Search
Search results
Death Valley
7.5
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Sunlight glaring through the windshield. Your favorite songs blasting through the speakers. Candy...
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated State of Play (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In the corridors of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. alliances and wheeling and dealing are the name of the game. With billions if not trillions of dollars hinging on new laws and policy, corporations clearly have an interest in which way the political winds are leaning and how it will affect their all important bottom line.
In the political thriller “State of Play”, Director Kevin MacDonald has combined a stellar cast with a strong script from Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray, and Matthew Michael Carnahan to craft one of the best dramas since Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton”.
When the lead researcher of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), dies in an accident, it is a devastating blow to the young Congressman as he prepares for a series of hearings intended to cull the growth of a private security firm.
What is at first listed as an accident raises suspicion in veteran news reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), who has had a long friendship, with Collins. Despite tension in recent years, Collins turns to Cal when it is revealed that he had an affair with his researcher. As Cal looks into the story he is under pressure from his editor (Helen Mirren), to deliver a story to keep the papers new owners happy. If this was not bad enough, Cal is also dogged by an online reporter for the paper named Della (Rachael McAdams), who is looking to make a name for herself at the paper.
Cal soon learns that the assistant was killed in what was made to look like an accident, and that a shooting incident that occurred prior to the death may be related to the murder.
Cal teams up with Della and soon learns that some very big players may be involved and that they will stop at nothing to protect their secret.
In a race against time, Cal and Della must get to the bottom of the mystery and stay alive. Unsure who to trust and which way their leads will follow, Cal and Della look for the answers that unaware that the quest they have undertaken will affect the halls of power as well as the very nation itself.
“State of Play” is a very tight thriller that is filled with twists and turns. The characters are interesting and well developed and the performances are first rate. Crowe is powerful as the determined Cal and works well with Affleck and Adams. Robin Wright Penn and Helen Mirren also give very strong performances.
The story of the film seems ripped from the headlines and has an eerie sense of reality to it, and works much better than “The International” attempted to do with its conspiracy premise.
While I have avoided as many spoilers as I could, suffice it to say that the film does have a deep plot that twists and turns to a rewarding conclusion and will keep your attention. I would hope that the fine work in this film is not forgotten when the Oscars come up next.
In the political thriller “State of Play”, Director Kevin MacDonald has combined a stellar cast with a strong script from Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray, and Matthew Michael Carnahan to craft one of the best dramas since Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton”.
When the lead researcher of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), dies in an accident, it is a devastating blow to the young Congressman as he prepares for a series of hearings intended to cull the growth of a private security firm.
What is at first listed as an accident raises suspicion in veteran news reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), who has had a long friendship, with Collins. Despite tension in recent years, Collins turns to Cal when it is revealed that he had an affair with his researcher. As Cal looks into the story he is under pressure from his editor (Helen Mirren), to deliver a story to keep the papers new owners happy. If this was not bad enough, Cal is also dogged by an online reporter for the paper named Della (Rachael McAdams), who is looking to make a name for herself at the paper.
Cal soon learns that the assistant was killed in what was made to look like an accident, and that a shooting incident that occurred prior to the death may be related to the murder.
Cal teams up with Della and soon learns that some very big players may be involved and that they will stop at nothing to protect their secret.
In a race against time, Cal and Della must get to the bottom of the mystery and stay alive. Unsure who to trust and which way their leads will follow, Cal and Della look for the answers that unaware that the quest they have undertaken will affect the halls of power as well as the very nation itself.
“State of Play” is a very tight thriller that is filled with twists and turns. The characters are interesting and well developed and the performances are first rate. Crowe is powerful as the determined Cal and works well with Affleck and Adams. Robin Wright Penn and Helen Mirren also give very strong performances.
The story of the film seems ripped from the headlines and has an eerie sense of reality to it, and works much better than “The International” attempted to do with its conspiracy premise.
While I have avoided as many spoilers as I could, suffice it to say that the film does have a deep plot that twists and turns to a rewarding conclusion and will keep your attention. I would hope that the fine work in this film is not forgotten when the Oscars come up next.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Yoga Hosers (2016) in Movies
Jan 31, 2018
Not too much to laugh aboot
When I sit down to watch a comedy/horror film, i usually laugh a little at some of the jokes. But being Canadian... I found this movie offensive as hell......
Not really. I found it subpar and slightly stupid.
Kevin Smith is and always will be one of my favorite writer/directors. His earlier films, Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy are right up there with some of my favorite flicks. Amd his attempt at horror, Red State, was a really good try at entering a genre that he doesn't have much business being in.
Don't even get me started on Tusk... What the fuck?!?!
This is kind of a sequel to the aforementioned walrus horror flick. A few characters from Tusk are in it. Including the Colleens, the pair of Zed Convenience store employees, who are now thrust into the main character roles.
The only light in this dark tunnel is Justin Long who plays Yoga Guru, Yogi Bayer... His portrayalof him is pretty awesome... right down to arguing on the phone with a lawyer from Warner Brothers about violating copyright infringement for his name... it's pretty sweet.
Johnny Depp returns to the sequel as Guy Lapointe French Canadian manhunter... and he is horrid...
Didn't think it was possible for that to happen.
So watch at your own risk.
Not really. I found it subpar and slightly stupid.
Kevin Smith is and always will be one of my favorite writer/directors. His earlier films, Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy are right up there with some of my favorite flicks. Amd his attempt at horror, Red State, was a really good try at entering a genre that he doesn't have much business being in.
Don't even get me started on Tusk... What the fuck?!?!
This is kind of a sequel to the aforementioned walrus horror flick. A few characters from Tusk are in it. Including the Colleens, the pair of Zed Convenience store employees, who are now thrust into the main character roles.
The only light in this dark tunnel is Justin Long who plays Yoga Guru, Yogi Bayer... His portrayalof him is pretty awesome... right down to arguing on the phone with a lawyer from Warner Brothers about violating copyright infringement for his name... it's pretty sweet.
Johnny Depp returns to the sequel as Guy Lapointe French Canadian manhunter... and he is horrid...
Didn't think it was possible for that to happen.
So watch at your own risk.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated We Need to Talk About Kevin in Books
Feb 15, 2018
Haunting
This is truly a harrowing read. This isn’t surprising considering the subject matter, but what I was surprised at is how much this book sucked me in and made me carry on reading.
The plot itself is unusual but sadly in a situation that is far too common nowadays. The story mechanism itself is interesting, and Eva writing letters to her ex-husband discussing Kevin, his life and her views on him really helps drip feed us everything we need to know just to keep us hooked. It makes you keep reading to get the full picture of Kevin’s life. Slowly building up to the event itself that are mentioned, but never discussed in detail, until right at the end. A story told by just one character is potentially dangerous, but this works really well. Yes at times the letters become a bit rambling and pretentious, but to me this is how Eva’s mind and personality are meant to come across. And the ending itself, after getting through however many pages, it is not a disappointment. It’s even safe to say I was shocked at the ending, it was in part unexpected and this has really made this book for me. It stands out.
Yes it’s a haunting read and definitely not a lighthearted one, but this is one that will really stick with you.
The plot itself is unusual but sadly in a situation that is far too common nowadays. The story mechanism itself is interesting, and Eva writing letters to her ex-husband discussing Kevin, his life and her views on him really helps drip feed us everything we need to know just to keep us hooked. It makes you keep reading to get the full picture of Kevin’s life. Slowly building up to the event itself that are mentioned, but never discussed in detail, until right at the end. A story told by just one character is potentially dangerous, but this works really well. Yes at times the letters become a bit rambling and pretentious, but to me this is how Eva’s mind and personality are meant to come across. And the ending itself, after getting through however many pages, it is not a disappointment. It’s even safe to say I was shocked at the ending, it was in part unexpected and this has really made this book for me. It stands out.
Yes it’s a haunting read and definitely not a lighthearted one, but this is one that will really stick with you.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Teleport in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Kindle Scout in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I've never actually read a book based solely on making a teleportation device as the main plot, so this was a ride inside a new experience. But there are huge loads of information that I personally felt were information dumps, and it went all over my head every time a character explained what was going on to another character. Nearly half the book is focused on creating the teleportation device or testing (and more testing) - those looking for a fast-paced book will find Teleport to be slow at first, but things do pick up later on as the book progresses.
Sometimes I come across books that have unnecessary romance (a lot of them have it as a nice touch), but Teleport felt really unnecessary and forced. I felt like Berry was trying to get a romance angle into the story when the story was doing fine without that angle.
Teleport was interesting and all, but there were some things that just didn't work out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-flooding-by-sean-hancock-and-teleport-kevin-berry/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I've never actually read a book based solely on making a teleportation device as the main plot, so this was a ride inside a new experience. But there are huge loads of information that I personally felt were information dumps, and it went all over my head every time a character explained what was going on to another character. Nearly half the book is focused on creating the teleportation device or testing (and more testing) - those looking for a fast-paced book will find Teleport to be slow at first, but things do pick up later on as the book progresses.
Sometimes I come across books that have unnecessary romance (a lot of them have it as a nice touch), but Teleport felt really unnecessary and forced. I felt like Berry was trying to get a romance angle into the story when the story was doing fine without that angle.
Teleport was interesting and all, but there were some things that just didn't work out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-flooding-by-sean-hancock-and-teleport-kevin-berry/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Broadside: How We Regained the Ashes
Book
The photograph was splashed all over the front pages of the newspapers: Stuart Broad's astonished...
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
8.2
Rate It
Movie Watch
Blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow (Johnny...
Working with Mindfulness: Keeping Calm and Focused to Get the Job Done
Michael Sinclair and Josie Seydel
Book
'Working with Mindfulness is an engaging and practical guide to reducing stress, transcending...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) in Movies
Mar 2, 2021
I Know What You Did Last Summer opens with the Type O Negative cover of Summer Breeze, which is always going to be a winner in my book.
This film is rightly considered a bit of a classic these days, and there's really not a whole bunch to complain about. It has well written characters, a decent cast, a visually creepy villain, an engaging whodunit plot, one of the best chase scenes in slasher movie history (that's right), and still manages to stand on its own two feet in a world where it's constantly compared to Scream.
I find this to be an unfair comparison. Beyond the 90s setting, teen characters, slasher tropes, and shared writer in Kevin Williamson, there's not much else that ties them together. Scream is of course a fantastic horror, but relishes in being satire, whereas IKWYDLS is a straight shooting horror. Its the exact kind of film that Scream takes aim at, but it still manages to be a decent slasher without feeling silly, and delivers some well earned jump scares for good measure. I also really enjoy it's fishing town setting and the hole movie is accompanied by a hilariously epic score courtesy of John Debney. It's great.
I will always have a lot of time for IKWYDLS, overshadowed by some of its contemporaries, but a hugely satisfying and entertaing horror in its own right.
This film is rightly considered a bit of a classic these days, and there's really not a whole bunch to complain about. It has well written characters, a decent cast, a visually creepy villain, an engaging whodunit plot, one of the best chase scenes in slasher movie history (that's right), and still manages to stand on its own two feet in a world where it's constantly compared to Scream.
I find this to be an unfair comparison. Beyond the 90s setting, teen characters, slasher tropes, and shared writer in Kevin Williamson, there's not much else that ties them together. Scream is of course a fantastic horror, but relishes in being satire, whereas IKWYDLS is a straight shooting horror. Its the exact kind of film that Scream takes aim at, but it still manages to be a decent slasher without feeling silly, and delivers some well earned jump scares for good measure. I also really enjoy it's fishing town setting and the hole movie is accompanied by a hilariously epic score courtesy of John Debney. It's great.
I will always have a lot of time for IKWYDLS, overshadowed by some of its contemporaries, but a hugely satisfying and entertaing horror in its own right.