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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Booksmart (2019) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A raunchy but extremely funny teen-sex comedy.
A panda’s eye view of teenage life.
I tend to struggle to find a really good comedy to add to my top 10 of the year. Last year it was “Game Night” that made my list. One that is definitely heading there this year is “Booksmart”.
A retread on a well-travelled tyre.
The coming of age school comedy has been rehashed multiple times. These include films as varied as “Napoleon Dynamite”, “Superbad”, “Easy A”, “Mean Girls”, “Never Been Kissed” and “10 Things I Hate About You”. In tone, “Booksmart” is probably closest to “Superbad”, but it manages – under the direction of actress Olivia Wilde, in her debut feature – to establish a quirky likeability all of its own. An instant classic in the making.
Not for the prudish.
The story concerns two BFF’s – Molly (Beanie Feldstein, sister of Jonah Hill) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). They have both spent their young lives trying to score A’s at school in lieu of all other distractions. On the eve of their graduation, Molly realises that this was not a binary option. Her school companions have managed to get all of the success without any of the self-sacrifice! She calls “Malala”! And the duo proceed on a drink and drug-fuelled night to catch up on all the school social life they have missed out on!
Part of this catching up includes sex, and with Amy as a naive wannabe lesbian, in awe of tom-boy skateboarder Ryan (Victoria Ruesga), coming out has never seemed so painful.
I first saw this on a plane and guffawed so much that I went out to buy the DVD for a family viewing. Watching it again though, it is really very, very rude. If you were to categorize it, I think “sex comedy” would be a primary tag. A clumsy but realistic scene between Amy and the “hot girl” Hope (Diana Silvers… who really is) is excruciatingly hard to watch. This can therefore prove an uncomfortable co-watch for ‘young folks’ who – despite all the obvious evidence! – assume their parents / in-laws have done nothing in the past other than hold hands!! 🙂
In a great ensemble cast, Kaitlyn Dever is a revelation.
Kaitlyn Dever has cut her teeth with supporting roles on a few B-grade movies this year including “Beautiful Boy” and “The Front Runner“. But here she takes centre stage and is an absolute revelation as the sexually bemused teen. While Beanie Feldstein has the more obvious comic lead role, it is Dever who continually grabbed my attention with her acting skills. This young lady is added to my “one to watch” list.
This is not to decry the rest of the cast. For this is a great ensemble performance from a pretty unknown cast. The only familiar faces are Lisa Kudrow and Jason Sudeikis, but they only have bit parts.
The only role that didn’t quite work for me was that of the kooky drugged out hippie Gigi (Billie Lourd). It was all a bit too over-the-top for me in a movie that didn’t really need that sort of manic angle. (However, this did set up a Marwen-style drug scene that made me snort… with laughter).
As a comedy, will this by the whole you think it is?
I think this will prove to be a firm young person’s favourite for many years to come. Whether you will find it funny or not will probably depend on the setting of your ‘crudometer’ and your resilience to bad language on screen.
For me, personally, I am clearly still 17 on the inside! I loved it. Not only do I think it a good comedy. It is also a feel-good movie about best friends; a coming of age lesbian adventure; and a film that treats the multi-coloured spectrum of modern sexual variety as something entirely normal and to be celebrated.
I tend to struggle to find a really good comedy to add to my top 10 of the year. Last year it was “Game Night” that made my list. One that is definitely heading there this year is “Booksmart”.
A retread on a well-travelled tyre.
The coming of age school comedy has been rehashed multiple times. These include films as varied as “Napoleon Dynamite”, “Superbad”, “Easy A”, “Mean Girls”, “Never Been Kissed” and “10 Things I Hate About You”. In tone, “Booksmart” is probably closest to “Superbad”, but it manages – under the direction of actress Olivia Wilde, in her debut feature – to establish a quirky likeability all of its own. An instant classic in the making.
Not for the prudish.
The story concerns two BFF’s – Molly (Beanie Feldstein, sister of Jonah Hill) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). They have both spent their young lives trying to score A’s at school in lieu of all other distractions. On the eve of their graduation, Molly realises that this was not a binary option. Her school companions have managed to get all of the success without any of the self-sacrifice! She calls “Malala”! And the duo proceed on a drink and drug-fuelled night to catch up on all the school social life they have missed out on!
Part of this catching up includes sex, and with Amy as a naive wannabe lesbian, in awe of tom-boy skateboarder Ryan (Victoria Ruesga), coming out has never seemed so painful.
I first saw this on a plane and guffawed so much that I went out to buy the DVD for a family viewing. Watching it again though, it is really very, very rude. If you were to categorize it, I think “sex comedy” would be a primary tag. A clumsy but realistic scene between Amy and the “hot girl” Hope (Diana Silvers… who really is) is excruciatingly hard to watch. This can therefore prove an uncomfortable co-watch for ‘young folks’ who – despite all the obvious evidence! – assume their parents / in-laws have done nothing in the past other than hold hands!! 🙂
In a great ensemble cast, Kaitlyn Dever is a revelation.
Kaitlyn Dever has cut her teeth with supporting roles on a few B-grade movies this year including “Beautiful Boy” and “The Front Runner“. But here she takes centre stage and is an absolute revelation as the sexually bemused teen. While Beanie Feldstein has the more obvious comic lead role, it is Dever who continually grabbed my attention with her acting skills. This young lady is added to my “one to watch” list.
This is not to decry the rest of the cast. For this is a great ensemble performance from a pretty unknown cast. The only familiar faces are Lisa Kudrow and Jason Sudeikis, but they only have bit parts.
The only role that didn’t quite work for me was that of the kooky drugged out hippie Gigi (Billie Lourd). It was all a bit too over-the-top for me in a movie that didn’t really need that sort of manic angle. (However, this did set up a Marwen-style drug scene that made me snort… with laughter).
As a comedy, will this by the whole you think it is?
I think this will prove to be a firm young person’s favourite for many years to come. Whether you will find it funny or not will probably depend on the setting of your ‘crudometer’ and your resilience to bad language on screen.
For me, personally, I am clearly still 17 on the inside! I loved it. Not only do I think it a good comedy. It is also a feel-good movie about best friends; a coming of age lesbian adventure; and a film that treats the multi-coloured spectrum of modern sexual variety as something entirely normal and to be celebrated.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Sixteen Candles (1984) in Movies
May 3, 2018
Fun 80's Comedy
Samantha's (Molly Ringwald) family is busy, so busy in fact that they forgot her sixteenth birthday. Samantha has to cope with this while dealing with various misadventures surrounding her life. It's an innocent 80's comedy that takes you on a fun ride from beginning to end.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are a number of memorable shots that stick out, including the opening scene where you're first introduced to Samantha's family in her Chicago home. Everything is pure chaos causing for a hilarious beginning. A number of other scenes stick out from Samantha's grandma feeling her up to Samantha's convo with The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) inside the hollowed-out car in the school's garage. A lot of different set pieces kept the film interesting.
Conflict: 6
One of the weaker portions of the film for me. So people forgot her birthday, boo hoo. Don't get me wrong, Samantha is a very likable character and there was a large part of me that felt sorry for her. I'm just not sure her situation warranted an entire film. Perhaps a different angle would have created more conflict for me.
Genre: 8
Very solid 80's comedy. You can't name films within the decade that stand out without mentioning this one. Coming of age films? This ranks right up there although not quite as strong as some of the ones I've seen in recent years, masterpieces like Boyhood and Lady Bird.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
The story itself is fine. It's believable even as comedies go. Again, the lack of conflict made things a little bland for me. I will say that the number of memorable moments helped pick up the slack from what the film lacked in conflict.
Resolution: 3
Overall: 82
Another 80's classic I can check off the list. A fun film that still stands the test of time.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are a number of memorable shots that stick out, including the opening scene where you're first introduced to Samantha's family in her Chicago home. Everything is pure chaos causing for a hilarious beginning. A number of other scenes stick out from Samantha's grandma feeling her up to Samantha's convo with The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) inside the hollowed-out car in the school's garage. A lot of different set pieces kept the film interesting.
Conflict: 6
One of the weaker portions of the film for me. So people forgot her birthday, boo hoo. Don't get me wrong, Samantha is a very likable character and there was a large part of me that felt sorry for her. I'm just not sure her situation warranted an entire film. Perhaps a different angle would have created more conflict for me.
Genre: 8
Very solid 80's comedy. You can't name films within the decade that stand out without mentioning this one. Coming of age films? This ranks right up there although not quite as strong as some of the ones I've seen in recent years, masterpieces like Boyhood and Lady Bird.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
The story itself is fine. It's believable even as comedies go. Again, the lack of conflict made things a little bland for me. I will say that the number of memorable moments helped pick up the slack from what the film lacked in conflict.
Resolution: 3
Overall: 82
Another 80's classic I can check off the list. A fun film that still stands the test of time.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Rivers of London: Body Work in Books
Feb 14, 2018
Great book for urban fantasy lovers
I enjoyed reading this one as it featured a main character who wasn’t your typical anti-hero - which we seem to have a lot lately. I’m glad to see Peter was just your average good guy who’s doing his best to be a policeman until he comes across supernatural things in which his whole life changes.
Peter’s relationship with Nightingale is pretty much a mentor/student one. Nightingale has his own secrets though and a few are revealed but there’s more to him that you think - I hope there’s more information about him in the later books to come. There are other supporting characters; I do like Leslie because she’s got the wit (possible love interest, maybe) and she’s a perfect sidekick to Peter. Molly is another interesting character that I would love to know more about. Again this is the first book in the series so I’m hoping more character development will eventually come forth in later books.
The world building is pretty good and Peter does a good job also explaining how things are in London (I admit I had to google a couple of things as I didn’t know who or what Punch and Judy were) but it gives you information on the city and events that are common there to actually make you feel as if you are following Peter around as he tries to solve the case and becomes an apprentice.
The plot was well done and I liked how the different story arcs come together in the end into one large circle. It may seem confusing at first but once you have everything laid out and you know who is who everything comes to a close and it’s a great closing. It obviously leaves room for more books coming so one can look forward to what is next for Peter.
(The Riot scene though? Holyyyyy sheeeeeee what the……)
It’s a good read, those who are into urban fantasy mysteries will likely like this type of book. Looking forward to book two!
Peter’s relationship with Nightingale is pretty much a mentor/student one. Nightingale has his own secrets though and a few are revealed but there’s more to him that you think - I hope there’s more information about him in the later books to come. There are other supporting characters; I do like Leslie because she’s got the wit (possible love interest, maybe) and she’s a perfect sidekick to Peter. Molly is another interesting character that I would love to know more about. Again this is the first book in the series so I’m hoping more character development will eventually come forth in later books.
The world building is pretty good and Peter does a good job also explaining how things are in London (I admit I had to google a couple of things as I didn’t know who or what Punch and Judy were) but it gives you information on the city and events that are common there to actually make you feel as if you are following Peter around as he tries to solve the case and becomes an apprentice.
The plot was well done and I liked how the different story arcs come together in the end into one large circle. It may seem confusing at first but once you have everything laid out and you know who is who everything comes to a close and it’s a great closing. It obviously leaves room for more books coming so one can look forward to what is next for Peter.
(The Riot scene though? Holyyyyy sheeeeeee what the……)
It’s a good read, those who are into urban fantasy mysteries will likely like this type of book. Looking forward to book two!
Merissa (11697 KP) rated Lacewood: A Novel of Time and Place in Books
Jun 19, 2019
Lacewood: A Novel of Time and Place by Jessica James
Lacewood is a standalone story where the main character and setting is a house. Set in Virginia, the reader learns about the Civil War, and what it was like during that time for all involved. Annie, one of the characters from the past, is from New York, so she has a bit to contend with! Katie, from the present, is also from the 'North', but has her roots in the Virginian soil.
There was information about Katie, but nothing too much about what she did prior to being at Lacewood, just that she was very wealthy. You learn more about the characters from the past as Katie delves into the stories behind Lacewood. Will is the main character in the present, and to be fair, what you see is what you get with him. You don't actually get too much backstory, or even that much involvement, with him.
Although I enjoyed having this book split into three parts (present, past, present), at the same time it was a bit jarring when it changed. There was no build-up to the change, it just happened. And when we returned to the present, it felt like quite some time had passed, and yet I have no idea how long it was.
For me, the main characters were Annie and Jon. They are the ones that made this story for me, involving me in their lives, and wanting to know exactly what had happened to them. I also wanted to know more about Molly and her baby, and how they coped after Luke was killed.
A gentle read, with oodles of Southern charm, I have no hesitation in recommending this. This was the first book by this author I have read, and I wouldn't mind reading more of her work.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
There was information about Katie, but nothing too much about what she did prior to being at Lacewood, just that she was very wealthy. You learn more about the characters from the past as Katie delves into the stories behind Lacewood. Will is the main character in the present, and to be fair, what you see is what you get with him. You don't actually get too much backstory, or even that much involvement, with him.
Although I enjoyed having this book split into three parts (present, past, present), at the same time it was a bit jarring when it changed. There was no build-up to the change, it just happened. And when we returned to the present, it felt like quite some time had passed, and yet I have no idea how long it was.
For me, the main characters were Annie and Jon. They are the ones that made this story for me, involving me in their lives, and wanting to know exactly what had happened to them. I also wanted to know more about Molly and her baby, and how they coped after Luke was killed.
A gentle read, with oodles of Southern charm, I have no hesitation in recommending this. This was the first book by this author I have read, and I wouldn't mind reading more of her work.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a new animated family film from Columbia Films, produced by Sony.
It has a huge voice cast, including stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Dresher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Dana Carvey, Mel Brooks & Jon Lovitz.
This movie was super cute. The adult audience, myself included, laughed out loud, a lot. The kids thought it was hilarious, too.
One thing I liked a lot is that NOT all the good parts are in the commercials and previews, which means there is still “movie left to see” when you get to actually see the film, which is frequently not the case with highly advertised films.
The movie picks up where the first one left off, showing the wedding of Drac’s daughter Mavis to human Jonathan, and quickly jumping from there to the birth of a child (a son! (Named Dennis)) and then to the boys fourth birthday.
When Dennis doesn’t show any signs of his vamp heritage, Drac feels he must step in and try to help the boy “find his fangs”. Jonathan’s parents are none too thrilled with this turn of events and protest in words and actions.
The overall tone of the movie is happy, and teaches a lesson of acceptance.
The chemistry that showed up in the first film, is back in force between Dracula and his hotel buddies, and causes the movie to flow along without any major hiccups.
The jokes are cute, and play to both the kids and to adult humor.
There wasn’t anything that I found to be so inappropriate that it made my grind my teeth, which was a nice change in a children’s film.
If I had to make a complaint, it would honestly be that the movie seemed to almost move TOO quickly and I could have sat through another 20 minutes at least. Even though it’s run time is 90 minutes, it doesn’t “feel like” it lasts that long, and even my 7 year old son said it was ‘a quick movie’.
It has a huge voice cast, including stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Dresher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Dana Carvey, Mel Brooks & Jon Lovitz.
This movie was super cute. The adult audience, myself included, laughed out loud, a lot. The kids thought it was hilarious, too.
One thing I liked a lot is that NOT all the good parts are in the commercials and previews, which means there is still “movie left to see” when you get to actually see the film, which is frequently not the case with highly advertised films.
The movie picks up where the first one left off, showing the wedding of Drac’s daughter Mavis to human Jonathan, and quickly jumping from there to the birth of a child (a son! (Named Dennis)) and then to the boys fourth birthday.
When Dennis doesn’t show any signs of his vamp heritage, Drac feels he must step in and try to help the boy “find his fangs”. Jonathan’s parents are none too thrilled with this turn of events and protest in words and actions.
The overall tone of the movie is happy, and teaches a lesson of acceptance.
The chemistry that showed up in the first film, is back in force between Dracula and his hotel buddies, and causes the movie to flow along without any major hiccups.
The jokes are cute, and play to both the kids and to adult humor.
There wasn’t anything that I found to be so inappropriate that it made my grind my teeth, which was a nice change in a children’s film.
If I had to make a complaint, it would honestly be that the movie seemed to almost move TOO quickly and I could have sat through another 20 minutes at least. Even though it’s run time is 90 minutes, it doesn’t “feel like” it lasts that long, and even my 7 year old son said it was ‘a quick movie’.
Lainie Kazan recommended The Graduate (1967) in Movies (curated)
Merissa (11697 KP) rated Unleashing Sin (Revive #0.5) in Books
Apr 15, 2020
Unleashing Sin is the prequel novel in the Revive series and I loved every word. Now, as with Redesigning Fate, it's dark and nasty in places but it needs to be, it really does. A.M. Wilson gives you a view that is sometimes skipped over or ignored in favour of the light and fluffy story. Trust me, if you want light and fluffy you need to grab yourself a different book. However, if you are prepared to take a walk on the dark side, then you are in for one helluva ride.
Sin has to be one of the most anti-heroes I've ever read about and he was simply perfect. His life hasn't been easy, in any way but things go horribly wrong when his father is murdered before his eyes. This leads him to having a break down and things only get worse when he thinks he has 'miraculously' found Molly when he actually hasn't. His reactions and grief are horrible to read about as they tore me up inside.
Shelby has been through what no person should ever go through. Although she sees herself as weak, she is incredibly strong and has the willpower to move forward. She is there for Sin as much as he is there for her, but make no mistake, she isn't prepared to take his sh*t either!
A slow-burner as it wouldn't be right any other way. So much here that I loved, so much so that as soon as I finished this book, I simply had to re-read Redesigning Fate!
If you like darkness in with your romance, then I simply can't recommend this one highly enough!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sin has to be one of the most anti-heroes I've ever read about and he was simply perfect. His life hasn't been easy, in any way but things go horribly wrong when his father is murdered before his eyes. This leads him to having a break down and things only get worse when he thinks he has 'miraculously' found Molly when he actually hasn't. His reactions and grief are horrible to read about as they tore me up inside.
Shelby has been through what no person should ever go through. Although she sees herself as weak, she is incredibly strong and has the willpower to move forward. She is there for Sin as much as he is there for her, but make no mistake, she isn't prepared to take his sh*t either!
A slow-burner as it wouldn't be right any other way. So much here that I loved, so much so that as soon as I finished this book, I simply had to re-read Redesigning Fate!
If you like darkness in with your romance, then I simply can't recommend this one highly enough!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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9.0
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7.0
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