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Chelsea (166 KP) rated Crazy Rich Asians in Books
Sep 29, 2018
I picked this up after I saw the movie because I liked it so much, and I’m very glad I did.
Rachel Chu is thrust into the lifestyle of the crazy rich in Singapore when she and her boyfriend Nick travel to attend a wedding of Nick’s best friend. She is treated horribly by Nick’s traditional family and their friends, who are trying their best to get her out of the picture. We follow as Rachel learns about Nick’s past and family, secrets of her own past, and see her struggle to figure out who she is or what she should do.
The book changes perspective every chapter, so you really get the back story on and thoughts of all the main characters. You learn about this lifestyle that is so extravagant I couldn’t even dream that big. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to pick up the next book!
Rachel Chu is thrust into the lifestyle of the crazy rich in Singapore when she and her boyfriend Nick travel to attend a wedding of Nick’s best friend. She is treated horribly by Nick’s traditional family and their friends, who are trying their best to get her out of the picture. We follow as Rachel learns about Nick’s past and family, secrets of her own past, and see her struggle to figure out who she is or what she should do.
The book changes perspective every chapter, so you really get the back story on and thoughts of all the main characters. You learn about this lifestyle that is so extravagant I couldn’t even dream that big. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to pick up the next book!
Vegas (725 KP) rated Friday the 13th (1980) in Movies
Oct 25, 2018
The suspense (2 more)
Violent deaths
Not too much splatter
Classic Slasher
It has been a very long time since I watched this, back in the day I always preferred The Nightmare on Elm Street series. So I went into it almost with fresh eyes, not really remembering too much.
I now wonder why I didn’t like it more at the time, the gory deaths were not over done as in some modern films (eg. Saw series) there was the right amount of suspense and anticipation was cleverly filmed... some of the later scenes once the killer is shown especially the close ups and later struggles remind me for some reason of the style of Hitchcock in psycho.
This is how horror should be done. Maybe some of today’s excessive gore fest films (which I don’t actually dislike) should learn from it - sometimes less is more.
I now wonder why I didn’t like it more at the time, the gory deaths were not over done as in some modern films (eg. Saw series) there was the right amount of suspense and anticipation was cleverly filmed... some of the later scenes once the killer is shown especially the close ups and later struggles remind me for some reason of the style of Hitchcock in psycho.
This is how horror should be done. Maybe some of today’s excessive gore fest films (which I don’t actually dislike) should learn from it - sometimes less is more.
Andy K (10823 KP) created a poll
Nov 3, 2018
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Hansel and Gretel (1988) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
A great telling of an old tale
Contains spoilers, click to show
Saw this on Netflix and decided to give it a try, honestly wasn't a bad movie.
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987
Dean (6927 KP) rated Surrogates (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019 (Updated Aug 9, 2019)
I didn't know too much about the story when I saw this. Surprised it doesn't seem to be well known and got some bad reviews? It did feel like a mix of films from the likes of Gamer, Total Recall, Matrix, Blade Runner, irobot and even A.I. In the near future people plug in using their brains to control a robot which effectively they use to live their day to day lives. No danger of disease, accidents, violence and of course you can look like whatever you want to through your surrogate. Until someone found a way of destroying the robot also kills the controller while they are plugged in! This has a good cast, cool effects and was enjoyable to watch. Highly unoriginal though and it did feel like a collection of ideas from the mentioned films. Never the less this is still an entertaining film worth checking out!!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Nomads (1986) in Movies
Aug 11, 2019
Excitable LA-set horror-fantasy. A French anthropologist (Brosnan) becomes obsessed with his discovery that Los Angeles is infested with evil Eskimo spirits, apparently disguised as bikers and punks, one of whom is played by Adam Ant. (Yes, this really is the plot.)
Starts off showing signs of promise but becomes thoroughly unravelled well before the end; the presence of a frame story about a doctor (Down) investigating the French guy's death clutters rather than deepens the story. Stylish in a very mid-80s way: lots of drum machines, synth music, and indiscriminate use of slow motion. Brosnan's allo-ah-ahm-Fronsh performance is, well, interesting; he does the accent about as well as he sings. It just about stays watchable but isn't quite bad enough to be fun. Apparently Arnie saw it and was impressed enough to hire McTiernan to do Predator, which probably justifies its existence.
Starts off showing signs of promise but becomes thoroughly unravelled well before the end; the presence of a frame story about a doctor (Down) investigating the French guy's death clutters rather than deepens the story. Stylish in a very mid-80s way: lots of drum machines, synth music, and indiscriminate use of slow motion. Brosnan's allo-ah-ahm-Fronsh performance is, well, interesting; he does the accent about as well as he sings. It just about stays watchable but isn't quite bad enough to be fun. Apparently Arnie saw it and was impressed enough to hire McTiernan to do Predator, which probably justifies its existence.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Rules of Seeing in Books
Nov 7, 2019
I saw and I enjoyed
I have to be honest, this was a book I would never buy from the cover or from reading the back blerb, but it landed in my lap and I picked it up then I couldn't put it down. Never since I was a child have I read something since my childhood, where the characters are so vivid they become real and pictured in your head. They become characters you love like a friend and so route for them. This is a book about live without being a cheesy live story. This is a book about seeing things differently without being pretentious. This is a book about abuse without being focused on it. Joe Heap has written something quite special, a story of two wonderful characters who make you want to turn every page to will them on. I'm so glad I picked up this book.
Terry Whitaker (120 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Nov 8, 2019
For me, this film was OK. Nothing more. There was some good moments and you cannot fault the tunes. But I felt no real connection with the main character Jack and Ellie. Jack seemed very bland with no charisma. Ellie had more a out her and you felt , strangely, she held something for Jack. What his friends saw in him also I dont know.
But, that aside, the film was an ok watch. Yes, some things just weren't explained like how did 2 other people know about the Beatles and to what actually happened with the black out?
But never the less, the film plodded along and keeps you interested to what happens at the end. Other than that...hmm? Music-film wise, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman are far, far superior to this.
As for the Ed Sheeran cameo...luckily his song writing is far better than his acting.
But, that aside, the film was an ok watch. Yes, some things just weren't explained like how did 2 other people know about the Beatles and to what actually happened with the black out?
But never the less, the film plodded along and keeps you interested to what happens at the end. Other than that...hmm? Music-film wise, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman are far, far superior to this.
As for the Ed Sheeran cameo...luckily his song writing is far better than his acting.
Erika (17789 KP) rated A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) in Movies
Nov 27, 2019 (Updated Nov 27, 2019)
The only reason I saw this movie was because a friend wanted to go to it. I wasn't really interested in it. There's a weird, cult-like thing going on with Mister Rogers (much like RBG), which I don't really get, and that's probably why this movie got made so quickly after the documentary.
Mister Rogers wasn't really the main character, the main character is a rando reporter named Lloyd. Mister Rogers basically helps the dude get through stuff. Some of it's kind of trippy, and a little depressing. Tom Hanks does well as Mister Rogers, and Matthew Rhys is really entertaining as Lloyd.
Honestly, this was a movie that wasn't strictly necessary, when the excellent documentary exists. If you're part of the cult of Mister Rogers, you'll probably love it. I, on the other hand, a casual fan of the dude thought it was good, but not mind-blowing.
Mister Rogers wasn't really the main character, the main character is a rando reporter named Lloyd. Mister Rogers basically helps the dude get through stuff. Some of it's kind of trippy, and a little depressing. Tom Hanks does well as Mister Rogers, and Matthew Rhys is really entertaining as Lloyd.
Honestly, this was a movie that wasn't strictly necessary, when the excellent documentary exists. If you're part of the cult of Mister Rogers, you'll probably love it. I, on the other hand, a casual fan of the dude thought it was good, but not mind-blowing.
The Ambulance Drivers: Hemingway, Dos Passos, and a Friendship Made and Lost in War
Book
Rich in evocative detail--from Paris cafes to Austrian chateaus, from the streets of Pamplona to the...