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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Zombieland (2009) in Movies
Nov 12, 2019
Great Cast Makes For the Perfect Movie
Four strangers have to learn to survive together during a zombie apocalypse. Talk about a movie that checks all the boxes, Zombieland does just that! It’s got a little something for everyone.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
The first ten minutes is a perfect setup for what you can expect throughout the movie. This isn’t your typical zombie-survival romp and I thought writer Rhett Reese did an amazing job of establishing that early. You meet and fall in love with the main character as he tries to survive a simple trip to the bathroom. You also learn how his “rules” have kept him alive so long.
Characters: 10
His name is Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He’s such an unlikely hero that you can’t help but root for the poor guy as he moves from one scene to the next. Many of the scenes would have played out much differently if it weren’t for his quirky personality.
The other three mains, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) add their own flare to the film as well. Tallahassee is a badass to the point where it gets extremely comical. His character motivation of searching for a Twinkie (literally!) is priceless. The ladies share a fun backstory that make them an intriguing pair. You throw all four together and you have a perfect combination.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
This apocalyptic adventure is a blast across the board from beginning to end. Even the backstories are exciting to watch. The characters help drive the story as you can somehow manage to get on board with each of their motivations for survival. The action is a blast and the slower moments are underrated gems.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Zombie movies have been done over…and over…and over…It’s a rare treat when they get it right and try to think outside of the box. I love that the film manages to take a familiar theme and make it fresh. Not only is the movie original, but it harbors some of the most memorable scenes in film.
Resolution: 10
Always nice when a movie doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Zombieland ties up its story in tidy fashion, ending with a heartfelt bang. It immediately makes you want to watch it again.
Overall: 100
I have the utmost respect for the sheer creativity in Zombieland. Sometimes movies try too hard while others don’t try hard enough. This movie never feels forced and always feels in control of its own destiny. Even the small scenes are impactful, like the night scene where they are taking turns driving and getting to know each other in the car. Zombieland is a cinematic treat.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
The first ten minutes is a perfect setup for what you can expect throughout the movie. This isn’t your typical zombie-survival romp and I thought writer Rhett Reese did an amazing job of establishing that early. You meet and fall in love with the main character as he tries to survive a simple trip to the bathroom. You also learn how his “rules” have kept him alive so long.
Characters: 10
His name is Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He’s such an unlikely hero that you can’t help but root for the poor guy as he moves from one scene to the next. Many of the scenes would have played out much differently if it weren’t for his quirky personality.
The other three mains, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) add their own flare to the film as well. Tallahassee is a badass to the point where it gets extremely comical. His character motivation of searching for a Twinkie (literally!) is priceless. The ladies share a fun backstory that make them an intriguing pair. You throw all four together and you have a perfect combination.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
This apocalyptic adventure is a blast across the board from beginning to end. Even the backstories are exciting to watch. The characters help drive the story as you can somehow manage to get on board with each of their motivations for survival. The action is a blast and the slower moments are underrated gems.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Zombie movies have been done over…and over…and over…It’s a rare treat when they get it right and try to think outside of the box. I love that the film manages to take a familiar theme and make it fresh. Not only is the movie original, but it harbors some of the most memorable scenes in film.
Resolution: 10
Always nice when a movie doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Zombieland ties up its story in tidy fashion, ending with a heartfelt bang. It immediately makes you want to watch it again.
Overall: 100
I have the utmost respect for the sheer creativity in Zombieland. Sometimes movies try too hard while others don’t try hard enough. This movie never feels forced and always feels in control of its own destiny. Even the small scenes are impactful, like the night scene where they are taking turns driving and getting to know each other in the car. Zombieland is a cinematic treat.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Splintered (Splintered, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b>I loved <i>Splintered</i>, even though this is such a peculiar book.</b>
As the descendant of Lewis Carroll's inspiration for <i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>, Alyssa and all the females after Alice Liddell can hear the thoughts of plants and animals. In an attempt to stop the whispers, Alyssa collects bugs and plants and uses them for her art. She keeps it hidden from those around her, but deep down she knows that she'll eventually be in an asylum like her mother. To fix the madness running in her family, Alyssa has to journey down the rabbit hole Alice went and fix her mistakes.
<i>Splintered</i> is quite phenomenal – <b>the writing is extremely vivid</b> and doesn't stray too far from the original classic while the story is being set up. After the story is set up, Howard sends us down the rabbit hole with <b>a dark and grotesque twist of the original classic.</b> We have skeletal rabbits, carnivorous plants, a ghost from Alice's past that's out for vengeance, and other dark creatures that <b>makes Wonderland a complete irony of its name.</b>
But... but... <b>there's a love triangle.</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCNbLv8rQAU/VcN_9G7BWAI/AAAAAAAAE0k/XoASwOo_DEA/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy-2.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>Jeb and Morpheus both have a history with Alyssa</b> – Morpheus just has a past with her in dreams while Jeb has a history with her in flesh and blood. None of them are absolute strangers to Alyssa. <b>They're both possessive and over-protective. They antagonize each other, have a few brawls here and there</b> throughout the story. By the end, <b>Alyssa chooses a side, but we might as well be back at square one</b> when Howard brings us back to the dark makings of Wonderland again in the sequel. There is no way Jeb and Morpheus won't be at each other's throats again.
I like neither of them. I don't like Jeb, I don't like Morpheus. I don't care they're hot – I just don't like them. I feel indifferent towards them and it could go on either a good route or bad route. Enough said on this love triangle.
<b>Simply put, I loved every aspect of <i>Splintered</i> and the dark adventure Howard takes us down the rabbit hole.</b> I just don't like the candidates of this love triangle.
Methinks Tim Burton and other horror directors doth approve of this retelling.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-splintered-by-ag-howard/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
As the descendant of Lewis Carroll's inspiration for <i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>, Alyssa and all the females after Alice Liddell can hear the thoughts of plants and animals. In an attempt to stop the whispers, Alyssa collects bugs and plants and uses them for her art. She keeps it hidden from those around her, but deep down she knows that she'll eventually be in an asylum like her mother. To fix the madness running in her family, Alyssa has to journey down the rabbit hole Alice went and fix her mistakes.
<i>Splintered</i> is quite phenomenal – <b>the writing is extremely vivid</b> and doesn't stray too far from the original classic while the story is being set up. After the story is set up, Howard sends us down the rabbit hole with <b>a dark and grotesque twist of the original classic.</b> We have skeletal rabbits, carnivorous plants, a ghost from Alice's past that's out for vengeance, and other dark creatures that <b>makes Wonderland a complete irony of its name.</b>
But... but... <b>there's a love triangle.</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCNbLv8rQAU/VcN_9G7BWAI/AAAAAAAAE0k/XoASwOo_DEA/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy-2.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>Jeb and Morpheus both have a history with Alyssa</b> – Morpheus just has a past with her in dreams while Jeb has a history with her in flesh and blood. None of them are absolute strangers to Alyssa. <b>They're both possessive and over-protective. They antagonize each other, have a few brawls here and there</b> throughout the story. By the end, <b>Alyssa chooses a side, but we might as well be back at square one</b> when Howard brings us back to the dark makings of Wonderland again in the sequel. There is no way Jeb and Morpheus won't be at each other's throats again.
I like neither of them. I don't like Jeb, I don't like Morpheus. I don't care they're hot – I just don't like them. I feel indifferent towards them and it could go on either a good route or bad route. Enough said on this love triangle.
<b>Simply put, I loved every aspect of <i>Splintered</i> and the dark adventure Howard takes us down the rabbit hole.</b> I just don't like the candidates of this love triangle.
Methinks Tim Burton and other horror directors doth approve of this retelling.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-splintered-by-ag-howard/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Six Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen: Six Tudor Queens 1
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*A Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller* Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The System (Killables, #3) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I finally got round to reading the conclusion to The Killables trilogy!
It's been quite a long time since I read the first books, so I had forgotten some of the details. But as I read, I started to remember what had happened previously and was able to appreciate the current story.
After escaping the City, Evie, Raffy, Linus and Benjamin are now trapped in a world where everyone is being Watched. People actually made a living off of being Watched by strangers around the world, by having people see their daily lives and every thought. But Thomas, the leader of Infotec, isn't satisfied; he still wants Linus to create the System he had originally thought of.
Frankie is one of the most Watched girls; her boyfriend, Milo, is high-up within Infotec and has really boosted her Watcher numbers. But an anonymous message encourages Frankie to write a blog post about the UK, and Milo suddenly turns pretty hostile. Suddenly Frankie is being thrown in the back of a van, her ID chip removed and given to some random doppelganger now claiming her identity. Frankie isn't about to go down without a fight, though, and with the help of the anonymous messager, she escapes the Infotec enforcers.
There are a lot of switches between the POV this story is being told by, but after few chapters, the characters start to come together in one story.
A group of people are determined to tell the rest of the world about the UK - which was believed to have been destroyed by the Horrors. But Thomas is not going to let that happen easily - he's more than happy to dispose of anyone threatening his company.
The future Malley has created is, in my opinion, quite plausible. Vlogs on YouTube are already super popular, and this isn't that big a step up from that. And the System Thomas wants from Linus is probably not too far-fetched, either.
Frankie and Milo are probably the most important new characters in this book. Frankie was developed pretty well throughout the story, slowly discovering the truth and realising how she had been manipulated by Infotec. She's not a big fan of Evie when they first meet, though, and I kind of thought Malley emphasised that more than was necessary. Milo also developed a bit, but with more of a sudden switch being flicked later in the book.
This was a good conclusion to the trilogy, and I enjoyed reading it. It maybe tries a bit too hard to be edgy, with swear words being thrown around and things like that. Still, I liked it. I felt a bit of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies coming through at times, but not enough that it felt samey or anything. 4 stars for the final Killables book.
It's been quite a long time since I read the first books, so I had forgotten some of the details. But as I read, I started to remember what had happened previously and was able to appreciate the current story.
After escaping the City, Evie, Raffy, Linus and Benjamin are now trapped in a world where everyone is being Watched. People actually made a living off of being Watched by strangers around the world, by having people see their daily lives and every thought. But Thomas, the leader of Infotec, isn't satisfied; he still wants Linus to create the System he had originally thought of.
Frankie is one of the most Watched girls; her boyfriend, Milo, is high-up within Infotec and has really boosted her Watcher numbers. But an anonymous message encourages Frankie to write a blog post about the UK, and Milo suddenly turns pretty hostile. Suddenly Frankie is being thrown in the back of a van, her ID chip removed and given to some random doppelganger now claiming her identity. Frankie isn't about to go down without a fight, though, and with the help of the anonymous messager, she escapes the Infotec enforcers.
There are a lot of switches between the POV this story is being told by, but after few chapters, the characters start to come together in one story.
A group of people are determined to tell the rest of the world about the UK - which was believed to have been destroyed by the Horrors. But Thomas is not going to let that happen easily - he's more than happy to dispose of anyone threatening his company.
The future Malley has created is, in my opinion, quite plausible. Vlogs on YouTube are already super popular, and this isn't that big a step up from that. And the System Thomas wants from Linus is probably not too far-fetched, either.
Frankie and Milo are probably the most important new characters in this book. Frankie was developed pretty well throughout the story, slowly discovering the truth and realising how she had been manipulated by Infotec. She's not a big fan of Evie when they first meet, though, and I kind of thought Malley emphasised that more than was necessary. Milo also developed a bit, but with more of a sudden switch being flicked later in the book.
This was a good conclusion to the trilogy, and I enjoyed reading it. It maybe tries a bit too hard to be edgy, with swear words being thrown around and things like that. Still, I liked it. I felt a bit of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies coming through at times, but not enough that it felt samey or anything. 4 stars for the final Killables book.
Free WiFi hotspots on the map — Wi-Fi Space
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Wi-Fi Space – it’s free access to Wi-Fi points worldwide! The Wi-Fi Space app is an...
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Rental (2020) in Movies
Sep 2, 2020
Business startup partners Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Mina (Sheila Vand) are celebrating the success of their company by looking at Airbnb rentals for a weekend getaway. As Mina casually rests on Charlie, looking over his shoulder at the amazing, but expensive house they’re thinking of renting, you get the impression they are a couple. That is, until Charlie’s brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White) walks in, and we learn that it is Josh and Mina who are together. And that the weekend trip is to include Charlie’s wife Michelle (Alison Brie).
Some obstacles to a perfect weekend arise before the foursome even make it to their rented house. Josh has decided to bring along his dog, Reggie, a violation of the homeowners no-pets rule, and Mina is concerned that the homeowner may be racist. She had tried to book the exact same house just an hour before Charlie did but was turned down, and she believes her Middle-Eastern name (her surname is Mohammadi) was the reason.
They arrive at the idyllic house, set out in the woods and right by the ocean, where they are greeted by the caretaker, and brother of the homeowner, Taylor (Toby Huss). He’s not exactly a welcoming barrel of laughs though – unhappy at the group for arriving an hour late and definitely giving off some racist vibes towards Mina which only add fuel to the concerns she’d raised in the car earlier.
With Taylor gone, the couples begin to settle into their weekend break with some music, drink and drugs. When Josh and Michelle decide to get an early night in preparation for a planned hike the next day, business partners Charlie and Mina decide to go and try out the hottub. And, well, I’m sure you can figure out how much of a mistake that turns out to be. To top it all off, somebody seems to be watching the group from afar…
The Rental is the directorial debut of actor Dave Franco. It’s a horror movie, but spends half of its 88 minute runtime with very little happening at all. If it wasn’t for the foreboding music, and the occasional hint at some sort of stalker, you’d think this was just a drama about two couples getting themselves into a whole heap of trouble in a strangers house.
When things do begin to shift, some potentially interesting twists and plot setups quickly fall by the wayside, as The Rental slips into being just a very generic slasher movie with nothing we haven’t seen before. I suddenly realised just how interesting that first half was in comparison and what a waste of a great cast it was.
Some obstacles to a perfect weekend arise before the foursome even make it to their rented house. Josh has decided to bring along his dog, Reggie, a violation of the homeowners no-pets rule, and Mina is concerned that the homeowner may be racist. She had tried to book the exact same house just an hour before Charlie did but was turned down, and she believes her Middle-Eastern name (her surname is Mohammadi) was the reason.
They arrive at the idyllic house, set out in the woods and right by the ocean, where they are greeted by the caretaker, and brother of the homeowner, Taylor (Toby Huss). He’s not exactly a welcoming barrel of laughs though – unhappy at the group for arriving an hour late and definitely giving off some racist vibes towards Mina which only add fuel to the concerns she’d raised in the car earlier.
With Taylor gone, the couples begin to settle into their weekend break with some music, drink and drugs. When Josh and Michelle decide to get an early night in preparation for a planned hike the next day, business partners Charlie and Mina decide to go and try out the hottub. And, well, I’m sure you can figure out how much of a mistake that turns out to be. To top it all off, somebody seems to be watching the group from afar…
The Rental is the directorial debut of actor Dave Franco. It’s a horror movie, but spends half of its 88 minute runtime with very little happening at all. If it wasn’t for the foreboding music, and the occasional hint at some sort of stalker, you’d think this was just a drama about two couples getting themselves into a whole heap of trouble in a strangers house.
When things do begin to shift, some potentially interesting twists and plot setups quickly fall by the wayside, as The Rental slips into being just a very generic slasher movie with nothing we haven’t seen before. I suddenly realised just how interesting that first half was in comparison and what a waste of a great cast it was.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated One Night on the Island in Books
Feb 14, 2022
Cleo is heading to the remote Irish island of Salvation for work, but it's personal too. She's about to turn thirty, an age her father never reached, and she's trying to reconcile where she is in life. A columnist who writes about finding love, she's yet to discover it herself. On Salvation, she plans to "self-couple"--a concept brought up by her boss, but Cleo can't help but feel there's something to finding herself. As for Mack Sullivan, he's heading to Salvation to research his ancestry and photograph the island he's heard so much about from his mother and grandmother. Escaping his estranged wife and crumbling life is a bonus, though he'll miss his two sons terribly. It's only when they arrive on the island that Mack and Cleo realize they've booked the same one room cottage--a terrible mix-up on a tiny island with no other accommodations. Forced to live together until the next ferry arrives, the two can barely stand being in the same space. But as time passes on the lovely island, their attitudes change.
This is a very slow moving, slow burn romance that focuses on being thoughtful and deliberate in its descriptions. There's less action and a lot of focus on the island and tons and tons of focus on Cleo and Mack's emotions and thoughts. So many thoughts, so much angst!
As for my thoughts... seriously, even on a small island, no one had a spare room? Not even a little one? Enjoying this book means buying into the premise that two complete strangers were truly willing to share a ONE ROOM cottage--sleeping across from another in a bed and a sofa. Thanks but no thanks. Also odd was Cleo's self-coupling (aka marrying herself) concept, which both she and her boss seemed quite into and even Mack accepted. Hmm...
Far more delightful was Salvation Island and its inhabitants. I could have read an entire book just focused on the enjoyable folks Cleo and Mack ran across, particularly the women Cleo joined at knitting circle and the lively group who gathered at the local pub. And while there were plenty of descriptions of this island, some were quite fun (otters!).
The book is told in a back and forth point of view from Cleo and Mack. They grow on you. It's not their fault they were trapped in the same lodge. This one was a little too slow and emotional for me in the beginning, but I still got a bit tearful at the ending.
I received a copy of this book from Random House / Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
This is a very slow moving, slow burn romance that focuses on being thoughtful and deliberate in its descriptions. There's less action and a lot of focus on the island and tons and tons of focus on Cleo and Mack's emotions and thoughts. So many thoughts, so much angst!
As for my thoughts... seriously, even on a small island, no one had a spare room? Not even a little one? Enjoying this book means buying into the premise that two complete strangers were truly willing to share a ONE ROOM cottage--sleeping across from another in a bed and a sofa. Thanks but no thanks. Also odd was Cleo's self-coupling (aka marrying herself) concept, which both she and her boss seemed quite into and even Mack accepted. Hmm...
Far more delightful was Salvation Island and its inhabitants. I could have read an entire book just focused on the enjoyable folks Cleo and Mack ran across, particularly the women Cleo joined at knitting circle and the lively group who gathered at the local pub. And while there were plenty of descriptions of this island, some were quite fun (otters!).
The book is told in a back and forth point of view from Cleo and Mack. They grow on you. It's not their fault they were trapped in the same lodge. This one was a little too slow and emotional for me in the beginning, but I still got a bit tearful at the ending.
I received a copy of this book from Random House / Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Jul 9, 2020)
First up, the latest Coen Brothers effort, the slightly offputtingly titled The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I mean, it sounds like a working title at best, and doesn’t exactly draw you in. Oh, and it’s a Western, and Tim Blake Nelson sings in it – those Coen’s never did much care about box office, huh? And what’s more it is an anthology film; five or six short vignettes vaguely set in the same dusty landscape of pre industrial America.
I didn’t even know it was an anthology from the trailer, or poster. I thought the entire thing was about the crooning Blake Nelson, and as much as I love the Coen’s back catalogue, I wasn’t overly keen. Then the reviews, and a few Oscar nominations made me sit up a bit, feeling a bit silly that I had ever doubted the partnership that has offered the most consistently interesting off-kilter films of the last 40 years.
Immediately, I was struck by two things: a sense of a whimsical mood, and a breathtaking cinematography capturing a landscape. This was definitely a Coen film. I found myself enjoying the humour and inventiveness effortlessly. And then being surprised to find we were moving on to another story before even 15 minutes had passed!
A bit with James Franco and an unfortunate lynch mob / hanging situation; a wry piece about Tom Waits panning for gold and protecting his find; a more serious (and mood breakingly longer) piece about an unlikely love between a worldly wagon trainer and a naive young woman; and finally something like a Western ghost story as strangers talk inside a carriage heading to a mysterious location. And with a somewhat anti-climactic end… we were out. Did I miss something? Then it must have been forgettable.
I liked all the sections to degrees, and admired how they were all unique but dovetailed together well. There is certainly plenty to enjoy and even love in this strange experiment of a film. The Tom Waits section was my favourite, and the long wagon train section my least favourite, in simple terms.
However the overall impression is that it somehow isn’t quite fully there… something doesn’t hold it together as a complete film. It is hard to put your finger on it, but it is something to do with the story arc in terms of energy. It would maybe have been better served with a more upbeat climax. But who am I to question these guys?
Would I watch it again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone? With caution, yeah sure. Will I be adding it to any best of lists any time soon? Capagorically not. Enjoy it for what it is. Even watch each piece in isolation maybe. Look in wonder at how Joel and Ethan can still frame an image or capture a detail. And then let it fly away, as inconsequential as a dream.
I didn’t even know it was an anthology from the trailer, or poster. I thought the entire thing was about the crooning Blake Nelson, and as much as I love the Coen’s back catalogue, I wasn’t overly keen. Then the reviews, and a few Oscar nominations made me sit up a bit, feeling a bit silly that I had ever doubted the partnership that has offered the most consistently interesting off-kilter films of the last 40 years.
Immediately, I was struck by two things: a sense of a whimsical mood, and a breathtaking cinematography capturing a landscape. This was definitely a Coen film. I found myself enjoying the humour and inventiveness effortlessly. And then being surprised to find we were moving on to another story before even 15 minutes had passed!
A bit with James Franco and an unfortunate lynch mob / hanging situation; a wry piece about Tom Waits panning for gold and protecting his find; a more serious (and mood breakingly longer) piece about an unlikely love between a worldly wagon trainer and a naive young woman; and finally something like a Western ghost story as strangers talk inside a carriage heading to a mysterious location. And with a somewhat anti-climactic end… we were out. Did I miss something? Then it must have been forgettable.
I liked all the sections to degrees, and admired how they were all unique but dovetailed together well. There is certainly plenty to enjoy and even love in this strange experiment of a film. The Tom Waits section was my favourite, and the long wagon train section my least favourite, in simple terms.
However the overall impression is that it somehow isn’t quite fully there… something doesn’t hold it together as a complete film. It is hard to put your finger on it, but it is something to do with the story arc in terms of energy. It would maybe have been better served with a more upbeat climax. But who am I to question these guys?
Would I watch it again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone? With caution, yeah sure. Will I be adding it to any best of lists any time soon? Capagorically not. Enjoy it for what it is. Even watch each piece in isolation maybe. Look in wonder at how Joel and Ethan can still frame an image or capture a detail. And then let it fly away, as inconsequential as a dream.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Rope (1948) in Movies
Mar 12, 2020
did i speak too soon?
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you've read my other reviews, you know that I'm currently in a Hitchcock film class. I've been dreading watching his films because of the ones I've seen, with the exception of Psycho, have been the same story told in different ways. I was equally as dreadful when it came to watching this film. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
In Psycho, while we saw a serial killer, it was almost as if Norman had no choice because he'd been overtaken, so to speak, by Norma Bates. Norman knew what had been done, what his mother had done, and he cleaned up after her, defended her, took care of her. In Shadow of a Doubt, while Uncle Charlie was also a killer, Hitchcock played with the likable villain scenario that we talked about last week. He was this dapper, well-liked, well-respected man that seemed like he could never be capable of the things he was accused. And even when he did die, only little Charly and the detective really knew the truth of who Uncle Charlie was. In Sabotage, we saw murder but it wasn't purposeful. The bomb that was meant to explode, wasn't meant to explode where it did - on a public bus, killing not only the nephew but several strangers and a puppy.
Rope is glaringly different in comparison. We see Brandon who is ecstatic, almost euphoric about what he and Phillip had done. He almost gets off on the idea that they just killed a man, a friend of theirs, and invited that man's family, friends, and fiance over for a party while that man's dead body lying there, unbeknownst to the guests. Brandon was excited by that. In contrast, Phillip is paranoid, drinking rapidly and in excess trying to calm himself down, but really only making himself more suspicious. The nuance and the contrast of Brandon and Phillip's characters are different than anything we've seen from Hitchcock thus far, but even further than that, we see Rupert come in and kind of save the day. He puts the pieces together, observant of both Brandon and Phillip's awkwardness and behavior throughout the party, then noticing the hat and the rope, he comes back and realizes what they have done. Instead of taking vengeance into his own hands, something that we saw in Sabotage, he fires 3 shots out of the window, causing passersby and neighbors to call the police. Rupert than sits next to the chest that holds David's body, almost protecting him, while he waits for the authorities to arrive for Brandon and Phillip.
This film, more than any other one besides Psycho, has been my favorite to watch and the one that kept me drawn in. This film does not fit the original narrative I've held. It's in a completely different game entirely.
In Psycho, while we saw a serial killer, it was almost as if Norman had no choice because he'd been overtaken, so to speak, by Norma Bates. Norman knew what had been done, what his mother had done, and he cleaned up after her, defended her, took care of her. In Shadow of a Doubt, while Uncle Charlie was also a killer, Hitchcock played with the likable villain scenario that we talked about last week. He was this dapper, well-liked, well-respected man that seemed like he could never be capable of the things he was accused. And even when he did die, only little Charly and the detective really knew the truth of who Uncle Charlie was. In Sabotage, we saw murder but it wasn't purposeful. The bomb that was meant to explode, wasn't meant to explode where it did - on a public bus, killing not only the nephew but several strangers and a puppy.
Rope is glaringly different in comparison. We see Brandon who is ecstatic, almost euphoric about what he and Phillip had done. He almost gets off on the idea that they just killed a man, a friend of theirs, and invited that man's family, friends, and fiance over for a party while that man's dead body lying there, unbeknownst to the guests. Brandon was excited by that. In contrast, Phillip is paranoid, drinking rapidly and in excess trying to calm himself down, but really only making himself more suspicious. The nuance and the contrast of Brandon and Phillip's characters are different than anything we've seen from Hitchcock thus far, but even further than that, we see Rupert come in and kind of save the day. He puts the pieces together, observant of both Brandon and Phillip's awkwardness and behavior throughout the party, then noticing the hat and the rope, he comes back and realizes what they have done. Instead of taking vengeance into his own hands, something that we saw in Sabotage, he fires 3 shots out of the window, causing passersby and neighbors to call the police. Rupert than sits next to the chest that holds David's body, almost protecting him, while he waits for the authorities to arrive for Brandon and Phillip.
This film, more than any other one besides Psycho, has been my favorite to watch and the one that kept me drawn in. This film does not fit the original narrative I've held. It's in a completely different game entirely.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Parting Worlds (Once Upon a Curse #4) in Books
Mar 24, 2020
Parting Worlds brings everything together.
Parting Worlds is the fourth and final book in the Once Upon a Curse series, a retelling based on The Little Mermaid. This starts right where Chasing Midnight ends before going back to the very beginning and bringing everything to full circle.
We get a little intro to who Aerewyn is back in the third book, but Parting Worlds is where we truly get to know who she is and her side of the story. We get the chance to see her bond with Nymia and how it forms from complete strangers as young faeries to best friends as they train to become priestesses, where they can use their magic to protect fellow magical creatures.
I personally loved seeing their friendship bloom and how it ultimately withstands in the centuries of time they're apart from each other. I also loved seeing how they have ups and downs in their relationship and how they try to overcome those without straining it. It shows how they have a close bond with each other despite their differences.
I think Parting Worlds also gives us a chance to truly see Nymia's growth as a character as this is set before the third book but still connected. Chasing Midnight also shows her growth, but it was brief and fleeting as much of the focus was not in the past and rather on how she changes throughout the book through the events.
Going back to where all the disaster begins.
And finally, through Aerewyn's story, Kaitlyn Davis shows us how all of this began in the first place. I had so many questions after reading the third book and a lot of them were answered in Parting Worlds. Aerewyn's a faerie full of mischief and seeks to bend the rules whenever she can this sounds like me. She questions how the world can be different, where humans and magical creatures can live together in harmony, especially when she meets Erick and starts forming a relationship with him. Honestly, it's the Butterfly Effect in a fairy tale dystopia and I am living for it.
The majority of the book focuses on how Aerewyn and Erick meet and how their meeting becomes fateful for the rest of the world. But Aerewyn still grows as a character: she's still mischievous and up to no good, but she learns how her actions became major consequences for everyone, including herself. And I love how Davis does this really well.
A bittersweet end, but maybe there are more stories.
I don't know about anyone else, but Parting Worlds feels bittersweet with a (sort of?) happy ending. This puts the final piece of the story together with no loose ends in the story; it's answering all of the questions that have been there since Gathering Frost and connecting all the books together. At the same time, there sounds like there could potentially be another storyline in the future. If that happens, you know what I'm doing.
Parting Worlds is the fourth and final book in the Once Upon a Curse series, a retelling based on The Little Mermaid. This starts right where Chasing Midnight ends before going back to the very beginning and bringing everything to full circle.
We get a little intro to who Aerewyn is back in the third book, but Parting Worlds is where we truly get to know who she is and her side of the story. We get the chance to see her bond with Nymia and how it forms from complete strangers as young faeries to best friends as they train to become priestesses, where they can use their magic to protect fellow magical creatures.
I personally loved seeing their friendship bloom and how it ultimately withstands in the centuries of time they're apart from each other. I also loved seeing how they have ups and downs in their relationship and how they try to overcome those without straining it. It shows how they have a close bond with each other despite their differences.
I think Parting Worlds also gives us a chance to truly see Nymia's growth as a character as this is set before the third book but still connected. Chasing Midnight also shows her growth, but it was brief and fleeting as much of the focus was not in the past and rather on how she changes throughout the book through the events.
Going back to where all the disaster begins.
And finally, through Aerewyn's story, Kaitlyn Davis shows us how all of this began in the first place. I had so many questions after reading the third book and a lot of them were answered in Parting Worlds. Aerewyn's a faerie full of mischief and seeks to bend the rules whenever she can this sounds like me. She questions how the world can be different, where humans and magical creatures can live together in harmony, especially when she meets Erick and starts forming a relationship with him. Honestly, it's the Butterfly Effect in a fairy tale dystopia and I am living for it.
The majority of the book focuses on how Aerewyn and Erick meet and how their meeting becomes fateful for the rest of the world. But Aerewyn still grows as a character: she's still mischievous and up to no good, but she learns how her actions became major consequences for everyone, including herself. And I love how Davis does this really well.
A bittersweet end, but maybe there are more stories.
I don't know about anyone else, but Parting Worlds feels bittersweet with a (sort of?) happy ending. This puts the final piece of the story together with no loose ends in the story; it's answering all of the questions that have been there since Gathering Frost and connecting all the books together. At the same time, there sounds like there could potentially be another storyline in the future. If that happens, you know what I'm doing.