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Ryan Phillippe recommended Fargo (1996) in Movies (curated)
Verner Latskin (74 KP) rated Drive (2011) in Movies
Jul 21, 2017
The performances are universally strong (4 more)
Stylish, patient direction
Understated when most films would go big
Unlike "Baby Driver", which has many similarities with this film, the central relationship is never suggested to be anything more than some casual relationship that gives the main character a chance at redemption
Carey Mulligan is as luminous as ever
It's about as deep as a puddle in a parking lot (1 more)
It is generally very overrated
A good, yet unacknowledged, remake of "The Driver"
Well, it's a remake of Walter Hill's "The Driver". Not officially, sure, but it just is. It annoys me that this was never really acknowledged, but it's a good one, so there's that.
Otherwise, it's a flimsy, but good little crime thriller that's generally overrated. Shouldn't stop anyone from seeing it though.
Otherwise, it's a flimsy, but good little crime thriller that's generally overrated. Shouldn't stop anyone from seeing it though.
Chelsea (166 KP) rated Two Girls Down: A Novel in Books
May 3, 2018
Alice Vega is a basically professional head hunter and, when hired to find two young girls who vanished from a Kmart parking lot, enlists the help of a local retired cop turned private investigator, Max Caplan or “Cap”.
The POV goes back and forth between Alice and Cap, which I really enjoyed. Alice is sort of mysterious and keeps a cool head, not showing many emotions to others, but the reader gets to feel what she’s really feeling. Though divorced, Cap is a family man and I loved his relationship with his daughter. Both were determined to find these girls and would do whatever it took. There was also a little romantic tension between Cap and Vega, but then at the end nothing came of it, which was pretty disappointing. Overall a good read!
The POV goes back and forth between Alice and Cap, which I really enjoyed. Alice is sort of mysterious and keeps a cool head, not showing many emotions to others, but the reader gets to feel what she’s really feeling. Though divorced, Cap is a family man and I loved his relationship with his daughter. Both were determined to find these girls and would do whatever it took. There was also a little romantic tension between Cap and Vega, but then at the end nothing came of it, which was pretty disappointing. Overall a good read!
CHILLFILTR (46 KP) rated Cool City by Cary Brothers in Music
Jul 11, 2019
My old buddy Matty D used to play bass for him; Cary's been around for a while. This is how I heard this song at first: Oh really, that's the whole chorus? I mean he gives so little to start out; this whole song is a crescendo, coming from the arrangement, the production, how the chorus keeps getting slightly longer - and then you realize it's all been a set-up for the bridge.
Cary Brothers is quintessential Los Angeles. He's talking about cigarettes and easy parking, he looks good but not too good; the tie is not done. But the production is as good as it gets, and the voice is California all day long.
“I got her number
but she was so smart
I’m feeling stupid
at least it’s a start”
— Cary Brothers
This is a snapshot, a production relic, a grab-and-go musical fast-food. And it is delicious. Cool City indeed.
Cary Brothers is quintessential Los Angeles. He's talking about cigarettes and easy parking, he looks good but not too good; the tie is not done. But the production is as good as it gets, and the voice is California all day long.
“I got her number
but she was so smart
I’m feeling stupid
at least it’s a start”
— Cary Brothers
This is a snapshot, a production relic, a grab-and-go musical fast-food. And it is delicious. Cool City indeed.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated H Is for Homicide (Kinsey Millhone, #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Over the last couple of months, Kinsey has become friends with Parnell, an investigator at California Fidelity. So, she is shocked when Parnell is shot in the parking lot. With no leads, the case begins to fade, and even Kinsey is given a new case to investigate Bibianna for potential insurance fraud. Her plan is to get close to Bibianna and confirm the fraud, but Bibianna has secrets that complicate Kinsey’s plans. What will happen next?
This book starts well with an interesting first half, but then the second half really bogs down. The climax is almost anti-climactic in fact, and a huge change to Kinsey’s life is dashed off in a sentence. Furthermore, insurance fraud is the focus more than the homicide, which is disappointing for the “H” entry in the series. It’s not a bad book, but it’s definitely the weakest in the series to date.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-h-is-for-homicide-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book starts well with an interesting first half, but then the second half really bogs down. The climax is almost anti-climactic in fact, and a huge change to Kinsey’s life is dashed off in a sentence. Furthermore, insurance fraud is the focus more than the homicide, which is disappointing for the “H” entry in the series. It’s not a bad book, but it’s definitely the weakest in the series to date.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-h-is-for-homicide-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Blake Anderson recommended Flockaveli by Waka Flocka Flame in Music (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Sep 3, 2021
Approximately sixty-seventh Marvel Studios project to date starts off as a pretty good king fu movie, as parking attendant Simu Liu is forced to come clean to his best friend that he is in fact the renegade son of an immortal warlord, before turning into a not quite so good fantasy movie (immortal warlord wants to invade a magic kingdom, which may inadvertently cause the end of the universe).
Good martial arts choreography, but the non-stop CGI of the climax isn't nearly as interesting or fun to watch, and the movie seems to lose its edge and sense of humour as it goes on. Feels very much like an attempt to do something akin to Black Panther, but with Chinese culture; may well do very good business in Asian markets. The usual links and references to other Marvel movies are a mixed bag; some of them feel very contrived and gratuitous. Still, they're integral to the Marvel project and I doubt this movie will disappoint the faithful.
Good martial arts choreography, but the non-stop CGI of the climax isn't nearly as interesting or fun to watch, and the movie seems to lose its edge and sense of humour as it goes on. Feels very much like an attempt to do something akin to Black Panther, but with Chinese culture; may well do very good business in Asian markets. The usual links and references to other Marvel movies are a mixed bag; some of them feel very contrived and gratuitous. Still, they're integral to the Marvel project and I doubt this movie will disappoint the faithful.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated Hummus and Homicide (Kebab Kitchen Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Lucy Berberian is back in her hometown of Ocean Crest, New Jersey, while she tries to figure out what to do next in her life. While she is reconnecting with family and friends, she is also working at her parent’s restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. Her high school nemesis, Heather Banks, is now the health inspector, and goes out of her way to make trouble for Lucy. However, after eating at the restaurant’s hummus bar, Heather dies in the parking lot. With business declining and Lucy the prime suspect, Lucy begins to search for answers. What happened to Heather?
This series is off to a good start. Lucy has a great collection of family and friends, although I did feel that her parents could be better fleshed out. We see hints of more here, something I hope is developed further as the series progresses. The mystery is solid with several believable suspects and plenty of secrets. The ending surprised me and kept me turning pages.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-hummus-and-homicide-by-tina.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This series is off to a good start. Lucy has a great collection of family and friends, although I did feel that her parents could be better fleshed out. We see hints of more here, something I hope is developed further as the series progresses. The mystery is solid with several believable suspects and plenty of secrets. The ending surprised me and kept me turning pages.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-hummus-and-homicide-by-tina.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Lumos (380 KP) rated The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Books
Jun 8, 2018
Ok.. .I'm going to admit I was a bit bummed my book club chose this as our next read. Sci-fi books have never been my forte.. I just can't seem to understand what is going on. So many scienc-y words and characters with hard to pronounce names.. but, I was very surprised by this book. I listened to the audio book version since I had a few long drives to take. I found myself getting to my destination and sitting in the parking lot waiting for the chapter/ scene to be over. Each character is so unique. Becky Chambers designed each persona in such a beautiful way, you can't help but find yourself getting attached to them. Normally, intergalactic characters are too far out of the world for me to relate to, but I found myself very invested in these characters' backgrounds and relating to them in unexpected ways. I am very eager for our next meeting to see what everyone else got out of the book. If you are like me, and space isn't your thing, I would still recommend you push past the first few chapters. Once you get the background of the first character, I guarantee you will be hooked!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated P2 (2007) in Movies
Dec 30, 2020
Escape From The Garage
P2- is a really good movie. I liked the suspense, thrills, its psychological espect, the horror and the mystery.
The plot: Angela (Rachel Nichols) is working late on Christmas Eve. When she finally decides to leave, she goes down to the parking garage to get her car, but it won't start. Thomas (Wes Bentley), the garage's security guard, offers to help. He also invites Angela to dinner, but she refuses. Thomas, crazed, knocks her out. She wakes up in Thomas' office, chained to a chair and in different clothes. Now Angela must fight for her life in order the escape from the garage.
The film re-unites Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur, and Franck Khalfoun, who had previously worked together as director, writer and actor, respectively, on the 2003 horror film High Tension. According to Aja, when asked about the comparisons with Tension, he said: "With a strong plot in the vein of High Tension, P2 gives us a chance to further explore the survival aspect of the terror movie."
P2 was featured in an ad campaign on the social networking website Myspace, where a trailer for the film could also be streamed.
Its a really good horror thriller.
The plot: Angela (Rachel Nichols) is working late on Christmas Eve. When she finally decides to leave, she goes down to the parking garage to get her car, but it won't start. Thomas (Wes Bentley), the garage's security guard, offers to help. He also invites Angela to dinner, but she refuses. Thomas, crazed, knocks her out. She wakes up in Thomas' office, chained to a chair and in different clothes. Now Angela must fight for her life in order the escape from the garage.
The film re-unites Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur, and Franck Khalfoun, who had previously worked together as director, writer and actor, respectively, on the 2003 horror film High Tension. According to Aja, when asked about the comparisons with Tension, he said: "With a strong plot in the vein of High Tension, P2 gives us a chance to further explore the survival aspect of the terror movie."
P2 was featured in an ad campaign on the social networking website Myspace, where a trailer for the film could also be streamed.
Its a really good horror thriller.