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Johnny Messias (25 KP) rated The Irishman (2019) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Al Pacino as Hoffa (6 more)
Joe Pesci is wonderful
De Niro anchors the film
Scorsese on top form
Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing
Steve Zaillian’s script
De Niro and Pacino together
Marty’s marvellous Oldfellas
The Irishman – BFI London Film Festival Review Oct 13th 2019.
An extended cinematic love letter to some of the finest actors of the last 40 years, and to a bygone era of US history, The Irishman is reassuringly brilliant. Like the best Scorsese joints, its business is power brokers, mobsters and underground schemers, but often as a comedy of manners. De Niro anchors the story, yes as mob enforcer but also as a kind of killer Forrest Gump; “connected” to some key milestones in 1960s America; Bay of Pigs, Jimmy Hoffa’s teamsters, RFK, then later the shadow of Nixon. Famously, we see De Niro’s titular character Frank in his 20s, 30s, 40s, right up until the old age home. Scorsese uses computerised de-aging technology to achieve the effect make-up artists might have parlayed. It works well—mostly. What grips you and takes you in is the bravura acting. Al Pacino gives a wonderful performance as Jimmy Hoffa. He goes full “Pacino” with speeches and grandstanding but it is the lilt of this voice (all sing song) in quiet moments that makes this the best we’ve seen from Al in many a year. Joe Pesci as well. He’s kind of the centre of this world, as the mobster who links up De Niro to Pacino’s Hoffa. Pesci speaks quietly and carefully; you sense how much power he has without any of the violence that was trademark in his famous Casino and Goodfellas roles. Over nearly 3.5 hours (never seems long) what you get is a beautifully written, shot, edited and performed drama about loyalty, friendship and a creeping sense of regret. All with the backdrop of this fascinating period: JFK, Union movements, Cuba, Fidel Castro. It lingers long in the memory and it’s one to cherish, since we surely won’t see its like again.
An extended cinematic love letter to some of the finest actors of the last 40 years, and to a bygone era of US history, The Irishman is reassuringly brilliant. Like the best Scorsese joints, its business is power brokers, mobsters and underground schemers, but often as a comedy of manners. De Niro anchors the story, yes as mob enforcer but also as a kind of killer Forrest Gump; “connected” to some key milestones in 1960s America; Bay of Pigs, Jimmy Hoffa’s teamsters, RFK, then later the shadow of Nixon. Famously, we see De Niro’s titular character Frank in his 20s, 30s, 40s, right up until the old age home. Scorsese uses computerised de-aging technology to achieve the effect make-up artists might have parlayed. It works well—mostly. What grips you and takes you in is the bravura acting. Al Pacino gives a wonderful performance as Jimmy Hoffa. He goes full “Pacino” with speeches and grandstanding but it is the lilt of this voice (all sing song) in quiet moments that makes this the best we’ve seen from Al in many a year. Joe Pesci as well. He’s kind of the centre of this world, as the mobster who links up De Niro to Pacino’s Hoffa. Pesci speaks quietly and carefully; you sense how much power he has without any of the violence that was trademark in his famous Casino and Goodfellas roles. Over nearly 3.5 hours (never seems long) what you get is a beautifully written, shot, edited and performed drama about loyalty, friendship and a creeping sense of regret. All with the backdrop of this fascinating period: JFK, Union movements, Cuba, Fidel Castro. It lingers long in the memory and it’s one to cherish, since we surely won’t see its like again.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tales & Games: The Three Little Pigs in Tabletop Games
Aug 18, 2020
The Wolf always gets a bad rap. Think of all the stories you know that include an anthropomorphic wolf and tell me three that show The Wolf in a positive light. Can’t think of any? Me neither. But they need to eat to survive and it’s tough in these streets! errm, trees! Such is the plight of The Wolf in this one, as he is attempting to wrest the Little Pigs out of their hidey-holes so he can have a nice bacon dinner. And honestly, who can blame him? Bacon!
Tales & Games: The Three Little Pigs (which I will fondly refer to as 3LP for the remainder of this review) is a cute little family dice and take-that game about building houses for maximum points while avoiding The Wolf’s hungry advances. The winner of the game is the Little Piggy who has built the most complete structures using the best materials that afford them the most endgame points.
To setup, sort the building tiles by material type and house level type as shown inside the box cover. Place the dice and spinner nearby. Let the youngest or cutest player go first. The game is now ready to be played!
On a player’s turn they will roll all the dice Yahtzee-style (so with two re-roll attempts), and the remainder of the turn is based on what is rolled. Players are not required to re-roll, but must stop once two or more Wolf symbols are rolled, or after the second re-roll. The player may then use the dice to purchase house materials corresponding to what was rolled. If three doors are rolled, a player may purchase a straw door (which cost two door symbols) or a wooden door (which cost three door symbols). These house parts can be of mixed materials, so once the pieces have been purchased, house construction can then be done.
Should a player roll The Wolf, then the “breath” spinner will be spun. The player who rolled The Wolf dice will choose an opponent AND one of their houses to target. Spin the spinner and destroy all matching pieces in their house. Some children have issues with this, but hey, they should have built more brick sections! Play continues in this fashion taking turns rolling and purchasing and building until several stacks of house sections are gone (depending on player count). All incomplete houses are crumbled, and piggy faces on standing houses are scored to determine the victor! When playing with my kiddo I don’t use the bonus cards, but they are available if playing with older and more strategic players.
Components. As this is one of the famed (and first in the line) Tales & Games Bookshelf games, it has set a standard for the series. These games come in boxes that look like books on the outside, open like a book, and contain a story to be read as a prelude to the game, if wished. The box is very very cool, and the insert is pink and wonderfully designed. The house tiles are thick and colorful, and the pink dice are just a joy to roll. I love the components in this one!
So obviously this is a game really designed to target younger gamers. And though it says 7+ on the box, I have successfully played this with my 3 year old with zero issues. He loves it, and in turn, makes me love it too. Now, I will certainly not pull this out at any given Game Night with adults (unless we have gamer spouses or friends who have NEVER played modern games at all). However, I really do enjoy playing it with my son for now, and for super-newbies. It is colorful, light on rules, offers some choices, and of course, has a touch of luck and take-that. All this while still feeling like you are in the story of The Three Little Pigs. So I say, if you were ever on the fence with this one – get it. Play it with whomever you like and just enjoy it. It is light enough with just a touch of adultness to keep you smiling. But don’t invite your Twilight Imperium or Mage Knight friends. They won’t like it. We at Purple Phoenix Games know how to get down with the simpler games as well, so that’s why we give this one a blown-over 9 / 12.
Tales & Games: The Three Little Pigs (which I will fondly refer to as 3LP for the remainder of this review) is a cute little family dice and take-that game about building houses for maximum points while avoiding The Wolf’s hungry advances. The winner of the game is the Little Piggy who has built the most complete structures using the best materials that afford them the most endgame points.
To setup, sort the building tiles by material type and house level type as shown inside the box cover. Place the dice and spinner nearby. Let the youngest or cutest player go first. The game is now ready to be played!
On a player’s turn they will roll all the dice Yahtzee-style (so with two re-roll attempts), and the remainder of the turn is based on what is rolled. Players are not required to re-roll, but must stop once two or more Wolf symbols are rolled, or after the second re-roll. The player may then use the dice to purchase house materials corresponding to what was rolled. If three doors are rolled, a player may purchase a straw door (which cost two door symbols) or a wooden door (which cost three door symbols). These house parts can be of mixed materials, so once the pieces have been purchased, house construction can then be done.
Should a player roll The Wolf, then the “breath” spinner will be spun. The player who rolled The Wolf dice will choose an opponent AND one of their houses to target. Spin the spinner and destroy all matching pieces in their house. Some children have issues with this, but hey, they should have built more brick sections! Play continues in this fashion taking turns rolling and purchasing and building until several stacks of house sections are gone (depending on player count). All incomplete houses are crumbled, and piggy faces on standing houses are scored to determine the victor! When playing with my kiddo I don’t use the bonus cards, but they are available if playing with older and more strategic players.
Components. As this is one of the famed (and first in the line) Tales & Games Bookshelf games, it has set a standard for the series. These games come in boxes that look like books on the outside, open like a book, and contain a story to be read as a prelude to the game, if wished. The box is very very cool, and the insert is pink and wonderfully designed. The house tiles are thick and colorful, and the pink dice are just a joy to roll. I love the components in this one!
So obviously this is a game really designed to target younger gamers. And though it says 7+ on the box, I have successfully played this with my 3 year old with zero issues. He loves it, and in turn, makes me love it too. Now, I will certainly not pull this out at any given Game Night with adults (unless we have gamer spouses or friends who have NEVER played modern games at all). However, I really do enjoy playing it with my son for now, and for super-newbies. It is colorful, light on rules, offers some choices, and of course, has a touch of luck and take-that. All this while still feeling like you are in the story of The Three Little Pigs. So I say, if you were ever on the fence with this one – get it. Play it with whomever you like and just enjoy it. It is light enough with just a touch of adultness to keep you smiling. But don’t invite your Twilight Imperium or Mage Knight friends. They won’t like it. We at Purple Phoenix Games know how to get down with the simpler games as well, so that’s why we give this one a blown-over 9 / 12.
Hush Little Baby - Fun Activities and Sing Along
Education and Games
App
~~~ 9 Smart, Fun, Educational Games and Sing-along in a Sensational App for Young Kids! ~~~ Sing...
Cycling in Amsterdam and the Netherlands: The Very Best Routes in the Cyclist's Paradise
Book
There is no happier cyclist than a Dutch cyclist. This is not only because The Netherlands is mainly...
Hadley (567 KP) rated Gods Go Begging in Books
May 8, 2021
Amazing writing (2 more)
Great storytelling
Good characters
Not many books can visit the Vietnam war so gracefully, especially fictional books that aren't political thrillers. Of course, there's a reason for that, other than drug use and the orders to kill innocent civilians, it was a war that drove soldiers to madness, but this is only the tip of the iceberg in Alfredo Vea's third novel Gods Go Begging.
Mai and Persephone are as close as sisters, one was born in America, and the other was born in Vietnam; the two met because their husbands had fought in the Vietnam war, but had never returned, sealing an unbreakable bond between the two women. While the two spent most of their time cooking together, they decided to open up a luncheonette, and share their love of food with the city - - - until one night, when two young men showed up to smash their dreams by murdering both of them in cold blood. Little did the defense attorney for one of the young men, Jesse Pasadoble, know that these women would not only leave a scar on him, but they would also cause memories from a hill in Vietnam to haunt him all over again.
While Pasadoble is working the two women's murder case, he's also working another heart-wrenching case involving a white supremacist who has possibly molested and raped his own niece. Pasadoble tries his best to distance himself from the case, especially because he has to defend the man in question, but sometimes he lets his temper get the best of him. Pasadoble comes face-to-face with his client in an angry stare-off. After putting up with racial statements from the client, Pasadoble puts him in his place. The client may be a big man who can frighten most people, but Pasadoble pacifies him with his own anger, threatening to kick his ass in front of everyone that is in the jail setting the tone of what type of person Pasadoble can be for the reader.
The readers get flashbacks of Pasadoble's time in the Vietnam war, specifically one fight that happened on a hill near the Loatian border. These flashbacks happen suddenly throughout the book, but I personally believe that they are so important to understanding the world in which Vea has created in the novel because, near the end of the book, these flashbacks make everything come full circle. One of these flashbacks introduces an important character who is the Padre in Pasadoble's platoon - - - during such flashback, the Padre has devastating things happen around him that begin to make him question his faith in God.
Although the flashbacks happen here and there, the story easily continues on with Pasadoble's double homicide case getting more complicated by the page when the second of the two suspects is suddenly found dead on a hill that the locals call 'Tourette's Hill.' One such local that lived near the hill is one of the victims' mothers, Mrs. Harp, who is a very odd character: she's an aging beauty queen whose home is covered in photographs of only her, and none of her deceased son, and even while Pasadoble questions her about her son, she seems to get lost in a reverie of what her life was like before the son existed.
Pasadoble is the key character in this story; without him, connections would not have been made and characters would not have mattered. Pasadoble, a man who has a way with words, such as speaking with an ex-girlfriend about a 'hill' : "Carolina, think about the stratifications of an open hillside, a place where earth has given way and time itself is left exposed, layer upon layer - - - silica, clay, diatoms, and ash. Down here at this level is the time of the swelling sea; here, the time of the desert when hot, rising air would have haunted our eyes; here is a jagged karst, a time when the world shook an abrasion into its own skin; and here are the fossil dead, here you will find love and war in the same shamble of strewn bone. Here and there, where the world has shifted and cracked open, one era will touch another. And once upon the rarest time, human hands and eyes from the distant past can seek out and find... search for and contact... hands and eyes of the present time... our time. " Pasadoble reveals that everyone has a 'hill' that they constantly battle, his just happens to be the one where he lost brothers on in Vietnam.
I can't go much further into the story without giving away some of the great details that made up this book, but I can say I was blown away by this story. This is by far one of the best crime fiction books I have ever read; this is one of those crazy good books that you have never heard of that will change how you view things after you read it. Vea is one of the few authors that exist today that can make a story read like poetry. I highly recommend this novel to people who like crime fiction.
Mai and Persephone are as close as sisters, one was born in America, and the other was born in Vietnam; the two met because their husbands had fought in the Vietnam war, but had never returned, sealing an unbreakable bond between the two women. While the two spent most of their time cooking together, they decided to open up a luncheonette, and share their love of food with the city - - - until one night, when two young men showed up to smash their dreams by murdering both of them in cold blood. Little did the defense attorney for one of the young men, Jesse Pasadoble, know that these women would not only leave a scar on him, but they would also cause memories from a hill in Vietnam to haunt him all over again.
While Pasadoble is working the two women's murder case, he's also working another heart-wrenching case involving a white supremacist who has possibly molested and raped his own niece. Pasadoble tries his best to distance himself from the case, especially because he has to defend the man in question, but sometimes he lets his temper get the best of him. Pasadoble comes face-to-face with his client in an angry stare-off. After putting up with racial statements from the client, Pasadoble puts him in his place. The client may be a big man who can frighten most people, but Pasadoble pacifies him with his own anger, threatening to kick his ass in front of everyone that is in the jail setting the tone of what type of person Pasadoble can be for the reader.
The readers get flashbacks of Pasadoble's time in the Vietnam war, specifically one fight that happened on a hill near the Loatian border. These flashbacks happen suddenly throughout the book, but I personally believe that they are so important to understanding the world in which Vea has created in the novel because, near the end of the book, these flashbacks make everything come full circle. One of these flashbacks introduces an important character who is the Padre in Pasadoble's platoon - - - during such flashback, the Padre has devastating things happen around him that begin to make him question his faith in God.
Although the flashbacks happen here and there, the story easily continues on with Pasadoble's double homicide case getting more complicated by the page when the second of the two suspects is suddenly found dead on a hill that the locals call 'Tourette's Hill.' One such local that lived near the hill is one of the victims' mothers, Mrs. Harp, who is a very odd character: she's an aging beauty queen whose home is covered in photographs of only her, and none of her deceased son, and even while Pasadoble questions her about her son, she seems to get lost in a reverie of what her life was like before the son existed.
Pasadoble is the key character in this story; without him, connections would not have been made and characters would not have mattered. Pasadoble, a man who has a way with words, such as speaking with an ex-girlfriend about a 'hill' : "Carolina, think about the stratifications of an open hillside, a place where earth has given way and time itself is left exposed, layer upon layer - - - silica, clay, diatoms, and ash. Down here at this level is the time of the swelling sea; here, the time of the desert when hot, rising air would have haunted our eyes; here is a jagged karst, a time when the world shook an abrasion into its own skin; and here are the fossil dead, here you will find love and war in the same shamble of strewn bone. Here and there, where the world has shifted and cracked open, one era will touch another. And once upon the rarest time, human hands and eyes from the distant past can seek out and find... search for and contact... hands and eyes of the present time... our time. " Pasadoble reveals that everyone has a 'hill' that they constantly battle, his just happens to be the one where he lost brothers on in Vietnam.
I can't go much further into the story without giving away some of the great details that made up this book, but I can say I was blown away by this story. This is by far one of the best crime fiction books I have ever read; this is one of those crazy good books that you have never heard of that will change how you view things after you read it. Vea is one of the few authors that exist today that can make a story read like poetry. I highly recommend this novel to people who like crime fiction.
Manga Storm - The Ultimate Manga Reader
Book and Entertainment
App
Looking for a nice app to *Read* and *Follow* your favorite manga from your favorite websites? ...
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Faded (The Faded Trilogy, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Faded, was, well, a tad bit boring. The concept's interesting 4 teens are killed and are then bought back to life to help some spirits who are like guardian angels and have been around for almost a hundred years defeat a trio of peeps called The Forces who have been around since 1989. Oh, and it most certainly puts out a new definition of feeling as though someone's watching you.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gswVIYSfcvM/U4ekIGUabqI/AAAAAAAADWE/McEZ8jexlHQ/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="179" width="320">
I promise you I really don't
The world to me before that time seemed like a utopian society, hence "perfect little town of Fort Everwick." In fact, the story started out boring in the prologue, even though I and possibly many others appreciated the set up so I wasn't confused later. Plus, there wouldn't be any need of a long novella or prequel to everything. Which may or may not result in me wishing to stick my hand through the screen, pull out the book, and throw it at the wall.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nEbLJxU6kIw/U4ekYLUnVhI/AAAAAAAADWM/INy-VFIulSg/s1600/throwing-book.gif"; height="179" width="320">
The story really didn't catch my attention until the accident happened each scene just seems to enter with a boring start and Faded just didn't click too much with me on the writing. However, after the accident happened, I found the attacks becoming more old each time after the first. It just seemed to be a repeat of the others doors slam shut of their own accord, doors and windows can't be opened, windows shatter, lights flicker on and off before plunging everyone into darkness really, I actually thought Chloe would keep using the same tactic throughout the entire story and then just let it end. Hope was nearly lost until knives decided to start flying. I'm pretty I did a happy dance as well. I know that sounds really weird for me to have hope and start dancing when there are flying knives involved, but that's beside the point.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA0fuCk0cxI/U4elybjJ9EI/AAAAAAAADWc/sBKoSXUqc0g/s1600/im-bored-so-bored.gif"; height="151" width="320">
What I also didn't like were the point of views just switching randomly not many signals whatsoever. Perhaps that's just the nature of third person and I'm just so used to seeing first person (has anyone noticed that?). Either way, it was confusing how the author would go from Savannah to Abigail, Logan to Jackson, or anyone else.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E58aKHQnzK4/U4emA3lXoMI/AAAAAAAADWk/520TrVGPGXE/s1600/giphy+(4).gif"; height="140" width="320">
That said, characters! I thought Hattie was really cute and perky. She was just the sunshine of the entire story and so optimistic while everyone else was either a) serious, b) running for their lives (kidding) or c) oblivious (the majority of the townspeople). Savannah seemed to be a great heroine, but I really can't promise that entirely due to the repeats of the attacks from the Forces. She seems like a really strong heroine with her determination and loyalty especially to her little sister (their relationship is so amazing; most siblings fight in books!) but like I said earlier... not so original attacks.
<blockquote>I was there the day she was born. I was there when she started school. I was there the first time she fell off her bike, and I was the one who picked her up and helped her get back on it. You know why? Because Im her sister. Thats what Im supposed to do. Im supposed to protect her. Its an unwritten rule.</blockquote>
I loved Hunter's charm and the way he used words in front of Savannah. It's as though he's doing a creative *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* towards Savannah.
<blockquote>Hunter: So, how about a date?
Savannah: What?
Hunter: How about a date that is actually in the eighties? I can only find dates that are in the seventies. How about you?
Savannah: You mean the article dates?
Hunter: What did you think I meant?</blockquote>
Perhaps what I really loved the most are the failures after the accident, when Madison, Abigail, Jackson and Savannah have no control over their powers. I actually found those scenes funny I mean, everyone's literally oblivious for the most part especially Operation Scare Keira. ;)
<blockquote>Jackson: But I thought I was invisible.
Madison: Well, you thought wrong because youre clearly not.
Jackson: But Coach Ford didnt yell at me once during practice, so I figured I must be invisible today.
Madison: So the first place you think to test out that theory is in the girls locker room?</blockquote>
That's not the operation, but I did find that pretty funny... :3
While Faded isn't the greatest start in the entire world or made a dent into my favorites, it's certainly memorable with the characters and its uniqueness (ooo, random thought: girl falls in love with a ghost... Phantom of the Opera anyone?). I'm really curious as to how Miles will play out the second book in the trilogy, and hopefully it'll be much different in any attacks there compared to Faded.
-----------------------------
Review copy provided by the author
This review and more posted over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-faded-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gswVIYSfcvM/U4ekIGUabqI/AAAAAAAADWE/McEZ8jexlHQ/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="179" width="320">
I promise you I really don't
The world to me before that time seemed like a utopian society, hence "perfect little town of Fort Everwick." In fact, the story started out boring in the prologue, even though I and possibly many others appreciated the set up so I wasn't confused later. Plus, there wouldn't be any need of a long novella or prequel to everything. Which may or may not result in me wishing to stick my hand through the screen, pull out the book, and throw it at the wall.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nEbLJxU6kIw/U4ekYLUnVhI/AAAAAAAADWM/INy-VFIulSg/s1600/throwing-book.gif"; height="179" width="320">
The story really didn't catch my attention until the accident happened each scene just seems to enter with a boring start and Faded just didn't click too much with me on the writing. However, after the accident happened, I found the attacks becoming more old each time after the first. It just seemed to be a repeat of the others doors slam shut of their own accord, doors and windows can't be opened, windows shatter, lights flicker on and off before plunging everyone into darkness really, I actually thought Chloe would keep using the same tactic throughout the entire story and then just let it end. Hope was nearly lost until knives decided to start flying. I'm pretty I did a happy dance as well. I know that sounds really weird for me to have hope and start dancing when there are flying knives involved, but that's beside the point.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA0fuCk0cxI/U4elybjJ9EI/AAAAAAAADWc/sBKoSXUqc0g/s1600/im-bored-so-bored.gif"; height="151" width="320">
What I also didn't like were the point of views just switching randomly not many signals whatsoever. Perhaps that's just the nature of third person and I'm just so used to seeing first person (has anyone noticed that?). Either way, it was confusing how the author would go from Savannah to Abigail, Logan to Jackson, or anyone else.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E58aKHQnzK4/U4emA3lXoMI/AAAAAAAADWk/520TrVGPGXE/s1600/giphy+(4).gif"; height="140" width="320">
That said, characters! I thought Hattie was really cute and perky. She was just the sunshine of the entire story and so optimistic while everyone else was either a) serious, b) running for their lives (kidding) or c) oblivious (the majority of the townspeople). Savannah seemed to be a great heroine, but I really can't promise that entirely due to the repeats of the attacks from the Forces. She seems like a really strong heroine with her determination and loyalty especially to her little sister (their relationship is so amazing; most siblings fight in books!) but like I said earlier... not so original attacks.
<blockquote>I was there the day she was born. I was there when she started school. I was there the first time she fell off her bike, and I was the one who picked her up and helped her get back on it. You know why? Because Im her sister. Thats what Im supposed to do. Im supposed to protect her. Its an unwritten rule.</blockquote>
I loved Hunter's charm and the way he used words in front of Savannah. It's as though he's doing a creative *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* towards Savannah.
<blockquote>Hunter: So, how about a date?
Savannah: What?
Hunter: How about a date that is actually in the eighties? I can only find dates that are in the seventies. How about you?
Savannah: You mean the article dates?
Hunter: What did you think I meant?</blockquote>
Perhaps what I really loved the most are the failures after the accident, when Madison, Abigail, Jackson and Savannah have no control over their powers. I actually found those scenes funny I mean, everyone's literally oblivious for the most part especially Operation Scare Keira. ;)
<blockquote>Jackson: But I thought I was invisible.
Madison: Well, you thought wrong because youre clearly not.
Jackson: But Coach Ford didnt yell at me once during practice, so I figured I must be invisible today.
Madison: So the first place you think to test out that theory is in the girls locker room?</blockquote>
That's not the operation, but I did find that pretty funny... :3
While Faded isn't the greatest start in the entire world or made a dent into my favorites, it's certainly memorable with the characters and its uniqueness (ooo, random thought: girl falls in love with a ghost... Phantom of the Opera anyone?). I'm really curious as to how Miles will play out the second book in the trilogy, and hopefully it'll be much different in any attacks there compared to Faded.
-----------------------------
Review copy provided by the author
This review and more posted over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-faded-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Walking Dead Rise of the Governor (Book #1) in Books
May 27, 2019
Characters (1 more)
Story telling
Too many author afterthoughts (1 more)
Overusage of scientific words for the brain
I love the Walking Dead. And,personally, I love any book that has a great apocalyptic world in it, and even more so if it has some pretty good characters in it, too.
Cue Brian and Philip Blake: in The Walking Dead's 'The Rise of the Governor,' we meet two brothers who barely have anything in common; Brian is a laid back, music-loving hippie, while Philip is a hard-headed, tough guy. In the story, we follow both brothers along with two of Philip's best buddies and his daughter, Penny. The focus is on the brothers almost the entire time, and quickly, the reader finds out that, surprisingly, Brian is the oldest of the pair, but yet, Philip is the one making all of the decisions. As we continue on, the dynamic between the brothers becomes clear - we start to understand that Brian has always been the cautious one of the family, while Philip quickly learned to be a fearless leader from an early age, making this odd dynamic seem right.
Most importantly, what the two have in common is their love for Penny. If you have ever watched the TV show, The Walking Dead, then you will recognize the little girl and the tragic fate that became her. But, we never knew the backstory of how Penny was turned into a zombie, which is one of the few reasons this book series was made. Penny spends much of the time as a background character, but her part plays a very important role on the development of the man we know becomes 'the Governor.' She reacts as most children would be expected to if the world were ever to suffer from a zombie apocalypse- she withdraws, barely speaking and hardly eats. When one of Philip's longtime friends gets bit by a zombie, Penny reacts with a cool casualness that seems troubling from early on. On another note, if it wasn't for her uncle, Brian, Penny would have probably died much earlier in the book, but because of his father-like protectiveness of her, she is kept alive until the end of the book. But when it does happen, I don't think I could blame Philip for keeping his daughter as a zombie-type of pet.
During the book, 'Rise of the Governor,' the group with the Blake brothers travel to Atlanta, Georgia in hopes of finding a refugee camp to hunker down at, but instead, they find that Atlanta has practically been turned over to the walkers. It's here that they fortunately meet a trio that is held up in an apartment building- this trio is the Chalmers family, which consists of David and his two grown daughters, April and Tara. The transition between the group fighting their way through the hordes in Atlanta to meeting the Chalmers family is done perfectly to the point that is it very believable that this could actually happen in real life.
One of the few problems I did have with this book were the authors' afterthoughts: too many times throughout the book, characters would suddenly show up with a new weapon or item that the authors would literally backtrack to explain how they found it, when it could have been easily shown while the character was in the area of where it was found.
Much of the story, appropriately, shows our main group of characters killing zombies with an array of weapons and such, but Kirkman - or co-writer, Bonansinga- seem to like to show off their knowledge of the brain a little too much:
"The business end of Philip's pickaxe lands squarely in the monster's head, cracking the coconutlike shell of the old man's skull, piercing the dense, fibrous membrane of the dura mater and sinking into the gelatinous parietal lobe. " The use of scientific terms just seems like an egotistical move, one that could have been avoided if they weren't used throughout the book.
In the middle of the book, there is an odd thing that happens which the reader may connect to the story or may not, when David Chalmers is meeting his end (Chalmers was suffering from advanced lung cancer before the group meets him), gives almost a prophetic speech on his death bed. We can either take this as he was speaking about who Philip was going to become or he was talking about the apocalypse as a whole, but the reader is never really told and the dying words are never discussed among any of the characters:
" 'The devil has plans for us.'... The voice that comes out of David Chalmers is low and gravelly, an engine dieseling: 'The day of reckoning is drawing near... the Deceiver walks among us.' "
Eventually, the group is forcefully thrown out of the Chalmers' apartment building due to a horrible mistake between Philip and April. To not give too much away, here is the part where Tara tells them to go away: " He whirls around and comes face-to-face with Tara Chalmers, who holds the Ruger pistol, the muzzle raised and aimed directly at Philip. "
The story continues on with the Blake brothers, Penny and Philip's friend, Nick, as they try to find shelter once again in the dead congested Atlanta. Early on, we learn that Philip has a bad temper, and as the book continues, his temper becomes more volatile and more important to the characters and the reader. Philip's personality changes are understandable in the story, but Kirkman/Bonansinga suddenly make Brian unafraid of his brother at a point where Philip's anger is almost at its worse; this isn't believable to the readers, especially because a few pages later, Brian changes back to being scared to even speak to his brother.
Overall, the story isn't about the zombies or Penny's tragic death, but rather about Brian and Philip; how the family dynamic plays out when everything is at it's worst. Also, when you read the story, there is a point where it seems that Brian is more of a father to Penny than Philip ever was, showing also the Uncle and Niece dynamics- something that will make complete sense near the end of the book. Whether you like The Walking Dead or not, the book is well done, but I believe it would only appeal to those who like survival type stories.
Cue Brian and Philip Blake: in The Walking Dead's 'The Rise of the Governor,' we meet two brothers who barely have anything in common; Brian is a laid back, music-loving hippie, while Philip is a hard-headed, tough guy. In the story, we follow both brothers along with two of Philip's best buddies and his daughter, Penny. The focus is on the brothers almost the entire time, and quickly, the reader finds out that, surprisingly, Brian is the oldest of the pair, but yet, Philip is the one making all of the decisions. As we continue on, the dynamic between the brothers becomes clear - we start to understand that Brian has always been the cautious one of the family, while Philip quickly learned to be a fearless leader from an early age, making this odd dynamic seem right.
Most importantly, what the two have in common is their love for Penny. If you have ever watched the TV show, The Walking Dead, then you will recognize the little girl and the tragic fate that became her. But, we never knew the backstory of how Penny was turned into a zombie, which is one of the few reasons this book series was made. Penny spends much of the time as a background character, but her part plays a very important role on the development of the man we know becomes 'the Governor.' She reacts as most children would be expected to if the world were ever to suffer from a zombie apocalypse- she withdraws, barely speaking and hardly eats. When one of Philip's longtime friends gets bit by a zombie, Penny reacts with a cool casualness that seems troubling from early on. On another note, if it wasn't for her uncle, Brian, Penny would have probably died much earlier in the book, but because of his father-like protectiveness of her, she is kept alive until the end of the book. But when it does happen, I don't think I could blame Philip for keeping his daughter as a zombie-type of pet.
During the book, 'Rise of the Governor,' the group with the Blake brothers travel to Atlanta, Georgia in hopes of finding a refugee camp to hunker down at, but instead, they find that Atlanta has practically been turned over to the walkers. It's here that they fortunately meet a trio that is held up in an apartment building- this trio is the Chalmers family, which consists of David and his two grown daughters, April and Tara. The transition between the group fighting their way through the hordes in Atlanta to meeting the Chalmers family is done perfectly to the point that is it very believable that this could actually happen in real life.
One of the few problems I did have with this book were the authors' afterthoughts: too many times throughout the book, characters would suddenly show up with a new weapon or item that the authors would literally backtrack to explain how they found it, when it could have been easily shown while the character was in the area of where it was found.
Much of the story, appropriately, shows our main group of characters killing zombies with an array of weapons and such, but Kirkman - or co-writer, Bonansinga- seem to like to show off their knowledge of the brain a little too much:
"The business end of Philip's pickaxe lands squarely in the monster's head, cracking the coconutlike shell of the old man's skull, piercing the dense, fibrous membrane of the dura mater and sinking into the gelatinous parietal lobe. " The use of scientific terms just seems like an egotistical move, one that could have been avoided if they weren't used throughout the book.
In the middle of the book, there is an odd thing that happens which the reader may connect to the story or may not, when David Chalmers is meeting his end (Chalmers was suffering from advanced lung cancer before the group meets him), gives almost a prophetic speech on his death bed. We can either take this as he was speaking about who Philip was going to become or he was talking about the apocalypse as a whole, but the reader is never really told and the dying words are never discussed among any of the characters:
" 'The devil has plans for us.'... The voice that comes out of David Chalmers is low and gravelly, an engine dieseling: 'The day of reckoning is drawing near... the Deceiver walks among us.' "
Eventually, the group is forcefully thrown out of the Chalmers' apartment building due to a horrible mistake between Philip and April. To not give too much away, here is the part where Tara tells them to go away: " He whirls around and comes face-to-face with Tara Chalmers, who holds the Ruger pistol, the muzzle raised and aimed directly at Philip. "
The story continues on with the Blake brothers, Penny and Philip's friend, Nick, as they try to find shelter once again in the dead congested Atlanta. Early on, we learn that Philip has a bad temper, and as the book continues, his temper becomes more volatile and more important to the characters and the reader. Philip's personality changes are understandable in the story, but Kirkman/Bonansinga suddenly make Brian unafraid of his brother at a point where Philip's anger is almost at its worse; this isn't believable to the readers, especially because a few pages later, Brian changes back to being scared to even speak to his brother.
Overall, the story isn't about the zombies or Penny's tragic death, but rather about Brian and Philip; how the family dynamic plays out when everything is at it's worst. Also, when you read the story, there is a point where it seems that Brian is more of a father to Penny than Philip ever was, showing also the Uncle and Niece dynamics- something that will make complete sense near the end of the book. Whether you like The Walking Dead or not, the book is well done, but I believe it would only appeal to those who like survival type stories.
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Sound of Metal (2019) in Movies
Mar 22, 2021
Rooted in Humanity
SOUND OF METAL has a pretty simple “one-line summary”: Heavy Metal Drummer deals with going deaf. But is it the humanity at the center of this film that makes it worthwhile.
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)