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JT (287 KP) rated Risky Business (1983) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
That shot of Tom Cruise sliding across the hall in his trademark shades, pink shirt and the tightest pair of white briefs is synonymous with the spring board that launched his career.
A film that may have proved the inspiration for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of Cruise’s most famous roles, and it has all the hall marks of a classic 80s comedy with an influx of drama that proved the catalyst for a great film.
Joel Goodsen (Cruise) is just your average American teen, when his parents go out of town for a few days he and fellow buddies look to have a little fun, in part by turning the homestead into a working brothel.
Of course there is a method behind the madness with Cruise hooking up with call girl Lana (De Mornay), they both have their problems and agree on a mutual business deal which also involves engaging in sex every now and again.
If you ever wonder what to do on the subway one night Cruise and De Mornay lead the lesson. That scene in itself is draped in 80s clichés, soft rock music and a strobe lighting effect from the train, it delivers on the steam factor.
The subject matter throughout is strong and covered across all angles. A highly sexed teenage boy, drug use, what not to do to your father’s Porche and being hunted down by a killer pimp, its all in there.
Cruise’s acting display is not the best, but he has the early raw talent to get him through, and of course as we know, the rest is history. What is always similar about teenage kids of this era getting into trouble is that they always seem to get away with it in the end, Ferris Bueller a prime example.
To think that anyone in this day and age would be as lucky is highly unlikely, and that goes for sliding around in tight white under garments.
A film that may have proved the inspiration for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of Cruise’s most famous roles, and it has all the hall marks of a classic 80s comedy with an influx of drama that proved the catalyst for a great film.
Joel Goodsen (Cruise) is just your average American teen, when his parents go out of town for a few days he and fellow buddies look to have a little fun, in part by turning the homestead into a working brothel.
Of course there is a method behind the madness with Cruise hooking up with call girl Lana (De Mornay), they both have their problems and agree on a mutual business deal which also involves engaging in sex every now and again.
If you ever wonder what to do on the subway one night Cruise and De Mornay lead the lesson. That scene in itself is draped in 80s clichés, soft rock music and a strobe lighting effect from the train, it delivers on the steam factor.
The subject matter throughout is strong and covered across all angles. A highly sexed teenage boy, drug use, what not to do to your father’s Porche and being hunted down by a killer pimp, its all in there.
Cruise’s acting display is not the best, but he has the early raw talent to get him through, and of course as we know, the rest is history. What is always similar about teenage kids of this era getting into trouble is that they always seem to get away with it in the end, Ferris Bueller a prime example.
To think that anyone in this day and age would be as lucky is highly unlikely, and that goes for sliding around in tight white under garments.
JT (287 KP) rated Safe House (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Denzel Washington always gets the cool names, Tobin Frost is added to a long list, not that the actor cares too much? He just goes about his business. Here though, both he and Reynolds are suited adversaries in a film that never really has time to catch its breath.
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Coconut Layer Cake Murder in Books
Mar 23, 2020
Clearing Lonnie
Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar, has been ordered to rest – it came straight from Doc himself. But a trip to California to help a friend pack up is cut short when Hannah’s younger sister, Michelle, calls in a panic. There’s been another murder in Lake Eden, and Michelle’s boyfriend, Lonnie, is the prime suspect. After a night out with friends, Lonnie took a drunk woman home only to pass out on her couch. The next morning, he wakes up to find her dead in her bedroom with no memory of anything after he passed out. Since Lonnie is a detective with the police department, most of them can’t investigate since they are friends with the suspect. Naturally, Hannah immediately flies home, but can she figure out who is the killer?
If you haven’t read the last few books, be aware this one spoils some pretty major things by necessity since they had a major impact on Hannah’s life. Those up to date on the series will be happy to learn we get an answer to the cliffhanger from the last book early on. This book is a return to the status quo of a few entries ago. After a slow start, the pacing gets better once Hannah returns home. There is still plenty of talk about cooking, however, but we get clues and red herrings until we reach the climax. The characters are all here, and I enjoyed seeing them, but there is little in the way of actual character development. That includes the love triangle, which is back in play here. We get another nineteen recipes, and I think I gained weight reading about them. They certainly sound delicious. Fans who have stuck with this series will enjoy this outing. If you are new, don’t jump in here but go back to the beginning to see why we love these characters.
If you haven’t read the last few books, be aware this one spoils some pretty major things by necessity since they had a major impact on Hannah’s life. Those up to date on the series will be happy to learn we get an answer to the cliffhanger from the last book early on. This book is a return to the status quo of a few entries ago. After a slow start, the pacing gets better once Hannah returns home. There is still plenty of talk about cooking, however, but we get clues and red herrings until we reach the climax. The characters are all here, and I enjoyed seeing them, but there is little in the way of actual character development. That includes the love triangle, which is back in play here. We get another nineteen recipes, and I think I gained weight reading about them. They certainly sound delicious. Fans who have stuck with this series will enjoy this outing. If you are new, don’t jump in here but go back to the beginning to see why we love these characters.
Becs (244 KP) rated The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) in Books
Aug 4, 2019
Not my favorite novel
You can also find this review on my blog at bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, murder, talk of suicide
Review:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd was murdered in his study that was locked, but not before he received a letter from the person that was blackmailing the widow he was having an affair with. This same widow was being blackmailed and rumors spread about her murdering her own husband. She ends up committing suicide because of these rumors and blackmailing.
King's Abbot is full of suspects but it's up to Hercule Poirot to figure out who is guilty of murdering Roger Ackroyd. He is aided by the village doctor and narrator of the story, James Sheppard and his sister, Caroline Sheppard.
I really wanted to love this novel, as it seemed really interesting. It didn't get interesting until the very ending and I wouldn't recommend reading this book first if you've never read an Agatha Christie novel. This was the first ever novel I've read by Agatha Christie and I'm just not really bothered to read any more novels by Agatha Christie.
The story was somewhat interesting, but the execution wasn't there. I wasn't able to guess the killer, so that was a fun little plot twist. But the ending came abruptly and the overall story lacked. It lacked that punch that most mysteries have. There was hardly any development and background for both the story and the characters.
I listened to the audiobook version of this so I wasn't sure if there wasn't any grammatical and/or spelling errors. The narrator was a bit monotone but was otherwise a decent speaker. I forced myself through this, when all I wanted to do was DNF it. It lacked, was confusing, and was rather boring. I did not enjoy this and was disappointed with the overall story.
"The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me."
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, murder, talk of suicide
Review:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd was murdered in his study that was locked, but not before he received a letter from the person that was blackmailing the widow he was having an affair with. This same widow was being blackmailed and rumors spread about her murdering her own husband. She ends up committing suicide because of these rumors and blackmailing.
King's Abbot is full of suspects but it's up to Hercule Poirot to figure out who is guilty of murdering Roger Ackroyd. He is aided by the village doctor and narrator of the story, James Sheppard and his sister, Caroline Sheppard.
I really wanted to love this novel, as it seemed really interesting. It didn't get interesting until the very ending and I wouldn't recommend reading this book first if you've never read an Agatha Christie novel. This was the first ever novel I've read by Agatha Christie and I'm just not really bothered to read any more novels by Agatha Christie.
The story was somewhat interesting, but the execution wasn't there. I wasn't able to guess the killer, so that was a fun little plot twist. But the ending came abruptly and the overall story lacked. It lacked that punch that most mysteries have. There was hardly any development and background for both the story and the characters.
I listened to the audiobook version of this so I wasn't sure if there wasn't any grammatical and/or spelling errors. The narrator was a bit monotone but was otherwise a decent speaker. I forced myself through this, when all I wanted to do was DNF it. It lacked, was confusing, and was rather boring. I did not enjoy this and was disappointed with the overall story.
"The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me."
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Murder Mystery (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Sandler-ized "Clue" Mystery, Mixed With Rom/Com
Murder Mystery is a 2019 comedy/mystery directed by Kyle Newacheck and written by James Vanderbilt. It was produced by Happy Madison Productions, Endgame Entertainment, Vinson Films, Denver & Delilah Films, Tower Hill Entertainment and Mythology Entertainment and distributed by Netflix. The film stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, and Terrence Stamp.
New York police officer, Nick Spits (Adam Sandler) lies about booking a trip to Europe after their 15th anniversary dinner. His wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston), a hairdresser, thinks they will never visit Europe as he promised at their wedding. Nick scrambles to put together a less than ideal vacation honeymoon when on the plane Audrey meets billionaire Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans) who invites them to join him on his family yacht. As they explore the yacht they meet several eccentric and unusual people who they learn have all gathered to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Charles' former fiancee and his elderly uncle Malcolm Quince (Terrence Stamp). After Quince announces that everyone invited have been cutoff from his money and only his new wife Suzi (Shiori Kutsuna) will receive his inheritance, the lights go out and he is killed with his own dagger before he can sign his new will. Now everyone is a suspect, in this murder mystery.
This movie was great, lots of laughs and had you guessing, who did it. I really enjoy watching mystery/thriller movies and trying to see if I can figure out who the killer is before the reveal and I like how this movie kept me guessing. Of course it doesn't take itself as serious as an actual murder mystery and also pokes fun of some of the cliches and tropes, I had a good time watching it. It reminded me both of the movie The Orient Express and Clue. I give this movie a 6/10.
New York police officer, Nick Spits (Adam Sandler) lies about booking a trip to Europe after their 15th anniversary dinner. His wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston), a hairdresser, thinks they will never visit Europe as he promised at their wedding. Nick scrambles to put together a less than ideal vacation honeymoon when on the plane Audrey meets billionaire Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans) who invites them to join him on his family yacht. As they explore the yacht they meet several eccentric and unusual people who they learn have all gathered to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Charles' former fiancee and his elderly uncle Malcolm Quince (Terrence Stamp). After Quince announces that everyone invited have been cutoff from his money and only his new wife Suzi (Shiori Kutsuna) will receive his inheritance, the lights go out and he is killed with his own dagger before he can sign his new will. Now everyone is a suspect, in this murder mystery.
This movie was great, lots of laughs and had you guessing, who did it. I really enjoy watching mystery/thriller movies and trying to see if I can figure out who the killer is before the reveal and I like how this movie kept me guessing. Of course it doesn't take itself as serious as an actual murder mystery and also pokes fun of some of the cliches and tropes, I had a good time watching it. It reminded me both of the movie The Orient Express and Clue. I give this movie a 6/10.