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The Craggus (360 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Dec 18, 2018 (Updated Dec 18, 2018)
Is the DCEU better down where it's wetter? #Aquaman (2018) #Review
Imagine, ten years ago, if someone had told you the future of the DC cinematic universe would rest on the shoulders of…Aquaman. Yeah, that Aquaman, the character who had only really made it into pop culture consciousness as a fish-wrangling joke. Fresh from the, if not triumph, then at least plummet-arresting crunching gear change of “Justice League”, the DCEU looks to rise once again from the depths with this Māui-ised incarnation of Arthur Curry....
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusAquaman
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusAquaman
Smashbomb (4683 KP) created a post in Friends of Smashbomb
Mar 4, 2020
Anna Meredith recommended Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019) in Movies (curated)
Charley (64 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Jan 26, 2019
Could not put it down
My boyfriend made me read this as it's his favourite book. I was a bit sceptical as it didn't seem my thing but I couldn't put it down.
It's about a kid who spends his life in the virtual reality oasis on the search for an Easter egg that will grant him the keys to the game he plays and lots of wealth.
Full of pop culture references and lots of action it is the perfect books for all the nerds out there. Don't bother with the film. As usual the book is miles better.
It's about a kid who spends his life in the virtual reality oasis on the search for an Easter egg that will grant him the keys to the game he plays and lots of wealth.
Full of pop culture references and lots of action it is the perfect books for all the nerds out there. Don't bother with the film. As usual the book is miles better.
David McK (3204 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Sep 19, 2021
<2021 update>
Have also seen the movie mentioned below. It was just OK; not great.
<original 2016 review>
Prior to reading this, I'd heard good things about it, and was aware that - like seemingly nearly all of the current Young Adult Dystopian novels - there was a movie for it in the pipeline, by none other than Spielberg himself.
Set in the near-future, I found this to be like a cross between the Bruce Willis movie Surrogates (in that nearly everybody seems to live their life vicariously through other means), The Matrix (cyber reality) and maybe even a bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the MacGuffin that gets the plot rolling). it probably helps that - unlike the characters - I actually *was* a kid in the 80s, and so get plenty of the various pop-culture references made.
Plenty, but not all - this, remember, is set in America, so leans more towards the American or Japanese spectrum of popular culture than European.
Have also seen the movie mentioned below. It was just OK; not great.
<original 2016 review>
Prior to reading this, I'd heard good things about it, and was aware that - like seemingly nearly all of the current Young Adult Dystopian novels - there was a movie for it in the pipeline, by none other than Spielberg himself.
Set in the near-future, I found this to be like a cross between the Bruce Willis movie Surrogates (in that nearly everybody seems to live their life vicariously through other means), The Matrix (cyber reality) and maybe even a bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the MacGuffin that gets the plot rolling). it probably helps that - unlike the characters - I actually *was* a kid in the 80s, and so get plenty of the various pop-culture references made.
Plenty, but not all - this, remember, is set in America, so leans more towards the American or Japanese spectrum of popular culture than European.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Bad Feminist in Books
Nov 23, 2017
A mixed bag of essays
Roxane Gay is a gifted writer no doubt, but like a lot of her more prominent work, there are huge amounts of autobiographical information that didn't seem completely relevant.
Her essays on the intersection of feminism with misogynistic pop culture was incredibly on point, exploring E.L. James' infamous BDSM novel Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as other popular novels such as Twilight. She briefly mentions rape culture and how all of the above feeds into this notion.
Similarly her discussion on how race is portrayed in major Hollywood motion pictures is accurately disturbing - showing how African Americans are used in plots as a way to prop up white protagonists (The Help, Django Unchained).
Some of her other chapters seemed disconnected as if they were put in the book because there was no other place for it. This appears in the chapter on Scrabble. (Playing Scrabble doesn't make you a bad feminist).
There were a lot of haphazard thoughts that didn't quite thread together with the rest of the book ie. abortion rights, and male politicians' views on body autonomy. Gay was pretty adamant on her views on this, which appeared to showcase her opinion that she truly is a feminist.
The underlying message was that you may have flaws by enjoying aspects of pop culture, but as long as you are aware of how important it is that women receive equal rights, you can be any kind of feminist. But the book does feel as if she's trying to prove it to herself and to the world which seems rather unnecessary. We believe you Roxane.
Her essays on the intersection of feminism with misogynistic pop culture was incredibly on point, exploring E.L. James' infamous BDSM novel Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as other popular novels such as Twilight. She briefly mentions rape culture and how all of the above feeds into this notion.
Similarly her discussion on how race is portrayed in major Hollywood motion pictures is accurately disturbing - showing how African Americans are used in plots as a way to prop up white protagonists (The Help, Django Unchained).
Some of her other chapters seemed disconnected as if they were put in the book because there was no other place for it. This appears in the chapter on Scrabble. (Playing Scrabble doesn't make you a bad feminist).
There were a lot of haphazard thoughts that didn't quite thread together with the rest of the book ie. abortion rights, and male politicians' views on body autonomy. Gay was pretty adamant on her views on this, which appeared to showcase her opinion that she truly is a feminist.
The underlying message was that you may have flaws by enjoying aspects of pop culture, but as long as you are aware of how important it is that women receive equal rights, you can be any kind of feminist. But the book does feel as if she's trying to prove it to herself and to the world which seems rather unnecessary. We believe you Roxane.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Jul 21, 2017
The story (2 more)
The characters
The '80s pop culture
So Totally Awesome
At this point I've read this book four times and can see myself reading it another ten times and I would still find it such a breath of fresh air.
The plot is interesting and fun and honestly you gets so invested in the story and it wonderful characters that it's almost impossible to put the book down.
On top of all the '80 nostalgia you have a truly wonderful and heartfelt story where you can't help with root for the underdog Wade throught the whole thing.
The plot is interesting and fun and honestly you gets so invested in the story and it wonderful characters that it's almost impossible to put the book down.
On top of all the '80 nostalgia you have a truly wonderful and heartfelt story where you can't help with root for the underdog Wade throught the whole thing.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Swing Time in Books
Jul 24, 2017
Soul-moving realism
This is probably my favourite Zadie Smith novel, deeply touching with characters bursting to life out of the pages. Hitting on themes of racial identity and pop culture, it is a brilliant contemporary take on what young adults are currently experiencing. From cultural appropriation to the effects of globalisation all summed up in the relationship of one young woman and her peers.
Her relationship with her mother is one of generational divide while with her friend Tracy is one of class divide. The protagonist's character is the epitome of confusion and attempting to find a place in the world. Well worth the praise.
Her relationship with her mother is one of generational divide while with her friend Tracy is one of class divide. The protagonist's character is the epitome of confusion and attempting to find a place in the world. Well worth the praise.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated The Muppet Movie (1979) in Movies
Jun 5, 2019
It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to raise the curtain on The Muppet Movie's 40th Anniversary tonight!
If you were born between the 1970s and 1990s, it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without “The Muppets”. From “Sesame Street” to “The Muppet Show”, they formed one of the cornerstones of childhood pop culture and while they have endured, they’ve yet to recapture the dizzying heights of their late 1970s/ 1980s dominance. That’s thanks in large part to the irresistible amiability and boundless charm of this, their first full-length movie, released in the UK 40 years ago today...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusTheMuppetMovie
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusTheMuppetMovie