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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Spirited Away (2001) in Movies
Nov 24, 2019
Never Recovered After a Slow Start
When a girl gets separated from her parents during a family outing, she ends up in an abandoned amusement park that is a gateway to the spirit world. After her parents get turned into pigs, she has to figure out a way to save them and get home.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Gets off to a pretty slow start. Literally every single time I watch the first ten minutes, I get sleepy. I don’t know if it’s the music or the slow drive through the country, but I wish things would move a bit faster.
Characters: 10
The spirit world is definitely not lacking in originality, particularly when it comes to the characters. I appreciated the level of detail here as every single spirit, good or bad, had their own way of moving, talking, and interacting with the world around them. In Spirited Away, you get crazy witches, dragons, and a professor-looking dude that has spider-like limbs. There is so much to see, I keep seeing new things each time I go back and watch the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 7
Memorability: 5
Pace: 3
Plot: 7
Resolution: 4
Although the ending is better than the beginning, that’s not saying much. it felt dry and lacking of a definitive conclusion. Was definitely hoping for more.
Overall: 67
Sometimes I will watch a movie multiple times and appreciate it more the second or third time around. Unfortunately, for me, Spirited Away doesn’t quite hit that mark. It’s a good that my opinion isn’t the end-all be-all because these Hayao Mayazaki movies have a huge following. Maybe I’ll try this one again someday, but, for now, I’m good.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Gets off to a pretty slow start. Literally every single time I watch the first ten minutes, I get sleepy. I don’t know if it’s the music or the slow drive through the country, but I wish things would move a bit faster.
Characters: 10
The spirit world is definitely not lacking in originality, particularly when it comes to the characters. I appreciated the level of detail here as every single spirit, good or bad, had their own way of moving, talking, and interacting with the world around them. In Spirited Away, you get crazy witches, dragons, and a professor-looking dude that has spider-like limbs. There is so much to see, I keep seeing new things each time I go back and watch the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 7
Memorability: 5
Pace: 3
Plot: 7
Resolution: 4
Although the ending is better than the beginning, that’s not saying much. it felt dry and lacking of a definitive conclusion. Was definitely hoping for more.
Overall: 67
Sometimes I will watch a movie multiple times and appreciate it more the second or third time around. Unfortunately, for me, Spirited Away doesn’t quite hit that mark. It’s a good that my opinion isn’t the end-all be-all because these Hayao Mayazaki movies have a huge following. Maybe I’ll try this one again someday, but, for now, I’m good.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Mark of Athena in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="The Mark of Athena" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-mark-of-athena-by-rick-riordan.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
I probably should have waited until it was about a month until The House of Hades was published in order to read The Mark of Athena.
The good thing? I don't need to do some major catching up. And I might end up dragging (not literally) my mom over to the book store when the fourth book finally does come out.
But where there's good, there's bad (boo). So, the bad thing? Considering what happened in The Mark of Athena and The Son of Sobek (I'm not even sure I spelled that right. Oh, and link leads to my Goodreads review), I really wished I could have waited. Because I now have to do the fancy little countdown... (is there even an official countdown?).
Unfortunately, I might decide to wait an entire year after all to finally read The House of Hades. (Sorry, but I'm one who keeps good things for last... sometimes. For reasons not to be told >;))
But I still want to know what happens next to Percy and Annabeth after what happens to them at the end (and definitely the rest of the demigod crew as well).
So! Overall thoughts on Riordan's most latest work in the Heroes of Olympus series: fast paced, lovable and humorous characters from the prior series returning along with the new ones, and a confession of mine: I'm a sucker for mythologies retold as I am with fairy tales retold.
Random Question: Anyone else excited for The House of Hades to come out later this year? :D
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
I probably should have waited until it was about a month until The House of Hades was published in order to read The Mark of Athena.
The good thing? I don't need to do some major catching up. And I might end up dragging (not literally) my mom over to the book store when the fourth book finally does come out.
But where there's good, there's bad (boo). So, the bad thing? Considering what happened in The Mark of Athena and The Son of Sobek (I'm not even sure I spelled that right. Oh, and link leads to my Goodreads review), I really wished I could have waited. Because I now have to do the fancy little countdown... (is there even an official countdown?).
Unfortunately, I might decide to wait an entire year after all to finally read The House of Hades. (Sorry, but I'm one who keeps good things for last... sometimes. For reasons not to be told >;))
But I still want to know what happens next to Percy and Annabeth after what happens to them at the end (and definitely the rest of the demigod crew as well).
So! Overall thoughts on Riordan's most latest work in the Heroes of Olympus series: fast paced, lovable and humorous characters from the prior series returning along with the new ones, and a confession of mine: I'm a sucker for mythologies retold as I am with fairy tales retold.
Random Question: Anyone else excited for The House of Hades to come out later this year? :D
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Uncut Gems (2019) in Movies
Jan 12, 2020
The performance of Sandler's career. (2 more)
Nail biting, stressful viewing.
The resolution is worth the slow burn that climbs and climbs.
Sandler's gem.
Often throughout Uncut Gems, I found myself biting my nails to the nearest inch of my skin. At one point, closing in an hour, I realised I started to bleed from my index finger. The blood hadn't even occurred to me until the credits rolled, took a deep breath, and looked. The stressful nature of a character like Howard Ratner was difficult to understand, whether you sympathized with him or not. I neither routed for his destructive behaviour, nor wanted harm to come his way. Sitting on the fence didn't feel comfortable either. And this is why Uncut Gems is so special.
(No spoilers ahead.)
Howard's spiral towards more trouble is so nerve inducing it's hard to watch, even more hard to look away. His bad decision making creates a cause and effect chain, and often when you think his luck will turn around, he weasels and worms his way into even more trouble, all created by his constant addiction to make it big. Undeniably, this is all down to a masterclass from Adam Sandler.
The Safdie Brothers opened a can of worms, and Adam Sandler brought everything out. His slow burn decent towards losing it all is all the effective because he brings so many layers to the role. Ratner is a creep, a loser, a cheat, and a liar. He's also ambitious, outspoken, and sometimes even sympathetic. I never liked him as a person, but I did feel sorry for him.
I've seen some fine performances this year in cinema, and Sandler is most definitely up their with Joaquin Phoenix.
Uncut Gems is pulsatingly good, exhausting and draining, and one of the best thrillers you'll see in years. Adam Sandler, you're redeemed for Jack and Jill.
(No spoilers ahead.)
Howard's spiral towards more trouble is so nerve inducing it's hard to watch, even more hard to look away. His bad decision making creates a cause and effect chain, and often when you think his luck will turn around, he weasels and worms his way into even more trouble, all created by his constant addiction to make it big. Undeniably, this is all down to a masterclass from Adam Sandler.
The Safdie Brothers opened a can of worms, and Adam Sandler brought everything out. His slow burn decent towards losing it all is all the effective because he brings so many layers to the role. Ratner is a creep, a loser, a cheat, and a liar. He's also ambitious, outspoken, and sometimes even sympathetic. I never liked him as a person, but I did feel sorry for him.
I've seen some fine performances this year in cinema, and Sandler is most definitely up their with Joaquin Phoenix.
Uncut Gems is pulsatingly good, exhausting and draining, and one of the best thrillers you'll see in years. Adam Sandler, you're redeemed for Jack and Jill.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Books
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Feb 10, 2020)
I am hopelessly in love with this novel. I remember reading it for the first time when I was in middle school at some point - I'm thinking 8th grade. I remember crying my eyes out at the end and then having to go downstairs for dinner and being unable to think about anything else other than Charlie and his story and everything that he'd been through and how I related and understood and just wanted to give him a hug. I have that same feeling now.
When I read this book initially, I was in a really bad place - probably one of the worst places I have ever been in my life and I remember how much I wanted to feel like Charlie did at the end of the novel. Now, almost 9 years later, I am working to get to that place, to heal and take care of myself and put pieces back together that I forgot about or pushed away or that just didn't really fit right in the first place. Coincidentally, my therapist told me that this is the perfect book for me to read right now with everything I have going on in my life and I couldn't agree more.
I love all of these characters, I love the plot, I love that Charlie's innocence just radiates off the page but it's not a boyish innocence that is underwhelming and sometimes frustrating like it is in other novels, but it's pure and he's just doing his best and he fiercely loves and protects those he cares about. It's like his innocence is his love and he loves so well.
I think this book will be one that I tell my kids about, urge them to read, and hope they tell their kids and they tell theirs. I love this book that much.
When I read this book initially, I was in a really bad place - probably one of the worst places I have ever been in my life and I remember how much I wanted to feel like Charlie did at the end of the novel. Now, almost 9 years later, I am working to get to that place, to heal and take care of myself and put pieces back together that I forgot about or pushed away or that just didn't really fit right in the first place. Coincidentally, my therapist told me that this is the perfect book for me to read right now with everything I have going on in my life and I couldn't agree more.
I love all of these characters, I love the plot, I love that Charlie's innocence just radiates off the page but it's not a boyish innocence that is underwhelming and sometimes frustrating like it is in other novels, but it's pure and he's just doing his best and he fiercely loves and protects those he cares about. It's like his innocence is his love and he loves so well.
I think this book will be one that I tell my kids about, urge them to read, and hope they tell their kids and they tell theirs. I love this book that much.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Kite Runner in Books
Feb 9, 2020
Not entirely sure what to make of this book. At points, I was moved by the story at others I was frustrated and sometimes just bored. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, which is useful as I would have stumbled over all the words in Farsi peppered throughout the book; I assume just in case at any point we forgot the book was from the perspective of an Afghan man.
The first 3rd of the book gripped me, dealing with the childhood in Afghanistan of Amir a boy from a privileged background and Hassan the son of one of his father’s servants. I did feel the atmosphere and was moved at several points through this book.
Once the book moved to America I lost a lot of interest especially when we had to go through the descriptive struggle with infertility which seems to be covered in every other book I read at the moment and it’s not getting any more interesting. As a plot line it always leads to either a) a miracle baby b) Infidelity by the women to get pregnant by someone else or c) A combination of events that lead to a child needing adoption. Don’t think IVF ever seems to actually work but I digress….
Amir is fairly hard to like character and I did want to slap him on numerous occasions, as a tale of redemption, I didn’t find Amir much redeemed in my eyes by the end. I'd of loved to of had a perspective from Hassan. The last part of this book although more interesting then the American section did feel like it lost its way; becoming dependant on coincidences and cringe-worthy cliches.
Overall a worthwhile and interesting read.
The first 3rd of the book gripped me, dealing with the childhood in Afghanistan of Amir a boy from a privileged background and Hassan the son of one of his father’s servants. I did feel the atmosphere and was moved at several points through this book.
Once the book moved to America I lost a lot of interest especially when we had to go through the descriptive struggle with infertility which seems to be covered in every other book I read at the moment and it’s not getting any more interesting. As a plot line it always leads to either a) a miracle baby b) Infidelity by the women to get pregnant by someone else or c) A combination of events that lead to a child needing adoption. Don’t think IVF ever seems to actually work but I digress….
Amir is fairly hard to like character and I did want to slap him on numerous occasions, as a tale of redemption, I didn’t find Amir much redeemed in my eyes by the end. I'd of loved to of had a perspective from Hassan. The last part of this book although more interesting then the American section did feel like it lost its way; becoming dependant on coincidences and cringe-worthy cliches.
Overall a worthwhile and interesting read.
JT (287 KP) rated Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) in Movies
Mar 5, 2020 (Updated Mar 10, 2020)
Godzilla rises from the deep once again, this time to stand side by side with part of the human race to fend off monsters summoned by the crypto-zoological agency Monarch. Monarch has been able to devise a way to control the giant creatures using a sonar device called the Orca, in the hope that they will be able to live together in perfect harmony.
“Sometimes… the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them,” says Ken Watanabe‘s Dr Ishiro Serizawa. That theory is short-lived when eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) threatens to unleash hell, all for the greater good.
It’s one big mess. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that. I lost interest halfway through and only raised an eyebrow when Godzilla arrived on-screen to pummel the shit out of the three-headed Ghidorah and Rodan. In 2014 Godzilla was rarely seen, albeit for the odd glimpse of a whipping tail. Here that is rectified and he’s placed front and centre as he smashes everything to smithereens.
The human element is just as bad. With a cast that boasted the likes of Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Charles Dance and Strangers Things starlet Millie Bobby Brown I would have expected more from the experienced group. I blame the script which falls by the wayside. Loud, thundering action set pieces do offer a little bit of satisfaction but it’s not enough to carry the film home. Plenty of scenes could have been cut which might have made it bearable.
There are suggestions that we could be getting a Kong Vs Godzilla film at some point which would loosely tie into a Kaiju styled universe but after this load of tripe, they will have their work cut out.
“Sometimes… the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them,” says Ken Watanabe‘s Dr Ishiro Serizawa. That theory is short-lived when eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) threatens to unleash hell, all for the greater good.
It’s one big mess. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that. I lost interest halfway through and only raised an eyebrow when Godzilla arrived on-screen to pummel the shit out of the three-headed Ghidorah and Rodan. In 2014 Godzilla was rarely seen, albeit for the odd glimpse of a whipping tail. Here that is rectified and he’s placed front and centre as he smashes everything to smithereens.
The human element is just as bad. With a cast that boasted the likes of Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Charles Dance and Strangers Things starlet Millie Bobby Brown I would have expected more from the experienced group. I blame the script which falls by the wayside. Loud, thundering action set pieces do offer a little bit of satisfaction but it’s not enough to carry the film home. Plenty of scenes could have been cut which might have made it bearable.
There are suggestions that we could be getting a Kong Vs Godzilla film at some point which would loosely tie into a Kaiju styled universe but after this load of tripe, they will have their work cut out.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Bag Man (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Sometimes it sucks to be a delivery guy when you don’t know what you are
carrying in a tightly sealed leather bag. Anything can happen when too many
people are interested in what The Bag Man is carrying when it gets a
limited theatrical run starting Feb 28th.
When Jack (John Cusack) is a fixer/hitman under the employ of Dragna
(Robert De Niro), a crime lord — tasked to bring a leather bag to a seedy
hotel — the people he runs into are more shadier than he is. All he has to
do is to wait for the arrival of this gangster and not look at what’s
inside.
Both the movie and night is long while Jack fends for himself. His dealings
with the motel manager (beautifully played by Crispin Glover) is far more
interesting than the lady of the night, Rivka (Rebecca Da Costa), he meets.
Together what they end up in is a cat and mouse game of nearly everybody
from this sleepy hole-in-the-wall after them. Everyone is interested in
what the bag contains, and this Macguffin never strays far from the plot.
Even though the concept of what’s in the bag is hardly original, this
narrative device will keep some people — characters included — invested
in wondering what’s so important about it. When the contents are revealed,
will what’s revealed be King Midas’ gold or the evils from Pandora’s Box?
This loose thriller has its moments where viewers will be glued to the
suspense but ultimately, it’s this movie’s pacing that slows the action
down. Losing 10-15 minutes might help in keeping the tale tight.
That can help everyone, audience included, from not losing interest. Sooner
or later, the cat has to be let out of the bag.
carrying in a tightly sealed leather bag. Anything can happen when too many
people are interested in what The Bag Man is carrying when it gets a
limited theatrical run starting Feb 28th.
When Jack (John Cusack) is a fixer/hitman under the employ of Dragna
(Robert De Niro), a crime lord — tasked to bring a leather bag to a seedy
hotel — the people he runs into are more shadier than he is. All he has to
do is to wait for the arrival of this gangster and not look at what’s
inside.
Both the movie and night is long while Jack fends for himself. His dealings
with the motel manager (beautifully played by Crispin Glover) is far more
interesting than the lady of the night, Rivka (Rebecca Da Costa), he meets.
Together what they end up in is a cat and mouse game of nearly everybody
from this sleepy hole-in-the-wall after them. Everyone is interested in
what the bag contains, and this Macguffin never strays far from the plot.
Even though the concept of what’s in the bag is hardly original, this
narrative device will keep some people — characters included — invested
in wondering what’s so important about it. When the contents are revealed,
will what’s revealed be King Midas’ gold or the evils from Pandora’s Box?
This loose thriller has its moments where viewers will be glued to the
suspense but ultimately, it’s this movie’s pacing that slows the action
down. Losing 10-15 minutes might help in keeping the tale tight.
That can help everyone, audience included, from not losing interest. Sooner
or later, the cat has to be let out of the bag.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Closed Circuit (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
oday, we’re going to bring you something a little different from ‘across the pond’ in the form of the latest crime-thriller from
the United Kingdom ‘Closed Circuit’.
Directed by John Crowley, ‘Closed Circuit’ tells the story of a fictional terrorist attack on the city of London and it’s aftermath.
Staring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, and Jim Broadbent. ‘Closed Circuit’ follows two lawyers (Bana and Hall)
as they individually attempt to prepare the defense of their client, the lone suspect apprehended in the aftermath of the attack on a London market,
in most high profile criminal case in british history, They quickly learn though that all is not as it appears. As they discover they are being shadowed,
their every move monitored, and their pasts scrutinized, it soon becomes clear that no matter what the outcome of the trial is, it might not be
just their reputations that are on the line.
The movie is a fictional example of what unfortunately, has become almost commonplace in today’s world.
Terrorist attacks, manhunts, expanded surveillance, and it makes you ask yourself, Who is the biggest threat to us? Our enemies? Or those we trust
to defend us from our enemies?
‘Closed Circuit’ was well filmed and is cast be top-notch actors. However, once the movie gets past the very beginning it drags on for a while and has little
dialogue. Every line by the actors in the movie implies others hidden within others and is hard to follow sometimes unless you’re a conspiracy theorist.
I’d give the film 2 and a half out of 5 stars. It’s a good flick, don’t get me wrong. But it’s kind of a downer. Not exactly, an ‘escape’ from the summer heat.
Put it in in your queue for NetFilx.
the United Kingdom ‘Closed Circuit’.
Directed by John Crowley, ‘Closed Circuit’ tells the story of a fictional terrorist attack on the city of London and it’s aftermath.
Staring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, and Jim Broadbent. ‘Closed Circuit’ follows two lawyers (Bana and Hall)
as they individually attempt to prepare the defense of their client, the lone suspect apprehended in the aftermath of the attack on a London market,
in most high profile criminal case in british history, They quickly learn though that all is not as it appears. As they discover they are being shadowed,
their every move monitored, and their pasts scrutinized, it soon becomes clear that no matter what the outcome of the trial is, it might not be
just their reputations that are on the line.
The movie is a fictional example of what unfortunately, has become almost commonplace in today’s world.
Terrorist attacks, manhunts, expanded surveillance, and it makes you ask yourself, Who is the biggest threat to us? Our enemies? Or those we trust
to defend us from our enemies?
‘Closed Circuit’ was well filmed and is cast be top-notch actors. However, once the movie gets past the very beginning it drags on for a while and has little
dialogue. Every line by the actors in the movie implies others hidden within others and is hard to follow sometimes unless you’re a conspiracy theorist.
I’d give the film 2 and a half out of 5 stars. It’s a good flick, don’t get me wrong. But it’s kind of a downer. Not exactly, an ‘escape’ from the summer heat.
Put it in in your queue for NetFilx.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Winnie the Pooh (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Everyone’s favorite “tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff” is back in this sweet and lovable adaption of the beloved classic series written by A.A. Milnes. For those who aren’t familiar with the story of this beloved bear, young Christopher Robin and his active imagination creates the world of 100 Acre Woods along with its adorable characters, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and her son Roo, Eeyore and the bouncy Tigger.
As with most of the stories in the series, Winnie the Pooh is on an adventure in search of his favorite tasty treat: honey. As he begins scouring the woods for honey, he runs into his friend, the depressed donkey, Eeyore. Eeyore’s tail has gone missing and so begins the contest, to see which one of the 100 Acre Woods residents can come up with the best solution for a new tail for Eeyore. The prize, to Winnie the Pooh’s excitement, is a pot of honey! While they are on the hunt to help Eeyore find a new tail, the gang realizes that Christopher Robin has been kidnapped by a terrifying creature called the “Backson.”
With a run time of just over an hour, I was very impressed with the amount of substance this movie had. I was very glad that Disney stayed true to the way I remembered these characters from my childhood. The movie is instantly engaging with the story beginning in Christopher Robin’s bedroom and continues on by capturing the creative magic of being a child. Many people will probably write this movie off, due to its simplicity, however sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can provide such a wealth of charm, fun and beauty.
As with most of the stories in the series, Winnie the Pooh is on an adventure in search of his favorite tasty treat: honey. As he begins scouring the woods for honey, he runs into his friend, the depressed donkey, Eeyore. Eeyore’s tail has gone missing and so begins the contest, to see which one of the 100 Acre Woods residents can come up with the best solution for a new tail for Eeyore. The prize, to Winnie the Pooh’s excitement, is a pot of honey! While they are on the hunt to help Eeyore find a new tail, the gang realizes that Christopher Robin has been kidnapped by a terrifying creature called the “Backson.”
With a run time of just over an hour, I was very impressed with the amount of substance this movie had. I was very glad that Disney stayed true to the way I remembered these characters from my childhood. The movie is instantly engaging with the story beginning in Christopher Robin’s bedroom and continues on by capturing the creative magic of being a child. Many people will probably write this movie off, due to its simplicity, however sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can provide such a wealth of charm, fun and beauty.
My First Dog.
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Meet the cutest dogs of the Smartphone games history! From now on, Playbean gives you the cutest...
YTUK (1117 KP) Nov 25, 2019