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Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
1968 | Horror

"I saw this movie when it first came out and at that point I’d never see a horror film, believe it or not! I had a girlfriend at the time, she was an anthropology student, and she said, ‘I heard there’s this new film called Night of the Living Dead, c’mon lets go.’ Eventually we left and when we got there the theatre was buzzing before the film even started. And then it starts, and we’re in the cemetery with the brothers and sisters bickering and then the zombie lurches towards them! Some people are screaming, some were saying the lines of the characters and suddenly I was swept into it and jumping and laughing and afraid, and I realised that this guy Romero was incredible. “It also made me realise that with a genre film, as long as it scared you, you could say anything; about politics, about psychology. It made me realise as well that fear is one of the primary thresholds you experience things through. Fear of anything – even sex – is scary! The first time you do it you’re like, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing? Am I going to fail?’ And you get through it and you realise it’s a wonderful thing. That’s what’s great about the horror genre is that you’re getting a load of people together in the cinema at the same place and the same time, having them all experience extreme fear, and come out alive at the end. It’s an uplifting experience and there’s a sense of elation."

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Duff McKagan recommended Raw Power by The Stooges in Music (curated)

 
Raw Power by The Stooges
Raw Power by The Stooges
1973 | Punk, Rock
8.4 (9 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I have seven older brothers and sisters so there was always a bunch of records around the house. One of my brothers had a record by The Sonics, a Seattle sixties garage rock band, and to a kid who was, like, eight years old, The Sonics really spoke. It was very trashy and you could almost imagine yourself playing those songs - there was a song called 'The Witch' that really spoke to a boy that age and captured his imagination. I was probably about 13 when I heard Raw Power and it reminded me of that, but had something else, it was a bit rattier. I played it over and over again. I haven’t ever been able to write a song as cool as any on Raw Power but I did take that basic ethos; keep it raw and keep it real. Those formative years and the records I listened to then have influenced me to this day. We covered [the song 'Raw Power'] later on ""The Spaghetti Incident?"" [Guns N’ Roses’ 1993 cover album] , and in that era of my life – wow, I guess I’m speaking about my life in eras now – I was probably... well I had a lot of input in that record. I’m not saying I had the most influence, but I probably had more than my share. The UK Subs and the Stooges, I was really happy about some of the selections we made and it was really fun to do something like a Damned song. So we’ll move onto...."

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The Good Sister
The Good Sister
Sally Hepworth | 2021 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
9
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is the first book I read of hers, but it will not be the last.

It appeared Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be. In reality, their relationship is much different. Rose is the responsible, pragmatic sister who always looks out for Fern. Fern is the quirky one who always sees the good in everyone. People do not realize Rose looks out for Fern because of her publicly perfect mother, who in secret is a sociopath, and because of what Fern did when she was younger.

The book is much more than I thought it would be. It is a psychological thriller that explores how people with high-functioning autism are treated and how they view everyday occurrences. It is also a family drama, a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.

Hepworth builds the main characters and the people surrounding them well. She describes their world well enough to be in their world but without too much detail slowing down the story. Her storytelling and the story made Sally Hepworth an author. I want to read more of her work.

On Goodreads, Hepworth is the #1 most followed author in Australia.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.
  
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Karl Hyde recommended Last Poets by The Last Poets in Music (curated)

 
Last Poets by The Last Poets
Last Poets by The Last Poets
1970 | Rhythm And Blues
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"It’s virtually impossible to find their early records. This particular record – their first album – I’ve tried to play on radio shows before, but it’s difficult because the language that they use is banned on radio. They use words that were then commonplace to describe their brothers and sisters, but are now not seen in the same way. Words that were in common usage in the sixties and now are not and for very good reason. But then they carried a very different potency. The thing I love about The Last Poets is that they are very direct, they pull no punches, they’re speaking to their community in way that Gil Scott-Heron did a lot. He also wasn’t afraid to say exactly how he felt about how his community was living. And The Last Poets did that too, with rhythmical words set to a very simple beat, in this case played on congas. One of their later albums even had Jimi Hendrix on it, and Buddy Miles. But this is the rawest, just a group of voices. They were the forerunners of rap. Using voices in unison to underline phrases and to make certain phrases more forceful, and all of this to an infectious groove. That’s all of what I love about rap music and urban poetry. It became part of what Underworld assimilated in our eclectic nature. The Last Poets throw the gauntlet down. If you want to write about the urban condition, there’s your benchmark. I can’t come close."

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Up Next, Murder
Up Next, Murder
Erin Huss | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Next Up? More Fun
Step-sisters Liv and Camry are ready to tackle the second season of their hit podcast, Missing or Murdered? This time, they are looking at the case of some remains that were recently found in their home base of Santa Maria, California. Brinkley Douglas disappeared one night while walking home from her boyfriend’s house, and Joel Zander has always been the number one suspect in everyone’s minds. Now that her body has been found, the case is heating up again. Liv is keeping an open mind, especially since she isn’t sure Joel is guilty. But why won’t he talk to her? Can Liv figure out what happened?

I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I’m thrilled to say the follow up was just as much fun. The case is compelling. I was drawn in right away, and I needed to know what was going to happen next. Fortunately, the climax wraps everything up well. The characters are great, from Liv and Camry to their friends and family. Brinkley’s family members and the suspects are real enough to draw us into the story. My issues from the first book – the romantic sub-plot and one character’s stutter – are still present, although they are minor annoyances. And I can’t leave out the fun; this book made me smile and laugh even as the tension increased. I do recommend reading the first book first, but you’ll be anxious for this one before you know it.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Apr 16, 2020  
"To say I was blown away by The Caretakers is an understatement. Seriously, this book gave me goosebumps and a severe book hangover."

Come read my review for the psychological Gothic thriller THE CARETAKERS by Eliza Maxwell. This book has become one of my favorite reads, so definitely check it out! Enter the #GIVEAWAY to #win a $25 #Amazon GIFT CARD and/or a signed copy of the book.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-caretakers.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
In the isolated estate she’s found the perfect getaway. But there’s no escaping the past in this chilling novel from the bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl.

Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended.

She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.

A crumbling monument to a gruesome history, the mansion has been abandoned by all but two elderly sisters retained as caretakers. They are also guardians of all its mysteries. As the house starts revealing its dark secrets, Tessa must face her fears and right the wrongs of her past to save herself and her relationship with Margot. But nothing and no one at Fallbrook are what they seem.