Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies
Jul 17, 2019
King Arthur (Graham Chapman) is given a quest from God to retrieve the Holy Grail. Hilarity and irrelevance abound follow.
Wether it's Palin's Sir Galahad and his trip to castle Anthrax, Idles Sir Robin bravely running away or Cleese as Sir Lancelot slaughtering half a wedding in a rescue attempt.
Scenes like The Black Knight, The knights who say NI, Tim the Enchanter and the amazing Scene 24 have all become ingrained into fans minds.
Even the opening credits are source of humour plus typical little Python-esque animations.
The ending is crazy but it only befits the film that has come before it. You never would have thought there was so much to learn about Swallows, African or European.
Dean (6925 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Jan 14, 2020 (Updated Jan 14, 2020)
The Locked-Room Mysteries
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The purest kind of detective story involves a crime solved by observation and deduction, rather than...
In Search of the Dark Ages
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This edition of Michael Wood's groundbreaking first book explores the fascinating and mysterious...
Pendragon Rises (Once And Future Hearts Book 3)
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She is invisible to everyone but the blind man… Anwen is the least favored companion to Lady...
adult series fiction historical historical fiction historical romance
JT (287 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Arthur Fleck is a clown for hire. Scraping to make ends meet while looking after his ailing mother (Frances Conroy) he has ambitions of making it as a stand-up comedian. Sadly his narcissistic personality and uncontrollable fits of laughter (through no fault of his own) make him a target for society. Gotham City is an unforgiving place and for Arthur, it is a constant struggle of acceptance. He’s belittled and beaten down at every turn and he’s not strong enough to fight back. The bruises on his skeletal frame are a testament to this. He’s an awkward character not least because his quiet personality simmers beneath someone ready to explode – and explode he does.
A comic book adaptation like no other it’s thought-provoking and difficult to watch
But Arthur is sick. That much is clear. Society no longer wants to help. As a result, his social worker explains that the city has cut all funding and the facility and access to his medication he relies on will stop – “All I have are negative thoughts,” he says. When the brutality takes a serious turn he unwittingly becomes a figurehead for Gotham’s society. The clown is a symbol of defiance. Fighting against the rich, of all people Thomas Wayne, who is running for Mayor. Wayne becomes wrapped up in a storyline that brings Arthur together with a familiar young face.
The strong comparisons to Taxi Driver are unavoidable, but there is a definite Scorsese feel to the film. The casting of Robert De Niro as talk show host Murray Franklin is almost a direct nod to King of Comedy in which De Niro stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself. Here it’s Arthur who lovingly worships Murray. The build up to the clown prince of crime is worth the wait as the transformation builds up to a frenetic and gruesome final act.
One of the biggest takeaways from Joker is its focus on mental illness. Arthur’s battered notebook is not only a journal for his jokes but for his dark thoughts. This is a topic that will hit close to home for many people who might experience similar, with an outward animosity to society.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Enchanted Guardian (Camelot Reborn #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I love the mythology of Camelot, and by putting it into a modern setting, with the twist of the Fae losing their emotions, is simply wonderful reading! The story weaves itself around you, drawing you into a feud that is centuries old, but with fresh hurts.
It is incredibly well written, with a smooth and flowing pace. There are 'hot spots' where Lancelot and Nimueh spend time exploring each other again, but nothing too descriptive. With no editing or grammatical issues to contend with, I can definitely recommend this book to all fans of the legends of Camelot, or Fantasy/Romance fans.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
David McK (3372 KP) rated Outlaw (The Outlaw Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, and his bunch of blood-thirsty murderous outlaws ..."
Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?
"Outlaw" is the story of Robin Hood, told from the perspective of Alan Dale. Like Bernard Cornwell's series of books about King Arthur (indeed, my copy of the book even had a "As good as Bernard Cornwell or your money back" sticker on it), Outlaw is a more earthy, more 'real', telling of the famous tale. All the famous characters are here: Robin Hood, Maid Marie-Anne (Marion), Little John, Friar Tuck, Guy of Gisbourne, and (obviously) Alan Dale himself.
Forget the recent BBC adaptation, or even the '91 film starring a not-very-English Kevin Costner; this is more what Robin Hood would have been like (if he ever existed) than the over-romanticised legendary figure.
Worth a read? If you like Cornwell (or Simon Scarrow's) style of historical fiction, then my answer is a definite yes.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies
Jan 26, 2020
One of those films which has entered the collective consciousness of generations - 'Tis but a scratch!', the Knights who say 'Ni', the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and so on. Whether the film's willingness to totally rip up the cinema rulebook (opening with the titles from a completely different film, completely dispensing with a conventional ending) is inspired or just slightly annoying is probably up to the individual viewer, but this is the work of a team working at the height of their powers. Very, very funny.
Captain Britain: Legacy of A Legend
Alan Moore, Chris Claremont, Steve Parkhouse and Dave Thorpe
Book
Collects Captain Britain (1976) #1-2, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #65-66, and material from Hulk Comic #1...