Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller
Book
Handsome Brute explores the facts of a once-renowned, now little-remembered British murder case, the...
Darren Hayman recommended I'm Nearly Famous by Cliff Richard in Music (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Harley Quinn - Season 1 in TV
Jul 31, 2020 (Updated Jul 31, 2020)
I really wasn't too bothered when it was originally announced but I'm really glad I got round to it eventually.
To start with, it's fucking hilarious. The dialogue and humour arrives in waves, never lets up, and is pretty much constantly funny and pretty clever. Cast your mind back to when Family Guy was actually good (it's been a while my friends) and you're sort of in the right ball park. Every character offers something in this respect.
The main characters - Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, King Shark, Clayface, Dr Psycho - are really well written, and are a great group of anti-heroes to get behind.
The show also fits in appearances from other DC veterans - Joker, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Bane, Queen of Fables, Black Manta, The Flash, Lex Luthor, Scarecrow, Giganta, The Riddler, Kite Man, Robin - are just a few that get a look in. It's great for DC fans, and funny enough to appeal to wider audiences.
It's very adult orientated as well - whilst looking like a typical kids superhero show, the illusion will suddenly be shattered by a tirade of swearing, or over the top gore, it's truly not messing around, and it works really well!
Harley Quinn was a massive pleasant surprise for me. Can't wait to watch more!
Merissa (13822 KP) rated After the Wanting in Books
Jun 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)
There are many threads that help weave this tale - a husband looking for forgiveness, a daughter lost in her emotions, and a psycho who feels justified in his atrocities. Put them together and you get a tense thriller that will keep you turning the pages until you figure out just who the big bad is. I will say he didn't surprise me when I found out, although I was surprised by how long it had been going on.
The pacing is quite fast and there are a number of supporting characters to help the story move along. Told as a current story, with flashbacks, and also some scenes from the future, it was a little confusing, to begin with, until I got used to the writing style.
This was a quick read that I can recommend.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 28, 2021
A Theology of Incarnation from Within Dis-Abled Minds: Our Wounds are Not for Healing
Book
Too frequently, theology has addressed issues of mental health from a largely pastoral and detached...
Off the Map: Lost Spaces, Invisible Cities, Forgotten Islands, Feral Places and What They Tell Us About the World
Book
'A fizzingly entertaining and enlightening book' Daily Telegraph 'Mesmerising' Geographical Magazine...
Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, and Alienation
Abigail M. Judge and Robin M. Deutsch
Book
In recent years there has been heightened interest in the clinical and legal management of families...
Dark Places: The Haunted House in Film
Book
Horror films revel in taking viewers into shadowy places where evil resides, whether it is a house,...
Eat Me: A Natural and Unnatural History of Cannibalism
Book
Cannibalism. It's the last, greatest taboo: the stuff of urban legends and ancient myths, airline...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) in Movies
Apr 22, 2021
Story wise, H20 is a direct sequel to the first two movies, ignoring everything that came in between, a good decision considering how convoluted the overarching story became before. Existing in a post Scream world means that H20 has its fair share of meta moments, as EVERY horror immediately following Wes Craven's classic did. It's all a little on the nose, but any horror fan surely can't help but crack a smile during the hugely unsubtle nod to Psycho.
Unfortunately, there are some downfalls. The script leaves a lot to be desired, flitting between quoting the original Halloween (a lot) and just being plain overdramatic. The pacing is also a little iffy - considering the runtime clocks in at under 90 minutes, H20 flirts with boredom more than once. When Michael Myers is finally in the midst of things, it's hard not to be distracted by his weird looking (and frequently changing) mask.
Overall though, H20 is a good time that doesn't take itself too seriously. A pretty middle of the road slasher, but far from the worst in the series.




