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Joker (2019)
Joker (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama
The slow paced deterioration of mental health (2 more)
Some terrific portrayals
Cgi sparse
Will it hold up on repeat viewings? (0 more)
Not your usual type of clowning around
After waiting longer than I should have I finally watched Joker and the delay left me with lots of other opinions and views of the impact it has generated.

It is no secret that this film takes a different approach to the comic book genre with no superpowers being gained and focuses more on loss and the power that grows from becoming mentally unstable and damaged by an unforgiving society. It also focused on the ability to become involved in the fame game not for being talented but as a source of ridicule and fun for others, thso is reflected in wider society and is a stark warning about encouraging those that are not near the level of the talented. Take note the Xfactor and other programmes that have advertising funded freak shows and gather round televisions to judge and mock. There are many factors that contribute to the descent into chaos and they are the socioeconomic factors of heriditary mental health, illegitimacy, funding cuts, street violence and the fear of the future.

The climax scenes are hard hitting but not unexpected, the impact at the time was shocking and left a lasting sense of my own unease at the future. My only thoughts on the negative side where the ability for this ending to have the lasting impact on repeat viewings and it's place in film history will be won or lost on how its seen in the upcoming years. Phoenix inhabited the role as Joker and his overall attention to detail allowed the character to form on deeper and emotion levels.

If there are others out there still waiting to see this do it before Xmas as it might be too much to take during the January blues
  
Allegiant
Allegiant
Veronica Roth | 2016 | Children
8
8.0 (41 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><u>Before Reading:</u></b>
      I've been spoiled of the ending. Yep. SPOILED. Then I confirmed it at Barnes & Noble by finding out what chapter it happens on... which I won't say at all.

      That should have stopped me from even picking up the last copy from the school library, or even asking, because I simply don't want to get smacked in the face by what happens in the end and how it truly leads there.

      But I decided that I should simply take a chance on the series, because after all, I liked the other books in the series. It would be a different case if I didn't like Divergent and Insurgent.

      And maybe I'll have different thoughts despite the ending when I do finish reading.
 
<b><u>After Reading:</b></u>
      Let me just mention this first and foremost: this will not be a very rave review, despite the rating. So Divergent fans, if you cannot handle not-so-very-rave reviews, please turn around and walk out. If you can, or if you're remotely curious, feel free to continue on.

      But don't say I didn't warn you. Because I certainly did, and I won't be warning again. Oh, and there may be a few spoilers. They're in red....

      I’m just going to "Cut to the Chase" right this minute, and possibly earn a few tomatoes thrown at me as a result in the end. I’m pretty sure I’m entitled to my honest opinion, so if I lied, I wouldn’t be honest after all.

      I do not mean the music video by Trish Thuy Trang featuring Cardin.
 
     My nose might grow longer as well. ;)
 
     Allegiant was dangling on a fish hook right above the surface of DNF Lake many times while reading it. Near the end though, after a HUGE – and by "HUGE," I mean at least 80% of the way through – chunk have been read, I kind of spared it and brought it back to shore. Some people may have noticed me complaining a bit – and giving a few brief review spoilers! – on Twitter or Personal Facebook. And yes, I have a Facebook. Please don't stalk me. :p

      One of the review spoilers? I don't particularly like Tris as a character anymore. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! Possibly making it worse – and basically only L knows about this – I don't feel really sorry about what happened to her. Well, I'm upset, but I'm not exactly going to start crying and being depressed over what happened.
      I have my reasons.
 
     I didn't really notice it back in Insurgent, but Tris seems too impulsive in her actions. She and Tobias also argue too much. :/ Then again, I'm not an expert in the relationship department. It was just aggravating and annoying.

      Allegiant certainly wasn't boring, which was another review spoiler. It was Veronica Roth's writing. It seems more... I don't know. There's just something about the writing that bothers me in Allegiant. And it's not because of Tobias' POV being added in, though it was interesting to break into his mind and take a peek behind the "stoniness".

      By stoniness, I meant that he doesn't seem to give out a lot of what he's really thinking. I guess it's a nice change, being able to see/read what Tobias is thinking. SPOILER ALERT! Oh, and he likes to hurt people?! Disappointing in that part...

      Okay, you now have the right to bash me and throw tomatoes at me. Just give me ten seconds to run away. :p
<blockquote>Yeah, sometimes life really sucks. But you know what I'm holding on for?
 The moments that don't suck. The trick is to notice them when they come around.</blockquote>
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Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste. Pictures have been removed from this review.
This review and more on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-allegiant-by-veronica-roth.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />
  
Charisma Check (Dungeons and Dating #6)
Charisma Check (Dungeons and Dating #6)
Katherine McIntyre | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
CHARISMA CHECK is the sixth and final book in the Dungeons and Dating series, and you should really read these amazing books in order to get the full benefit. This is a 5-star series, simple as that.

Everything we have come to hold dear is threatened in this book and it about killed me! Add to that, Matt and Jasper, two characters who have made themselves known in previous books - even if it's only superficially. Oh, boy. These two. I loved them both so much. Jasper about broke me though and I'm not ashamed to say it. His backstory was a killer and his actions throughout the series take on a whole new light. Matt has had an easier time of it in the past to a degree but has had to deal with numerous failed relationships and, in the present, he has to deal with his best friend leaving him. Together, they are guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies.

Everyone shows up in this book, much to my delight. Happy tears were shed and I finished the book with a HUGE smile on my face. I can't wait to return at Christmas to the D&D group at Tabletop Tavern, as well as begin with the guys from Whipped in Leather & Lattes.

Absolutely brilliant all the way through. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 23, 2023
  
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Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated FAME in Books

Oct 24, 2018  
FAME
FAME
Justine Bateman | 2018 | Biography, Essays
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well thought out, A Refreshing Perspective on Fame (0 more)
A bit frantic, some might want more juicy gossip (0 more)
An Interesting Exploration of Fame
Raise your hand if you LOVED Family Ties as a kid! And had a crush on Alex P. Keaton? And wanted TO BE Mallory!?! Justine Bateman was an idol of mine in the 80's. If I could be like her, or look like her, I pressed my parents to give me a sister just like her! But I got stuck with a brother. Boo!

It's funny, because when I first heard about this book, I said first thing, "Whatever happened to her?" in that snarky, snide voice - like oh, she was has-been, she didn't do anything after Family Ties, she's a one-hit wonder.... And THAT is exactly the type of attitude Justine addresses in this book. (I'm totally sorry for what I said btw Justine and I still love you!)

If you're looking for the behind the scenes secrets and juicy scandal of the beloved sitcom - this is not the book. If you want the scoop on MJ Fox and hanging with child stars of the 80's - nope, not that book either. In fact, one of the first chapters in the book fully explains this - the book is NOT a memoir. It's an exploration of fame. Justine dissects everything from childhood fame in the 80's, to reality star "fame" of today, as well as both the construction AND destruction of fame that social media can make happen. I was fascinated by her take on all things fame. I felt for her - being an actress on a hit TV show, and only being seen for THAT. That her education, and directing, and successes in business mean nothing - cause the "whatever happened to her" mentality translates to - well, if we haven't seen her on TV anymore - she must be a failure in life.

I loved reading this - she's frantic, and passionate, and, OK I'll say it- a bit crazy, yes - but do you blame her? Imagine people saying about you "Boy, she sure has let herself go" on a public forum, on google searches, on Twitter. Just cause the last time they saw her she was 21 - and now she's 50. Well, clearly she's aged - duh. Obviously she doesn't LOOK the same!

I gobbled up every chapter and loved her take on how crazy it is to be famous, but how much crazier it is today. Sure, there's some namedropping, some mentions of Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more - and there's even a bunch of color photos in the book that she talks about and references throughout the book, which I loved. I didn't need the juicy gossip, as I felt like it made me understand celebrities more and totally got me out of that mentality of "Oh, they wanted to be in the spotlight, so they are just automatically targets." No. I feel terrible now for ever ragging on a celeb in the spotlight - especially the young ones out there.

But I'm still not laying off the reality "stars" ;) haha.
  
Mr Mercedes
Mr Mercedes
Stephen King | 2015 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.5 (28 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stephen King at its best (3 more)
great characters
Insane Villian
Great Twists
Story got weird with the dead sisters family (0 more)
A New Look into a Killers Eyes
I have been a Stephen King fan for a very very long time. But it has been a while since a book like this has come out and kept me wanting to keep reading it till it was done. I am not the biggest reader of book and it can take me awhile to finish them. I tend to spend more time watching tv and movies over reading. This book though kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book really went to a place most crime novels don't go to and that is a story about a retired detective on the verge of suicide. I feel like most retire cops go into something else and not just sit around all day. But he is pulled out by a case that got away, which is a good motivator. The one and done type of killer is very rare as well. Usually these types of psychos always go out for more. I don't know if it was lack of drive which most killers don't have or patience which he seemed to have a lot of. It was definitely different.


I can't wait to read the next 2 books in the series and watch the TV show to see how it compares. Until next time, enjoy the read.
  
Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World
Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World
Clara Parkes | 2017 | Biography
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I normally don’t reading books like this nor have I read the author’s book The Yarn Whisperers, so I wasn’t surprised that this wasn’t to my taste. I requested it because I am a knitter, but unfortunately, this story had less to do about knitting and more about travel. The writing is simple enough, having the conversationalist tone of a blog writer trying to entice a reader; and I enjoyed her easy style. It did take me a while to power through it, however, as I found I didn’t particularly care about the subjects the author chose to write about. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the opening where she describes her mom’s car being on fire. I didn’t know any of the people the author name dropped so I felt their significance in the story was lost on me.

I really wanted to like this book although I feel I should have known better. I learned my lesson, I guess. Also, my copy randomly had images of A’s in giant gray boxes periodically throughout the book. I am not sure what they were supposed to be but they were distracting. I imagine they were supposed to be images that just didn’t translate in my digital copy. If that’s the case, I am deeply sorry I wasn’t able to see them.
  
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Fighting with My Family (2019) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Fighting with My Family (2019)
Fighting with My Family (2019)
2019 | Biography, Comedy, Drama
There are certain expectations from this sort of film, just like The Full Monty, Walk Like A Panther and Swimming With Men before it. There's something satisfying about this sort of film that makes it comforting to watch, or at least that's what you hope for going in. Fighting With My Family doesn't disappoint on that front, it's funny, emotional and a nice easy watch.

There was something about the very beginning of the film that didn't sit quite right with the rest of it. It was so brief though that it was easily forgotten, but it did momentarily make me worry.

It's definitely laugh out loud funny, although it might rely a little too much on dick jokes. That being said I did appreciate discovering the phrase "dick me dead and bury me pregnant."

While I know nothing about wrestling it doesn't seem to be an issue going in with no previous knowledge. The film is very much focused on the journey and family dynamic, and on that front it really hits the spot. The emotion around Zak is the strongest throughout. Jack Lowden plays it brilliantly and caused a fair amount, if not all, of my tears that were shed during this viewing.

The supporting cast was entertaining and Lowden was definitely the high point. As much as I love Nick Frost I'm not enjoying his recent trend in characters, I was amused by the full phone conversation with The Rock though.

I wasn't particularly blown away by Florence Pugh in the main role of Paige, she never seems like she's excited about anything that's going on. I didn't feel much emotion around her character and if anything it was just a lot of awkward.

Despite my nit-picking Fighting With My Family is a great little film and it doesn't overstay its welcome on the screen. At 1 hour and 48 minutes it's just the right length, everything is laid out, explained and concluded without any padding, there aren't many films getting that right at the moment.

What you should do

If you're looking for a fun night out then this is well worth looking out for when it's released.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

If someone could just instantly give me some of the agility to do those wrestling moves I'd be one very happy woman.
  
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Welcome to Marwen (2018) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama
I knew what I'd be seeing on the screen for this one but it was still intriguing to watch.

When we're seeing the dolls in action you can tell that every detail has been taken into account. The way they move their limbs, the articulation and their reactions are all spot on. If you listen during the fight scenes you can even hear the plastic on plastic thunking. The little touches in Marwen itself are wonderful too.

Transitions between the fictional town and the real town are done in a surprisingly smooth way. The shifts through the bar's frontage keep the action flowing in the busier points of the movie and are a nice change of pace from the camera and photographs.

You end up thinking about a lot of things. It took me longer than it probably should have done to work a few things out (no spoilers), but when I did it opened up a whole other train of thought and even a day later I'm still thinking about it.

Steve Carell does an amazing job of conveying the trauma that Mark is having to deal with, and the moments where his anxieties take him are so horribly real. The film overall punches you in the face with emotions. There's one particular moment with Kurt and his car that made me anxious myself and I actually wanted to scream at the screen, if I'd been at home I would have been screaming. Before you ask, of course I was crying! So much at one point I thought I was going to choke on the lump in my throat.

What you should do

I have no doubt this one will be under appreciated as it is a little unusual, but it is worth a watch at some point.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I'd quite like to try those meatballs.
  
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
1968 | Horror

"Night of the Living Dead was one I saw with my dad. I was 18 years old. It scared the s— out of me. I think my dad and I had to sleep together that night. [laughs] I said, “No, that’s it. I don’t care how big I am!” And what I loved about it, too, was how [George] Romero could just take this film, and do it clearly on a budget, and yet make it work, have this sort of tongue-in-cheek humor with it. So part of what, I think, attracted me to the films I mentioned was not just the films themselves, but how they were made, what they meant politically, on all levels. I’m attracted to all those films that, in a way, engaged us across cultures. So, you look at Night of the Living Dead and you put these people in the 1960s in this pressure cooker, and one of them is the black guy, one of them is the white guy, one of them is the chick, and the brother and sister, and you see what happens. The unspoken subtext of it was huge. It was huge, it was revolutionary. Mutiny on the Bounty was the same thing. And even in films like Redemption Road, where I’ll take the black guy, and he’s the one who’s into country and western, and the white guy, he’s the one who’s into blues, and both of them, along the way, are going to encounter music that informs their personal narrative, and it also informs the musicality of the film. So, along the way they pick up some blues, some gospel, some jazz, and that feeds into the song they play at the end of the movie, the sort of redemptive song. So I think those movies actually speak to what I’m attracted to in film. I just like something that, on some level, even if it’s a horror film, is interesting and redemptive and makes you think."

Source
  
Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy, #1)
Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy, #1)
J.R. Ward | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read my first Black Dagger Brotherhood book back in 2010, I think, and fell in love with this group of warriors. I have books 1-12 in paperback and they sit proudly on my bookshelf, as shown below

I guess it's not fair to have favourites but two of them always stick in my head: Rhage and Vishous, though all the guys are memorable. The King, Wrath's second book in the series took me a while to read so I gave up on the series for a while, though I have been buying the rest of the books in this series as Kindle books.
This spin off series - Black Dagger Legacy - is about the original guys finding new recruits who they will train so they can help them take on the lessers and any other threats to their population.

This one follows Paradise, a society heir who wants more from her life than parties so she fills in an application form and hopes her father will give her permission to join the programme and he does, believing she won't make it very far. Paradise proves everyone wrong, though, including Craeg - fellow trainee and the guy she has an intense attraction towards. And the feeling is definitely mutual.

I enjoyed watching this play out, although Craeg's reluctance to start with annoyed me a little. But Paradise certainly wore him down in the end and it was fun watching.

It also focuses on Butch and Marissa's relationship. Both are dealing - or more precisely NOT dealing - with issues from their pasts and it's starting to drive a wedge between them. Then there's the battered female that comes into Safe Place - where Marissa works - on the brink of death that brings up old memories.

I did enjoy seeing a lot of the brothers again, it reminded me why I love this series and I can't wait to read more. I think The Shadows will be my next read.