Search
Search results
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Monticello in Books
Oct 7, 2021
If you buy one book in October, it should be this one. MY MONTICELLO is a collection of short stories and a novella that explore race, identity, and more. Beautifully written, nuanced, and insightful, they each make you think. My introverted self found myself wishing for a book club so I could discuss these stories with others.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
I first saw Snowpiercer on Netflix purely by skimming through what was on one night, when I found out that it was finally coming out on Blu-ray I got very excited, for those that don’t know the film is from the visionary mind behind 2020 Oscar-winner Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho’s star-studded dystopian sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer is a movie that has now also been made into a TV series, but today I’m bringing you my review of the film’s much-anticipated Blu-ray release.
Set in 2031, the entire planet is frozen and the world’s only survivors live aboard the Snowpiercer: a train that’s been hurtling around the globe for the past seventeen years. Within the carriages, the remnants of the human race have formed their own divisive economic and class system.
Set in 2031, the entire planet is frozen and the world’s only survivors live aboard the Snowpiercer: a train that’s been hurtling around the globe for the past seventeen years. Within the carriages, the remnants of the human race have formed their own divisive economic and class system.
Dean (6927 KP) rated The Adam Project (2022) in Movies
Mar 15, 2022
Funny (1 more)
Good Action scenes
Some poor youth Cgi (1 more)
Nothing original
Enjoyable funny Sci-Fi
Yet another Ryan Reynolds Netflix film, they do seem to be churning them out pretty quick lately. This time a time travel Sci-Fi film with some good action and more laughs. Accidentally travelling back to today from 2050 he meets up with himself as a young boy.
Seems to have ideas from quite a few time travel films but the main fun is the humour to be had between the Young and older Adam. It has a decent budget, although the Cgi for a young version of the villian looks more computer game level.
Overall it's a fun film with some touching moments with a fairly straight forward plot. Ryan Reynolds again raising quite a few laughs to put a smile on your face.
Seems to have ideas from quite a few time travel films but the main fun is the humour to be had between the Young and older Adam. It has a decent budget, although the Cgi for a young version of the villian looks more computer game level.
Overall it's a fun film with some touching moments with a fairly straight forward plot. Ryan Reynolds again raising quite a few laughs to put a smile on your face.
SummerLGrant (185 KP) rated Sense8 - Season 1 in TV
Aug 11, 2017
The Wachowski siblings are on fine form (3 more)
The idea
The way it was executed
Stunning location, stunning writing and stunning acting
Instant classic
This series has to be one of the best shows Netflix has put their money behind. The original story follows eight individuals as they're visited by a strange vision of a blonde woman. Soon, they find themselves able to visit each other's minds, share their skills and pop up in the strangest of places - all as part of this new cluster they find themselves in. But there's some danger with their newfound ability.
As you'd expect from the Wachowski siblings, it's beautifully complicated and at no point do they talk down to their audience. Everything is wrapped tightly in mystery and you learn things naturally throughout the course of the story. Pretty much every episode feels like a cliffhanger and the story comes to a crashing crescendo.
As you'd expect from the Wachowski siblings, it's beautifully complicated and at no point do they talk down to their audience. Everything is wrapped tightly in mystery and you learn things naturally throughout the course of the story. Pretty much every episode feels like a cliffhanger and the story comes to a crashing crescendo.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Strong Island (2017) in Movies
Sep 15, 2017
Hugely tragic, a family destroyed
I wasn't sure what to expect with this new Netflix documentary film especially as it was tipped alongside the likes of The Confession Tapes and The Keepers.
However, this was rather different. This wasn't about getting to the bottom of a mystery. This was about a family's personal tragedy - in this case, the family of the director Yance Ford. At the time of this film she had not started her transition to becoming transgender, so he now refers as a male.
His story is about the death of his older brother William, shot dead by a white man in dubious self defence circumstances. It shows how his family struggled to cope in the aftermath, and there's a scene where the director cries in agony and it is sheer horror to watch it. A delicately tragic insight into Ford's trauma.
However, this was rather different. This wasn't about getting to the bottom of a mystery. This was about a family's personal tragedy - in this case, the family of the director Yance Ford. At the time of this film she had not started her transition to becoming transgender, so he now refers as a male.
His story is about the death of his older brother William, shot dead by a white man in dubious self defence circumstances. It shows how his family struggled to cope in the aftermath, and there's a scene where the director cries in agony and it is sheer horror to watch it. A delicately tragic insight into Ford's trauma.
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Before I Fall in Books
Jul 7, 2017
Before i watch the film on Netflix today
This is a great High school story what would you do different if you had only one day. I loved the concept and the execution was brilliant. This book has just been made into a film and finally on Netfix today. Personally I cant wait to see if they have done it justice. I hope so film review will be up in a day or two. As a whole im a fan of Lauren Oliver I love Replica having two stories in one book where you had to flip the book to read the others story was amazing. Delirium I had a harder time getting into purely because i had read Matched the day before and the story and characters where so similar it was hard to differentiate between the two. However Before I fall is my favorite of all her stories.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Roma (2018) in Movies
Feb 23, 2019 (Updated Feb 23, 2019)
Good looking but slightly soulless arthouse drama courtesy of the good people at Netflix, who have obviously decided they need some awards credibility what with Disney Plus being on the horizon and all. The travails of a maid in Mexico City circa 1970; her employers divorce, she gets impregnated by her boyfriend who promptly absconds, swimming trip nearly ends badly, and so on.
Not very much happens, but does so extremely beautifully - beautiful cinematography is coupled with some formal, rather alienating camerawork. You almost never forget you're watching a movie, except perhaps during one gruelling sequence near the end. It's very difficult to shake the sense that this film was made solely to win awards - it has the right kind of mixture of technical proficiency and socially-engaged storytelling. I couldn't really engage with it except on a superficial level, but it is very pretty.
Not very much happens, but does so extremely beautifully - beautiful cinematography is coupled with some formal, rather alienating camerawork. You almost never forget you're watching a movie, except perhaps during one gruelling sequence near the end. It's very difficult to shake the sense that this film was made solely to win awards - it has the right kind of mixture of technical proficiency and socially-engaged storytelling. I couldn't really engage with it except on a superficial level, but it is very pretty.
Stephen (210 KP) rated The Young Offenders (2016) in Movies
Mar 16, 2019
I’d looked at this movie on Netflix and thought, “Hmmm, this might be okay to watch one day.” Well that one day finally arrived and I sat down to watch this, not expecting too much from it.
However, it turned out to be a real gem; the characters were all so loveable, the story was fantastic, and the film itself was packed with genius comedy moments. I haven’t laughed so much at a comedy film for ages, but this movie just keeps the comedy coming.
I’m really pleased that a TV series was made based on the movie to keep the antics of the two boys going, and introducing some new characters into the mix works really well.
As will all comedy movies, some of the humour may not appeal to some, but personally I loved every bit of the film from start to finish.
However, it turned out to be a real gem; the characters were all so loveable, the story was fantastic, and the film itself was packed with genius comedy moments. I haven’t laughed so much at a comedy film for ages, but this movie just keeps the comedy coming.
I’m really pleased that a TV series was made based on the movie to keep the antics of the two boys going, and introducing some new characters into the mix works really well.
As will all comedy movies, some of the humour may not appeal to some, but personally I loved every bit of the film from start to finish.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Brain on Fire (2016) in Movies
Jul 5, 2018 (Updated Jul 5, 2018)
Not very deep
This Netflix movie about a young woman who comes down with a mysterious brain disease was all right for me, but lacked much depth or details of the story. Her relationship with her boyfriend, divorced parents and her employer all become strained when her behavior starts to change.
It's not the story, which is of course compelling, I had a problem with. It was the screenplay which lacked any real depth and some of the acting. The actor playing her father, boyfriend, father and Tyler Perry as her boss I thought overacted and were not believable.
If I wanted to find out any details about the complexity of her illness, there weren't many to be found in this 88 minute film.
Do yourself a favor and watch Awakenings, Lorenzo's Oil or Something the Lord Made instead of this film.
It's not the story, which is of course compelling, I had a problem with. It was the screenplay which lacked any real depth and some of the acting. The actor playing her father, boyfriend, father and Tyler Perry as her boss I thought overacted and were not believable.
If I wanted to find out any details about the complexity of her illness, there weren't many to be found in this 88 minute film.
Do yourself a favor and watch Awakenings, Lorenzo's Oil or Something the Lord Made instead of this film.
NerdGeek (155 KP) rated The Shining (1980) in Movies
Oct 13, 2018
Better than I expected
Ok so my fiance is sick, and in bed. So I decided to scroll through Netflix and see what's up. Found this movie, and after all these years, decided to finally give it a shot. So far it's pretty good. Tony kind of freaks me out, but the storyline is pretty decent and it's definitely Stanley Kubrick direction. This is definitely 70s work as well. Which I think actually helps the storyline. I have waited so long to see this movie because I just plain don't like Jack Nicholson. I may lose a few points for That, but I do have to say that he does a good job playing a freak show. And the actor that plays the son? Very good actor. Now if they could make a movie out of Dr Death, my life may be complete.