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Words Of Wisdom And Hope by Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"[sings] "I got a crush on us!" He's like "vampires came and vampires went, I won't forget this magic feeling", just so geeky, fucking brilliant lyrics, full of cliches, but done in the most hilarious way: "not stupid stuff like your cousin wrote". What the fuck are you talking about? I remember at the time seeing American Splendor, which is this film about Robert Crumb and Harvey Pekar who's this comic book drawer in America, and I was listening to Jad Fair, and there's the whole [adopts nasal American accent] "nerd" thing that's a big part of my teenage music taste. The awkwardness of being in love and the geekiness of American culture. Terrible B-movies with Nicolas Cage, that was a big part of my university life, the trashiness and the shitness. I just really like how he talks about falling in love, the whole album's immersed in Halloween party punch, you're just at this geeky Halloween party he's talking about, and he's like "I love you more than soda pop", "you pop on my tongue and I'm so happy", loads of amazing American cultural references, that as an English kid, it's so cool. You get it. I like the hybrid of Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair, because I couldn't say I was really into TF, but something happened, I just discovered that album and being in love with someone, my boyfriend at the time, we just loved that album because it's just so happy as well. It's innocent and happy and unashamedly geeky and loved-up. There's so many times you listen to that record and it makes you smile, and there's a lot of darkness and heaviness in my list, so I would recommend that album to anyone. First thing in the morning, summer in your car. It's got a real identity, that record, more than any other, it's a real thing in itself, you totally know what you're going to get and you totally love every moment."

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Jimmy Fallon recommended American Movie (1999) in Movies (curated)

 
American Movie (1999)
American Movie (1999)
1999 | Comedy, Documentary
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This is a comedy for you movie nerds (but that’s probably why you’re on Rotten Tomatoes anyway, because you are a film nerd). This movie is called American Movie, and it’s a documentary comedy. Man, oh man, I remember seeing this film with Horatio Sanz: we were in the theater, and we were crying so hard from laughing, we were hugging each other and punching each other because we were laughing too hard. It’s about a man trying to make a horror movie. He calls it Cove–en, and it’s about a coven, but he doesn’t like the way “coven” rhymes with “oven,” that doesn’t make sense, so he calls it, mispronounces the title for his film, and calls it Cove-en. He tries to get his dad to act in the movie, and his dad is going like, “You have something to live for. Jesus told me so.” And he’s like, “All right, Dad, do it again, but your teeth are falling out.” And he goes, “Cole, you have something to live for. Jesus told me so.” And he goes, “Geez, I hear his teeth clickety clacking in the audio, it’s unusable.” I mean it is crying funny. He takes a dentist, a local dentist [who] wants to be an actor, and he’s ramming his head into a closet that he was supposed to have scored so that it easily breaks away, but he forgets to score the wood so he’s actually ramming a human’s head into a wooden cabinet. [The man] is screaming, and he’s ramming this poor man’s head into the thing. So cut, and the guy’s holding his head. He’s like, “Oh, my gosh.” He’s like “Uh, man, I’m sorry, I forgot to cut that board.” It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It will make you cry laughing. If you love filmmaking, you will appreciate this. The two guys, the two stars of the movie, are true stars."

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure
The latest entry into the MCU is a definitely a ride, both in terms of quality and in what unfolds on screen. The things I disliked about Shang-Chi are very clear cut - it's pacing is all over the place, there's an unholy amount of exposition dumps, and the humourous moments didn't always land. I have nothing against Awkwafina, but her character here is a constant quip-machine, and takes up a hefty amount of screen time, whilst simultaneously feeling a little pointless when all is said and done.

However, the things I did like about Shang-Chi are also extremely clear cut. For a starter, I'm just generally stoked that the character himself has his own movie. We've come a long way since X-Men blew the superhero genre wide open back in 2000.
It has a great cast, including lead Simu Liu, as well as the likes of Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh. The inner comic book nerd in me was beyond excited to see minor villains such as Razor Fist and Death Dealer on screen, and then of course (no spoilers!) a third act villain that is a true deep cut from the comics. Tony Leung's Wenwu aka The Mandarin strikes an imposing presence as the main big bad, and the subsequent theme of power and family gives the movie a beating, if tragic, heart.
Pretty much all of the fight scenes are great, and any flaws that I found were completely obliterated by the batshit insane final third, that honestly verges on live action anime at times.

The general tone of this movie feels like something new for the MCU. From street level fighting, to crazy fantasy style set pieces, to the exploration of Asian culture, Shang-Chi is a fresh new entry for the MCU, as the studio steps a little further out of its comfort zone. Please try to see it on the big screen if you can!
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Stranger Diaries in Books

Apr 4, 2019 (Updated May 21, 2019)  
The Stranger Diaries
The Stranger Diaries
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh I love Elly Griffiths so much, and I was incredibly excited to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was so good! It's told in various points of view, including Clare's and that of Harbinder, an incredibly awesome Sikh lesbian Detective Constable. I mean... so cool. Harbinder attended Talgarth High in the past, so her former schooling memories are aligned with the current case.

The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.

Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!

This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend.
  
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Joana Lau (3 KP) rated Artemis in Books

Feb 5, 2018  
Artemis
Artemis
Andy Weir | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
7.7 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
Artemis is a fun, fast paced book featuring a charming heroine.

Jazz Bashara is smart, funny, sexy and like many of this generation – although the book takes place in the future – a little lost in her ways.

After a series of what some might call (Jazz included) “bad life decisions”, Jazz splits her time between working a legit porter job and as a smuggler of mostly harmless goods into her town, Artemis.

Artemis is the first lunar town, an earth colony of blue collar laborers, its main economies in are tourism, glass and aluminum production.

Through her pattern of making questionable choices, Jazz finds herself neck deep in some big trouble involving the town’s main big shots, the mayor, the aluminum industry and the Brazilian syndicate mob. I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook version narrated by Rosario Dawson, she will be the perfect voice for Jazz Bashara.

As I Brazilian native I was a little bothered by the lack of research into Brazilian surnames and cultural background. It is a huge pet peeve of mine when Brazilians are characterized too much like other Hispanic peoples. Although many shared similarities, our names and language are quite different and the names “Sanchez” and “Alvarez” are Hispanic names that are practically inexistent in Brazil.

Besides the above mentioned and a few tacky, too predictable, unoriginal sex jokes, the book is extremely charming.

Artemis is fun and the plot is very engaging. The dialogues are quick witted and the brainy problem solving echoes Mr. Weir’s debut “The Martian”.

The characters are well rounded or at least, well thought of, the dialogue is funny and the adventure is endless. There’s enough detailed chemistry and space mechanics to satisfy the inner nerd and the touch of romance is just enough to make you cheer for Jazz’s love conquests without being turned off – I am one of those people that get irritated when romance becomes the story’s main purpose. The gentrified, tight community vibe of Artemis juxtaposes well with the bare, unexciting moonscape.

Overall, one of my favorite books of the year and a huge relief. As a big fan of “The Martian”, I had big expectations for Mr. Weir’s new book. It did not disappoint.
  
The Martian
The Martian
Andy Weir | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.9 (50 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fantastic novel! One of my all time favorite books.
Mark Watney is a snarky, foul-mouthed, crude nerd that’s stuck on Mars and forced to survive by himself. He’s beyond awesome. He takes a pounding from Mars right from the beginning. Has to be able to utilize all his skills and fix all his problems by himself (“Martian taters” “Cannibalized it so much it looks like I left it in a bad part of town”), deal with countless months by himself, and basically frantically try not to die. Through it all, he keeps a sense of humor that still (yes, still, I’m on my 12th listen or so) makes me snicker, and is obviously brilliant in a MacGuyver sort of way, yet utterly relate-able. At this point, I’ve listened to The Martian so much that he’s like a dear friend that I’m constantly rooting for. His reactions are utterly believable .

Andy Weir did a FANTASTIC job with this book.

If you like scifi at all, you will love this book. If you need a hero you can root for, you will love this book. Also, if you're looking for an audio book that is fast-paced, great quality, with an easy to understand and wonderful narrator, you will love the audio book version.

Now, to be fair, some people have complained that there's a lot of science in this book, and that it can be kind of hard to get through because of that. Here's my take on that. Is there a lot of science? Yes. BUT, its not overwhelming. Weir doesn't bombard you with pages upon pages of incomprehensible technobabble. He tells you what's going on in a way that, even if you don't understand the precise details behind what's happening, you still know what's going on. I don't believe at any point that its excessive, and most of the time I found it downright fascinating!

I'm sure this book has a few negatives, but... not any that I can identify.

PS: Lots of F-bombs dropped in the book. Don’t read if you’re sensitive to that.
  
Lost (House of Night Otherworld #2)
Lost (House of Night Otherworld #2)
P C Cast | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved it!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Things have settled down at the Tulsa House of Night since Zoey and the gang closed the tear between worlds and sent Other Kevin back to the Other World. Neferet hasn't stirred. Damien and Jack are falling in love all over again. Stevie Rae and Rephaim are back in Tulsa where they belong. The Depot Restaurant is being rebuilt with the enthusiastic involvement of local humans. A new school year has begun, and Zoey's exchange student program with public schools is really taking off. All is well.But if all is well, why is Zoey increasingly withdrawn and moody?Sadly, Stark is sure he knows the answer to that question. Zoey can't stop thinking about following her brother to the Other World, and Stark isn't deluding himself about why. Of course she wants to be sure her brother is okay. Of course she wants to help defeat Neferet in yet another world and be sure the balance between Light and Darkness is restored. But the real reason Z is so drawn to that other House of Night world is because Heath Luck, her childhood sweetheart, is alive in that world-alive and mourning her death.In Lost, we follow Zoey, Stevie Rae, and Rephaim to an alternative version of the House of Night, where dangers take the form of friends and allies are found in the strangest places. Will Z return to our world and leave Heath to his? And if she does, will Stark forgive her for leaving? Find out in the second part of this exciting new House of Night Other World adventure!

I absolutely love this author and this series! Following Zoey and the nerd herd through more trials just makes me happy. We see Z , Stevie and Repheim travel to Kevin's world to help put things right. With some years of joy at some reunions and tears of sadness at the loss of a beloved character it's definitely worth a read. Also don't be drinking when Neferet drops the C bomb I nearly choked 🤣🤣🤣🤣. As a fan of P C Cast and Kristen these books bring so much joy to the YA and supernatural world.

 



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