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The Exorcist
The Exorcist
2012 | Play
7
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Show Rating
Brilliant set design
I went to watch The Exorcist at the Opera House in Manchester in October 2019. I've never been a huge fan of The Exorcist film, I think it's a tad overrated but I was intrigued to see how they'd bring a story like this to life on the stage. And they've put together a well produced and atmospheric show. The set design is brilliant and the effects are spot on, producing a chilly and at times scary show, which isn't something you'd usually expect in such a big theatre and a large audience. The show is that well produced that it's a shame it's rather let down by the acting. A lot of the acting seemed very over the top and exaggerated, and some was just plain poor. Which is a shame as there was a standout performance from Tristram Wymark as Burke who was downright hilarious and a welcome relief to the scarier aspects of the show. Also having Ian McKellen voice the demon is a work of genius. Hearing such a seasoned actor voice a horrible character is brilliant and the young girl miming him is impressively good, even if she does seem to overact at times.

Overall definitely worth seeing for the production if nothing else, and I would've marked a little higher had it not been for some of the acting!
  
Nowhere Boy (2010)
Nowhere Boy (2010)
2010 | Drama
Well acted
This is a film that has been fairly underrated and almost forgotten which I think is a shame, as it's actually a good film driven by some stellar performances.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson excels in this as John and he's what makes this film so good to watch. I always forget that he's actually English until I see him in a film with an English accent, but even still his scouse accent in this is pretty impressive. And the rest of the cast too from Anne-Marie Duff to Kristin Scott-Thomas (there's a load of double barrelled names in this!) all perform admirably in this. The story in this is probably what lets it down. Yes it's interesting to see what happened in John Lennon's early life and how The Beatles first came to be, but there are some aspects with his mum and aunt that get a little too soap opera-esque at times. Personally I wouldve preferred a little more concentration on the music side. And i know the era this film is set in, but I got sick of every scene featuring cigarettes and someone smoking. It was just so noticeable all the time that it became irritating.

Overall this is a pretty decent film about John Lennon's early life made better by some brilliant performances.
  
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
Joanne Fluke | 2023 | Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Three Strikes, You’re Dead
Summer has come to Lake Eden, and Hannah is excited to be hosting the snack booth at the baseball tournament in Lake Eden, debuting her new pink lemonade themed desserts. One of the celebrity participants is Bernie “No-No” Fulton, a local who pitch part of a season for the Twins. But when Hannah’s mother finds No-No’s body under the bleachers, Hannah has a new mystery to solve. After all, Delores had a reason to dislike the man, so Hannah’s mother is a suspect. Can Hannah figure out who wanted him out permanently?

Once again, fans of the series will know what to expect. The mystery is decent, but the story is padded with lots of talk about food, even for a culinary cozy. And the sub-plot involving Mike slows down the beginning of the story. I also had a hard time buying how the police deal with Hannah’s sleuthing in this book. And yet, I still do like checking in on the characters, and the recipes sound delicious as always. The cliffhanger makes it obvious we are back in the soap opera territory I had hoped we’d left behind. If you are curious about the series, start with the early books to see why so many people read it.