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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) is a simple man who spends his days clearing the roads in a remote Colorado Ski Town and spends his days with his wife and his son. Nels is so unassuming that when he is awarded Citizen of the Year he states that there are others far more worthy and fusses over getting dressed up to accept the award and make a speech.
When his son is found dead of a Heroin overdose; Nels is not willing to accept that his son was a user even though this puts tremendous strain on his marriage and has taken Nels to consider suicide. At his worst moment he learns that his son’ co-worker was involved with some shady dealing and that his son was likely collateral damage from the criminal elements involved.
With a new found sense of purpose: Nels embarks on a quest to find the truth and avenge his son’s death no matter the consequences.
One would think that “Cold Pursuit” is a standard revenge film but it unexpectedly changes direction shortly after Nels starts exacting his revenge. The film transforms into a Dark Comedy of sorts as characters get a Title Screen when they are killed many of which have a morbid humor to them. The film even takes the bold step of moving away from Neeson for a good third of the film and putting the emphasis on other characters from rival crime organizations to the Sherriff and his eager Detective (Emmy Rossum).
As such the film is not what you expect as although there is plenty of action at times; it is a Dark Comedy with dramatic elements. It is more in line of what you might expect at a Film Festival from an Indie studio versus a major studio release.
As such fans of Neeson may be disappointed in seeing a departure from the type of films they have come to expect from him in recent years while others may embrace the quirky nature of the film.
http://sknr.net/2019/01/30/cold-pursuit/
When his son is found dead of a Heroin overdose; Nels is not willing to accept that his son was a user even though this puts tremendous strain on his marriage and has taken Nels to consider suicide. At his worst moment he learns that his son’ co-worker was involved with some shady dealing and that his son was likely collateral damage from the criminal elements involved.
With a new found sense of purpose: Nels embarks on a quest to find the truth and avenge his son’s death no matter the consequences.
One would think that “Cold Pursuit” is a standard revenge film but it unexpectedly changes direction shortly after Nels starts exacting his revenge. The film transforms into a Dark Comedy of sorts as characters get a Title Screen when they are killed many of which have a morbid humor to them. The film even takes the bold step of moving away from Neeson for a good third of the film and putting the emphasis on other characters from rival crime organizations to the Sherriff and his eager Detective (Emmy Rossum).
As such the film is not what you expect as although there is plenty of action at times; it is a Dark Comedy with dramatic elements. It is more in line of what you might expect at a Film Festival from an Indie studio versus a major studio release.
As such fans of Neeson may be disappointed in seeing a departure from the type of films they have come to expect from him in recent years while others may embrace the quirky nature of the film.
http://sknr.net/2019/01/30/cold-pursuit/
AyL (16 KP) rated Evil Genius in TV
Jan 7, 2019
An explosive documentary and must-watch for true crime lovers
Content:
A man casually walks into a bank, with a bomb strapped to his neck and demands money. He gets caught on the parking lot after leaving the bank but he never makes it into a police car. 44 minutes after the first 911 call about the robbery and the bomb, the device around the mans neck detonates and kills him, all documented by CCTV and the Police. The man is Brian Wells, a pizza delivery man from this area. The documentary investigates the events around the murder of Brian Wells in Pennsylvania in 2003, which also became known as the „Pizza-Bomber“ Case.
Review:
If you are looking for a casual show to watch while playing candy crush on your phone, this is not the documentary for you, because things become complicated quick, with loads of suspects, different crime scenes and a lot of different stories that are told.
To really enjoy this documentary, you have to give it your full focus so you catch all the minute details. It’s like working the crime scene yourself. The documentary is not for the faint hearted. It shows the original CCTV footage of Brian Wells death!
The documentary includes interviews with people that worked on the cases, suspects and the family and friend of Brian Wells, which gives it a personal touch and makes it very attractive and fascinating to watch. It creates new questions in the viewers mind: Was Brian victim or perpetrator? Was the detonation an accident, murder or even suicide? And who is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and what does this woman have to do with all of this?
Trey Borzillieri, director and narrator of the documentary, shows his quite intense research for this documentary which ended in a deeper relationship with one of the suspects.
Evil genius is fascinating to watch, it grabs you and takes you through all Episodes, leaving you wanting more. A must watch for true crime lovers!
A man casually walks into a bank, with a bomb strapped to his neck and demands money. He gets caught on the parking lot after leaving the bank but he never makes it into a police car. 44 minutes after the first 911 call about the robbery and the bomb, the device around the mans neck detonates and kills him, all documented by CCTV and the Police. The man is Brian Wells, a pizza delivery man from this area. The documentary investigates the events around the murder of Brian Wells in Pennsylvania in 2003, which also became known as the „Pizza-Bomber“ Case.
Review:
If you are looking for a casual show to watch while playing candy crush on your phone, this is not the documentary for you, because things become complicated quick, with loads of suspects, different crime scenes and a lot of different stories that are told.
To really enjoy this documentary, you have to give it your full focus so you catch all the minute details. It’s like working the crime scene yourself. The documentary is not for the faint hearted. It shows the original CCTV footage of Brian Wells death!
The documentary includes interviews with people that worked on the cases, suspects and the family and friend of Brian Wells, which gives it a personal touch and makes it very attractive and fascinating to watch. It creates new questions in the viewers mind: Was Brian victim or perpetrator? Was the detonation an accident, murder or even suicide? And who is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and what does this woman have to do with all of this?
Trey Borzillieri, director and narrator of the documentary, shows his quite intense research for this documentary which ended in a deeper relationship with one of the suspects.
Evil genius is fascinating to watch, it grabs you and takes you through all Episodes, leaving you wanting more. A must watch for true crime lovers!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Last Leaves Falling in Books
Dec 14, 2018
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The Last Leaves Falling is an emotional read by the author Sarah Benwell. Set in modern day Japan, Abe Sora, a 17 year old boy is trying to come to terms with his diagnosis: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ASL). Although Sora is aware that he will die soon he is ashamed of his deteriorating muscles and his inability to walk and function like other boys his age. In order to attempt to have a "normal" life he signs up to KyoToTeenz forum where he hides behind the username SamuraiMan. He never lets on to his new friends about his disability but they soon find out when they meet in person.
Despite his initial predictions, Mai and Kaito want to stick by Sora and remain his friends. The three of them spend as much time together as possible making Sora's life more bearable while his body rapidly deteriorates.
It is very sad to read about Sora's life knowing that he will never grow up to be the person he always wanted to be. Even though there will never be a happy ending to his predicament, Sora encourages his friends, particularly Mai, to fight for who they want to be rather than giving into the the pressures of parents and school.
Knowing that Sora is going to die makes the ending slightly predictable however it is still heartbreaking. It makes the reader wonder what happens to the other characters: Mai, Kaito and Sora's mother; after the final pages.
This is a brilliant book for young adult readers. As well as dealing with difficult themes such as death, Benwell emphasises the importance of wishes and dreams. Due to certain aspects of the story (death and suicide) this book is unsuitable for the more vulnerable reader. Overall The Last Leaves Falling is an excellent work of fiction.
The Last Leaves Falling is an emotional read by the author Sarah Benwell. Set in modern day Japan, Abe Sora, a 17 year old boy is trying to come to terms with his diagnosis: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ASL). Although Sora is aware that he will die soon he is ashamed of his deteriorating muscles and his inability to walk and function like other boys his age. In order to attempt to have a "normal" life he signs up to KyoToTeenz forum where he hides behind the username SamuraiMan. He never lets on to his new friends about his disability but they soon find out when they meet in person.
Despite his initial predictions, Mai and Kaito want to stick by Sora and remain his friends. The three of them spend as much time together as possible making Sora's life more bearable while his body rapidly deteriorates.
It is very sad to read about Sora's life knowing that he will never grow up to be the person he always wanted to be. Even though there will never be a happy ending to his predicament, Sora encourages his friends, particularly Mai, to fight for who they want to be rather than giving into the the pressures of parents and school.
Knowing that Sora is going to die makes the ending slightly predictable however it is still heartbreaking. It makes the reader wonder what happens to the other characters: Mai, Kaito and Sora's mother; after the final pages.
This is a brilliant book for young adult readers. As well as dealing with difficult themes such as death, Benwell emphasises the importance of wishes and dreams. Due to certain aspects of the story (death and suicide) this book is unsuitable for the more vulnerable reader. Overall The Last Leaves Falling is an excellent work of fiction.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Life After Flash (2017) in Movies
Jul 5, 2019
Flash! Ah Ah!
To say the film Flash Gordon shaped me as a child would be a gross understatement. I worship the film as a screen classic and as one of my favorite films of all time. Ok, I know it's not Citizen Kane; however, it is the Citizen Kane of campy 80s rock operas.
As much as I would love to have an 8 hour conversation with someone about the merits of Flash Gordon, I should be talking about the 2017 film Life After Flash which I don't think I had any choice but to enjoy.
The film itself is kind of divided into to parts. The first half talking to all the surviving principles about how they were cast, the production itself, their interactions with epic producer Dino De Laurentiis and the film's legacy in their eyes. The second half was devoted to star Sam J. Jones himself and his personal journey before, during and after the film was completed and released in 1980.
He talked about how his ego got in the way of production so much so that his voice isn't even used in the film and was dubbed by another actor. He also expounded on his life since talking about dark times when the work dried up and how he even thought of suicide.
Thankfully after many years, Seth MacFarlane and asked him to cameo his most famous role in "Ted" and how that has reignited his film and public appearance career. (As a side note, since I am just a huge Flash Gordon fan, the Sam Jones scenes in Ted are about the funniest scenes ever in a motion picture for me).
Others mention the effects of typecasting in Hollywood. Even director Richard Donner mentions the fate Christopher Reeve has after Superman.
I should watch more documentaries as I always learn things I didn't know before and this great film was no exception.
As much as I would love to have an 8 hour conversation with someone about the merits of Flash Gordon, I should be talking about the 2017 film Life After Flash which I don't think I had any choice but to enjoy.
The film itself is kind of divided into to parts. The first half talking to all the surviving principles about how they were cast, the production itself, their interactions with epic producer Dino De Laurentiis and the film's legacy in their eyes. The second half was devoted to star Sam J. Jones himself and his personal journey before, during and after the film was completed and released in 1980.
He talked about how his ego got in the way of production so much so that his voice isn't even used in the film and was dubbed by another actor. He also expounded on his life since talking about dark times when the work dried up and how he even thought of suicide.
Thankfully after many years, Seth MacFarlane and asked him to cameo his most famous role in "Ted" and how that has reignited his film and public appearance career. (As a side note, since I am just a huge Flash Gordon fan, the Sam Jones scenes in Ted are about the funniest scenes ever in a motion picture for me).
Others mention the effects of typecasting in Hollywood. Even director Richard Donner mentions the fate Christopher Reeve has after Superman.
I should watch more documentaries as I always learn things I didn't know before and this great film was no exception.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Before The Devil Knows You're Dead in Books
Nov 8, 2019
It is a snowy Hogmanay in Glasgow. Obstetric Surgeon Gavin Law has made an accusation of malpractice against a colleague, Wallace Maitland, only for an accusation to be made against him. Wallace Maitland doesn't remember Hogmanay but did end up covered in blood. Sean Rafferty is now the head of gangster family having taken over from his violent father Jimmy and is having a party to try to appear respectable.
When Law disappears on that fateful Hogmanay, private detective Charlie Cameron takes on the case to find him. But with no leads he also agrees to look at an apparent suicide for his policeman friend DS Geddes, something will put him on a collision course with Rafferty, a man who has tried to kill Cameron in the past.
This, roughly, is the setting for the third of the Charlie Cameron crime thrillers. Detective novels require their plot and characterisation to be convincing and Mullen delivers both. Cameron is always convincing, and an entertaining narrator of the events as he witnesses them. The usual supporting cast of Pat Logue and Geddes are in fine form and Rafferty seems even more of a threat when in the role of a respectable businessman. The various others involved in the cases all ring true as well. Mullen has a knack for not only making his characters believable but very human and realistic as well.
The plotting did not disappoint either with the Law case especially baffling as all avenues of investigation peter out to nothing, and Cameron's frustration at this is clear. The final reveal caught me by surprise but fits everything together perfectly. It certainly kept me guessing, although to be honest I was enjoying simply following Cameron around and seeing his world too much to spend much time worrying about who did it.
This was a book that I enjoyed reading enormously. Mullen is a terrific writer and Cameron and the world he inhabits is a living breathing thing in his hands. Very very highly recommended.
When Law disappears on that fateful Hogmanay, private detective Charlie Cameron takes on the case to find him. But with no leads he also agrees to look at an apparent suicide for his policeman friend DS Geddes, something will put him on a collision course with Rafferty, a man who has tried to kill Cameron in the past.
This, roughly, is the setting for the third of the Charlie Cameron crime thrillers. Detective novels require their plot and characterisation to be convincing and Mullen delivers both. Cameron is always convincing, and an entertaining narrator of the events as he witnesses them. The usual supporting cast of Pat Logue and Geddes are in fine form and Rafferty seems even more of a threat when in the role of a respectable businessman. The various others involved in the cases all ring true as well. Mullen has a knack for not only making his characters believable but very human and realistic as well.
The plotting did not disappoint either with the Law case especially baffling as all avenues of investigation peter out to nothing, and Cameron's frustration at this is clear. The final reveal caught me by surprise but fits everything together perfectly. It certainly kept me guessing, although to be honest I was enjoying simply following Cameron around and seeing his world too much to spend much time worrying about who did it.
This was a book that I enjoyed reading enormously. Mullen is a terrific writer and Cameron and the world he inhabits is a living breathing thing in his hands. Very very highly recommended.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Guns of the Dawn in Books
Nov 14, 2019
A couple of years a go I was involved in a Twitter conversation about strong female characters in fantasy. The conclusion what that they were there but not very common. This book addresses this by adding another in the shape of Emily Marshwic.
Born into a priviliged family, she is nothing but practical, sparring with the local governor whom she blames for the suicide of her father. Then war breaks out with a neighbouring country and as the fighting drags on, taking the men of the Marshwic household, Emily ends up joining the army to do her bit. The war is brutal and through her experiences Emily finds out unexpected things about not only herself but those around her.
This story is entirely driven by character, not only of Emily but of all of those she meets and this is where Tchaikovsky shines, conjuring up a host of main and supporting cast, all of whom are three dimensional and painted in shades of light and shadow, even those whose lives are destined to be cut short. Emily herself is the central pillar of the book and is more than capable of that task.
The descriptions of the war - both of the frantic, muddled fighting and the times in between - is spot on, showing the futility of it all but also why the sides feel they must fight on. The plot is far from predictable and takes sudden turns onto new territory just as the reader becomes comfortable with the current situation.
The world is well drawn. This is definitely fantasy in style and there are magic users in the shape of the flame wielding Warlocks, but the main fighting is with muskets and flintlock pistols and it is clear that the war is driving technology on.
The only problem with this book? It is stand alone. I would definitely read more stories about Emily and will now be searching out Tchaikovsky's epic Shadows of the Apt series for future reading.
Advisory: Voilent scenes of battle and some sexual violence and references
Born into a priviliged family, she is nothing but practical, sparring with the local governor whom she blames for the suicide of her father. Then war breaks out with a neighbouring country and as the fighting drags on, taking the men of the Marshwic household, Emily ends up joining the army to do her bit. The war is brutal and through her experiences Emily finds out unexpected things about not only herself but those around her.
This story is entirely driven by character, not only of Emily but of all of those she meets and this is where Tchaikovsky shines, conjuring up a host of main and supporting cast, all of whom are three dimensional and painted in shades of light and shadow, even those whose lives are destined to be cut short. Emily herself is the central pillar of the book and is more than capable of that task.
The descriptions of the war - both of the frantic, muddled fighting and the times in between - is spot on, showing the futility of it all but also why the sides feel they must fight on. The plot is far from predictable and takes sudden turns onto new territory just as the reader becomes comfortable with the current situation.
The world is well drawn. This is definitely fantasy in style and there are magic users in the shape of the flame wielding Warlocks, but the main fighting is with muskets and flintlock pistols and it is clear that the war is driving technology on.
The only problem with this book? It is stand alone. I would definitely read more stories about Emily and will now be searching out Tchaikovsky's epic Shadows of the Apt series for future reading.
Advisory: Voilent scenes of battle and some sexual violence and references
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Winter Queen (Erast Fandorin #1) in Books
Nov 28, 2019
Erast Fandorin is a low level civil servant in nineteenth century Russia. An orphan with no real friends or prospects he has been assigned to the police department as a clerk simply because he has to be somewhere. But following a bizarre suicide Fandorin reveals that under his unassuming exterior is a keen mind and he soon uncovers sinister goings on both at home in Russia and abroad in London.
This is the first appearance of Akunin's master detective. Lacking the arrogance of either Holmes or Poirot but easily their equal in terms of deduction and intelligence he makes a good hero. Each of Akunin's novels is designed to represent a different type of novel and this is closest to spy novels with Fandorin spending much of his time going undercover to infiltrate a secret society or staking out and sneaking into houses. There are also plenty of physical scenes for the young hero to endure.
The plot is suitably obscure and opaque with each clue removing another layer and moving both the reader and Fandorin closer to finding out what is going on.
There is also fascinating detail of life in Tsarist Russia although as with any novel set during that time the seemingly endless Russian names - so hard to pronounce for my Anglophone brain - are sometimes a little overwhelming.
Special mention to the translator who does a fantastic job. Some Russion idioms are left intact for authenticity but others are rendered into English. This may have been originally written in Russian but it reads as if Akunin is a native English speaker.
This wasn't my first Fandorin novel and to be honest I'm not sure it's the best one to start with, despite it being the genesis of the character. To me the complexities of having to understand the Tsarist Russia (and the names) and the plot would be frustrating. But nevertheless a good and interesting read.
This is the first appearance of Akunin's master detective. Lacking the arrogance of either Holmes or Poirot but easily their equal in terms of deduction and intelligence he makes a good hero. Each of Akunin's novels is designed to represent a different type of novel and this is closest to spy novels with Fandorin spending much of his time going undercover to infiltrate a secret society or staking out and sneaking into houses. There are also plenty of physical scenes for the young hero to endure.
The plot is suitably obscure and opaque with each clue removing another layer and moving both the reader and Fandorin closer to finding out what is going on.
There is also fascinating detail of life in Tsarist Russia although as with any novel set during that time the seemingly endless Russian names - so hard to pronounce for my Anglophone brain - are sometimes a little overwhelming.
Special mention to the translator who does a fantastic job. Some Russion idioms are left intact for authenticity but others are rendered into English. This may have been originally written in Russian but it reads as if Akunin is a native English speaker.
This wasn't my first Fandorin novel and to be honest I'm not sure it's the best one to start with, despite it being the genesis of the character. To me the complexities of having to understand the Tsarist Russia (and the names) and the plot would be frustrating. But nevertheless a good and interesting read.
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