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Erika (17789 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Dec 16, 2017 (Updated May 28, 2018)
I did read non-spoilery reviews prior to seeing the film this morning, and I was afraid I was going to hate it. In the end, I was entertained, so that was all that mattered. I'll go see it a few more times, and my opinion may change.
Rey's true parentage (if it's not contradicted in the next film), was completely anti-climactic. We got no backstory on Snoke. Who is Snoke? I did like that my favorite force ghost was brought back, and I appreciated that the character wasn't computer generated. I'm still waiting for force ghost Anakin to make an appearance to slap the crap out of Ben Solo. The excursion to Canto Bight was, strange? Unneeded? Laura Dern's character was semi-pointless. The character wasn't really likeable enough to care what she did or didn't do.
I was surprised that they did not take the opportunity to kill off Leia. They let the past die, just not completely.
***After seeing this a second time... I disliked it even more.
Rey's true parentage (if it's not contradicted in the next film), was completely anti-climactic. We got no backstory on Snoke. Who is Snoke? I did like that my favorite force ghost was brought back, and I appreciated that the character wasn't computer generated. I'm still waiting for force ghost Anakin to make an appearance to slap the crap out of Ben Solo. The excursion to Canto Bight was, strange? Unneeded? Laura Dern's character was semi-pointless. The character wasn't really likeable enough to care what she did or didn't do.
I was surprised that they did not take the opportunity to kill off Leia. They let the past die, just not completely.
***After seeing this a second time... I disliked it even more.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Strange Weather in Books
May 16, 2018
Strange Weather is the first bit of fiction I’ve managed to snare by Joe Hill. I heard some pretty great things about his work, but it’s possible I took those praises a little too much to heart. Rating this book doesn’t come easily. To quote what I told a friend on Twitter, reading Strange Weather felt like an attempt at chewing the gristle on steak. That is, wrong and uncomfortable, but not in a good way. I’ve decided to divvy my review up based on each storry.
SNAPSHOT
“Snapshot,” though a bit lacking in style, is one of two stories in this small collection that I found myself capable of tolerating. I figure it’s because this short tale embodies a sort of Twilight Zone and Night Gallery feel. It read the quickest out of the four stories and I found myself nearly in tears at its conclusion, so the best I can say about it is that I either felt something, or my emotions went bonkers again.
LOADED
The second shorty story in Hill’s collection, “Loaded,” is a bunch of driveling bullshit, for lack of a better word. I’m all about our Second Amendment Rights; I even have a cup that says “Don’t ban guns, ban idiots,” but this story encompasses the stereotypical idea that every gun owner or enthusiast is a batshit crazy blowhard that’s just looking for a reason to go off. I have friends and family that appreciate this machinery, that agree people should under go background and mental wellness checks prior to purchase of a fire arm, but this? This story just adds fuel to a fire that seeks kindling via blame on inanimate objects, rather than the person behind them. The main guy of “Loaded” shows us exactly how restricting gun ownership will fail so hey, better hurry and make it entirely illegal right? Oh, and let’s not get started with the over-saturation of Social Justice Warriorness in this piece. I’m all for equality, but this? This just reeks of extremism in a way that I almost abandoned the book as a whole.
ALOFT
“Aloft” is by far the best in this collection of short stories. An embodiment of the collections title, the main character encounters something unusual while fulfilling a dead friend’s promise and from there, things really take a turn for the bizarre. While I feel Hill gives us a bit too much exposition in this tale, there are many things about it that I feel should be appreciated. For instance, the next time anyone asks me what it’s like to have ulcerative colitis, I’ll probably ask them if they’ve read “Aloft”‘ by Joe Hill, because let’s face it: the torment Aubrey goes through gastrically (is that even a word?) in this story is a pretty damned accurate depiction of the suffering people with Crohn’s and Colitis endure.
RAIN
The final story in Hill’s collection seemed like it could have had a loft of potential. “Rain” further supports the title of the collection when a torrent of crystal nails fall from the sky to impale poor, unexpecting citizens. So what’s the problem then? “Rain” is so fundamentally flawed that it’s just… no. First, Hill is more obsessed with making fun of Trump in this story than the events that occur. This isn’t a bad thing – I absolutely loathe Trump, especially considering his policies may very well shorten my lifespan significantly. “Rain” is more a mockery than the story it could be. At least the twist at the end was fairly amusing, but by that point all I could do is roll my eyes in frustration.
CONCLUSION
Joe Hill’s Strange Weather is probably a poor choice for first time introduction to his work. In fact, it’s almost a deterrent considering it’s the first book by him that I read and I was ecstatic about receiving a review copy. It is with a bit of a heavy heart for the sake of disappointment that I am forced to conclude my review with a largely poor rating. Part of my compliance with FTC guidelines as a reviewer requires that I disclose when I read a free book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. In this case, I’d like to thank Edelweiss and HarperCollins/William Morrow for this opportunity.
SNAPSHOT
“Snapshot,” though a bit lacking in style, is one of two stories in this small collection that I found myself capable of tolerating. I figure it’s because this short tale embodies a sort of Twilight Zone and Night Gallery feel. It read the quickest out of the four stories and I found myself nearly in tears at its conclusion, so the best I can say about it is that I either felt something, or my emotions went bonkers again.
LOADED
The second shorty story in Hill’s collection, “Loaded,” is a bunch of driveling bullshit, for lack of a better word. I’m all about our Second Amendment Rights; I even have a cup that says “Don’t ban guns, ban idiots,” but this story encompasses the stereotypical idea that every gun owner or enthusiast is a batshit crazy blowhard that’s just looking for a reason to go off. I have friends and family that appreciate this machinery, that agree people should under go background and mental wellness checks prior to purchase of a fire arm, but this? This story just adds fuel to a fire that seeks kindling via blame on inanimate objects, rather than the person behind them. The main guy of “Loaded” shows us exactly how restricting gun ownership will fail so hey, better hurry and make it entirely illegal right? Oh, and let’s not get started with the over-saturation of Social Justice Warriorness in this piece. I’m all for equality, but this? This just reeks of extremism in a way that I almost abandoned the book as a whole.
ALOFT
“Aloft” is by far the best in this collection of short stories. An embodiment of the collections title, the main character encounters something unusual while fulfilling a dead friend’s promise and from there, things really take a turn for the bizarre. While I feel Hill gives us a bit too much exposition in this tale, there are many things about it that I feel should be appreciated. For instance, the next time anyone asks me what it’s like to have ulcerative colitis, I’ll probably ask them if they’ve read “Aloft”‘ by Joe Hill, because let’s face it: the torment Aubrey goes through gastrically (is that even a word?) in this story is a pretty damned accurate depiction of the suffering people with Crohn’s and Colitis endure.
RAIN
The final story in Hill’s collection seemed like it could have had a loft of potential. “Rain” further supports the title of the collection when a torrent of crystal nails fall from the sky to impale poor, unexpecting citizens. So what’s the problem then? “Rain” is so fundamentally flawed that it’s just… no. First, Hill is more obsessed with making fun of Trump in this story than the events that occur. This isn’t a bad thing – I absolutely loathe Trump, especially considering his policies may very well shorten my lifespan significantly. “Rain” is more a mockery than the story it could be. At least the twist at the end was fairly amusing, but by that point all I could do is roll my eyes in frustration.
CONCLUSION
Joe Hill’s Strange Weather is probably a poor choice for first time introduction to his work. In fact, it’s almost a deterrent considering it’s the first book by him that I read and I was ecstatic about receiving a review copy. It is with a bit of a heavy heart for the sake of disappointment that I am forced to conclude my review with a largely poor rating. Part of my compliance with FTC guidelines as a reviewer requires that I disclose when I read a free book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. In this case, I’d like to thank Edelweiss and HarperCollins/William Morrow for this opportunity.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Dark Waters (2019) in Movies
Feb 23, 2020
There were so many trailers for this that, as many of us predicted, there was an Unlimited Screening in our futures.
Rob Bilott is climbing the ladder as a corporate attorney and just as he gets a promotion a troubling case drops into his hands. Wilbur Tennant arrives with a box of evidence they've collected from their town. DuPont Chemicals have been good to the town... in the past, but some of the residents believe that they've slowly poisoning every living thing in its shadow.
Trying to find the evidence to what seems like a clear cut case is difficult when the company's influence is so far reaching, at every turn they're ready to do what it takes to protect themselves and their bottom line no matter the cost to everyone else.
I wasn't on the edge of my seat watching Dark Waters but I was wowed by what I saw. The negative comments in my notes were few and far between, and those that I did make were mainly personal preferences.
It's very unusual for me to come out without an acting or character flaw, perhaps there's someone who felt neglected or given a bad hand by the script. In Dark Waters I felt impressed with everyone, there wasn't a single bit of acting that made me furrow my brow or audibly scoff at the screen.
Mark Ruffalo as Rob Bilott may have been understated but that felt accurate for the real life side of things and I was fine with that. He conveyed the stress of his position and the anxiety and fear so well that you could feel it too. His relationships were all very different and each one stuck to the things that they needed to highlight within the story, the fraught relationship with his wife Sarah was particularly sharp.
If you look at Anne Hathaway's acting credits there are quite a few roles that don't exactly scream breathtaking, sure there are some fun roles in there but nothing has felt like they really took her to the next level... until now. Her portrayal of Sarah Bilott felt so incredibly real. The emotions were all on display from anger to fear, it was so strong. In one scene where Rob is trying to explain to her just how bad the fallout from DuPont's Teflon scandal is you can see Sarah's mind at work, she looks around the room at everything as he's talking and the panic is evident on her face. This coupled with the rollercoaster she has to go through with Rob when they visit the town finally showed me just how well Hathaway can handle these serious roles.
Everything you see on screen brings across a sense of the era we're looking at, from flashback to the more present day we're given points to focus on. You see phone technology changing and styles, companies and attitudes. One of my notes was that while you do see that happening it doesn't feel like it filters through consistently. It may just be a case that the jumps in time mean that it will be a striking difference, but it seemed to really hit you in the face with product placement.
With a lot of video evidence and news footage being used there's a consistent grainy effect on it all... this is one of those personal preference comments... while I understand it and it makes sense I didn't like it. I know, super picky aren't I? So while I'm at it, there's also a random artsy shot in there that made me queasy and confused.
It's difficult to really comprehend the magnitude of this topic and the fact that someone/something was more interested in profit than the lives of those that helped them become who they were. It's horrific and paranoia-inducing. Somehow they managed to show that story without it getting out of hand and I think that's a real credit to everyone involved. I might not ever need to see this film again but I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/dark-waters-movie-review.html
Rob Bilott is climbing the ladder as a corporate attorney and just as he gets a promotion a troubling case drops into his hands. Wilbur Tennant arrives with a box of evidence they've collected from their town. DuPont Chemicals have been good to the town... in the past, but some of the residents believe that they've slowly poisoning every living thing in its shadow.
Trying to find the evidence to what seems like a clear cut case is difficult when the company's influence is so far reaching, at every turn they're ready to do what it takes to protect themselves and their bottom line no matter the cost to everyone else.
I wasn't on the edge of my seat watching Dark Waters but I was wowed by what I saw. The negative comments in my notes were few and far between, and those that I did make were mainly personal preferences.
It's very unusual for me to come out without an acting or character flaw, perhaps there's someone who felt neglected or given a bad hand by the script. In Dark Waters I felt impressed with everyone, there wasn't a single bit of acting that made me furrow my brow or audibly scoff at the screen.
Mark Ruffalo as Rob Bilott may have been understated but that felt accurate for the real life side of things and I was fine with that. He conveyed the stress of his position and the anxiety and fear so well that you could feel it too. His relationships were all very different and each one stuck to the things that they needed to highlight within the story, the fraught relationship with his wife Sarah was particularly sharp.
If you look at Anne Hathaway's acting credits there are quite a few roles that don't exactly scream breathtaking, sure there are some fun roles in there but nothing has felt like they really took her to the next level... until now. Her portrayal of Sarah Bilott felt so incredibly real. The emotions were all on display from anger to fear, it was so strong. In one scene where Rob is trying to explain to her just how bad the fallout from DuPont's Teflon scandal is you can see Sarah's mind at work, she looks around the room at everything as he's talking and the panic is evident on her face. This coupled with the rollercoaster she has to go through with Rob when they visit the town finally showed me just how well Hathaway can handle these serious roles.
Everything you see on screen brings across a sense of the era we're looking at, from flashback to the more present day we're given points to focus on. You see phone technology changing and styles, companies and attitudes. One of my notes was that while you do see that happening it doesn't feel like it filters through consistently. It may just be a case that the jumps in time mean that it will be a striking difference, but it seemed to really hit you in the face with product placement.
With a lot of video evidence and news footage being used there's a consistent grainy effect on it all... this is one of those personal preference comments... while I understand it and it makes sense I didn't like it. I know, super picky aren't I? So while I'm at it, there's also a random artsy shot in there that made me queasy and confused.
It's difficult to really comprehend the magnitude of this topic and the fact that someone/something was more interested in profit than the lives of those that helped them become who they were. It's horrific and paranoia-inducing. Somehow they managed to show that story without it getting out of hand and I think that's a real credit to everyone involved. I might not ever need to see this film again but I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/dark-waters-movie-review.html
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This is my favorite book in the series so far because the plot FINALLY focuses on Claire's schooling. When her schedule got replaced with harder classes, I went just a bit green with envy - I'm a nerd at heart, even though I haven't been to school in years. I also love that we get more background information about the town of Morganville, such as its purpose and an explanation of the more mystical aspects of the town. Myrnin was quite a fascinating character, and I would not have minded if the text spent more time on Claire's studies with him, as well as her advanced class studies. (And yes, my favorite parts of the Harry Potter series was the classroom stuff.)
I didn't like that this book did not have Eve's journal entries at the end like previous books have done. Those previously gave me clues into her mind and her relationship with Michael, as well as a taste of what happens in the next book, so I was rather disappointed when I realized it was missing.
I'm hoping that future books go into more detail about what the journals cover as well as what exactly the red crystals are and how they affected Claire. I'm hoping that the drama with Eve's brother Jason gets resolved quickly as I find him just plain annoying and obnoxious. The ending had me exclaiming out loud, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4).
I didn't like that this book did not have Eve's journal entries at the end like previous books have done. Those previously gave me clues into her mind and her relationship with Michael, as well as a taste of what happens in the next book, so I was rather disappointed when I realized it was missing.
I'm hoping that future books go into more detail about what the journals cover as well as what exactly the red crystals are and how they affected Claire. I'm hoping that the drama with Eve's brother Jason gets resolved quickly as I find him just plain annoying and obnoxious. The ending had me exclaiming out loud, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4).
ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Woman Worth Ten Coppers (Shadowed Path, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I could not put this book down. From the first chapter, I was hooked. So many secrets surround Honus and Yim, and, as the reader, I wanted so much to figure out each and every one right along with the protagonists. However, I felt like nothing ever happened.
First off, the world seemed like such a cold, dark place. Everywhere Honus and Yim traveled, there was nothing but suffering and strife. I felt as if the entire world was just this bleak place with no hope of any kind. Even when the two protagonists reached a town filled with priests and merchant, I felt the utter lack of happiness. It was actually pretty depressing to read, especially when every person the two ran across was down on their luck in some way.
I was also frustrated with the secret keeping. I wanted so much to scream their secrets at each other that it was one of the things that drove me to keep reading. However, whenever any secrets were revealed, it was so anticlimactic that I was just happy it was finally out.
The more I read the novel, the more I couldn't wait for Honus and Yim to reach their destination. When they did, the suffering still continued. Then the novel ended so suddenly that I immediately bought the second one to see what happened.
If you are looking for any romance, look somewhere else. If you want some action, you won't find it hear. However, if you want a dark novel riddled with secrets and unknown futures, Morgan Howell delivers.
First off, the world seemed like such a cold, dark place. Everywhere Honus and Yim traveled, there was nothing but suffering and strife. I felt as if the entire world was just this bleak place with no hope of any kind. Even when the two protagonists reached a town filled with priests and merchant, I felt the utter lack of happiness. It was actually pretty depressing to read, especially when every person the two ran across was down on their luck in some way.
I was also frustrated with the secret keeping. I wanted so much to scream their secrets at each other that it was one of the things that drove me to keep reading. However, whenever any secrets were revealed, it was so anticlimactic that I was just happy it was finally out.
The more I read the novel, the more I couldn't wait for Honus and Yim to reach their destination. When they did, the suffering still continued. Then the novel ended so suddenly that I immediately bought the second one to see what happened.
If you are looking for any romance, look somewhere else. If you want some action, you won't find it hear. However, if you want a dark novel riddled with secrets and unknown futures, Morgan Howell delivers.
Gaz Coombes recommended track Nights by Frank Ocean in Blond by Frank Ocean in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
At its best a celebration of life, people, and all they have to offer - which also acts as one of countless reminders why Lauryn Hill is such a force to be reckoned with. At its worst - I confess - rather dull, and when it makes you begrudgingly want to admit that charity-stealing P.O.S. Wyclef Jean is actually one hell of a talented musical artist (that piano rendition of "If I Was President" is so great it's actually chilling). Not what I expected, seems to be content with just being chill rather than being the powerhouse of fun and emotion it could have been - and that's okay - still has some good musical numbers, funny moments, and a whole truckload of talent as well as some essential and incredibly timely words of wisdom that are just as potent (if not, maybe even moreso) today than they ever were in the 21st century. Has a certain calm energy about it that feels like a nice warm stroll along your hometown, but that's all it ever really feels like. Obviously the words, ideas, lives, enjoyment, talent, and music are important, relevant, and absolutely crucial 100%. But I can't mistake powerful presences/material for the memorable and amazing execution this wasn't really given. Make no mistake, I still definitely dig it and the feelings expressed throughout I will not soon forget - but as a film watch it sort of treads water. Though I can't dislike any film which features a live Kanye rendition of "Jesus Walks".
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots in TV
Apr 17, 2019
Amazing visuals and a little something for everyone
I really just watched rhis on a whom when I noticed how short the episodes ,less then 20 mintues each, were since I had no idea what I wanted to watch and I really got to say I was not disappointed. Love Death + Robots is a really awesome anthology series that has a little something for everyone and depending on who you ask most people are going to have a different favorite episode. Mine personally was episode 4 Suits.
The visuals on this show are gorgeous almost all are animated but some like episode 3 The Witness are so realistic looking you almost can't tell it's not actual people on screen. Then you also have other episodes like episode 5 Sucker of Souls which is very simple and rough animation but which I was still a fan of.
My only real complaint was how a lot of the episodes handled the female characters. Just your typical over sexualized taken on woman which in 2019 really is outdated and I expect better by now.
The visuals on this show are gorgeous almost all are animated but some like episode 3 The Witness are so realistic looking you almost can't tell it's not actual people on screen. Then you also have other episodes like episode 5 Sucker of Souls which is very simple and rough animation but which I was still a fan of.
My only real complaint was how a lot of the episodes handled the female characters. Just your typical over sexualized taken on woman which in 2019 really is outdated and I expect better by now.
Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
May 21, 2019
Tough watch...
Let me preface by saying I'm a fan and thoroughly enjoyed the Harry Potter franchise. The first of the Fantastic Beast series was passable at best so my expectations were low, to say the least heading into the sequel. And this film hit that low spot like a dart to a bullseye. I enjoy many of the actors and actresses in the movie, too. Redmayne does a great job and I really don't mind Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. But this movie is just a dark and confusing slog from start to finish. Every time you get to the point where you think you're about to give up on caring, they are like "Look, we have a cute creature." These little cute distractions are the highlight and lone fun part of the film. My ending thought with the closing credits was the same as it was for its predecessor: I wish Deathly Hallows would have been the end of this franchise. This is just blasphemy to Potterheads everywhere.
Leah Rothwell (170 KP) rated The Devil Rides Out in Books
Oct 8, 2018
Hauntingly amazing
This is the first time I’ve read this book, I read it because my grandfather did the cover illustrations for this edition and I can honestly say this book is amazing. I didn’t connect with it when I was younger but now I’m older I am amazed at how haunting this book is.
The suspense is there, the panic leaps between you and the book all the time and it’s amazing.
This isn’t my typical genre of book to read but now I can’t stop at just this one.
It’s not a particularly long book but it doesn’t miss anything, you won’t be grasping at the next one, you’ll just be taken by this one and transported like it’s the first book you’ve ever read.
I can’t say I found anything bad about this book because I didn’t. I will definitely be rereading it and moving onto the other two books in the ‘trilogy’ that Wordsworth Editions printed. I hope they are as satanic as this book, creepy but breathtaking.
The suspense is there, the panic leaps between you and the book all the time and it’s amazing.
This isn’t my typical genre of book to read but now I can’t stop at just this one.
It’s not a particularly long book but it doesn’t miss anything, you won’t be grasping at the next one, you’ll just be taken by this one and transported like it’s the first book you’ve ever read.
I can’t say I found anything bad about this book because I didn’t. I will definitely be rereading it and moving onto the other two books in the ‘trilogy’ that Wordsworth Editions printed. I hope they are as satanic as this book, creepy but breathtaking.
Erika (17789 KP) Dec 21, 2017