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The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
1975 | Action

"You know, I’m gonna put this one in because it is actually one of my favorite films of all time, although technically it’s probably not a con man movie. The Man Who Would Be King. I did a Festival of Fakery. I did a little mini film festival which I kind of curated at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, and this was one of the movies that I showed. It’s about these two characters who do kind of go to pull off this con of pretending to be, you know, one of them pretends to be a god so that they can rule this small territory, basically. But as I watched it, it does actually, I don’t know, to me it does kind of play like a con man movie and also has the essential buddy relationship. The two rascals, I guess, standing back to back and fooling the world, which is reflected also in another one of the films in my list. This particular dynamic is probably my favorite."

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Kate Nash recommended track Violet by Hole in Live Through This by Hole in Music (curated)

 
Live Through This by Hole
Live Through This by Hole
1994 | Rock
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Violet by Hole

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This whole album Live Through This is probably my favourite record of all time, I feel so empowered by it. I love Courtney Love, she’s a very unique, kind of controversial character who’s very outspoken, who does wild, weird things and has that guttural voice. And it’s still pop, the melodies are very singable. “It got me through a horrible break up. I listened to the album on repeat and I was ‘I can get through this, because Courtney Love has gotten through some crazy shit.’ I was angry for a lot of reasons, relationship stuff, music industry stuff, and it became my armour or something. ‘Violet’ was the song on that record that first made me go ‘Whoa.’ “Sometimes I think ‘Miss World’ is my favourite but ‘Violet’ broke down the door of how to be a screaming woman, I learnt to scream and sing differently from that. She opened up that world of ‘fuck off everyone and fuck what anyone thinks of you, I don’t care.’"

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Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1)
Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1)
Neil Lancaster | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
One of the best books I have read this year and one of the best in this genre I have read for a very long time!

I have never read anything by Neil Lancaster before but the blurb sounded right up my street so gave it a punt and I'm so glad I did because what a brilliant start to a series.

Max is a very interesting character with a strong back story which most definitely adds to the story as a whole. There are some dark moments interspersed with lighter times and I particularly like the relationship Max has with his boss, Ross, and colleague, Janie, which felt authentic.

What can I say ... brilliant characters, gripping story line, excellent pace, full of tension and action featuring historical feuds, revenge, dirty coppers, gangsters and all set in beautiful Scotland ... just a fantastic book all round really and I can't wait for the next instalment.

Thank you HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Journey To The West: Conquering the Demons (2014)
Journey To The West: Conquering the Demons (2014)
2014 | Action, Drama, International
Transcendent. A purified gonzo spectacle with enough madcap panache to measure on the Richter scale. Stephen Chow really is the *fucking* man, like if Ang Lee in the early aughts did enough acid to choke out a small village. Like all of Chow's work, it's got it all: riveting emotion, uproarious comedy, zany action, stellar production, and less than zero visible self consciousness to speak on. Exactly what these movies oughta be - plays with space like a champ and stages itself like an old school cult classic with a heavy emphasis on rubberlike physicality and Rube Goldberg-esque setpieces brought lovingly into the modern era, then injected with numerous hallucinogens. A gigantic Buddha bitch slaps the entire planet in this (literally). Have some issues with underwriting in its core relationship, and a bit too loose of pacing near the end; but it whips itself into shape enough to hardly notice too much. Balances silly with serious really formidably. The tectonic, slapstick partner piece to the blood-gushing, limb-loathing 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘢 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯.
  
Fractured (Will Trent, #2)
Fractured (Will Trent, #2)
Karin Slaughter | 2008 | Crime, Law, Mystery, Thriller
6
8.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars
Karin Slaughter goes straight for the jugular with her books! Nothing is sugar coated or wrapped up a pretty little bow. She comes by her work honestly and the picture she paints is dark, demented, and brutal. But it's so close to reality; much more so than books filled with fluffy unicorns and endless rainbows. As depressing and soul-wrenching as it is, Karin makes it work. She pulls you in and hypnotizes you with a fresh, albeit insidious, point of view. "Fractured" deals with the violent murder of a teenage girl, a seemingly-impossible-to-figure-out kidnapping, and a terrifying story of a serial rapist. Karin doesn't hold anything back and I, for one, don't have any complaints! I also enjoy the little snippets of the relationship between Will and Angie - though I must admit, I don't like Angie very much - because it appeals to my romantic side and proves that Karin can be sweet when she wants to be. Two books down, I believe six more to go!
  
Christopher: A Tale of Seduction
Christopher: A Tale of Seduction
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Burnett's debut novel introduces us to us a most interesting protagonist - B. K. Troop - a heavy set, less than aesthetic, aging homosexual man who becomes obsessed with the title character. Christopher is young, handsome, naive and painfully straight. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, B.K. believes that he can still turn the boy into a conquest by taking advantage of his delicate situation. Christopher is a freshly divorced English teacher who has run away from the pain of losing his ex and suffering his overbearing mother has put him through, in order to write his long suppressed novel. Burnett takes us on a bumpy ride as the relationship develops and changes throughout the year 1984. This character-driven story pulls the reader in, as we start out disgusted and then fascinated by the workings of B.K's mind and his less than savory tactics to reach his goal. Burnett uses the flamboyance of his narrator's personality to embellish his prose with quips and high-brow remarks, making it not only an intelligent read, but one that sparkles with wit and humor.
  
Date with a Devil (Dallas Devils #1)
Date with a Devil (Dallas Devils #1)
June Winters | 2019 | Contemporary, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
First Read of the Year
258 Pages
Kindle Edition

This light and at times steamy kicked off the start of 2021 with a bang (of bodies hitting the boards, and the clashing of hockey sticks as pucks hit the ice)!

Austen hosts a popular online section for the Dallas Devils, going on "dates" with the players and introducing them to the fans... All went well until it was the turn of jock Dane, an athlete with a reputation for disliking the media and being a fan of the puck bunnies!

What follows for the duo with a great deal of chemistry, is a bumpy road which threatens to impact both of their careers and their relationship!

The first in the Dallas Devils series, and Winters does not disappoint with this contemporary sports romance. It was an easy read with a great deal of depth, well paced and oozing chemistry.

The story progression worked well with Winters' writing style, with added drama from a historical back story which is explained in further books, and a great antagonist.

Hoping book 2 is just as interesting!
  
Sometimes Always Never (2019)
Sometimes Always Never (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Drama
Bill Nighy's deadpan comic performance as a obsessive Scrabble player trying to reconnect with his family is the best reason to go and see this movie. Nighy's character has a strained relationship with the rest of his clan, partly because one of his children walked out, never to return, after a row over a contentious two-letter word. The film, which is not exactly over-burdened with plot, shows them trying to work out their various issues.

Not nearly as wacky as it possibly sounds; it is certainly a very whimsical film, but handled in an extremely dry and low-key way. There is something very quiet and English about it, possibly due to the fact it has clearly been made on a vanishingly tiny budget. Nighy is excellent, and there are some very funny moments (such as when he hustles Tim McInnerny's character into playing Scrabble for cash). No real flaws, but at the same time it does feel a little under-powered as a piece of drama.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Dumped, Actually in Books

Sep 28, 2019  
Dumped, Actually
Dumped, Actually
Nick Spalding | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fun and heartwarming
Nick Spalding’s books can always be relied on to be lighthearted and entertaining, and Dumped, Actually is no exception. To be frank, his writing style is basic and uncomplicated, and it’ll never win any awards. However that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

I decided to read this as it rather reminded me of my doomed relationship last year, and there is a lot in this book that i could relate to about how I felt (and still do). Of course Ollie’s exploits are entirely over the top and farcical, but that’s what makes this book so enjoyable to read and it’s laugh out loud funny in parts. There’s a moment just over half way through that throws the momentum of the book a little, but it’s still very heartwarming and has a lot of feel good moments and messages. Part of the ending is a bit cliched and the writing does get a bit basic at times, but it’s still a rather fun moving book that really got me thinking (and crying).
  
If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
Gayle Forman | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.9 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
The hype was far too much for me. I went into this book hoping for amazing things and it fell rather flat. I don't know if because of my age this book was too young for me, I just didn't feel I could relate on many levels. I liked the way it was written, I liked the going back and forth between the time periods but I didn't feel connected to the story in anyway. The one thing I did love about this though was how real it was,it wasn't love can conquer all, it wasn't well as long as I have another half in my life I shall be fine. It was real,and I loved the relationship between the main character and her parents.The whole plot completely threw me I was not expecting that at all, so I did love how different that was. I think someone who is 14 would enjoy this book I at an age of *coughs* almost26* *coughs* didn't find it that enjoyable I'm afraid.