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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Chestnut Man in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A great debut
If that cover doesn't draw you in and make you pick it up, you are a lost soul !!!
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated The House Swap in Books
Jun 26, 2018
Tension, tension, so much tension!
From start to finish The House Swap is a taut and edgy examination of the rocky marriage between a young English couple, Caroline and Francis. When the opportunity arises for them to swap their city flat in Leeds with someone else’s suburban home in Chiswick they eagerly plan a week-long getaway for two so they can focus on repairing their relationship. Caroline soon starts finding signs that the owner of the suburban home she and Francis are currently occupying may very well be the person she’s tried so desperately to put behind her: her ex-lover, Carl. Francis, who knows about Caroline’s past affair, begins to notice that his wife is acting strange and inattentive; it’s putting him on edge, which is no place for a former pill-popper like himself to be. With both of their past obsessions threatening to burst back into their lives, Caroline and Francis brace themselves for the ultimate test in their marriage.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
The Legacies of Jean-Luc Godard
Douglas Morrey, Christina Stojanova and Nicole Cote
Book
The artistic impact of Jean-Luc Godard, whose career in cinema has spanned over fifty years and...
Stanley Kubrick: New Perspectives
Peter Kramer, Tatjana Ljujic and Richard Daniels
Book
Stanley Kubrick: New Perspectives brings together essays by scholars who have examined the traces...
BS
Both Sides of Sunset: Photographing Los Angeles
Jane Brown and Marla Hamburg Kennedy
Book
Los Angeles is a city of dualities sunshine and noir, coastline beaches and urban grit, natural...
Lurid & Cute
Book
This yarn takes place in the suburbs of a giant city. In Brasilia they're coming off their night...
Pat Healy recommended Sweet Smell of Success (1957) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Motherless Brooklyn (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2021 (Updated Mar 11, 2021)
A swing and a miss, to be sure - but boy do I admire what a wide fuckin' swing it is. Norton clearly loves and understands the mechanisms of film noir but translates them into a boiling hot mess. A baffling Frankenstein's monster of hokey performances, grotesque fakey-looking cinematography, trash editing, formless structure, and corny dialogue - you'd think no one here had ever been involved with the moviemaking process before, it's actually bewildering. The ever-dependable (and criminally underrated) Daniel Pemberton's score as well as some fine production are in direct conflict with its shit TV movie visuals - so there ends up being no actual mood here either. Its noble but muddled attempt at reviving the old-school prestige gumshoe epic make it at least mildly diverting oftentimes - but there's a whole lot of people explaining the plot to each other and not a lot of actual character on display. Nothing really feels lived-in, we're told time and time again how much we're supposed to feel for these relationships despite the fact that everyone just kind of bounces in and out only when they're needed to advance the plot with no further development - and its 50s setting it banks so hard on is mere window dressing to peddle the type of plot you've seen a hundred other times in these. Am I supposed to be shocked that urban renewal leaders are greedy, egotistical, and racist?
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Foodfight! (2012) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
"𝘈𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥... 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
Anti-cinema. Furry propaganda that bastardizes random corporate logos into hideous background characters for a crude mixture of ripoff film noir, shit-looking 𝘛𝘰𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 and... the Nazi Party? Sort of genius. But also the most compact measurable example of going through the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief. The best thing you can do with butt-ugly, endlessly questionable, ultra-filtered garbaggio like this is not to futilely attempt to reject its offerings into the minds of twisted, twisted individuals - but to fully embrace and accept it as a tonic, to make you feel better about yourself. One big hilariously bad sexual thrust of a children's film that isn't - in any capacity - suitable for children; at one point there's an extended 'steamy' dance routine where Dex Dogtective and Lady X strongly attempt to both fuck *and* kill each other at the same time. Horrible, half-finished food puns like "Let's strawberry jam outta here" and "Frankly my dear, I don't give a Spam" spin back into some kind of stupid subversion. Cold, lifeless, perturbing eyes staring back at you with an ominous silence that makes one want to crawl out of their own skin (pretty sure this triggered my fight-or-flight response multiple times over). Also the last 30 minutes is a sustained barrage of disgustingly rendered CGI puss. A closer experience to 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘪𝘦 than it thinks.
Anti-cinema. Furry propaganda that bastardizes random corporate logos into hideous background characters for a crude mixture of ripoff film noir, shit-looking 𝘛𝘰𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 and... the Nazi Party? Sort of genius. But also the most compact measurable example of going through the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief. The best thing you can do with butt-ugly, endlessly questionable, ultra-filtered garbaggio like this is not to futilely attempt to reject its offerings into the minds of twisted, twisted individuals - but to fully embrace and accept it as a tonic, to make you feel better about yourself. One big hilariously bad sexual thrust of a children's film that isn't - in any capacity - suitable for children; at one point there's an extended 'steamy' dance routine where Dex Dogtective and Lady X strongly attempt to both fuck *and* kill each other at the same time. Horrible, half-finished food puns like "Let's strawberry jam outta here" and "Frankly my dear, I don't give a Spam" spin back into some kind of stupid subversion. Cold, lifeless, perturbing eyes staring back at you with an ominous silence that makes one want to crawl out of their own skin (pretty sure this triggered my fight-or-flight response multiple times over). Also the last 30 minutes is a sustained barrage of disgustingly rendered CGI puss. A closer experience to 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘪𝘦 than it thinks.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Grim Fandango Remastered in Video Games
May 7, 2020 (Updated May 7, 2020)
Classic: Land of the Dead
Grim Fandango- is a classic game, yes i know im reviewing the remastered, but its a remaster from the ground up. Its still a excellent game.
Grim Fandango - is 1998 adventure game directed by Tim Schafer and developed and published by LucasArts for Microsoft Windows. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered static backgrounds. As with other LucasArts adventure games, the player must converse with characters and examine, collect, and use objects to solve puzzles.
Grim Fandango is set in the Land of the Dead, through which recently departed souls, represented as calaca-like figures, travel before they reach their final destination. The story follows travel agent Manuel "Manny" Calavera as he attempts to save new arrival Mercedes "Meche" Colomar, a virtuous soul, on her journey. The game combines elements of the Aztec belief of afterlife with film noir style, with influences including The Maltese Falcon, On the Waterfront and Casablanca.
Grim Fandango received praise for its art design and direction. It was selected for several awards and is often listed as one of the greatest video games of all time. However, it was a commercial failure and contributed towards LucasArts' decision to end adventure game development and the decline of the adventure game genre.
I remember playing this game on the computer when i was around age 7-9. Its a excellent game.
Grim Fandango - is 1998 adventure game directed by Tim Schafer and developed and published by LucasArts for Microsoft Windows. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered static backgrounds. As with other LucasArts adventure games, the player must converse with characters and examine, collect, and use objects to solve puzzles.
Grim Fandango is set in the Land of the Dead, through which recently departed souls, represented as calaca-like figures, travel before they reach their final destination. The story follows travel agent Manuel "Manny" Calavera as he attempts to save new arrival Mercedes "Meche" Colomar, a virtuous soul, on her journey. The game combines elements of the Aztec belief of afterlife with film noir style, with influences including The Maltese Falcon, On the Waterfront and Casablanca.
Grim Fandango received praise for its art design and direction. It was selected for several awards and is often listed as one of the greatest video games of all time. However, it was a commercial failure and contributed towards LucasArts' decision to end adventure game development and the decline of the adventure game genre.
I remember playing this game on the computer when i was around age 7-9. Its a excellent game.