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Darren (1599 KP) rated American Animals (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: American Animals starts as we see the heist about to take place, rewinding us 18 months where we meet Spencer Reinhardt (Keoghan) an art student in Transylvania University, struggling with his identity, turning to his streetwise friend Warren Lipka (Peters) the two discuss the potential of stealing rare expensive books from the library.
As the idea turns into a plan they bring in Chas Allen (Jenner) and Eric Borsuk (Abrahamson), can they make this plan come off, well the answer is no because as we see the planning we meet the real thieves now in their 30s discussing what they remember about the idea.
Thoughts on American Animals
Characters – Warren is the streetwise student on a scholarship, not living up to his potential, he will always get things down however illegal they might be. He is the one that brings the team together to make this happen even if he is also the one that gets them in the most problems. Spencer is the art student that comes up with the idea because he is sick of not standing out in the art world, looking for the pain be believes artist require. He is all in with the planning but when it comes to following through he thinks they will need to go too far. Chas is the getaway driver, he has the most money which helps with the planning of the heist. Eric becomes the brains learning where things could and would go wrong if they do it in certain directions. We do also meet the adult versions of these characters in the real version that are looking back on the crime they committed.
Performances – Evan Peters is the clear highlight in this film, he always comes off unpredictable which seeing the older versions of the characters you completely understand too. Barry Keoghan does play the stranger member of the crew well, he is the one that is happy to plan not commit a crime, he needs to be straighter faced than Peters character. When it comes to the rest of the cast they are fine without needing to do that much.
Story – The story here is based on the real story of four university students that robbed the rare book collection in the library of their university. The way the story is told is interesting because it does both help and hinder the film, having a mix of the actors playing the younger versions and the real men talking about the events does give the story a documentary feel. Where this does hinder the story is by telling us that they failed early on and are now just remembering what happen which takes away any excitement or edge of your set moments towards anything going on. There are moments in the story which are good to watch, for example the scene where they are watching heist movies to learn how to pull it off and seeing the pitch perfect plan in Warren’s head. If we are being honest, the story is about 20 minutes too long because the opening hour just drags you along, once the heist gets underway things get more exciting but by then you might see the audience lose interest.
Crime – The crime follows a real heist that happened at the same university, we get to see how it was planned, how things went down and seeing the consequences the boys felt.
Settings – The film is mostly set in and around the university, this helps for any heist film, we do get moments where we step away, but that is for the plan which does work when you see how the boys are out of their depth at times.
Scene of the Movie – Selecting the names.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first hour.
Final Thoughts – This is an overly long heist movie that drags along at a horribly slow pace, once things kick off we do get some interest, but the fact we have the real criminals involved in telling the story we know the outcome.
Overall: Just watch for Evan Peters being slightly crazy.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/28/american-animals-2018/
As the idea turns into a plan they bring in Chas Allen (Jenner) and Eric Borsuk (Abrahamson), can they make this plan come off, well the answer is no because as we see the planning we meet the real thieves now in their 30s discussing what they remember about the idea.
Thoughts on American Animals
Characters – Warren is the streetwise student on a scholarship, not living up to his potential, he will always get things down however illegal they might be. He is the one that brings the team together to make this happen even if he is also the one that gets them in the most problems. Spencer is the art student that comes up with the idea because he is sick of not standing out in the art world, looking for the pain be believes artist require. He is all in with the planning but when it comes to following through he thinks they will need to go too far. Chas is the getaway driver, he has the most money which helps with the planning of the heist. Eric becomes the brains learning where things could and would go wrong if they do it in certain directions. We do also meet the adult versions of these characters in the real version that are looking back on the crime they committed.
Performances – Evan Peters is the clear highlight in this film, he always comes off unpredictable which seeing the older versions of the characters you completely understand too. Barry Keoghan does play the stranger member of the crew well, he is the one that is happy to plan not commit a crime, he needs to be straighter faced than Peters character. When it comes to the rest of the cast they are fine without needing to do that much.
Story – The story here is based on the real story of four university students that robbed the rare book collection in the library of their university. The way the story is told is interesting because it does both help and hinder the film, having a mix of the actors playing the younger versions and the real men talking about the events does give the story a documentary feel. Where this does hinder the story is by telling us that they failed early on and are now just remembering what happen which takes away any excitement or edge of your set moments towards anything going on. There are moments in the story which are good to watch, for example the scene where they are watching heist movies to learn how to pull it off and seeing the pitch perfect plan in Warren’s head. If we are being honest, the story is about 20 minutes too long because the opening hour just drags you along, once the heist gets underway things get more exciting but by then you might see the audience lose interest.
Crime – The crime follows a real heist that happened at the same university, we get to see how it was planned, how things went down and seeing the consequences the boys felt.
Settings – The film is mostly set in and around the university, this helps for any heist film, we do get moments where we step away, but that is for the plan which does work when you see how the boys are out of their depth at times.
Scene of the Movie – Selecting the names.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first hour.
Final Thoughts – This is an overly long heist movie that drags along at a horribly slow pace, once things kick off we do get some interest, but the fact we have the real criminals involved in telling the story we know the outcome.
Overall: Just watch for Evan Peters being slightly crazy.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/28/american-animals-2018/
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Ugly by Kelly Vincent in Books
May 29, 2022
I was so happy when I read the synopsis for Ugly by Kelly Vincent. This sounded exactly like the kind of book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. I was correct in my assumption. I absolutely loved this book!
Ugly is the story of a teenager named Nicole, or Nic as she goes by since she hates being called Nicole, Nic is 16 years old and lives in Oklahoma. Nic is made fun of at school and everywhere she goes. She's constantly being mistaken for a male everywhere she goes. During her sophomore school year, she starts questioning her sexuality and her gender identity.
It's obvious that the author knew exactly what she was talking about before writing Ugly from being gender non-conforming to even the therapy sessions Nic goes to. Ugly is definitely a well written book for sure. I like how Ugly draws attention to the struggles of not conforming to every day gender and sexual standards. I also want to give a shout out to the author for mentioning asexuality in the book. (I wish more LGBTQ+ books would talk about asexuality.) However, one minor gripe I have is that it mentions a character might be asexual because they didn't want/hadn't been in a relationship. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction. Asexuals still can want a romantic relationship. Aromanticism is the lack of romantic attraction. (Even then, asexuality and aromanticism have many more identities under their umbrella.) If the character was an aromantic asexual, it would have made more sense why they didn't want a relationship. Other than that, I loved everything about Ugly. My favorite part of the book (although all of it was fantastic) was when Nic goes to Scotland and sees just how different the people over there are compared to the people in the United States. I felt the same way as Nic when I lived in the United Kingdom. It did feel like people in the UK were less judgmental and more accepting than people here in the US.
Reading Ugly was like being in the mind of a teenager throughout a school year in their life. While the book goes through even the mundane day to day life of Nic, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nic's life. Her struggle of trying to fit in whilst being made fun of and bullied really resonated with me. I felt like I was reading a biography about my life almost. I've never identified more with a book before! I think many teens and adults that were bullied, even those that are secure in their sexuality, will be able to relate to Nic on some level. Nic was the most relatable character I have ever read about. I would have loved to be friends with someone like her back in school (and even today). I also loved Nic's best friend Sam. Sam was just about the opposite of Nic both personality wise and looks wise. I loved how much Sam really cared about Nic.
Trigger warnings for Ugly include profanity, underage drinking, some minor drug use, some talks of politics, child molestation (though the book doesn't go into detail), bullying (including characters telling another character "kill yourself"), and depression.
Overall, Ugly is a book that should be in every school library as well as every public library. I feel like it's such an important book for teens (and adults), especially for those struggling with their sexuality and/or gender identity in this day and age. The research the author has put into the book as well as the author's ability to write a solid novel help to make Ugly such a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend Ugly by Kelly Vincent to everyone aged 14+ whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. This is a book that everyone should read due to its important topic.
(A special thank you to Goddess Fish Promotions for providing me with an eBook of Ugly by Kelly Vincent in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Ugly is the story of a teenager named Nicole, or Nic as she goes by since she hates being called Nicole, Nic is 16 years old and lives in Oklahoma. Nic is made fun of at school and everywhere she goes. She's constantly being mistaken for a male everywhere she goes. During her sophomore school year, she starts questioning her sexuality and her gender identity.
It's obvious that the author knew exactly what she was talking about before writing Ugly from being gender non-conforming to even the therapy sessions Nic goes to. Ugly is definitely a well written book for sure. I like how Ugly draws attention to the struggles of not conforming to every day gender and sexual standards. I also want to give a shout out to the author for mentioning asexuality in the book. (I wish more LGBTQ+ books would talk about asexuality.) However, one minor gripe I have is that it mentions a character might be asexual because they didn't want/hadn't been in a relationship. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction. Asexuals still can want a romantic relationship. Aromanticism is the lack of romantic attraction. (Even then, asexuality and aromanticism have many more identities under their umbrella.) If the character was an aromantic asexual, it would have made more sense why they didn't want a relationship. Other than that, I loved everything about Ugly. My favorite part of the book (although all of it was fantastic) was when Nic goes to Scotland and sees just how different the people over there are compared to the people in the United States. I felt the same way as Nic when I lived in the United Kingdom. It did feel like people in the UK were less judgmental and more accepting than people here in the US.
Reading Ugly was like being in the mind of a teenager throughout a school year in their life. While the book goes through even the mundane day to day life of Nic, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nic's life. Her struggle of trying to fit in whilst being made fun of and bullied really resonated with me. I felt like I was reading a biography about my life almost. I've never identified more with a book before! I think many teens and adults that were bullied, even those that are secure in their sexuality, will be able to relate to Nic on some level. Nic was the most relatable character I have ever read about. I would have loved to be friends with someone like her back in school (and even today). I also loved Nic's best friend Sam. Sam was just about the opposite of Nic both personality wise and looks wise. I loved how much Sam really cared about Nic.
Trigger warnings for Ugly include profanity, underage drinking, some minor drug use, some talks of politics, child molestation (though the book doesn't go into detail), bullying (including characters telling another character "kill yourself"), and depression.
Overall, Ugly is a book that should be in every school library as well as every public library. I feel like it's such an important book for teens (and adults), especially for those struggling with their sexuality and/or gender identity in this day and age. The research the author has put into the book as well as the author's ability to write a solid novel help to make Ugly such a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend Ugly by Kelly Vincent to everyone aged 14+ whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. This is a book that everyone should read due to its important topic.
(A special thank you to Goddess Fish Promotions for providing me with an eBook of Ugly by Kelly Vincent in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) in Movies
Dec 27, 2017
Well wasn't this a fun and violent movie. John Wick always seems to bring the pain or the death, wherever he goes. Everyone just has to make him upset. First they kill his puppy, then they steal his car and now they want him death because he kill this guys sister. Which by the way he made him do.
I don't think anyone in this organization is very smart. Since they all know he is the best assassin out there. Also doing the smallest thing to him sets him off. This organization does seem like a rather large network across the world. It seems everyone is a hitman. But being part of this organization does have a lot of perks. Tailor on hand, weapons expert, library full of blueprints and desert. The only thing they don't have is fun gadgets and cars, but maybe that would be too James Bond.
I am really glad they decided to keep his dog alive this time. It would have been very sad to see another one go. Although a dog without a name would be hard to feel bad for. Hopefully in Chapter 3 he gives him a name.
Wow so much blood and bullets. I don't think though the entire movie there was 5 minutes where someone didn't get shot. Except when he killed 3 guys with a pencil (that was awesome). Violence has to be done just right to make it watchable for 2 hours and they did just that. I really liked the scenes done in the mirror maze. I am sure it took a lot of hard work to shoot that just right.
Well if you haven't seen Chapter 1, shame on you. Go see it now. Then see Chapter 2 immediately. If you have seen Chapter 1 good for you, you probably have seen Chapter 2. If not because you don't trust sequels, which I am sometimes in the same boat. This is not a bad one. Go see it and let me know what you think. And as always, enjoy the show.
I don't think anyone in this organization is very smart. Since they all know he is the best assassin out there. Also doing the smallest thing to him sets him off. This organization does seem like a rather large network across the world. It seems everyone is a hitman. But being part of this organization does have a lot of perks. Tailor on hand, weapons expert, library full of blueprints and desert. The only thing they don't have is fun gadgets and cars, but maybe that would be too James Bond.
I am really glad they decided to keep his dog alive this time. It would have been very sad to see another one go. Although a dog without a name would be hard to feel bad for. Hopefully in Chapter 3 he gives him a name.
Wow so much blood and bullets. I don't think though the entire movie there was 5 minutes where someone didn't get shot. Except when he killed 3 guys with a pencil (that was awesome). Violence has to be done just right to make it watchable for 2 hours and they did just that. I really liked the scenes done in the mirror maze. I am sure it took a lot of hard work to shoot that just right.
Well if you haven't seen Chapter 1, shame on you. Go see it now. Then see Chapter 2 immediately. If you have seen Chapter 1 good for you, you probably have seen Chapter 2. If not because you don't trust sequels, which I am sometimes in the same boat. This is not a bad one. Go see it and let me know what you think. And as always, enjoy the show.
Where I found the book: I found this book at my local library. I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular but this book jumped out at me. I read the synopsis on the back cover and it made me smile.
How it’s written: It’s written in first person from the point of view of Ellie. She’s in her last semester of studies at her university in London (to be honest, I still don’t understand the college/university thing in England) and is totally freaking out about being the only virgin she knows. Sanghani accurately depicts the nervousness and oddities women go through when it comes to sex. It’s a pretty quick and easy read with a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Why I like the book: I was one of those late bloomers that didn’t have sex right away in high school and waited later in college. At first, it was more a religious thing, then a personal choice, then my hormones got the best of me and I was very desperate. Then I got over all of that and met the right guy and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.
This book shares a few of the weird questions that arise when women start to think about sex. What should I do with my pubes? Should I let him go down on me? Should I go down on him? How do I hide my teeth? It’s all strange and new and no one wants to talk about it!
Final Thoughts: Ellie kept a lot to herself, often making the poor choices or finding herself in weird situations by not sharing what she thought or felt. It was interesting to see how things played out and how her mounting attraction to the opposite sex eventually leads to a rewarding revelation.
If you or someone you are close to finds themselves in roughly the same situation as Ellie, I suggest honesty. I was upfront and honest about my virginity with my boyfriend. After all, if you can’t be honest with someone that will be inside of you, who can you be honest with?
If you would like to see more of my reviews, check out ificouldgo.com
How it’s written: It’s written in first person from the point of view of Ellie. She’s in her last semester of studies at her university in London (to be honest, I still don’t understand the college/university thing in England) and is totally freaking out about being the only virgin she knows. Sanghani accurately depicts the nervousness and oddities women go through when it comes to sex. It’s a pretty quick and easy read with a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Why I like the book: I was one of those late bloomers that didn’t have sex right away in high school and waited later in college. At first, it was more a religious thing, then a personal choice, then my hormones got the best of me and I was very desperate. Then I got over all of that and met the right guy and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.
This book shares a few of the weird questions that arise when women start to think about sex. What should I do with my pubes? Should I let him go down on me? Should I go down on him? How do I hide my teeth? It’s all strange and new and no one wants to talk about it!
Final Thoughts: Ellie kept a lot to herself, often making the poor choices or finding herself in weird situations by not sharing what she thought or felt. It was interesting to see how things played out and how her mounting attraction to the opposite sex eventually leads to a rewarding revelation.
If you or someone you are close to finds themselves in roughly the same situation as Ellie, I suggest honesty. I was upfront and honest about my virginity with my boyfriend. After all, if you can’t be honest with someone that will be inside of you, who can you be honest with?
If you would like to see more of my reviews, check out ificouldgo.com