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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Total Recall (1990) in Movies
Mar 20, 2018
Just Great Sci-Fi
Total Recall is pure 90's action at its best. Cool fight scenes and gun battles are littered throughout, but never forced or never at the sacrifice of pacing. It definitely made up for some of my smaller gripes like having a lame villain. Seriously, Richter (Michael Ironside) was about as terrifying as my obese beagle. And what was up with the cheesy girl fight? Just not needed.
As a whole, though, Total Recall succeeds in a number of ways, some expected, some surprising. The film centers around Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Douglas Quaid who is bored with his life and needs an escape. After visiting a place called Recall where your dreams become reality, Quaid becomes mixed up in the center of a crazy mystery where he is a secret agent.
The film provides a solid mystery that keeps you entertained. The puzzle unravels in layers as you figure out a little bit more with every minute that passes. I appreciated the nice twists that kept things interesting. Director Paul Verhoeven wasn't just satisfied with getting by with swanky visuals and a big budget action star. The story's substance ultimately makes it better than what it could have been.
The twists and turns of the story are set against the backdrop of a creative future world. I liked the small touches like the lady changing her nail color with the touch of a pen and the bland driving robots. One of my favorite scenes, both in this movie and in film period, involves Quaid outsmarting the bad guys with a number of holograms. It was a cool trick that had I been watching in a theater in 1990: Mind blown.
Fun film that hits you with more substance than your run-of-the-mill action-sci-fi flick. I give Total Recall an 83. The film's quality made me hate the 2012 version even more.
As a whole, though, Total Recall succeeds in a number of ways, some expected, some surprising. The film centers around Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Douglas Quaid who is bored with his life and needs an escape. After visiting a place called Recall where your dreams become reality, Quaid becomes mixed up in the center of a crazy mystery where he is a secret agent.
The film provides a solid mystery that keeps you entertained. The puzzle unravels in layers as you figure out a little bit more with every minute that passes. I appreciated the nice twists that kept things interesting. Director Paul Verhoeven wasn't just satisfied with getting by with swanky visuals and a big budget action star. The story's substance ultimately makes it better than what it could have been.
The twists and turns of the story are set against the backdrop of a creative future world. I liked the small touches like the lady changing her nail color with the touch of a pen and the bland driving robots. One of my favorite scenes, both in this movie and in film period, involves Quaid outsmarting the bad guys with a number of holograms. It was a cool trick that had I been watching in a theater in 1990: Mind blown.
Fun film that hits you with more substance than your run-of-the-mill action-sci-fi flick. I give Total Recall an 83. The film's quality made me hate the 2012 version even more.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated 11.22.63 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
When this book first came in, back in 2011, I blew it off, despite a marked interest in all things JFK/Lee Harvey Oswald conspiracy related. However, when I saw who had written it, that interest was dashed bits. Jumping ahead to yesterday, when I completed the book, I find myself having to rough myself up mentally for not reading this sooner!
The novel is unlike anything I've read by King. The prose was just right, not too much. Even the use of profanity was toned down = not sure if this was because of the era it was set (unlikely, I apt to believe, as life was not "The Donna Reed Show", contrary to what we would like to believe) or attributable to the fact that Mr. King has, in fact, grown up as a writer. In any case, I liked a whole heckuva lot!
The book had so many good plot elements: time-travel, romance, epic dilemmas, and characters that you genuinely cared about! All of the aforementioned elements added up to a novel worthy of praise and adulatation - many times over!
The story within was so engaging that I finished it within a week after starting it - something I haven't been able to do with a Stephen King novel in a loooong time! Throughout the tale, I found myself smiling, laughing, gripped with tension and suspense, and the hardest emotion to pull: tears of sadness and delight!
Look, I will not mislead or try to "lure" you into reading this. What I do is tell it like this: there more books on the NY Times bestseller list that are just filler for writers' contractual obligations, lacking the real substance or feeling needed for a proper tale.! '11/21/63' has plenty of feeling and substance, enough to offer to some of the other bestsellers on the list now, and then.
And conclusion, I will leave like this: Seriously? You do a lot worse that giving this book the shot it deserves.
The novel is unlike anything I've read by King. The prose was just right, not too much. Even the use of profanity was toned down = not sure if this was because of the era it was set (unlikely, I apt to believe, as life was not "The Donna Reed Show", contrary to what we would like to believe) or attributable to the fact that Mr. King has, in fact, grown up as a writer. In any case, I liked a whole heckuva lot!
The book had so many good plot elements: time-travel, romance, epic dilemmas, and characters that you genuinely cared about! All of the aforementioned elements added up to a novel worthy of praise and adulatation - many times over!
The story within was so engaging that I finished it within a week after starting it - something I haven't been able to do with a Stephen King novel in a loooong time! Throughout the tale, I found myself smiling, laughing, gripped with tension and suspense, and the hardest emotion to pull: tears of sadness and delight!
Look, I will not mislead or try to "lure" you into reading this. What I do is tell it like this: there more books on the NY Times bestseller list that are just filler for writers' contractual obligations, lacking the real substance or feeling needed for a proper tale.! '11/21/63' has plenty of feeling and substance, enough to offer to some of the other bestsellers on the list now, and then.
And conclusion, I will leave like this: Seriously? You do a lot worse that giving this book the shot it deserves.
Artisans of Splendent Vale
Tabletop Game
Long ago, a splendid streak of crimson fell from the sky and carved the valley from the earth. The...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays in Books
Oct 20, 2017 (Updated Oct 20, 2017)
Some interesting points but doesn't connect together
Having read many of Rebecca Solnit's works, this is not one of the better ones. While there are some thoughtful ideas, the essays are disjointed from one another, so it seems to be lumped together.
That being said, some of the essays have some important points. This includes marriage equality between same sexes, ensuring inequality from a patriarchal standpoint can be dismantled.
And there is a small amount of intersectionality, discussing the rape of Native American and Indian women as part of a pandemic of violence against women rather than isolated incidents. And while this was written several years before and some of it no longer applies (Dominic Strauss-Kahn) it is still valid as the issues still continue.
The less said about slutwalk, the better.
I would say this is a good introduction to feminism for those who are seeking to understand parts, but I would recommend books with a little more substance than this.
That being said, some of the essays have some important points. This includes marriage equality between same sexes, ensuring inequality from a patriarchal standpoint can be dismantled.
And there is a small amount of intersectionality, discussing the rape of Native American and Indian women as part of a pandemic of violence against women rather than isolated incidents. And while this was written several years before and some of it no longer applies (Dominic Strauss-Kahn) it is still valid as the issues still continue.
The less said about slutwalk, the better.
I would say this is a good introduction to feminism for those who are seeking to understand parts, but I would recommend books with a little more substance than this.
Matthew Scott (7 KP) rated WTF with Marc Maron Podcast in Podcasts
Mar 25, 2019
He gently squeezes the stories out of celebrities that you won't hear anywhere else!
This is a can't miss podcast for anybody into the genre. His guests include top shelf celebrities from Hollywood and music, not to mention Barack Obama himself! He opens the podcast talking about what's going on in his personal life, including his awesome cats, and proceeds to give a very in depth interview to a notable guest. Even when you've heard this guest on other shows, Marc has a gentle way of coaxing the good stuff out of them. His openness about his substance abuse decades ago and the abuse he suffered as a child has a way of telling his guests that it's ok to come clean to me, I've been through it, too. A deeply personal experience and an absolute thrill to listen to.
Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2019
Gameplay is dull (2 more)
Progression feels pointless
The rulebook is dreadful
A Sgallow Shell of a Game
I backed this game on Kickstarter in the belief that it would be an interesting game to play, particularly given the positive reviews it had received. Oh, was I wrong! Whilst the artwork for this game is superb, the game is strung together very poorly. The rulebook is nonesensical and when this was pointed out to the creators, they put together a video...which not only clarified the elemtbs that were extremely opaque, but also patronised the backers who had funded the project. Having played this game a number of times, I wanted to like it, but it has no substance; the decisionsade in the game don't feel as though they have consequence and I frankly didn't care to invest in the game or be bothered by the outcome...a feeling that was mirrored by my gaming group. This is a game best avoided.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) in Movies
Apr 2, 2018
All style, no substance
It's a shame that Luc Besson has resorted to this. Considering his previous films, this should have been so much better.
The opening title scene starts off fairly well, it's just a shame that it then goes badly downhill with the introduction of Valerian and Laureline. The script is terrible and very cringeworthy, and it isn't helped by the lack of real chemistry between Dane DeHaan and Cara Delavigne. The plot is very weak and really drags out its 2+ hour run time, and it's very predictable. I have no idea as to why they felt the need to include Ethan Hawke and Rihanna, as their part of the plot was filler at best and could've easily been removed with little effect to the overall outcome. The visual effects are fantastic, it's just a shame they've concentrated on this instead of sorting out the horrendous script and weak plot.
The opening title scene starts off fairly well, it's just a shame that it then goes badly downhill with the introduction of Valerian and Laureline. The script is terrible and very cringeworthy, and it isn't helped by the lack of real chemistry between Dane DeHaan and Cara Delavigne. The plot is very weak and really drags out its 2+ hour run time, and it's very predictable. I have no idea as to why they felt the need to include Ethan Hawke and Rihanna, as their part of the plot was filler at best and could've easily been removed with little effect to the overall outcome. The visual effects are fantastic, it's just a shame they've concentrated on this instead of sorting out the horrendous script and weak plot.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Commuter (2018) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018 (Updated Feb 11, 2018)
One-way Ticket to Barking
Another of those films in which Liam Neeson plays a bus-pass bad-ass, in this case an ageing rugged ex-cop turned insurance salesman who finds himself sucked into a murderous conspiracy on the train home one night.
Well, you kind of know from the start how this is going to play out, but the script is inventive in keeping it going and Neeson is assisted by a good supporting cast. Initially it looks like this is going to be another film about middle-aged rage in the wake of the financial crisis, but this sadly proves to be a red herring - it is just another very daft transport-based thriller.
Not a film that exactly stays with you, obviously, but it's wildly implausible rather than actually stupid, and the direction is not too bad, all things considered. Obviously I'd rather Liam Neeson did more films with a little more substance, but this kind of thing isn't actually hurting anyone.
Well, you kind of know from the start how this is going to play out, but the script is inventive in keeping it going and Neeson is assisted by a good supporting cast. Initially it looks like this is going to be another film about middle-aged rage in the wake of the financial crisis, but this sadly proves to be a red herring - it is just another very daft transport-based thriller.
Not a film that exactly stays with you, obviously, but it's wildly implausible rather than actually stupid, and the direction is not too bad, all things considered. Obviously I'd rather Liam Neeson did more films with a little more substance, but this kind of thing isn't actually hurting anyone.
Nursing Guide - Drug Book
Medical and Education
App
Nursing Guide / Drug Book Everything nurses need to know about common medications -- in one...
Undisputed Truth: My Autobiography
Book
One of the most talked-about and bestselling books of last year, this is the no-holds-barred...