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Superbad (2007)
Superbad (2007)
2007 | Comedy
Hilarious From Start to Finish
Two best friends go on an adventure to get alcohol for the last big party of high school.

Acting: 10
Michael Cera and Jonah Hill couldn’t have played their roles any better as best friends Evan and Seth. Cera is nerdy and lovable while Hill is a big ball of energy that plays macho but is really insecure. Their chemistry is perfect together and sets up perfect assists for awesome side characters like McLovin’ to shine.

Beginning: 10
Right from the first line of the movie, I got sucked in. The comedy hits you and doesn’t stop in the first ten minutes as Evan and Seth discuss what porn sites to subscribe to. It’s a perfect setup for what is to come.

Characters: 10
Evan and Seth are perfect together. You almost wonder if they aren’t best friends in real life. If there weren’t any other characters in the movie but the two of them, I still would have given this category a perfect score. Hilarious characters like Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Officers Slater and Michaels (Bill Hader and Seth Rogen) just add to the film’s overall enjoyment.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10
In one scene, we find Seth making sex impresssions in home economics behind his cooking partner’s back while Evan looks on. This is just one of a number of scenes that make this movie ridiculously entertaining. It’s amazing how many crazy antics they get into in so few settings.

Memorability: 10
Evan and Seth are in such a rush to grow up, but towards the end of the movie, there is a scene where they are laying in sleeping bags like two little kids. It’s unique little touches like this that really make this movie strong and impactful. More than just a mere comedy, but also amazing at comedy, Superbad soars to great heights with scenes that stand the test of time.

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
Such a simple story made strong with great twists and turns. It never tries to be anything more than what it is, but it also manages to have layers nonetheless. It’s a great ride overall, and the epitomy of a “less is more” concept.

Resolution: 10
Loved how they tied everything together. Beautiful final ten minutes, just as quality as the start. Definitely leaves you with a feeling of fulfillment.

Overall: 100
As a screenwriter, a movie like Superbad is what I aspire to write. Not a comedy, but a movie that fires on all cylinders and maintains consistent, perfect timing. This is a movie I can watch repeatedly and it will never get old.
  
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
Michelle Hodkin | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.5 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I'd been wanting to read this book for awhile. It was high up on my TBR pile. I finally couldn't wait any longer and bought it. Luckily, it was money well spent!

Mara Dyer is a 16 year old girl who survived a building collapse although her other friends didn't. She doesn't know why she was the only one to survive. She begins to hear her dead friends voices and seeing them in mirrors and in her waking life. She's convinced she had something to do with their deaths and resolves to stay away from people. However, all that changes when she meets the womanizing Noah Shaw. Will Noah and Mara be able to fall in love or will something or someone prevent that from happening?

I love the title of this book! It sounds so ominous and sad at the same time. The title definitely drew me in. It made me want to know more about this book.

I kind of like the cover, but I don't really get why these two people, who I presume are Noah and Mara, are in water. When I first saw the cover, I presumed that this was going to be one of those books that deal with underwater themes like mermaids and what not, but it's not. Then I thought that maybe it was symbolic about Mara feeling like she was drowning, and Noah is supposed to save her although it looks more like Noah is trying to drown her.

The world building felt very believable throughout most of the book. All my questions were answered in this book which I was super happy about! However, towards the end of the book, the story kind of took a left turn, and I was just like "what". I felt that it got a bit crazy here, and I really can't explain why which I know is bad since this is a review. I know this is a fiction book so of course things won't really happen that happen in books, but without some spoilers, I can't really explain why. Maybe it's just a personal thing.

I enjoyed the pacing and thought it was done quite well. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. I was immersed in the writing, and I didn't want to leave Mara's world.

I loved the whole plot. Mara can make things happen just by visualizing them. (Don't worry, that wasn't a spoiler). I've always wished I could do that, so I enjoyed reading about it. Plus, there's the subplot of the romance with Noah. I'm not a big romance fan since I believe it tends to get in the way of the actual plot (unless, of course, it's a romance book), but the romance was done in an enjoyable way.

I liked Mara a lot. She felt like a real teenage girl. She's under a lot of stress, and I liked seeing how she was able to deal with it. Mara felt like a girl I could be friends with. With Noah, there were times I liked him and times where I thought he was being a bit too mean and bossy. There's a few times (and only a few) where he tells Mara what to do. He does get violent when it comes to defending Mara's honor. I also didn't like how Noah would use Daddy's money to get whatever he wanted. I know he was only doing it for Mara, but still, it rubbed me wrong. I loved the character of Jamie. I loved his wit, and I wished that there was more of him in the book.

The dialogue was well written although there were a few times where the characters would talk like they were in a Dawson's Creek episode or for those that don't get that reference, like Sheldon does in Big Bang Theory. Personally, I've never been in any situation where a whole conversation used such a rich vocabulary, especially when it involve teenagers. This could just be a me thing though. I enjoyed reading about what Mara did in certain situations. As for language, there is a lot of swearing in this book although I don't feel like it's over the top.

Overall, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin is a super enjoyable read. The plot is great, the romance is enjoyable, and the characters are very down to Earth. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ due to language used. Those who appreciate paranormal elements in their books will love this one!
  
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ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Hotel Ruby in Books

Jul 5, 2018  
HR
Hotel Ruby
10
9.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I LOVED this book. I adored every second. It was fast paced and I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to know what was going to happen from one second to the next.

It starts off getting right into the thick of Hotel Ruby, and it has a steady progression of interesting characters and side plots and thoughts.

There was just enough gore and violence and enough lovey dovey stuff too. It was the perfect balance for me.

Honestly I wish this were a series I'd love to read more from the Hotel but it just ended so great that ... I can't be sad about it. The end was slightly predictable of course I swear I've seen a movie like this and it reminded me a lot of AHS Hotel while reading it - perhaps that's why I liked it so much. I'll definitely be buying it to reread later!
  
Long Live Rock &#039;n&#039; Roll by Rainbow
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll by Rainbow
1978 | Rock
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"It was kind of weird because I had forgotten how much I listened to that album. I was introduced to Ronnie [James Dio] at an early stage, loved his voice and Ritchie [Blackmore], as a guitar player, was someone who was just beyond the grasp of my little mind at the time. He was so unique. When you go through all the different eras and songs, there's such variety. Songs like 'Kill The King' were interesting, but by far my favourite was 'Gates Of Babylon'. It has such a hypnotic, dancing gypsy riff. The singing and all the production is just tremendous and if you can copy Blackmore and master what he's doing, it'll take your playing to a whole new level. Not many people have done it either. Yngwie [Malmsteen] did it very well of course, but Yngwie is the master and was influenced by not just Ritchie."

Source
  
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Frank Carter recommended Adore Life by Savages in Music (curated)

 
Adore Life by Savages
Adore Life by Savages
2016 | Alternative
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Like I said, I think you're only as good as your last creative output, and I think Adore Life is even better than Savages' first album. I got to see them when they were touring this record live last summer as we shared a few festival bills, and they're just phenomenal. Their show absolute punk rock & roll, but dirgey in the way you feel you've drunk too much iowaska, yet you're just at a gig. Their music is hypnotic, it's trance inducing, and Jehnny Beth is just the embodiment of rock & roll, one of the few hopes we have in British music at the moment. What I love is that so many people got behind it, yet it's still such an uncompromising album. It's work to listen to this record, you're not going to put it on and immediately have a good time, and that's important. We need challenging records."

Source
  
Black Widow (2021)
Black Widow (2021)
2021 | Action
Good casting, Scarlett and Florence felt like actual sisters. (1 more)
Good chemistry and acting from David Harbour and Rachel Weisz.
Not much of a thriller or thinker for a spy movie. (1 more)
One actor was greatly wasted in their role.
Scarlett's Swan Song Had Plenty of Action With A Decent StoryNatasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) are living what seems like a normal life in 1995 Ohio, with their parents, mother, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) are living what seems like a normal life in 1995 Ohio, with their parents, mother, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and father, Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) when suddenly they must leave the country. They are all Russian undercover agents and Alexei, the super-soldier known as Red Guardian, has stolen intel from S.H.I.E.L.D. They flee to Cuba where the sisters are forcibly taken to the "Red Room" for training after they've met General Dreykov (Ray Winstone), their boss. Now in 2016 after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha finds herself a fugitive on the run from U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords. She's attacked by an incredibly skilled assassin called the Taskmaster and finds that she's not his target but rather a package she had with her. After learning the package originated from Budapest she heads there where she finds her sister Yelena and learns of a plot that not only jeopardizes the safety of those trained in the "Red Room" but possibly the whole world.


This movie was really good and it was great to see a Marvel movie again. I didn't see this one in theaters but I still enjoyed watching it in the safety of my home with my family. So this movie came off like a really good spy/action movie but definitely had that Marvel feel to it. It really felt like watching something out of the Bourne or Bond series films but with admittedly less plot and gadgets, but the action was really spot on. There was awesome car chase scenes and expertly crafted fight choreography too. It was even reported that they went through 13 BMW X3's for the car chase scene with Scarlett and Florence so you can tell that they really wanted to get things right and had a vision of what they wanted the audience to see for that particular scene as well. I thought there was really great chemistry from all the actors together and that it was pretty good casting. Scarlett and Florence argue throughout the film just like real sisters, and the looks that David Harbour and Rachel Weisz exchange feel like they were genuinely together. The opening scene of the movie had great acting and was very emotional. I just feel like one role/actor was kind of a bad casting and/or was greatly underutilized. I think the biggest flaw of the move was that for being a spy movie, the plot never had any mystery to it and everything was kind of predictable or at least very easy to follow. Not much of a thriller or thinker where you had to put two and two together. The cinematography was spot on and felt like you were watching any big budget spy or action movie and on par with what you expect from Marvel Studios. The tone fit the film for the most part but kind of "see-saw"-ed from time to time as they mixed serious themes with comedic dialogue throughout. But that's to be expected from a PG-13 action/spy movie from Marvel and it was a little reminiscent of the film Captain America in that regard. The music was good and there were a couple of songs that stuck out in that regard American Pie by Don Mclean and a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Think Up Anger; also Cheap Thrills by Sia. The musical score was also good and the Black Widow theme was pretty epic but also with hints of melancholy to it that seemed to underline both her tragic background as well as the tragedy of the events to come in her future. Altogether the movie was really good and I give it a 7/10. If you are big time into the MCU and Marvel franchise movies then this is a must see film but if not then it might come off as just a barely above average action/spy film so that's why it doesn't get my "Must See Seal of Approval"
  
DO
Dancing on Broken Glass
Ka Hancock | 2012
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I think this is the best book I've read in a really long time.

Let's start with a critical analysis and break down the text: First, the writing was really good. Like, Dianne Dixon good, or JK Rowling good. It was filled with flowing and descriptive prose and beautiful metaphors. I could probably write a ten-page paper on some of the literary themes in this novel. It wasn't just fiction for the sake of the story: There was so much beauty about the meaning of life and love and commitment and… well, I'll let you read it.

The pacing was excellent. The very first sentence caught me by the hair and dragged me the whole way through the book. I read most of it in one setting, stopping only to readjust the pillow behind my back.

Now for the really important stuff:

The characters in Dancing on Broken Glass were so epic that I truly didn't want this book to end. They were so wonderful, but so terribly and humanly flawed, just like real people are, that I feel like if I saw Mickey or Lily on the street, I'd recognize them right away.

And boy did I relate to some of these characters!

The ending was just superb. It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was destined from the moment I started reading. It was so perfect and fulfilling that it was worth all the emotional turmoil the rest of the novel put me through.

On that note, it wasn't one of those books that are so hard to read that you can only take it in small doses or that it makes you cry, or extremely emotional readers can't handle it. Nor did it have any offensive language or sex scenes (okay there was some mention of sex, but it wasn't explicit in any way). In fact, it was one of the least offensive novels I've read in a very long time. We're talking years.

The romance was better than anything I've read in any teen novel. The relationships were true and realistic to the core. The flawed characters were just as real to me as I am to myself. The message of hope and grief and dedication and sacrifice will stay with me forever. I hope I never forget this story.

Dancing on Broken Glass was an absolutely beautiful novel. Ka Hancock is going on my Author Watch, and this novel is staying on my "re-read" bookshelf. I recommend it to absolutely anyone willing to hear a really good story.
  
Behind Closed Doors
Behind Closed Doors
B.A. Paris | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
2
8.0 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book got me into writing reviews (0 more)
Pretty much everything (0 more)
The book that made me angry
Contains spoilers, click to show
So, where do i start?
It took me one and a half day to read it, purely because I wanted to get it over with...
I must warn you, there might be some spoilers here, so unless you're not interested in reading the book I wouldn't continue with the review.
I just found the entire story so unrealistic and badly written, that it really makes me angry when I see all these five star reviews. For what, I'm asking?
Let me take you through some of my biggest issues with the story:
Issue number 1.:
Imagine you're 32 years old Grace, single, with the most amazing job as a buyer for Harrods with constant trips to South America. You're also about to become a legal guardian to your little sister with Down Syndrome. You meet this gorgeous man named Jack, whom you immediately fall in love with due to a lovely act of kindness towards your sister. This man within no time at all proposes to you and with that asks you to quit your job, sell your house and let him be the legal guardian as well. Any alarm bells yet??
He then says he wants the wedding to happen straight away. He's very manipulative, he makes all the decisions about the ceremony by himself; he decides the date, the venue, he even picks your dress.
Now the biggest giveaway that the fella is bad news is when he disappears on your wedding night and doesn't answer his phone, then in the morning texts you saying: Stop being so dramatic! I'll see you in front of the hotel at 11.
Wouldn't this be enough? Wouldn't you start thinking, that maybe you don't know enough about your husband, that you rushed into things?
What responsible woman would ever do that? I mean, seriously?! Ok, maybe if she didn't have Millie(her sister) and thought, that this might be the last chance to be with someone, than maybe she would agree for that quick a wedding. Or if she didn't have that good a job... Not like that though, I just don't see it. I think this could only happen if Grace herself had some sort of personality disorder or at least a very, very low self esteem.
Issue number 2.:
The constant threats about sending Millie to asylum...what asylum? This isn't Batman and Gotham city, asylums like that don't exist anymore. And since when people with Down Syndrome are held in Psychiatric Hospitals (as that's what they're called!). Not just that, you can't just admit someone to one of them. There are assessments and number of tests done with the patient, which means that only good things could come out that, as Millie would have told doctors what's really happening and the police would be called...simple.
Issue number 3.:
Grace had so many chances to escape, that it's actually funny. She could scream in the restaurant, shout for help, refuse to leave, do something!!
Issue number 4.:
Then there's the ending...
Grace in some miraculous way gets away with murder... In this fantasy world filled with lawyers, psychopaths & wealth, the author didn't think about forensics...hmm, or is it just me?
Even though I can honestly say I've read worse (Husband's secret, Sister's secret etc), this was a very painful and frustrating read...
  
<b><i>The Curse of the Pharaohs</i></b> is a fast, fun, and humorous second outing with Amelia and her husband Emerson. The first half isn't quite as good as the second, but it quickly picks up and is enjoyable until the end. Amelia's outlook is a joy to read and I love how Elizabeth Peters writes her, which to me, seems like it would be very hard to do in a first person narrative (particularly with a character like Amelia Peabody Emerson!). There are some truly hilarious lines and passages, especially between Amelia and Emerson.

One line I just have to keep for posterity: <i>"It is impossible for any rational mind to follow the peculiar mental convolutions that pass for logic among the male sex."</i>

That is the genius of Ms. Peters writing and I look forward to the rest of the series.