Will Poulter to become an asshole from the work 'Action!' and while that isn't any different than any other set, somehow, in Detroit, it seemed like so much bigger a deal. On this note, kudos to all the actors in this piece. There was none of you that felt out of place or irrelevant. Each of you portrayed a character dealing with the situation at hand differently and on a spectrum that showed how truly diverse humans are - even if united in a cause, be it on the white side or the black.
I could go on for hours (which I did, with the friend I went to see it with) about how this film made me feel and how much insecurity in the current world it made me feel, but there is no point in doing that. Feelings are best felt, rather than read so just watch it and I'm sure you'll understand.
I do want to say this though:
This film made me realise that the world we live in today is not the product from its past, but rather a work in progress towards what is to come.
I in no way mean that I did not know that previously, but there is a difference between knowing and understanding.
On this note, this film is not for the faint hearted but it is one of those important films that need to be watched at the moment.
Now, as you've seen I have given this film a full score, but I could not for the life of me put into a sentence what was good about it. It's not a nice film. Nothing about it is good. Except the way it makes you feel with it. But then even that is not a good thing. It's ugly.
I watched Detroit yesterday at the local cinema. I had seen the trailer, knew it was gonna be a tearjerker, knew I would hate the world and myself after watching it.
What I realised is that I completely underestimated the film.
About half an hour to an hour in all I wanted to do was to turn it off. I had an urge to just turn the cinema off, go home and potentially have some chocolate.
It wasn't the fact that the film was bad (I repeat, I gave it a full score), nor was it surprising narrative (again, I had seen the trailer and my tiny bit of historical knowledge filled in the gaps), but something in the way it was presented somehow evoked that feeling of wanting it to go away.
When I walked out of the cinema and forced myself to think about it, I realised a couple of things (all of which eventually made me come to the conclusion that that might have been deliberate).
First of all that film was lit like a feature film and shot like a documentary. This means that watching it, my brain was trying to fool me into thinking this was real a lot more than it usually would. It's film like a documentary, so it's a documentary so this is exactly what must have happened, right? There was a camera at the scene, right?
Well, of course there wasn't. Of course it was still a feature film and of course before the credit it was even stated that besides the testimonies of the parties involved, there was still dramatic licence taken. But that didn't change the fact that it shook me. It shook me because that little shake of the camera that was a little more intense that I was used to and that little zoom every now and then to get closer to an action as though the camera had only just noticed it all lead to that convincing idea of this being real and having happened exactly as I was seeing it.
The acting was splendid. Again, upon contemplating the film, I wondered what it was like for all of these black people (the term used deliberately) to play these roles, having grown up in that country themselves. I wondered what it was like for Will Poulter to become an asshole from the work 'Action!' and while that isn't any different than any other set, somehow, in Detroit, it seemed like so much bigger a deal. On this note, kudos to all the actors in this piece. There was none of you that felt out of place or irrelevant. Each of you portrayed a character dealing with the situation at hand differently and on a spectrum that showed how truly diverse humans are - even if united in a cause, be it on the white side or the black.
I could go on for hours (which I did, with the friend I went to see it with) about how this film made me feel and how much insecurity in the current world it made me feel, but there is no point in doing that. Feelings are best felt, rather than read so just watch it and I'm sure you'll understand.
I do want to say this though:
This film made me realise that the world we live in today is not the product from its past, but rather a work in progress towards what is to come.
I in no way mean that I did not know that previously, but there is a difference between knowing and understanding.
On this note, this film is not for the faint hearted but it is one of those important films that need to be watched at the moment.
AT (1676 KP) rated My Dark Vanessa in Books
Mar 31, 2020
Obviously, this is a difficult subject to read about. However, it was told in the girl's point of view, and it really brought to light how she comprehended the situation, even when she was being abused. I liked the fact that there were opposing sides in this situation represented in the story, without dragging either side through the mud. I also really appreciated the fact that the author didn't do a sudden turn ending, like saying it was a dream or something. I can't stand that. She held true to the actual story all the way through the novel. It's a story about a young woman that had a sexual affair with her teacher when she was 15, however, the things that happened, emotionally, are relatable to many other types of poisonous relationships. Not just a man with a minor. I appreciated all of that, because it was much easier to be inside the story that way. As difficult as the subject matter was, it is a smooth read, and if you've ever been in any sort of toxic relationship like this, you might be able to relate to a lot of the feelings. Even if you haven't, it's worth reading! It's a well-crafted story about a taboo subject.
Colin Newman recommended Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich in Music (curated)
Erika (17789 KP) rated Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) in Movies
Jul 30, 2018
I waited to write this review until I saw this movie a 2nd time, but my opinion still stays the same. It makes me sad, because I wanted to love this movie.
Overall, this film was ok. I wanted to give it a 7, but I just can't justify it. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing inherently wrong with this film. It just wasn't made for me. It skewed towards an older, family-having demographic that I'm just not part of. My parents loved it, so, case in point.
Once Ghost's motivations were revealed, she wasn't a villain. I feel like this should have been released last year, not now, right after Infinity War.
The only thing I found funny was the running Morrissey joke, and Michael Pena in general.
Overall, this film was ok. I wanted to give it a 7, but I just can't justify it. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing inherently wrong with this film. It just wasn't made for me. It skewed towards an older, family-having demographic that I'm just not part of. My parents loved it, so, case in point.
Once Ghost's motivations were revealed, she wasn't a villain. I feel like this should have been released last year, not now, right after Infinity War.
The only thing I found funny was the running Morrissey joke, and Michael Pena in general.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Rear Window (1954) in Movies
Apr 22, 2020
big let down.
I had such high hopes for this film. I saw the trailer, I've seen clips, I really thought, "This is the Alfred Hitchcock film that is going to restore my belief in his abilities." And alas. I was let down immensely. This film moves at a snail pace with a shit ending. I don't know how else to put it. I just hated every minute of it. I literally had to stop watching on multiple occasions because it was bad and I couldn't bear to hold on and wait for something to happen. Again, Hitchcock's blatant savior complex and overall hatred for women is obvious through this film and it's just gross. It doesn't sit well, it doesn't age well, and I just don't like him.
Yikes.
Yikes.