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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Big Little Lies in Books
Mar 22, 2020
After reading (and loving) What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, I had wanted to read more by her. When I finally got the opportunity, I chose Big Little Lies. Liane Moriarty did not disappoint!
Many things are happening for the parents of the children that attend Pirriwee Public school. Madeline is happy go lucky, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind. Celeste is gorgeous and seems to have the perfect life, but it's what goes on behind closed doors that make her want to run away from it all. Jane, a single mom, is younger than most of the parents and has just moved to the area. With her, she brings a very big secret. As their lives intersect, things come to a head leaving one person dead. The thing is, was it murder, self defense, suicide, or just an unfortunate accident?
The plot for Big Little Lies is easy to navigate and understand. It was easy to imagine myself as a bystander in the book whilst all the action was going on around me. Most of the characters in this book lead a privileged life, so it was nice to get a sneak peek into their lives and see that they have problems as well. The pacing was done beautifully. The chapters weren't very long, so I kept telling myself one more chapter which we all know turns into many more chapters! The prose was fantastic and flowed perfectly. I kept wanting to know more and would try to guess who the character was that died. I enjoyed the dialogue that would start off most chapters where a character was talking to someone regarding the death of a character in present day. I did predict which character would end up dead though, but I suppose that was a lucky guess. There was one big plot twist I didn't see coming, and I loved that plot twist! The book ends with no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered.
I enjoyed every character in Big Little Lies. Each and every character was well developed and interesting to learn about. Although the story follows Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, other characters are fleshed out through their narratives. I loved how Madeline wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. She just could not hold anything back, yet people still wanted to be her friend. Her loyalty to her friends was admirable, and I would love a friend like her! Her husband, Ed, was very supportive to Madeline, and it was easy to see that he loved her. Her oldest daughter, Abigail, was an interesting one. I liked reading about her and seeing how she would turn out throughout everything. (The virginity thing sure was interesting, and I would have done exactly as Madeline!) Madeline's youngest daughter Chloe was cute. She reminded me so much of a younger Madeline. Nathan, Madeline's ex-husband, and his wife Bonnie were other characters that helped flesh out Madeline. I did like Bonnie's carefree personality though. I also loved reading about Celeste, and I felt bad for her many times with what she had to endure. Sure, to others, she had it all - looks, a huge house, a very rich and good looking husband who seemed to adore her, beautiful twin boys - but her pain was obvious throughout, and I could understand her hesitation to do the right thing. Getting to read about her thought process was interesting. Perry, Celeste's husband, came across as very charismatic. It was easy to see why everyone loved him so much. I wanted good things to happen for Jane and her little boy, Ziggy. Jane's love for Ziggy oozed from the pages. The love she had for Ziggy was so sweet. Ziggy seemed like such a cute little boy, and I just wanted to hug him and never let go especially after what happens very early on in the book.
Trigger warnings for Big Little Lies include death, drinking, drunkenness, profanity, domestic violence, violence, and sexual situations (although not graphic).
All in all, Big Little Lies is a delicious morsel of a book. It delves right into the lives of its characters who come to feel like close friends and family by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to everyone aged 16+ who are in dire need of a fantastic read with a great cast of characters and a plot that sucks you right in!
Many things are happening for the parents of the children that attend Pirriwee Public school. Madeline is happy go lucky, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind. Celeste is gorgeous and seems to have the perfect life, but it's what goes on behind closed doors that make her want to run away from it all. Jane, a single mom, is younger than most of the parents and has just moved to the area. With her, she brings a very big secret. As their lives intersect, things come to a head leaving one person dead. The thing is, was it murder, self defense, suicide, or just an unfortunate accident?
The plot for Big Little Lies is easy to navigate and understand. It was easy to imagine myself as a bystander in the book whilst all the action was going on around me. Most of the characters in this book lead a privileged life, so it was nice to get a sneak peek into their lives and see that they have problems as well. The pacing was done beautifully. The chapters weren't very long, so I kept telling myself one more chapter which we all know turns into many more chapters! The prose was fantastic and flowed perfectly. I kept wanting to know more and would try to guess who the character was that died. I enjoyed the dialogue that would start off most chapters where a character was talking to someone regarding the death of a character in present day. I did predict which character would end up dead though, but I suppose that was a lucky guess. There was one big plot twist I didn't see coming, and I loved that plot twist! The book ends with no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered.
I enjoyed every character in Big Little Lies. Each and every character was well developed and interesting to learn about. Although the story follows Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, other characters are fleshed out through their narratives. I loved how Madeline wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. She just could not hold anything back, yet people still wanted to be her friend. Her loyalty to her friends was admirable, and I would love a friend like her! Her husband, Ed, was very supportive to Madeline, and it was easy to see that he loved her. Her oldest daughter, Abigail, was an interesting one. I liked reading about her and seeing how she would turn out throughout everything. (The virginity thing sure was interesting, and I would have done exactly as Madeline!) Madeline's youngest daughter Chloe was cute. She reminded me so much of a younger Madeline. Nathan, Madeline's ex-husband, and his wife Bonnie were other characters that helped flesh out Madeline. I did like Bonnie's carefree personality though. I also loved reading about Celeste, and I felt bad for her many times with what she had to endure. Sure, to others, she had it all - looks, a huge house, a very rich and good looking husband who seemed to adore her, beautiful twin boys - but her pain was obvious throughout, and I could understand her hesitation to do the right thing. Getting to read about her thought process was interesting. Perry, Celeste's husband, came across as very charismatic. It was easy to see why everyone loved him so much. I wanted good things to happen for Jane and her little boy, Ziggy. Jane's love for Ziggy oozed from the pages. The love she had for Ziggy was so sweet. Ziggy seemed like such a cute little boy, and I just wanted to hug him and never let go especially after what happens very early on in the book.
Trigger warnings for Big Little Lies include death, drinking, drunkenness, profanity, domestic violence, violence, and sexual situations (although not graphic).
All in all, Big Little Lies is a delicious morsel of a book. It delves right into the lives of its characters who come to feel like close friends and family by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to everyone aged 16+ who are in dire need of a fantastic read with a great cast of characters and a plot that sucks you right in!
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
May 5, 2020
Asks more questions than it answers. (3 more)
Fails to recover from the damages of The Last Jedi.
No sense to the narrative.
Some acting is appalling.
Goodbye, Star Wars.
Almost six months from its release, I finally sat down and treated myself to Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Ever since Disney took over the Star Wars brand, I've been sceptical of their intentions with the property, and so far I've been massively disappointed. I enjoyed the Mandalorian, and still believe Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is easily as good as the original trilogy. Controversial, I know. But the newest trilogy has dropped my interest in Star Wars altogether, as they've so far been bogged down by awful writing, humongous plot holes, and the butchering of beloved characters to make way for wooden new ones. The Force Awakens was a step in the right direction, but the nostalgia factor was what drew me in. Eight years on, it hasn't aged well at all. The Last Jedi became my Stopping point in the Galaxy far, far away. Yes it has flair and popped visually, but the story was an insult to all the fans who had cherished Star Wars back in the days of the Original trilogy. After countless rewrites, multiple directors, and suspicions of actors within feeling disheartened with the over arc of their characters (looking at you, John Boyega), The Rise of Skywalker is finally here to cap of Disney's first trilogy.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years in Books
Jan 2, 2019
If you don't know by now, I am a huge fan of the Beatles. Both of my children have their own Beatles song (Hey Jude and Help), however my general knowledge of their history is not so great. So when I saw Tune In, I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to read it. Being born in the late 80s I can only imagine what it was like to live in the world of Beatlemania, endure the sorrow of their breakup, and all the years in between. Which is why I am so excited about this book. Something else about me, is that I value history, learning the facts and details about people and time periods. Tune In is an extremely in depth look at the men that changed music forever.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Gifted (2017) in Movies
Jan 13, 2019
Good Stuff
After the death of his sister, Frank (Chris Evans) opts to take in his extremely intelligent niece Mary (McKenna Grace) and raise her like he thought his sister would have wanted. His hope is to protect her from growing up too fast, particularly from ending up in the clutches of his mom Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) who would prefer to hole Mary up in a private institution.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.
Merissa (13619 KP) rated Discordant Cultivation in Books
Jan 2, 2026
DISCORDANT CULTIVATION is a DARK standalone novel about a music producer who sees the potential in a street busker. He kidnaps him and uses 'dubious' methods to teach him how to get the best out of his music.
Vale is the producer, and Kieran is the musician. You read the story from both perspectives, seeing Kieran succumb to Stockholm Syndrome in real time, along with everything else. There isn't a massive supporting cast, but each one plays a part in Vale and Kieran's story.
Now, it says it is "A Dark MM Captive Musician Romance", but I don't know if I would put the word romance anywhere near this. I mean, yes, they fall into something, a dark and twisted version of love, maybe, but romance? Maybe psychological horror fits better? Don't get me wrong, I love a dark romance, but I struggled with this book. It took me over three days to read it, when I can normally finish a book (or more) in a day.
I will say, read the trigger warnings! You will need to, to protect your own mental health. This book pushed boundaries I didn't even know I had. It was an extremely uncomfortable book to read, BUT it was so incredibly well-written!!! Gale Ian Tate has a knack for dark stories, but I think this one might be both the best and the worst! And while I both loved and loathed it, it definitely won't be one I read again!
An amazing, horrible, uncomfortable story that pushed everything I thought I knew. If that sounds like the book for you, then I can definitely recommend it. Just be careful with your own mental health, though!
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 2, 2026
Vale is the producer, and Kieran is the musician. You read the story from both perspectives, seeing Kieran succumb to Stockholm Syndrome in real time, along with everything else. There isn't a massive supporting cast, but each one plays a part in Vale and Kieran's story.
Now, it says it is "A Dark MM Captive Musician Romance", but I don't know if I would put the word romance anywhere near this. I mean, yes, they fall into something, a dark and twisted version of love, maybe, but romance? Maybe psychological horror fits better? Don't get me wrong, I love a dark romance, but I struggled with this book. It took me over three days to read it, when I can normally finish a book (or more) in a day.
I will say, read the trigger warnings! You will need to, to protect your own mental health. This book pushed boundaries I didn't even know I had. It was an extremely uncomfortable book to read, BUT it was so incredibly well-written!!! Gale Ian Tate has a knack for dark stories, but I think this one might be both the best and the worst! And while I both loved and loathed it, it definitely won't be one I read again!
An amazing, horrible, uncomfortable story that pushed everything I thought I knew. If that sounds like the book for you, then I can definitely recommend it. Just be careful with your own mental health, though!
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 2, 2026
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Psycho (1960) in Movies
Oct 29, 2018
An all-time great performance by Anthony Perkins
I'm sure all of you have (at least) heard of the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film, PSYCHO. And I'm sure most of you have seen (at least in part) the famous "shower scene". But when was the last time you really sat down and watched this film? It had been awhile for me and I walked away with the following impression:
PSYCHO is not all that scary, but it is suspenseful as heck with strong Direction by the "Master of Suspense" and very strong performances anchoring the front and back end of the film.
PSYCHO was billed when it came out as a "Janet Leigh Film". So, to give this review context, let's look at who Janet Leigh was at the time. Before shooting PSYCHO, Leigh was generally cast as the ingenue and/or love interest in mainstream fair such as LITTLE WOMEN, ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD and HOUDINI (a modern "comp" to her might be someone like Anne Hathaway before she started doing "edgier" work). Leigh did show that there was more to her than just being an ingenue when she played the morally ambiguous wife of Charlton Heston's character in Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL. This film (probably) gave Hitchcock the idea to cast Leigh in PSYCHO.
When 1960's audiences first saw Leigh on screen in PSYCHO, I'm sure that most of them were shocked for, instead of being the pure and wholesome ingenue and wife, she plays the entire first scene in a bra and slip. Her character, Marion Crane, is not morally ambiguous, she is morally corrupt - and when Leigh's character has a chance to act on her moral corruptness, she jumps at the chance. The rest of the first half of this film is Leigh trying to get away with her "crime". She is quite good in this part of the film and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (deservedly so).
And then...Anthony Perkins shows up.
We are about 45 minutes into the 1 hour and 49 minute film when Perkins' Norman Bates first appears on screen and an interesting thing happened - I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I was enjoying Leigh's performance but instantly pushed her aside (and to the background) when Perkins shows up. Without giving plot away, let me say that there is much, much going behind Norman's eyes and the performance by Perkins strongly suggests this, without going over-the-top or being melodramatic. It is a perfect blend of actor, character and performance and I was shocked that he was not even NOMINATED for an Oscar (Peter Ustinov would win for SPARTACUS). Perkins performance is one of the all-time greats with one of the most interesting and unusual characters - and portrayals - of all time.
Much of the credit for Perkins' and Leigh's strong performances have to go to Director Hitchcock who was at the height of his Directing powers (and power). From the "get go", you can feel the Director's hand in this film, building suspense from scene to scene and shot to shot, first with Leigh's character and, later, with Perkins. Both characters are trying to get away with something and Hitchcock pulls his camera in close to make a point - from a distance all seems good, but when you get up close, you can tell that things are very bad, indeed.
The filming of the famous "shower scene" is well documented and is a Master Class in film and editing. It is worth the price of admission on it's own - as is a scene on a staircase with Private Detective Arbogast, played by Martin Balsam. Hitchcock chooses to heighten the realism in this scene on the staircase by going a more esoteric route (rather than traditional filming of the events) and, one can argue, it doesn't belong in this film. Until, that is, you think about it and then it makes great sense and absolutely, positively has to be in this film in that way.
Another aspect of this film that begs to be mentioned is the Film Score by the great Bernard Herrmann - Hitchcock's regular collaborator. The music in this film punctuates the action on the screen - from the persistent beat and pacing of the opening credits music - driving the audience forward into the action - that does not let go, reaching it's peak and crescendo in the shower scene and then floating down gently like an animal catching it's breath after great activity.
Does the entire film hold up almost 60 years later? Almost...but not quite. Most annoying to me was the "wrap-up" scene at the end where a character spells out everything for the audience. As if we are not smart enough to "get it" - and perhaps the audiences in 1960 weren't.
But that is a quibble for a film that is a classic and is one that, if you have not seen (or seen for awhile), begs to be seen. Check out this film, not for the scares, but rather, the suspense that is generated by Hitchcock and his performers throughout. A GREAT entree into the world of Alfred Hitchcock films.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
PSYCHO is not all that scary, but it is suspenseful as heck with strong Direction by the "Master of Suspense" and very strong performances anchoring the front and back end of the film.
PSYCHO was billed when it came out as a "Janet Leigh Film". So, to give this review context, let's look at who Janet Leigh was at the time. Before shooting PSYCHO, Leigh was generally cast as the ingenue and/or love interest in mainstream fair such as LITTLE WOMEN, ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD and HOUDINI (a modern "comp" to her might be someone like Anne Hathaway before she started doing "edgier" work). Leigh did show that there was more to her than just being an ingenue when she played the morally ambiguous wife of Charlton Heston's character in Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL. This film (probably) gave Hitchcock the idea to cast Leigh in PSYCHO.
When 1960's audiences first saw Leigh on screen in PSYCHO, I'm sure that most of them were shocked for, instead of being the pure and wholesome ingenue and wife, she plays the entire first scene in a bra and slip. Her character, Marion Crane, is not morally ambiguous, she is morally corrupt - and when Leigh's character has a chance to act on her moral corruptness, she jumps at the chance. The rest of the first half of this film is Leigh trying to get away with her "crime". She is quite good in this part of the film and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (deservedly so).
And then...Anthony Perkins shows up.
We are about 45 minutes into the 1 hour and 49 minute film when Perkins' Norman Bates first appears on screen and an interesting thing happened - I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I was enjoying Leigh's performance but instantly pushed her aside (and to the background) when Perkins shows up. Without giving plot away, let me say that there is much, much going behind Norman's eyes and the performance by Perkins strongly suggests this, without going over-the-top or being melodramatic. It is a perfect blend of actor, character and performance and I was shocked that he was not even NOMINATED for an Oscar (Peter Ustinov would win for SPARTACUS). Perkins performance is one of the all-time greats with one of the most interesting and unusual characters - and portrayals - of all time.
Much of the credit for Perkins' and Leigh's strong performances have to go to Director Hitchcock who was at the height of his Directing powers (and power). From the "get go", you can feel the Director's hand in this film, building suspense from scene to scene and shot to shot, first with Leigh's character and, later, with Perkins. Both characters are trying to get away with something and Hitchcock pulls his camera in close to make a point - from a distance all seems good, but when you get up close, you can tell that things are very bad, indeed.
The filming of the famous "shower scene" is well documented and is a Master Class in film and editing. It is worth the price of admission on it's own - as is a scene on a staircase with Private Detective Arbogast, played by Martin Balsam. Hitchcock chooses to heighten the realism in this scene on the staircase by going a more esoteric route (rather than traditional filming of the events) and, one can argue, it doesn't belong in this film. Until, that is, you think about it and then it makes great sense and absolutely, positively has to be in this film in that way.
Another aspect of this film that begs to be mentioned is the Film Score by the great Bernard Herrmann - Hitchcock's regular collaborator. The music in this film punctuates the action on the screen - from the persistent beat and pacing of the opening credits music - driving the audience forward into the action - that does not let go, reaching it's peak and crescendo in the shower scene and then floating down gently like an animal catching it's breath after great activity.
Does the entire film hold up almost 60 years later? Almost...but not quite. Most annoying to me was the "wrap-up" scene at the end where a character spells out everything for the audience. As if we are not smart enough to "get it" - and perhaps the audiences in 1960 weren't.
But that is a quibble for a film that is a classic and is one that, if you have not seen (or seen for awhile), begs to be seen. Check out this film, not for the scares, but rather, the suspense that is generated by Hitchcock and his performers throughout. A GREAT entree into the world of Alfred Hitchcock films.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dollars to Donuts in Tabletop Games
Jul 21, 2020 (Updated Jul 21, 2020)
I don’t think I even have to say anything up top here to get those juices flowing – just looking at the box to Dollars to Donuts makes you pine for them. Just me? Nah, everyone loves donuts – even most of the diabetics I’ve known. So when I heard that we had a chance to preview a tile-laying, set collection donut-themed game, I knew we had to jump on it. And oh, spoilers, it’s GREAT.
Dollars to Donuts is a game where you are literally turning dollars into donuts. Pretty on the nose with the title, eh? Agreed, but once you play it, I promise you will be hooked.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter running until August 10, 2020, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
There really are plenty of rules for this game, and I will not touch on everything. To setup, deal each player a board in their color along with the matching starting 1×1 donut tiles to be placed on the boards according to the rules, as well as the proper starting Dollar Tiles. Populate the Specials Board (shown below), reveal the top four Customer Cards (shown below), separate the Donut Tiles into like piles, and throw the rest of the Dollar Tiles into the cloth bag. The game is now ready to begin!
Each player will be purchasing a Donut tile (1×4) on their turn and placing it on their board. The interesting thing here is that these tiles do NOT have to be confined to the spaces on the Player Mat (board) – tiles can hang off the edge. And icons that are hanging off, however, cannot score or provide any benefit, so that is the trade-off. After placing the Donut Tile on the board, players will then collect Donut VP Tokens if placing on the board created a complete donut. If the placing created a mismatched donut, the player will instead collect as many Dollar Tiles as the highest number of $ symbols of the mismatched donut (so a plain donut half is worth $1 but a chocolate is worth $2 so a mismatched donut of those two flavors would count as $2). At this point, the player may choose to place a 1×1 double-sided Dollar Tile on their board to fill a gap, or hole, and I’ll be darned if you don’t use donut holes to fill holes in your board. Lastly, a player may then Serve a Customer using their earned Donut VP Tokens. Serving customers increases the value of the VP tokens, so serving is certainly beneficial.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has filled their empty board spaces with delicious donuts. Complete the round and then count the scores to see who really is the Donut Champ.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype copy of Dollars to Donuts, and upgraded components are stretch goals for a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the art on this is really great. Dylan Mangini can illustrate games superbly for sure. I love the colors they have chosen, the art style, and fun start player token that came with it (and I hope it is something that can be offered to all through a stretch goal or something). I have no complaints here and I look forward to seeing how the final products looks.
So it is absolutely no surprise that I loved this one. I have a special place in my heart for games with ever-changing resource costs, tile-placing, donuts, multi-use components, and donuts. I love being able to use any part of the Donut Tiles, even if my board looks kooky at the end (see below). It’s so refreshing when a game comes along that takes a comfortable given and turns it on its head. We all know how to keep components within the boundaries of our player board. But WHYYYYY? Dollars to Donuts fixes that, even at the cost of our more organized players’ sanity. I simply love this game and can’t wait to get my final copy. If you also are excited to grab a copy of this one, head over to Kickstarter and join the campaign going on NOW (at the time of this writing) until August 10, 2020. I would also suggest ordering a dozen or two of your favorite bakery treats to have on hand when you play this – your tummy will thank you. Unless you’re diabetic. Then I am sorry.
Dollars to Donuts is a game where you are literally turning dollars into donuts. Pretty on the nose with the title, eh? Agreed, but once you play it, I promise you will be hooked.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter running until August 10, 2020, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
There really are plenty of rules for this game, and I will not touch on everything. To setup, deal each player a board in their color along with the matching starting 1×1 donut tiles to be placed on the boards according to the rules, as well as the proper starting Dollar Tiles. Populate the Specials Board (shown below), reveal the top four Customer Cards (shown below), separate the Donut Tiles into like piles, and throw the rest of the Dollar Tiles into the cloth bag. The game is now ready to begin!
Each player will be purchasing a Donut tile (1×4) on their turn and placing it on their board. The interesting thing here is that these tiles do NOT have to be confined to the spaces on the Player Mat (board) – tiles can hang off the edge. And icons that are hanging off, however, cannot score or provide any benefit, so that is the trade-off. After placing the Donut Tile on the board, players will then collect Donut VP Tokens if placing on the board created a complete donut. If the placing created a mismatched donut, the player will instead collect as many Dollar Tiles as the highest number of $ symbols of the mismatched donut (so a plain donut half is worth $1 but a chocolate is worth $2 so a mismatched donut of those two flavors would count as $2). At this point, the player may choose to place a 1×1 double-sided Dollar Tile on their board to fill a gap, or hole, and I’ll be darned if you don’t use donut holes to fill holes in your board. Lastly, a player may then Serve a Customer using their earned Donut VP Tokens. Serving customers increases the value of the VP tokens, so serving is certainly beneficial.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has filled their empty board spaces with delicious donuts. Complete the round and then count the scores to see who really is the Donut Champ.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype copy of Dollars to Donuts, and upgraded components are stretch goals for a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the art on this is really great. Dylan Mangini can illustrate games superbly for sure. I love the colors they have chosen, the art style, and fun start player token that came with it (and I hope it is something that can be offered to all through a stretch goal or something). I have no complaints here and I look forward to seeing how the final products looks.
So it is absolutely no surprise that I loved this one. I have a special place in my heart for games with ever-changing resource costs, tile-placing, donuts, multi-use components, and donuts. I love being able to use any part of the Donut Tiles, even if my board looks kooky at the end (see below). It’s so refreshing when a game comes along that takes a comfortable given and turns it on its head. We all know how to keep components within the boundaries of our player board. But WHYYYYY? Dollars to Donuts fixes that, even at the cost of our more organized players’ sanity. I simply love this game and can’t wait to get my final copy. If you also are excited to grab a copy of this one, head over to Kickstarter and join the campaign going on NOW (at the time of this writing) until August 10, 2020. I would also suggest ordering a dozen or two of your favorite bakery treats to have on hand when you play this – your tummy will thank you. Unless you’re diabetic. Then I am sorry.
