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Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated Wonderful Wonderful by The Killers in Music
Jun 22, 2018
Alternative rock band The Killers are back in business with their 5th studio album, Wonderful Wonderful. The lead single off this album, “The Man,” was an instant hit with me. I remember thinking to myself when I first heard it on the radio, “This would make a great choice for an ESPN promo song during football season.” Sure enough, once the 2017 NFL season was underway I heard the song playing during an episode of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. Are those good instincts or what?
Anyways, going back to “The Man,” if you haven’t yet been struck by the contagion of the song you are missing out! The lyrics are so puffed up and arrogant, they’re simultaneously ridiculous and fun to listen to. Altogether, the song’s fast-paced, high-energy style reminds me a lot of “Move” by the band Saint Motel. It is the perfect song to listen to if and when you need to get pumped up for something.
Okay, enough about “The Man.” The 9 other tracks on The Killers’ latest album are all worth listening to as well. The second most energetic song on the album, “Run For Cover,” addresses domestic abuse; another track, “Rut” focuses on the struggles of PTSD; “Tyson vs Douglas” echoes the shock that lead vocalist Brandon Flowers felt after watching Mike Tyson get defeated for the first time in the memorable 1990 boxing match. The songs in this album are all so different from one another both message-wise and sound-wise, and that’s part of what makes Wonderful Wonderful one of the best albums The Killers have released. Fun fact: In one of the songs, “Some Kind of Love,” Flowers has his 3 sons doing backup vocals near the end…how cool is that?
Anyways, going back to “The Man,” if you haven’t yet been struck by the contagion of the song you are missing out! The lyrics are so puffed up and arrogant, they’re simultaneously ridiculous and fun to listen to. Altogether, the song’s fast-paced, high-energy style reminds me a lot of “Move” by the band Saint Motel. It is the perfect song to listen to if and when you need to get pumped up for something.
Okay, enough about “The Man.” The 9 other tracks on The Killers’ latest album are all worth listening to as well. The second most energetic song on the album, “Run For Cover,” addresses domestic abuse; another track, “Rut” focuses on the struggles of PTSD; “Tyson vs Douglas” echoes the shock that lead vocalist Brandon Flowers felt after watching Mike Tyson get defeated for the first time in the memorable 1990 boxing match. The songs in this album are all so different from one another both message-wise and sound-wise, and that’s part of what makes Wonderful Wonderful one of the best albums The Killers have released. Fun fact: In one of the songs, “Some Kind of Love,” Flowers has his 3 sons doing backup vocals near the end…how cool is that?
Carma (21 KP) rated Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay, #6) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Lucas Knight never wants to get shot again. If thinking the pain from a bullet in your side was bad, being stuck at home not released for work duty is a bigger pain to deal with. To top it off he wakes up with a woman at his side and no memory of how they got there. He gets the hell out of his apartment before she wakes up and it gets awkward. Making his way into the office to see if maybe he could fudge his way around his non-release and get back into a case. Joe and Archer might throw him a bone if they see him around the office.
Molly Malone is tired of living as Joes younger sister or just the office help. She wants to get her own case to solve for their company and thinks Santa might just be the way. Waking up in Lucas bed, even knowing nothing happened, lands her the perfect opportunity to get what she wants one way or another.
Molly and Lucas set out to vindicate the angry elves and figure out the money trail. All the while they start understanding their attraction to each other. Can they find a way to mix business and pleasure for the whole package?
I loved this book, my first Heartbreaker Bay book to read (though I have most on my TBR shelf). I absolutely loved the hashtags as chapter titles angle. And the relationship between Molly and Lucas has all the dimensions we look for in a partner. Her father brings awareness to PTSD and protective fathers humor where their daughters are concerned. I voluntarily read an advance copy without expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. 4 ½ stars for this return to Heartbreaker Bay.
Molly Malone is tired of living as Joes younger sister or just the office help. She wants to get her own case to solve for their company and thinks Santa might just be the way. Waking up in Lucas bed, even knowing nothing happened, lands her the perfect opportunity to get what she wants one way or another.
Molly and Lucas set out to vindicate the angry elves and figure out the money trail. All the while they start understanding their attraction to each other. Can they find a way to mix business and pleasure for the whole package?
I loved this book, my first Heartbreaker Bay book to read (though I have most on my TBR shelf). I absolutely loved the hashtags as chapter titles angle. And the relationship between Molly and Lucas has all the dimensions we look for in a partner. Her father brings awareness to PTSD and protective fathers humor where their daughters are concerned. I voluntarily read an advance copy without expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. 4 ½ stars for this return to Heartbreaker Bay.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated S.F.W. (1994) in Movies
Jan 7, 2020
374. S.F.W. One of my fave movie of the 90s. I recently noticed that it was based on a novel. Read it, rewatched movie, and it was still dope... One day Cliff Spab and his best friend since birth Joe Dice head into a convenience store for smokes and beer. Unluckily for them this was also the day that a terrorist organization called Split Image decide to take the place over, and everyone that happened to be in the store as hostages. The masked men are also filming them the entire time, pretty much keeping track of them losing their minds, after all, they've only been eating junk food and beer for the past month. Obvi they make it out after putting up a fight when they've reached the end of their ropes. However, only two make it out alive, Cliff, who everyone calls Spab and a upper class young woman, Wendy. The tale starts at the end of the hostage crisis. Upon escape, Spab and Wendy realize they are now celebrities, every night on TV, millions watched the events unfold in the store. Cliff puts on a brave smart ass attitude making the public love him more, but inside he's suffering some ptsd, and he just wants to disappear. His family use him for the fame, his friends use him for the fame. His one true friend is dead. And the only one he can share any of this with is Wendy, and they are being kept apart by fame, family and all of that. Movie gives you a look at our news becoming just pure entertainment, based on money and popularity. And this was before the internet. Stephen Dorff as Spab and Reese Witherspoon as Wendy were awesome in this dark comedy, with a freaking kick ass soundtrack! Check it out! Filmbufftim on FB.
JT (287 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 1, 2020
Excellent tension (1 more)
Brilliant score
Suprise Thriller a Real Hit
What I love about cinema is that you can go in expecting one thing and come out experiencing another - which was exactly how I felt coming out of The Invisible Man.
The film stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia who is desperate to escape the grasp of her abusive partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and does so by way of a tense opening that is devoid of any dialogue. Instead, as an audience we are holding our breath as she tiptoes around the house.
When news comes that Adrian is dead and has left her a small fortune she straight away becomes suspicious and is convinced he has orchestrated the whole thing. As time passes Cecilia is stalked by an invisible force that those close to her believe is simply PTSD and all in her head.
It's written and directed by Leigh Whannell who is probably one of my favourite cinematic writers. Fans of Saw will recognise him as Adam, the poor bastard who gets locked in the bathroom at the films climactic ending [apologies if you haven't seen that yet, but it has been 16-years].
At it's core The Invisible Man echos a clear message. Cecilia's experiences of being gaslighted by Adrian is a serious topic that many women from abusive relationships will have experienced first hand. The psychological trauma that Cecilia goes through makes her doubt her own sanity.
The best part about the film is the way that Whannell is able to create a sense of unease. In a number of scenes we are left looking at an empty corner of a room, or a chair. When the camera pans it is because it is going to focus on something that is there - but of course there never is.
The film stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia who is desperate to escape the grasp of her abusive partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and does so by way of a tense opening that is devoid of any dialogue. Instead, as an audience we are holding our breath as she tiptoes around the house.
When news comes that Adrian is dead and has left her a small fortune she straight away becomes suspicious and is convinced he has orchestrated the whole thing. As time passes Cecilia is stalked by an invisible force that those close to her believe is simply PTSD and all in her head.
It's written and directed by Leigh Whannell who is probably one of my favourite cinematic writers. Fans of Saw will recognise him as Adam, the poor bastard who gets locked in the bathroom at the films climactic ending [apologies if you haven't seen that yet, but it has been 16-years].
At it's core The Invisible Man echos a clear message. Cecilia's experiences of being gaslighted by Adrian is a serious topic that many women from abusive relationships will have experienced first hand. The psychological trauma that Cecilia goes through makes her doubt her own sanity.
The best part about the film is the way that Whannell is able to create a sense of unease. In a number of scenes we are left looking at an empty corner of a room, or a chair. When the camera pans it is because it is going to focus on something that is there - but of course there never is.
Ice Journey: A Story of Adventure, Escape and Salvation
Book
Ice Journey is the biography of Vietnam veteran Dave Morgan, a self confessed ordinary bloke who has...
Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated The Incredible Hulk (2008) in Movies
May 9, 2019
"As far as I'm concerned, that man's whole body is property of the U.S. army."
I will defend this gem until the day I die.
The Incredible Hulk is without a doubt one of the most underrated, underappreciated film's that I have ever seen. There it is. I'm just putting it out there. Don't worry, I have my reasons that I'll get into but if you don't like this film, if you hate this film even, I encourage you to read this review. I encourage this because I hope to open your eyes to how beautiful and tragic The Incredible Hulk is.
For one, let's take it back to May 1962 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced to us, in his very own debut issue, the Hulk himself. According to interviews, Lee spoke of how this film truly captured the essence of the character and the comics. In those comics, General Thunderbolt Ross, along with the military, was always chasing Dr. Banner ever since the accident. This is portrayed brilliantly here by Louis Leterrier. I'm not a huge fan of his work but I got to give credit where credit's due.
I don't even know where to start for positives because there's so many. For one, Edward Norton is brilliant (yes brilliant) as Bruce Banner. His performance is so emotionally subdued, filled with great sadness and longing. They even show him suffering from PTSD, which has never been touched on with this character on film. Really great stuff on Norton's part. We also get to finally see Bruce Banner be a scientist. We've seen it in the future films sure, but not to this extent. Bruce is working with scraps, using solely his wits, in a third world country . . . just like in the comics.
The story of Hulk is really a tragic love story. I got serious King Kong vibes from the similar dynamic here and it's beautiful. The chemistry between Banner and Elizabeth Ross is great. It's so believable; two people put in an impossible situation and making it work. That's love.
Hulk's character is so well realized here. He suffers from PTSD like I said, but the actual monster himself is perfect. They even throw in a bit of a horror vibe for the first Hulk-out scene. Oh yeah, there's numerous Hulk-out scenes!!! There's so many great omages to the comics as well and I loved every bit of it.
Lastly, looking at it from a technical side it's great. The cinematography is extremely well done and a total feast for the eyes. The pacing is great and goes by like the snap of Thanos himself. The editing is top-notch. The soundtrack by Craig Armstrong is one of my favorites of all time and is so iconic and beautiful. Finally, there's a serious tone. FINALLY. There are some well incorporated jokes but unlike some other Marvel films, it's not overbearing.
As for negatives, they are almost none to nonexistent. Really just nitpicks. The taxi scene is a bit unrealistic and silly. It's the only scene of humor that felt a bit forced and silly, yet I can easily ignore it. But since this is an analysis, I had to mention it. Also, unlike Ruffalo's Hulk, Norton's Hulk doesn't look very similar to Norton himself. Again, purely a nitpick.
Overall, I absolutely love The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk is without a doubt one of the most underrated, underappreciated film's that I have ever seen. There it is. I'm just putting it out there. Don't worry, I have my reasons that I'll get into but if you don't like this film, if you hate this film even, I encourage you to read this review. I encourage this because I hope to open your eyes to how beautiful and tragic The Incredible Hulk is.
For one, let's take it back to May 1962 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced to us, in his very own debut issue, the Hulk himself. According to interviews, Lee spoke of how this film truly captured the essence of the character and the comics. In those comics, General Thunderbolt Ross, along with the military, was always chasing Dr. Banner ever since the accident. This is portrayed brilliantly here by Louis Leterrier. I'm not a huge fan of his work but I got to give credit where credit's due.
I don't even know where to start for positives because there's so many. For one, Edward Norton is brilliant (yes brilliant) as Bruce Banner. His performance is so emotionally subdued, filled with great sadness and longing. They even show him suffering from PTSD, which has never been touched on with this character on film. Really great stuff on Norton's part. We also get to finally see Bruce Banner be a scientist. We've seen it in the future films sure, but not to this extent. Bruce is working with scraps, using solely his wits, in a third world country . . . just like in the comics.
The story of Hulk is really a tragic love story. I got serious King Kong vibes from the similar dynamic here and it's beautiful. The chemistry between Banner and Elizabeth Ross is great. It's so believable; two people put in an impossible situation and making it work. That's love.
Hulk's character is so well realized here. He suffers from PTSD like I said, but the actual monster himself is perfect. They even throw in a bit of a horror vibe for the first Hulk-out scene. Oh yeah, there's numerous Hulk-out scenes!!! There's so many great omages to the comics as well and I loved every bit of it.
Lastly, looking at it from a technical side it's great. The cinematography is extremely well done and a total feast for the eyes. The pacing is great and goes by like the snap of Thanos himself. The editing is top-notch. The soundtrack by Craig Armstrong is one of my favorites of all time and is so iconic and beautiful. Finally, there's a serious tone. FINALLY. There are some well incorporated jokes but unlike some other Marvel films, it's not overbearing.
As for negatives, they are almost none to nonexistent. Really just nitpicks. The taxi scene is a bit unrealistic and silly. It's the only scene of humor that felt a bit forced and silly, yet I can easily ignore it. But since this is an analysis, I had to mention it. Also, unlike Ruffalo's Hulk, Norton's Hulk doesn't look very similar to Norton himself. Again, purely a nitpick.
Overall, I absolutely love The Incredible Hulk
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Shadows from the Past in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Synopsis: ..."It is the price you pay for choosing to be a cop. Your brother's life..." Those words haunt her dreams and her waking moments. LAPD officer, Aurora Kavvan cannot rest until she finds her brothers killer. Digging into the past always brings back unpleasant things: memories, guilt...the hitman. Now she is in a race against time to find the murderer before he finds her. ͞Kill her. I don͛t care how, and I don͛t care where, but I want her dead now! Someone was trying to kill his dead partner͛s sister. FBI agent, Jordan Reiley will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves. Even if it means going against her wishes; putting himself between her and the man who murdered her brother. Will God keep them alive long enough for them to find the truth?
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Witch Elm: A Novel in Books
Oct 16, 2019 (Updated Oct 16, 2019)
A psychological thriller that had me guessing along with the main character!
After a night out with his friends in Dublin, Toby Hennessy walks home alone and goes to bed. He’s woken up in the early hours by two men burgling his flat and when he confronts them, they attack him viciously and leave him for dead. He doesn’t die, and after a long period of time in hospital, he returns to his flat, clearly suffering from PTSD and a brain injury. Luckily for him (but not so lucky for his uncle) his uncle, Hugo, is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. So Toby and his girlfriend Melissa move in to help keep him company, and ultimately to care for him.
They’re a close family, who meet every Sunday for dinner, and Toby and his cousins Leon and Susanna spent every summer at their Uncles house, living pretty much unchecked - every teenagers dream.
This idyllic life is brought abruptly to an end when a skeleton is found inside the trunk of one of the Wych elms in the back garden. It’s complicated further by the fact that Toby’s head injury from the burglary means that his memories are ropey, to say the least.
I really liked this book: I liked the slow build up and learning about the family and the relationship between the cousins. As for the skeleton, well that mystery had me guessing right up to the end.
Incidentally, this is sold as ‘The Wych Elm’ in the UK - ‘Wych’ is an alternative spelling in old English of ‘witch’, and it also means pliant or supple. The words ‘wicker’ and ‘weak’ come from this word too (yes, I looked it up, and this will join all of the terribly interesting, yet relatively useless, information that accumulates in my head 🤷🏼♀️).
This is my first Tana French novel, and based on this book, it won’t be my last.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my copy of this book.
They’re a close family, who meet every Sunday for dinner, and Toby and his cousins Leon and Susanna spent every summer at their Uncles house, living pretty much unchecked - every teenagers dream.
This idyllic life is brought abruptly to an end when a skeleton is found inside the trunk of one of the Wych elms in the back garden. It’s complicated further by the fact that Toby’s head injury from the burglary means that his memories are ropey, to say the least.
I really liked this book: I liked the slow build up and learning about the family and the relationship between the cousins. As for the skeleton, well that mystery had me guessing right up to the end.
Incidentally, this is sold as ‘The Wych Elm’ in the UK - ‘Wych’ is an alternative spelling in old English of ‘witch’, and it also means pliant or supple. The words ‘wicker’ and ‘weak’ come from this word too (yes, I looked it up, and this will join all of the terribly interesting, yet relatively useless, information that accumulates in my head 🤷🏼♀️).
This is my first Tana French novel, and based on this book, it won’t be my last.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my copy of this book.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Brahms: The Boy II (2020) in Movies
Mar 14, 2020
401. Brahms: The Boy II. What little kid doesn't want a creepy doll? Mom, Liza, and son, Jude are hanging out at home one night and they get attacked and robbed in their home in a very PG undramatic scene. Jude suffers from PTSD and doesn't say a word afterwards, and Liza gets the nightmares, so hubby Sean and Liza decide the best thing to do is get away from it all and vacation at a completely secluded guesthouse of a completely empty creepy mansion! Fun! Oh, and there's a creepy groundskeeper walking around with a shotgun and a big ol mean dog! Nice! Out of the many activities that they can do on this vacation like, looking at the woods, admiring the woods, or exploring the woods, they decide to take a walk in the woods. And this is when Jude discovers a hand sticking up out of the dirt, and he uncovers...a dirty old extremely creepy looking doll, and he obvi falls in love, and names it Brahms, well, that is the name Brahms told him to call him. Mom and Dad are like, eww gross, but it makes him happy, let's take it home clean it up! Within a short time, Jude starts turning around, while Liza thinks the doll is alive causing mischief, cause it can't be Jude doing these things. What to do, what to do... Internet investigation montage scene to recap Part I, give a little more backstory of course. It's not a great movie, honestly it felt they were going to go one way with it, felt rushed then went with a different route, it wasn't a terrible way to go, just felt they changed gears all of sudden. I liked it, i do like bad horror movies, add a creepy doll, makes it better. I personally now want a Chucky Vs. Chucky movie! Filmbufftim on FB
StressScan - check your stress
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Just place a finger over the camera for two minutes, and StressScan will analyze changes in your...