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Becky (2020)
Becky (2020)
2020 | Action, Drama, Horror
8
7.1 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Soooo....yeah
I have been a Kevin James fan since the day that I first saw him. I think he's very funny in both his stand up and in his feature films. I've heard through the years murmurs that he was a hack actor and all the other tropes you hear from people who just want to complain in life. Let me tell you something, Kevin James is NOT a hack actor.

When I saw previews for this movie some time ago I was super intrigued as it looked like a far cry from what I'm used to seeing Kevin James star in. Months later when the movie popped into my newly available section in my digital library I thought it was time to give it a go and see what what really going on.

This movie is as far from a "normal" Kevin James role as you can possibly get. Relatively predictable. But wicked unexpected. Joel McHale (whom I've actually been moderately impressed with lately in smaller, more serious roles) also stars in what I can only describe as a thriller on steroids. It kind of reminds me of the movie Hanna if Hanna hadn't been a trained killer and was just doing things based on sheer anger and hatred.

Be warned, there are parts of this movie that are incredibly graphic. But all in all it's wild ride down the rabbit hole.
  
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Adam Ant recommended Doo Bop by Miles Davis in Music (curated)

 
Doo Bop by Miles Davis
Doo Bop by Miles Davis
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"He was working with a lot of the young rappers, like Easy Mo Bee. They were laying down hip-hop drums and a few chords and apparently Miles would just improvise over the top and they'd add the vocals. That's a fabulous record, primarily because Miles sounds like he's really enjoying himself. He's more inventive on that album. He's getting more involved than on some of the albums that came before that. I saw him play live at the Hammersmith Odeon in the early 1980s and all he was doing was orchestrating. He'd stand up and play a little riff and then point at the drummer, who'd do a 15-minute solo. He was wearing a baseball hat on and was bent down and you couldn't see his face. Another one-minute solo, then point to the guitar player. The show went a bit like that. But everything he did play was well worth the entrance price. He plays great on Doo Bop. It was his last album. He was doing painting at the time, but he was really into working with these young guys and they were in awe of him. This was their dedication to him. The lyrics are all about how brilliant he is. Miles rose to the occasion and showed his chops. Every note is perfect. I've grown into jazz over the years, but it took me a bit of time to appreciate it."

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The Silent Victims (Hanlon Series #4)
The Silent Victims (Hanlon Series #4)
Alex Coombs | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Once again, I am not disappointed with this, the final book in the series featuring the unconventional DCI Hanlon.

I have now read all 4 books in this series and have enjoyed each and every one of them. I rarely say this about a series but I really do think you need to have read at least the first one (The Stolen Child) if you want to understand the main characters in the book; if you don't, I really think you will be flailing a little with the relationships they have and their motivations and this will, I think, detract from the overall story.

Hanlon is a very strong female character and one tough cookie. I admit that she is quite difficult to like but she has definitely grown on me over the series. In this, we see the odd glimpse of the softer side to Hanlon which makes her more "human" but don't let these snippets fool you - she will stop at nothing and nothing will stand in her way.

With a cast of excellent characters wrapped up in an intriguing plot, lots of action, tension and violent scenes, this is a great story well written which is gripping and exciting and makes it difficult to stop reading.

Highly recommended series and my thanks go to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
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Rob Halford recommended Holy Diver by Dio in Music (curated)

 
Holy Diver by Dio
Holy Diver by Dio
1983 | Rock
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Again, I love absolute everything that Ronnie did, from Elf to Sabbath, but it's his voice that drew me to this record because it's so magical and so unique. He was a very accomplished all-round musician though. When you look at his body of work it's just tremendous, but this is certainly one of his best. I love singers that mean what they're singing and have power behind them, and Ronnie meant it. This album is proof that you don't always need to just scream your tits off to make a point. The title track is the standout song on this album for me. If you look at any artist who has had the grace and fortune to be successful for a long period of time there are certain songs that stand out even on greatest hits compilations, but I own a Dio compilation and every song on it is as good as the last. I was involved in a tribute record after Ronnie's death to raise money for his charity. It was a great thing to do, and there were so many talented people involved in it. It just proved that everybody loved Ronnie. Not only did he create some amazing music, but he was a fantastic human being. People were lining up to do that record and by the time I agreed there weren't that many songs left to choose from."

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Halloween II (2009)
Halloween II (2009)
2009 | Horror
The sequel to Rob Zombie's divisive Halloween remake suffers in the same way that it's predecessor did, in that when all is said and done, I'm just not a fan of his style within the Halloween template. This one actually doubles down on the nastiness, and is effectively one big misery simulation. None of the characters are likable, and yet, none of them deserve the horrible ways they are killed off (probably).

A huge BUT though...I actually think that Halloween II is slightly better... I will still stand by my opinion that this version of Michael Myers is the scariest. Even more so in this one. Rob Zombie's Myers is remorseless and brutal, and of course, absolutely fucking massive. There's some really nice shots of him as well, especially in the opening hospital scene.
I also quite liked the random music video-esque sequences. It's something different, which is usually cause for alarm bells in this franchise, but it kind of works here.

Halloween II is not even close to being in the top tier of the series, but it does feel like it carries more weight than its predecessor. The practical make up work is pretty outstanding (and grim) and it rounds off Zombie's duology well enough that a third was thankfully out of the question. Ultimately, it serves as yet another reminder of how messy and unsatisfactory this series can be when it strays too far from the original.
  
The Return of the Vampire (1944)
The Return of the Vampire (1944)
1944 | Classics, Horror
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Bela Lugosi (0 more)
Vampire Telsa
The Return of the Vampire- at first I thought it was a sequel to "Mark of the Vampire", but it was not. Second i thought it might be a sequel to "Dracula", than i was like it couldnt be cause ths film was made by Columbia not Univerisal. So what is it than. Its a stand-alone. Its Bela Lugosi playing as a vampire, sound like anethor film? Anyways..

The Plot: In 1918 London, Hungarian vampire Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi) uses his servant, werewolf Andreas Obry (Matt Willis), to assist in procuring victims. When a friend of Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) becomes Tesla's next victim, Jane and an acquaintance stalk the vampire and kill him by driving a stake through his heart. But 23 years later, a German bomb disturbs Tesla's grave, and cemetery workers restoring the site pull the stake from his corpse, bringing him back to life to seek revenge.

The Return of the Vampire is not an official sequel to Lugosi's 1931 Universal Studios film Dracula, but the film has been interpreted by David J. Skal as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi's character renamed only because the film was not made by Universal.

Bela Lugosi's scenes were filmed in August and September 1943, prior to his final two Monogram films. This was also the last time he would receive top billing by a major Hollywood studio.

Its a really good film.
  
Labyrinth (FBI Thriller #23)
Labyrinth (FBI Thriller #23)
Catherine Coulter | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book 23 of the FBI Thriller series
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Back in 1996, The Cove, the 1st story in Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series was published. The 23rd book, Labyrinth was recently published. In the series, readers have been introduced to FBI thrillers with recurring characters. From what I have read about the series, the main characters are Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, a husband and wife team who are FBI agents.

Although the series has been on my "want to read" list for many years, I have never read any books from the series. When given the opportunity to review Labyrinth, I jumped at the chance. I usually read the rest of the series before reviewing a book, but Labyrinth is the 23rd book in the series, so I decided to forgo my usual routine and read just the one book.

Labyrinth could stand alone as a novel. The story was interesting and easy to follow. The characters were likable and well developed. Reading the earlier novels would help with understanding some of the references but it is not necessary.

I will continue reading the series with the next book but will keep the earlier books on my "to read" list and try to catch up on the series.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 10/11/19.
  
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