Search
Search results
Antoine Fuqua recommended The Battle of Algiers (1966) in Movies (curated)
Bill Pullman recommended Zabriskie Point (1970) in Movies (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Not Another Teen Movie (2001) in Movies
Jul 3, 2021
Both Scary Movie and Not Another Teen Movie have a lot to answer for in regards to avalanche of actual pure shit that followed in terms of parody movies. The 00s were just full of them. It was a dark time.
However, NATM does a pretty decent job in pointing out all the ridiculousness that comes with this particular sub genre, and its brand of offbeat humour ranges from outright slapstick, to subtle throwaway lines. The cast are quite aware at how silly this film is, and the committent to the whole piece is admirable enough.
It might be low brow, but it weirdly works, and as such, NATM reamains an under appreciated, silly comedy, that has been tarnished by the same brush applied to absolute piss like Meet the Spartans.
However, NATM does a pretty decent job in pointing out all the ridiculousness that comes with this particular sub genre, and its brand of offbeat humour ranges from outright slapstick, to subtle throwaway lines. The cast are quite aware at how silly this film is, and the committent to the whole piece is admirable enough.
It might be low brow, but it weirdly works, and as such, NATM reamains an under appreciated, silly comedy, that has been tarnished by the same brush applied to absolute piss like Meet the Spartans.
Twenty-One Truths About Love
6.5
Rate It
Book
A man is running a bookstore that isn't doing well. However, he hasn't had the guts to tell his wife...
Black Friday
8.0
Rate It
Book
The breathtaking suspense of Kiss the Girls and the authenticity of N.Y.P.D. Blue: Welcome to James...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review will be available on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> at the end of September).
First off, I just want to say that although this is the second book in the series, this book can be read as a standalone since it involves a whole new cast of characters, plot, and setting. Saying that, this book is a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. To be honest, it's been about 11 or 12 years (maybe longer) since I read Macbeth, so I won't be comparing this to the original. Now that that's all said, I really enjoyed this book!
Skye's been in love with Craig forever. However, he's part of the popular crowd and Skye is not. There's also the problem of Craig's super mean girlfriend, Beth. When one of the popular boys die in what appears to be an accident, things start spiraling out of control.
I didn't really know what to expect with the title. However, after reading this book, it makes sense in more ways then just Skye being a photographer.
The cover is rather plain, but I actually like its plainness. I think anything else would've made this cover look too cluttered. I also think the cover is rather cute!
I enjoyed the world building, and I felt that it was written rather well. The only thing that bothered me was the outcome when it came to the ending. I can't really say to much, but it just didn't feel like it followed procedure. That's your only hint. I did enjoy the setting of Alaska though especially since I don't really read any books set in Alaska.
I loved the pacing! The prologue definitely caught my attention and kept it until the very end. If I would've had more time, I would've finished this book in one setting. It was paced that good!
I enjoyed the plot! I don't remember Macbeth all that well as I said before, so I can't comment on how much the plot of this book was like that of Macbeth. There's not really any mystery I enjoyed the whole playing on conscience thing and what was done about it. I even enjoyed Skye's endless pursuit of Craig!
I enjoyed the characters more than anything! I loved how mature Skye was especially when it came to how mean Beth was to her at some points during the story. I loved how friendly she was and how vulnerable she could be. Even though Craig was a bit of a tool when it came to Beth, I still enjoyed how much of a friend he could be to Skye when he really wanted to be. However, at times he could be a little bit insensitive and selfish, but perhaps that's just a teenage thing (and even some adults)! My most favorite characters were Kaya, Cat, and Tess. I loved their sarcasm, wit, and humor they brought to the story. In fact, I wanted to be friends with those girls.
I enjoyed the dialogue very much, and I felt like it was set in high school, which it was. It was also very easy to understand, but it wasn't dumbed down or anything. My favorite dialogue was when it involved Kaya, Cat, and Tess. There are only a few swear words in this book.
Overall, Exposure is a book that is fun to read as well as having fantastic characters and great dialogue!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who would like some fun literature to read!
First off, I just want to say that although this is the second book in the series, this book can be read as a standalone since it involves a whole new cast of characters, plot, and setting. Saying that, this book is a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. To be honest, it's been about 11 or 12 years (maybe longer) since I read Macbeth, so I won't be comparing this to the original. Now that that's all said, I really enjoyed this book!
Skye's been in love with Craig forever. However, he's part of the popular crowd and Skye is not. There's also the problem of Craig's super mean girlfriend, Beth. When one of the popular boys die in what appears to be an accident, things start spiraling out of control.
I didn't really know what to expect with the title. However, after reading this book, it makes sense in more ways then just Skye being a photographer.
The cover is rather plain, but I actually like its plainness. I think anything else would've made this cover look too cluttered. I also think the cover is rather cute!
I enjoyed the world building, and I felt that it was written rather well. The only thing that bothered me was the outcome when it came to the ending. I can't really say to much, but it just didn't feel like it followed procedure. That's your only hint. I did enjoy the setting of Alaska though especially since I don't really read any books set in Alaska.
I loved the pacing! The prologue definitely caught my attention and kept it until the very end. If I would've had more time, I would've finished this book in one setting. It was paced that good!
I enjoyed the plot! I don't remember Macbeth all that well as I said before, so I can't comment on how much the plot of this book was like that of Macbeth. There's not really any mystery I enjoyed the whole playing on conscience thing and what was done about it. I even enjoyed Skye's endless pursuit of Craig!
I enjoyed the characters more than anything! I loved how mature Skye was especially when it came to how mean Beth was to her at some points during the story. I loved how friendly she was and how vulnerable she could be. Even though Craig was a bit of a tool when it came to Beth, I still enjoyed how much of a friend he could be to Skye when he really wanted to be. However, at times he could be a little bit insensitive and selfish, but perhaps that's just a teenage thing (and even some adults)! My most favorite characters were Kaya, Cat, and Tess. I loved their sarcasm, wit, and humor they brought to the story. In fact, I wanted to be friends with those girls.
I enjoyed the dialogue very much, and I felt like it was set in high school, which it was. It was also very easy to understand, but it wasn't dumbed down or anything. My favorite dialogue was when it involved Kaya, Cat, and Tess. There are only a few swear words in this book.
Overall, Exposure is a book that is fun to read as well as having fantastic characters and great dialogue!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who would like some fun literature to read!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(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>).
Okay, so I'd been wanting to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky since I heard about the film. Everyone went on about how great the book was, and I knew that I had to read it. There was one major thing that bothered me, but on the whole I loved it!
Charlie is a freshman in high school and is a little bit of a geek. This is the coming of age of Charlie as he writes letters to unknown friend. Together, we experience the highs and lows of one year of his life in which he does a lot of firsts and finds out some important information about himself.
I like the title of this book. I really do. Our main character is a big time wallflower, and he does discover that it has its perks. Therefore, the title really explains the books. I also think it's quite an original title and an interesting sounding one at that.
The cover of this book is quite simple yet it just kind of works. I think that if there would've been more on the cover, it would've lost its appeal.
Chbosky did an excellent job with the world building. Reading this book, it took me back to my high school days. I thought the author did a great job in capturing the essence of high school kids. I also love how the narration of the story was told through letters.
I thought the pacing was spot on. I would've finished this book in less than a day if real life hadn't have got in the way! I devoured every word, and I couldn't wait to find out what Charlie would experience next.
As for the dialogue, I thought it did sound like a bunch of teenagers talking to one another which is was supposed to. However, the way Charlie spoke bugged me a bit. His dialogue (both internally and to the other characters) made him sound like he was either really young or a bit slow. Perhaps this was done on purpose, and I'm missing the point completely. There are references to sex, drugs, and the like so please keep this in mind when deciding if this is the book for you as I know some people might not like reading about that. As for swear words, I think there may've been only one, but it wasn't a bad swear word.
As stated in the previous paragraph, I felt that the character of Charlie seemed to be either slow or really young. I'm not saying that he was a poorly written character because he wasn't. He just came across as too naive on most things to feel believable a lot of the time. He is meant to be 15 year old, yet he acts, speaks and thinks more like a 10 year old. Maybe this was just me, but that really bugged me! However, I did love Sam and Patrick. I loved how feminine and sweet Sam came across as, and I loved how big of a personality Patrick had. I would have to say that Patrick was probably my favourite character in the book.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was definitely an enjoyable read for me. I think if Charlie would've acted more like his age, it would've been a tad bit better.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ that enjoys reading about the ups and downs of life as well as those adults who want to remember their high school years.
Okay, so I'd been wanting to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky since I heard about the film. Everyone went on about how great the book was, and I knew that I had to read it. There was one major thing that bothered me, but on the whole I loved it!
Charlie is a freshman in high school and is a little bit of a geek. This is the coming of age of Charlie as he writes letters to unknown friend. Together, we experience the highs and lows of one year of his life in which he does a lot of firsts and finds out some important information about himself.
I like the title of this book. I really do. Our main character is a big time wallflower, and he does discover that it has its perks. Therefore, the title really explains the books. I also think it's quite an original title and an interesting sounding one at that.
The cover of this book is quite simple yet it just kind of works. I think that if there would've been more on the cover, it would've lost its appeal.
Chbosky did an excellent job with the world building. Reading this book, it took me back to my high school days. I thought the author did a great job in capturing the essence of high school kids. I also love how the narration of the story was told through letters.
I thought the pacing was spot on. I would've finished this book in less than a day if real life hadn't have got in the way! I devoured every word, and I couldn't wait to find out what Charlie would experience next.
As for the dialogue, I thought it did sound like a bunch of teenagers talking to one another which is was supposed to. However, the way Charlie spoke bugged me a bit. His dialogue (both internally and to the other characters) made him sound like he was either really young or a bit slow. Perhaps this was done on purpose, and I'm missing the point completely. There are references to sex, drugs, and the like so please keep this in mind when deciding if this is the book for you as I know some people might not like reading about that. As for swear words, I think there may've been only one, but it wasn't a bad swear word.
As stated in the previous paragraph, I felt that the character of Charlie seemed to be either slow or really young. I'm not saying that he was a poorly written character because he wasn't. He just came across as too naive on most things to feel believable a lot of the time. He is meant to be 15 year old, yet he acts, speaks and thinks more like a 10 year old. Maybe this was just me, but that really bugged me! However, I did love Sam and Patrick. I loved how feminine and sweet Sam came across as, and I loved how big of a personality Patrick had. I would have to say that Patrick was probably my favourite character in the book.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was definitely an enjoyable read for me. I think if Charlie would've acted more like his age, it would've been a tad bit better.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ that enjoys reading about the ups and downs of life as well as those adults who want to remember their high school years.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Jackals (2017) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Jimmy Levine has been deprogramming cult members for years, after being part of one before, he will push Justin, but this time he may have met his match. Kathy is the mother of the family, she has turned to drink after her marriage fell apart, she does enjoy the grandmother role though. Andrew is the father that brings in Jimmy, willing to face his own mistakes to save his son from the cult. Justin is the son that joined the cult, he believes he is part of a new family and they have come in search for his baby daughter to join the cult.
Performances – We do have a couple of well-known actors in this film, Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger and Johnathon Schaech being the big three, the problem is with the story, the three actors struggle to make the impact in this film they could have. Nobody gets to make the most of their work in this film apart from the cult members that makes us feel like we are watching the creepy crazed figures.
Story – The story follows a family try to save their son from a cult he joined, only the cult isn’t accepting one of their members to leaving, even if he doesn’t want to leave. This does take a spin on the home invasion film because we have a ready made established member of the cult being taken against his will, the cult size is scary big with the action against being deadly. The problems with the story come from the idea that we don’t learn the true motives of the people in the cult, why he joined them in the first place and with the ending feeling like they just ran out of money. This story has so much more potential, it feels like something was just missing in the execution as the ending is completely rushed.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from just what the cult is willing to do, they will make you feel uneasy every time they are just stood in the shadows, this is easily the highlight of the film. we are left to keep guessing on just what will happen in the film too.
Settings – The film is set in a cabin the woods, we have no signal, the cars are the only way out, but taken away early meaning the family is isolated and trapped, perfect for what the cult want to do to them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are solid enough, we see most of the aftermath of any damage, which the one time we get to see the shocking damage we can easily turn away from that.
Scene of the Movie – The figures in the shadows.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror film that was filled with potential, we could have seen so much more even if the horror side of the film is the highlight of the film.
Overall: Disturbing, yet unfulfilling horror.
Performances – We do have a couple of well-known actors in this film, Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger and Johnathon Schaech being the big three, the problem is with the story, the three actors struggle to make the impact in this film they could have. Nobody gets to make the most of their work in this film apart from the cult members that makes us feel like we are watching the creepy crazed figures.
Story – The story follows a family try to save their son from a cult he joined, only the cult isn’t accepting one of their members to leaving, even if he doesn’t want to leave. This does take a spin on the home invasion film because we have a ready made established member of the cult being taken against his will, the cult size is scary big with the action against being deadly. The problems with the story come from the idea that we don’t learn the true motives of the people in the cult, why he joined them in the first place and with the ending feeling like they just ran out of money. This story has so much more potential, it feels like something was just missing in the execution as the ending is completely rushed.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from just what the cult is willing to do, they will make you feel uneasy every time they are just stood in the shadows, this is easily the highlight of the film. we are left to keep guessing on just what will happen in the film too.
Settings – The film is set in a cabin the woods, we have no signal, the cars are the only way out, but taken away early meaning the family is isolated and trapped, perfect for what the cult want to do to them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are solid enough, we see most of the aftermath of any damage, which the one time we get to see the shocking damage we can easily turn away from that.
Scene of the Movie – The figures in the shadows.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror film that was filled with potential, we could have seen so much more even if the horror side of the film is the highlight of the film.
Overall: Disturbing, yet unfulfilling horror.
Kyera (8 KP) rated There's Someone In Your House in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This young adult thriller brings the feeling of Scream to a captivating if a bit on the nose book. I liked the characterization in the book, as each person felt unique but they weren't developed in any meaningful way. As a result, it was an enjoyable and quick read but you're likely to not connect strongly with any of the characters.
One of the toughest things in a book versus a visual story when building suspense is that everything needs to be laid out for the reader. You can't just expect the reader to notice an out of place egg timer as they might when watching a tv show, you need to expressly tell your reader that it keeps moving to strange locations. I feel like this could have been executed more smoothly in the book, but as I am not an experienced thriller writer (nor reader), I don't feel I have enough knowledge to know for sure. It just seemed like the author tended to tell, rather than show throughout the narrative. The clues and scares were shoved in your face, rather than letting the creep factor build on its own.
A lot of readers have mentioned knowing "whodunnit" the moment that character appeared on the page, but I did not have that same experience. I felt that there was enough misdirection thrown your way and too-obvious clues pointing to certain characters that it was able to remain a mystery for a while. The only problem I had with the reveal is that it seemed to occur much too early in the book. It seemed to be about halfway into the story and we already knew who the killer was. As this was an incredibly short, easy read that makes the reveal feel premature.
I would be a little hesitant to recommend this book to younger readers or anyone who is squeamish about gory scenes because there were a number of them in the book. In general, she wasn't vividly descriptive but her clinical detachment while describing the scenes might be off-putting to some. Some of the murders are incredibly violent and others are just very stabby.
One of the toughest things in a book versus a visual story when building suspense is that everything needs to be laid out for the reader. You can't just expect the reader to notice an out of place egg timer as they might when watching a tv show, you need to expressly tell your reader that it keeps moving to strange locations. I feel like this could have been executed more smoothly in the book, but as I am not an experienced thriller writer (nor reader), I don't feel I have enough knowledge to know for sure. It just seemed like the author tended to tell, rather than show throughout the narrative. The clues and scares were shoved in your face, rather than letting the creep factor build on its own.
A lot of readers have mentioned knowing "whodunnit" the moment that character appeared on the page, but I did not have that same experience. I felt that there was enough misdirection thrown your way and too-obvious clues pointing to certain characters that it was able to remain a mystery for a while. The only problem I had with the reveal is that it seemed to occur much too early in the book. It seemed to be about halfway into the story and we already knew who the killer was. As this was an incredibly short, easy read that makes the reveal feel premature.
I would be a little hesitant to recommend this book to younger readers or anyone who is squeamish about gory scenes because there were a number of them in the book. In general, she wasn't vividly descriptive but her clinical detachment while describing the scenes might be off-putting to some. Some of the murders are incredibly violent and others are just very stabby.