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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV
Mar 7, 2019 (Updated Mar 7, 2019)
Characters (1 more)
SFX
One For A Rainy Day
A few years ago when I heard the guy from My Chemical Romance had wrote a graphic novel, it peaked my interest, but after reading up on some reviews of the book, it just sounded like a rip-off of other properties like Watchmen and X-Men and to be honest I wasn't a huge fan of the obscure character designs and bizarre artwork. I never got around to reading it after this as I was kind of put off by the accusations of unoriginality and the weird art.
Then late last year, I read that there was a Netflix adaption of the show being released and my curiosity was once again peaked. After reading some of the early glowing reviews from critics, I knew that I had found my next binge.
This show is fantastic, which for the most part is owed to it's well written and well acted characters. The members of the Umbrella Academy and their various odd relationships with one another, as well as the outsiders that have interaction with them throughout the show, make the character dynamics of this show as a whole pretty unique and exciting. The cast are all brilliant, with Robert Sheehan's Klaus being the clear stand-out. He gets all of the best lines and nails the American accent that he speaks with in the show.
It is cool to get an insight into the world that the show-runners have crafted, which is as odd as it is charming. It is similar to our own world, with a few pretty drastic changes that change the dynamic of the universe in a oddly interesting way. There were points while watching the show that I was reminded of other superhero stories like Watchmen and X-Men, but instead of Umbrella Academy blatantly ripping off these other stories, it instead takes some of the best parts from its respective influences and adapts them to suit the narrative that is unfolding. It comes off as more of a wink and a nod than just a lazy copy/paste job.
I also feel like the amazing CGI work on Pogo the chimp, - who is highly intelligent and serves as the family's butler, - deserves a shout-out. It is quite possibly the best CGI that I have ever seen in a TV show and is almost on the same level as the CGI on Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes movies.
Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a stellar example of what happens when a show embraces it's influences and presents them in a coherent way in collaboration with the original story that the show itself is telling. It is not the greatest superhero story ever filmed, but it is an extremely entertaining and satisfying ride that the show takes you on over its 10 episodes and it is well worth your time.
Then late last year, I read that there was a Netflix adaption of the show being released and my curiosity was once again peaked. After reading some of the early glowing reviews from critics, I knew that I had found my next binge.
This show is fantastic, which for the most part is owed to it's well written and well acted characters. The members of the Umbrella Academy and their various odd relationships with one another, as well as the outsiders that have interaction with them throughout the show, make the character dynamics of this show as a whole pretty unique and exciting. The cast are all brilliant, with Robert Sheehan's Klaus being the clear stand-out. He gets all of the best lines and nails the American accent that he speaks with in the show.
It is cool to get an insight into the world that the show-runners have crafted, which is as odd as it is charming. It is similar to our own world, with a few pretty drastic changes that change the dynamic of the universe in a oddly interesting way. There were points while watching the show that I was reminded of other superhero stories like Watchmen and X-Men, but instead of Umbrella Academy blatantly ripping off these other stories, it instead takes some of the best parts from its respective influences and adapts them to suit the narrative that is unfolding. It comes off as more of a wink and a nod than just a lazy copy/paste job.
I also feel like the amazing CGI work on Pogo the chimp, - who is highly intelligent and serves as the family's butler, - deserves a shout-out. It is quite possibly the best CGI that I have ever seen in a TV show and is almost on the same level as the CGI on Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes movies.
Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a stellar example of what happens when a show embraces it's influences and presents them in a coherent way in collaboration with the original story that the show itself is telling. It is not the greatest superhero story ever filmed, but it is an extremely entertaining and satisfying ride that the show takes you on over its 10 episodes and it is well worth your time.
Dana (24 KP) rated Queen of Shadows in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Warning, if you have not read this book or any of the other ones before this, this review will have some minor spoilers, so if you don't want to find out stuff, do not read this review!!
I think this may have become my favorite of this series! After being somewhat disappointed with Heir of Fire (in relation to the other books in the series), Queen of Shadows had me jumping for joy.
I have loved how much the relationships between the characters have grown and have continuously evolved in the four books (plus The Assassin's Blade). In Heir of Fire, I couldn't really get into the story with Manon and her thirteen, but in this book, their story brought a lot more to the table. Her relationship with Eldie made me feel like she was more than she was in Heir of Fire. The fact that characters from the other books got such big parts in this novel. (Lysanna for the win!) Kaltain (from the first novel) and Lysanna (from The Assassin's Blade) became so important to this story line. It was great to see Aelin interacting with another female again in a way that wasn't just violence and heartache. I even love Rowan from this book. In the last book, he was kind if distant and unapproachable, but in Queen of Shadows, we got to see more of who he really was.
Chaol's development in this story was very good to see as well. From being a whiny little brat in Heir of Fire to being a decent human being in this book was fun to witness.
Abraxos is the freaking cutest little dragon I have ever read. I love him and I want my own!!!
It was cool to get to see Aelin slip on her Celaena mask again. The contrasts between the two is amazing to witness. Without those scenes, we wouldn't have been able to see how much she had actually grown--from being the bitchy assassin to being a badass queen, that was amazing. I think it was also very important to be able to see everyone's reactions to her slipping on the mask as well.
The changing of the narrators in this novel felt a lot more natural in the story than it did in Heir of Fire. It was as if they had all developed to a point where they cold tell their own stories in a way that made sense.
It is definitely important to read The Assassin's Blade before this book because without it, you won't get the weight of the actions that play out as much. You get more of the history behind Aelin, Lysanna, and Arobynn that make everything that happens make sense.
The action scenes were very well done. I enjoyed how the frenzied actions that were happening in the battles were equal to the frenzied writing on the page.
I think this may have become my favorite of this series! After being somewhat disappointed with Heir of Fire (in relation to the other books in the series), Queen of Shadows had me jumping for joy.
I have loved how much the relationships between the characters have grown and have continuously evolved in the four books (plus The Assassin's Blade). In Heir of Fire, I couldn't really get into the story with Manon and her thirteen, but in this book, their story brought a lot more to the table. Her relationship with Eldie made me feel like she was more than she was in Heir of Fire. The fact that characters from the other books got such big parts in this novel. (Lysanna for the win!) Kaltain (from the first novel) and Lysanna (from The Assassin's Blade) became so important to this story line. It was great to see Aelin interacting with another female again in a way that wasn't just violence and heartache. I even love Rowan from this book. In the last book, he was kind if distant and unapproachable, but in Queen of Shadows, we got to see more of who he really was.
Chaol's development in this story was very good to see as well. From being a whiny little brat in Heir of Fire to being a decent human being in this book was fun to witness.
Abraxos is the freaking cutest little dragon I have ever read. I love him and I want my own!!!
It was cool to get to see Aelin slip on her Celaena mask again. The contrasts between the two is amazing to witness. Without those scenes, we wouldn't have been able to see how much she had actually grown--from being the bitchy assassin to being a badass queen, that was amazing. I think it was also very important to be able to see everyone's reactions to her slipping on the mask as well.
The changing of the narrators in this novel felt a lot more natural in the story than it did in Heir of Fire. It was as if they had all developed to a point where they cold tell their own stories in a way that made sense.
It is definitely important to read The Assassin's Blade before this book because without it, you won't get the weight of the actions that play out as much. You get more of the history behind Aelin, Lysanna, and Arobynn that make everything that happens make sense.
The action scenes were very well done. I enjoyed how the frenzied actions that were happening in the battles were equal to the frenzied writing on the page.
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Many people in Britain may have recently watched the drama series <i>Our Zoo</i> on BBC1 about the Mottershead family who moved to Oakfield, Upton in 1930 with the aim of building a zoo without bars. Based on a true story the drama over exaggerated the difficulties the family faced in developing what became to be the famous Chester Zoo. Until 2010 when TV producer Adam Kemp approached her, June Mottershead had never thought about making her history available to the public. As the truth had to be bent slightly for the television production with the removal of certain characters and added romance, and, of course, the laws preventing chimpanzees from being filmed, June Mottershead has penned the true story, also called <i>Our Zoo</i>, which is just as fascinating as what was shown on screen.
June was only four when she moved to Upton with her parents, grandparents, and her fourteen-year-old sister Muriel as well as a selection of animals. The BBC1 drama only showed up until the point that her father, George, had finally been given permission to build his zoo despite the petition against it. In the book, however, this occurs within the first few chapters and then continues on until June’s marriage to her husband Fred Williams in 1949. In fact the time period of the narrative jumps around depending on the animals or events that June is describing.
A large chunk of the book is focused on the effect the Second World War had on the zoo. As can be expected the rationings of vital products took its toll on the animals’ diets and, although the zoo never took a direct hit, the Liverpool blitz caused havoc by destroying the glass tanks in the aquarium. On the other hand, the amount of animals rapidly grew, as it was not just humans that became refugees during the war.
It was a delight to read about June’s relationships with some of the animals, particularly Mary the chimpanzee who was also June’s best friend as a child and behaved in a humanlike manner. Alas, as well as the happy moments there were the inevitable upsetting accounts of the deaths some of the animals, either from old age, illness or accidents.
While <i>Our Zoo</i> cannot be described as a novel, it neither has the feel of an autobiography. The conversational tone of the writing made it a pleasure to read and easy to visualize (admittedly watching the televised version had already provided a certain image).
This easy to read book is a strong recommendation for those who enjoyed the BBC adaptation and wish to find out what happened next. It does not matter if you have not watched the drama, as it is overall a fascinating story to read.
Many people in Britain may have recently watched the drama series <i>Our Zoo</i> on BBC1 about the Mottershead family who moved to Oakfield, Upton in 1930 with the aim of building a zoo without bars. Based on a true story the drama over exaggerated the difficulties the family faced in developing what became to be the famous Chester Zoo. Until 2010 when TV producer Adam Kemp approached her, June Mottershead had never thought about making her history available to the public. As the truth had to be bent slightly for the television production with the removal of certain characters and added romance, and, of course, the laws preventing chimpanzees from being filmed, June Mottershead has penned the true story, also called <i>Our Zoo</i>, which is just as fascinating as what was shown on screen.
June was only four when she moved to Upton with her parents, grandparents, and her fourteen-year-old sister Muriel as well as a selection of animals. The BBC1 drama only showed up until the point that her father, George, had finally been given permission to build his zoo despite the petition against it. In the book, however, this occurs within the first few chapters and then continues on until June’s marriage to her husband Fred Williams in 1949. In fact the time period of the narrative jumps around depending on the animals or events that June is describing.
A large chunk of the book is focused on the effect the Second World War had on the zoo. As can be expected the rationings of vital products took its toll on the animals’ diets and, although the zoo never took a direct hit, the Liverpool blitz caused havoc by destroying the glass tanks in the aquarium. On the other hand, the amount of animals rapidly grew, as it was not just humans that became refugees during the war.
It was a delight to read about June’s relationships with some of the animals, particularly Mary the chimpanzee who was also June’s best friend as a child and behaved in a humanlike manner. Alas, as well as the happy moments there were the inevitable upsetting accounts of the deaths some of the animals, either from old age, illness or accidents.
While <i>Our Zoo</i> cannot be described as a novel, it neither has the feel of an autobiography. The conversational tone of the writing made it a pleasure to read and easy to visualize (admittedly watching the televised version had already provided a certain image).
This easy to read book is a strong recommendation for those who enjoyed the BBC adaptation and wish to find out what happened next. It does not matter if you have not watched the drama, as it is overall a fascinating story to read.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Bitter Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #3) in Books
Jul 30, 2018
Full review of this book and others can be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
Bitter Demons is the third book from The Shadow Demons Saga, and the third book of my challenge to read my sister’s books. If you haven’t read the two parts, you can read my reviews on my blog :
Beautiful Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #1) - ★★★★
Inner Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #2) - ★★★★
As a third book of this series, I have to be honest and say that this one didn’t deliver. I expected so much more to happen, and so many more questions to be answered.
The story continues where the second book ends, and now we have Harper, that knows she is a Prima and has great powers. She also really likes this handsome guy, who happens to be a Demon. And Demons can’t have relationships with Primas, because demons are supposed to be slaves, and witches are supposed to use their power.
When two Prima sisters come into town and Harper meets them, she becomes friends with Caroline, one of the sisters. They decide to play a game and swap their looks. But Caroline, who looks like Harper is attacked, which means that someone wants Harper dead - and Harper has to keep this a secret and resolve the mystery by herself.
Now, of course we get to see a lot of Harper in the book - after all, this book is about her. But we don’t get to see her character or story improve in any meaningful way.
We learn a lot about Jackson and his past, and his brother (ooooh… spooky), and how he tries very hard to resist Harper in any way, but ends up doing the exact opposite.
On another note, we are introduced to new characters, but also some of the old characters are given more time in this book and we get to know them better - which I might of not liked so much. Give me more Harper - please!
We meet Caroline - I loved their friendship with Harper and I loved how nice and cute she was. A bit naive, just like Harper, which maybe got her in trouble.
Mary Anne…Oh, Mary Anne... Even though we don’t get to meet her much and she always only shines in the end of the book, I loved the mysterious bit about her, and her will to make the sacrifice that she did. She was the hero for me in this book!
Brook - We got to see the mean side of her, and wow, how fast she changed! Can people really change that quickly and fall under pressure so easily?
I still love the story so much, and will of course read the rest of the books, but I didn’t enjoy this book as much I enjoyed the first two parts. I am hoping the next book will pleasantly surprise me.
Bitter Demons is the third book from The Shadow Demons Saga, and the third book of my challenge to read my sister’s books. If you haven’t read the two parts, you can read my reviews on my blog :
Beautiful Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #1) - ★★★★
Inner Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #2) - ★★★★
As a third book of this series, I have to be honest and say that this one didn’t deliver. I expected so much more to happen, and so many more questions to be answered.
The story continues where the second book ends, and now we have Harper, that knows she is a Prima and has great powers. She also really likes this handsome guy, who happens to be a Demon. And Demons can’t have relationships with Primas, because demons are supposed to be slaves, and witches are supposed to use their power.
When two Prima sisters come into town and Harper meets them, she becomes friends with Caroline, one of the sisters. They decide to play a game and swap their looks. But Caroline, who looks like Harper is attacked, which means that someone wants Harper dead - and Harper has to keep this a secret and resolve the mystery by herself.
Now, of course we get to see a lot of Harper in the book - after all, this book is about her. But we don’t get to see her character or story improve in any meaningful way.
We learn a lot about Jackson and his past, and his brother (ooooh… spooky), and how he tries very hard to resist Harper in any way, but ends up doing the exact opposite.
On another note, we are introduced to new characters, but also some of the old characters are given more time in this book and we get to know them better - which I might of not liked so much. Give me more Harper - please!
We meet Caroline - I loved their friendship with Harper and I loved how nice and cute she was. A bit naive, just like Harper, which maybe got her in trouble.
Mary Anne…Oh, Mary Anne... Even though we don’t get to meet her much and she always only shines in the end of the book, I loved the mysterious bit about her, and her will to make the sacrifice that she did. She was the hero for me in this book!
Brook - We got to see the mean side of her, and wow, how fast she changed! Can people really change that quickly and fall under pressure so easily?
I still love the story so much, and will of course read the rest of the books, but I didn’t enjoy this book as much I enjoyed the first two parts. I am hoping the next book will pleasantly surprise me.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Wrong Stars in Books
Aug 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 26, 2018)
Diversity (2 more)
World-building
Amazing alien species
I've watched my fair share of Space Opera (Firefly, Dark Matter, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars - don't try to tell me those last two aren't Space Opera, THEY TOTALLY ARE) - but I haven't read much of it. I picked up The Wrong Stars mostly because reviews said it had a demisexual main character, rather than because it's a Space Opera. Regardless, I am SO GLAD I DID. The book is excellent.
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Everyone is constantly reminded to never judge a book by its cover. The book jacket designer of Steven Camden’s contemporary novel <i>Tape</i> has done an excellent job using colour and hand-rendered images to capture people’s attention; the story, however, remained rather dull in comparison.
The novel is split into two time periods, twenty years apart. In 2013, Ameliah is struggling to cope with the sudden loss of her mother, and shortly after her father, whilst she moves in with her Nan. In the spare bedroom lies a mammoth job of boxes to sort out containing all of her parents’ belongings. Ameliah first discovers an ancient boom box along with a large collection of music tapes. Amongst these is an unlabeled one, and when she plays it she can hear a young boy talking to her – he also says her mother’s name, “Eve”.
Twenty years earlier it is 1993 and thirteen-year-old Ryan is keeping a verbal diary as he records himself talking to his mother who has unfortunately passed away. His father has remarried and Ryan also has to struggle to live with stepbrother Nathan who seems to be determined to create a scene at every given opportunity. On a day out with his best friend Liam, he meets an Irish girl named Eve who he instantly falls in love with, but is devastated to learn that she will be returning home to Ireland soon.
It is clear from the beginning that Ryan and the voice on Ameliah’s tape are one and the same person; but the question is how are they connected? The connection is emphasized by the similarities in the lives of these two youngsters. Ryan meets a girl… Ameliah meets a boy… They both have to learn to deal with certain people being in their lives. For Ryan that is Nathan but for Ameliah that is a stranger who turns up one day claiming that he was a friend of her father.
After a while the storyline becomes predictable, and despite suspecting a plot twist, there is not one. The characters come across as a bit childish and annoying, which makes them difficult to relate to - although that may not be an issue with younger readers. Twelve and thirteen are far too young to be thinking about romantic relationships, especially for a boy in the early nineties: a flaw in the storyline.
Camden has done well to reduce the potential confusion of changing from one character and decade to another by using two different typefaces, so there is no issue there. But, overall it was rather disappointing. It was a great idea for a narrative with so much potential, however it fell flat and dreary through the writing.
Everyone is constantly reminded to never judge a book by its cover. The book jacket designer of Steven Camden’s contemporary novel <i>Tape</i> has done an excellent job using colour and hand-rendered images to capture people’s attention; the story, however, remained rather dull in comparison.
The novel is split into two time periods, twenty years apart. In 2013, Ameliah is struggling to cope with the sudden loss of her mother, and shortly after her father, whilst she moves in with her Nan. In the spare bedroom lies a mammoth job of boxes to sort out containing all of her parents’ belongings. Ameliah first discovers an ancient boom box along with a large collection of music tapes. Amongst these is an unlabeled one, and when she plays it she can hear a young boy talking to her – he also says her mother’s name, “Eve”.
Twenty years earlier it is 1993 and thirteen-year-old Ryan is keeping a verbal diary as he records himself talking to his mother who has unfortunately passed away. His father has remarried and Ryan also has to struggle to live with stepbrother Nathan who seems to be determined to create a scene at every given opportunity. On a day out with his best friend Liam, he meets an Irish girl named Eve who he instantly falls in love with, but is devastated to learn that she will be returning home to Ireland soon.
It is clear from the beginning that Ryan and the voice on Ameliah’s tape are one and the same person; but the question is how are they connected? The connection is emphasized by the similarities in the lives of these two youngsters. Ryan meets a girl… Ameliah meets a boy… They both have to learn to deal with certain people being in their lives. For Ryan that is Nathan but for Ameliah that is a stranger who turns up one day claiming that he was a friend of her father.
After a while the storyline becomes predictable, and despite suspecting a plot twist, there is not one. The characters come across as a bit childish and annoying, which makes them difficult to relate to - although that may not be an issue with younger readers. Twelve and thirteen are far too young to be thinking about romantic relationships, especially for a boy in the early nineties: a flaw in the storyline.
Camden has done well to reduce the potential confusion of changing from one character and decade to another by using two different typefaces, so there is no issue there. But, overall it was rather disappointing. It was a great idea for a narrative with so much potential, however it fell flat and dreary through the writing.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated True (True Believers, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I absolutely adored this book! This is the first book of Erin McCarthy's that I've ever read, and I just loved the whole thing. The characters were real, the plot was believable, and it left me with a renewed sense of hope in love and the human race.
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
BackToTheMovies (56 KP) rated The Captor (2019) in Movies
Jun 21, 2019
2019 certainly seems to be the year of Ethan Hawke slaying it in movies! The Kid was a powerhouse performance enough to warrant and the year off but then The Captor is released and once again. Wow. Ethan Hawke only goes and blows the bloody doors off this real-life true story about a bank robbery in Stockholm. This is our The Captor review.
It’s 1973 and Lars Nystrom (Hawke) walks into a bank in Stockholm firing a rifle and takes two staff members hostage. Demanding $1m, a blue Mustang and the release of Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong) a famous bank robber. What transpires over the next few hours is beyond belief and it’s difficult to even comprehend that most of this actually happened in real life!
Starring an all-star cast of Hawke, Mark Strong and Noomi Rapace The Captor has cult classic written all over it. Hawke plays this bat shit crazy robber who’s jumped in way above his head. The performances all round not only support Hawke’s center stage dominance but they add depth to the story. We have moments of relaxation in the vaults as character arcs are developed and relationships formed. It really is a film that’s all guns blazing one minute, hilarious comedic moments the next and then tones down and becomes level headed the next.
Director and screenwriter Robert Budreau never over embellish any scenes or characters. We really see both sides of Nystrom’s (Hawke) motives and back story. A man so up front with bravado when push comes to shove but a character of layers with a vulnerable and kind-nature hiding inside. The latter of those personality traits leads to one of the captors in question falling for her captor. Stockholm Syndrome explains this very phenomenon and in the US the movie is actually titled ‘Stockholm’ before being renamed to The Captor here in the UK.
Mark Strong rocks the double denim as Gunnar Sorensson and acts like a brother of sorts to Hawke’s Nystrom. It’s great watching the scenes between the police throughout as they scramble to try and meet Nystrom’s ludicrous demands. Gunnar’s intentions are never clear or really explained throughout. He’s just happy to be out of jail if albeit with an ulterior motive.
I feel as thou the direction of the movie is trying to put us in the shoes of the hostages. The very same hostages that in real life never testified against their captors. They’re portrayed as the rebellious force with good motives whilst the police are portrayed as the bad guys who want to make them pay. Noomi Rapace plays the emotional anchor of the movie and the bond that develops between her and Nystrom is palpable.
“This movie has cult classic written all over it”
There’s no psychological explanation about the phenom that is Stockholm Syndrom it’s just a routine, tootin good time!
https://backtothemovies.com/the-captor-review-a-cult-classic-ethan-hawke-at-his-finest/
It’s 1973 and Lars Nystrom (Hawke) walks into a bank in Stockholm firing a rifle and takes two staff members hostage. Demanding $1m, a blue Mustang and the release of Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong) a famous bank robber. What transpires over the next few hours is beyond belief and it’s difficult to even comprehend that most of this actually happened in real life!
Starring an all-star cast of Hawke, Mark Strong and Noomi Rapace The Captor has cult classic written all over it. Hawke plays this bat shit crazy robber who’s jumped in way above his head. The performances all round not only support Hawke’s center stage dominance but they add depth to the story. We have moments of relaxation in the vaults as character arcs are developed and relationships formed. It really is a film that’s all guns blazing one minute, hilarious comedic moments the next and then tones down and becomes level headed the next.
Director and screenwriter Robert Budreau never over embellish any scenes or characters. We really see both sides of Nystrom’s (Hawke) motives and back story. A man so up front with bravado when push comes to shove but a character of layers with a vulnerable and kind-nature hiding inside. The latter of those personality traits leads to one of the captors in question falling for her captor. Stockholm Syndrome explains this very phenomenon and in the US the movie is actually titled ‘Stockholm’ before being renamed to The Captor here in the UK.
Mark Strong rocks the double denim as Gunnar Sorensson and acts like a brother of sorts to Hawke’s Nystrom. It’s great watching the scenes between the police throughout as they scramble to try and meet Nystrom’s ludicrous demands. Gunnar’s intentions are never clear or really explained throughout. He’s just happy to be out of jail if albeit with an ulterior motive.
I feel as thou the direction of the movie is trying to put us in the shoes of the hostages. The very same hostages that in real life never testified against their captors. They’re portrayed as the rebellious force with good motives whilst the police are portrayed as the bad guys who want to make them pay. Noomi Rapace plays the emotional anchor of the movie and the bond that develops between her and Nystrom is palpable.
“This movie has cult classic written all over it”
There’s no psychological explanation about the phenom that is Stockholm Syndrom it’s just a routine, tootin good time!
https://backtothemovies.com/the-captor-review-a-cult-classic-ethan-hawke-at-his-finest/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Is it a musical? Is it a biopic? Does anyone actually know? I think one of the descriptions I saw called it a fantasy, and that is true for a couple of moments but it's a bit of a push. I had a good time watching this and there are definitely things about it that work well, I do however feel that this was rather confused. You've got the story parts mixed with the songs, but only occasionally are those songs what I'd call proper musical numbers. The occasional fantasy moments are a little
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
Fifteen years after she charmed the world with the Diary of Bridget Jones, Rene Zellweger is back and her love life is just as complicated as usual, making the audience to laugh nonstop.
At the beginning I didn’t know what to expect from this film because the first movie was great, the second not so much; but it has been 12 years since then, fortunately it was a very pleasant surprise.
In this third film British singleton Bridget has broken up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and turned her focus on advancing her career, she is now a top news producer who can’t help but worrying because she is a 43 yrs. old single woman, whose friends are in committed relationships and having kids.
In an attempt to cheer her up one of these fun friends Miranda (Sarah Solemani) take her to a music festival as a getaway weekend, where Bridget meets Jack (Patrick Dempsey), an American love guru with whom she has a one-night stand.
That encounter is followed by a Baptism a week later, where Mr. Darcy is the godparent, whom she shagged but then realized that He hasn’t change and still a workaholic, the reason why they broke up in the first place, so she decided to leave him in bed and try to move on.
But something happened and, like you can probably tell from the title, Bridget is pregnant. But she is not sure who the father is. It could be the confident and gorgeous Jack or the always elegant and perfect gentleman Mark.
Like in the first 2 films we have two very attractive men fighting for her love. But Bridget is less interested in whom she’ll end up with and instead is more concerned with who she’s hurting by giving them the news that one is the father and the other one isn’t. She decides to wait until after giving birth to get a DNA test for the baby, in the meantime both men decide to assist during the stages of her pregnancy creating some delightful charming old-fashioned comedy set ups.
Jones’s Baby really works and I can say with confidence it is one of the best sequels of the year, I think the big difference is that Jones is no longer the butt of jokes, and matter of fact there is not a single chubby joke, and yes Zellweger doesn’t look like the same Bridget (even my husband who loves chick flicks, thought it was a different actress) but hey! She shouldn’t look the same. It’s been 15 years; In fact, neither does Firth as Mr. Darcy or Dr. McDreammy. As a franchise, this Jones has done more than update from a pen to paper diary to an iPad, it’s embraced its characters to allow them to get involved in very funny situations and laid less emphasis on crying to the song “All By Myself”.
At the beginning I didn’t know what to expect from this film because the first movie was great, the second not so much; but it has been 12 years since then, fortunately it was a very pleasant surprise.
In this third film British singleton Bridget has broken up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and turned her focus on advancing her career, she is now a top news producer who can’t help but worrying because she is a 43 yrs. old single woman, whose friends are in committed relationships and having kids.
In an attempt to cheer her up one of these fun friends Miranda (Sarah Solemani) take her to a music festival as a getaway weekend, where Bridget meets Jack (Patrick Dempsey), an American love guru with whom she has a one-night stand.
That encounter is followed by a Baptism a week later, where Mr. Darcy is the godparent, whom she shagged but then realized that He hasn’t change and still a workaholic, the reason why they broke up in the first place, so she decided to leave him in bed and try to move on.
But something happened and, like you can probably tell from the title, Bridget is pregnant. But she is not sure who the father is. It could be the confident and gorgeous Jack or the always elegant and perfect gentleman Mark.
Like in the first 2 films we have two very attractive men fighting for her love. But Bridget is less interested in whom she’ll end up with and instead is more concerned with who she’s hurting by giving them the news that one is the father and the other one isn’t. She decides to wait until after giving birth to get a DNA test for the baby, in the meantime both men decide to assist during the stages of her pregnancy creating some delightful charming old-fashioned comedy set ups.
Jones’s Baby really works and I can say with confidence it is one of the best sequels of the year, I think the big difference is that Jones is no longer the butt of jokes, and matter of fact there is not a single chubby joke, and yes Zellweger doesn’t look like the same Bridget (even my husband who loves chick flicks, thought it was a different actress) but hey! She shouldn’t look the same. It’s been 15 years; In fact, neither does Firth as Mr. Darcy or Dr. McDreammy. As a franchise, this Jones has done more than update from a pen to paper diary to an iPad, it’s embraced its characters to allow them to get involved in very funny situations and laid less emphasis on crying to the song “All By Myself”.