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Mel Rodriguez recommended Raging Bull (1980) in Movies (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Jan 23, 2020
All I'd been hearing about Parasite was that it was a masterpiece and amazing, so many people were getting to see previews but of course they were all in London. Then Odeon came to the rescue with their Screen Unseen program so I defected from Cineworld for an evening.
The Kim family are desperately trying to make ends meet, their cramped home is uncomfortable and located in one of the shabbiest districts of Seoul. Things take a turn when the son's friend suggests that he takes over his tutoring job for the daughter of a well off family. Ki-woo doesn't have the qualifications but all he needs is to show confidence, he decides to take the job.
Once he gets to the upscale house opportunities start to present themselves and he sees a chance to set his family up with jobs too. Bringing their mother onboard sets in motion something that no one could have seen coming.
I seriously considered not writing a review for this, please excuse me if it seems a little disjointed but I'm still not entirely convinced that I have a proper conclusion.
Coming out of the film I was a little confused, mainly because apart from hearing about it being a masterpiece I had seen people saying it was a horror... IMDb lists it as "comedy, crime, drama", at least I agree with one of those.
The contrast between rich and poor is shown perfectly throughout, from their homes to the human senses expressed, the way it's all represented on screen solidifies the differences between the two families.
In each home environment we also see it, the sleek versus the chaotic, the clean versus the dirty. The Park's designer home is white, open and ordered, the Kim's is claustrophobic, cluttered and busy. The two are illustrated perfectly on each end of the spectrum and the two overlap briefly when the Kim's briefly take over the Park's home.
I thought the acting was good but I wasn't blown away by anything, potentially more of an issue with the script for me as I wasn't keen on some of the character traits that came out. The divide between the two families is obviously something that carries through to their members, but whereas we might expect the rich to be the villains in a story (and yes, they aren't necessarily the best people in the world) it is in fact the poor that are verging on the bad side of things. It does appear that in this instance money is the corrupting influence on the Kims and they get the taste for the high life. All the actors involved are very strong in helping this come across to the audience.
Beyond this set up I wasn't left with the gushing feeling that many, MANY others were. Maybe this just went over my head, I'm the first to admit that when I go to a movie I turn my brain down. Maybe it was more thinking than I'm willing to put into a film. When films touch a lot of different genres I feel like I have some trouble with then so this could also contribute to my underwhelmed feeling. My instinct coming out was that I wanted it to be a little darker and closer to a thriller than just drama.
After one viewing I would say I wouldn't have chosen to see it again but there's an Unlimited Screening coming I feel like it's worth giving it a second viewing in case I see something I didn't see before, but I'm not sure how much it will change things.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/parasite-movie-review.html
The Kim family are desperately trying to make ends meet, their cramped home is uncomfortable and located in one of the shabbiest districts of Seoul. Things take a turn when the son's friend suggests that he takes over his tutoring job for the daughter of a well off family. Ki-woo doesn't have the qualifications but all he needs is to show confidence, he decides to take the job.
Once he gets to the upscale house opportunities start to present themselves and he sees a chance to set his family up with jobs too. Bringing their mother onboard sets in motion something that no one could have seen coming.
I seriously considered not writing a review for this, please excuse me if it seems a little disjointed but I'm still not entirely convinced that I have a proper conclusion.
Coming out of the film I was a little confused, mainly because apart from hearing about it being a masterpiece I had seen people saying it was a horror... IMDb lists it as "comedy, crime, drama", at least I agree with one of those.
The contrast between rich and poor is shown perfectly throughout, from their homes to the human senses expressed, the way it's all represented on screen solidifies the differences between the two families.
In each home environment we also see it, the sleek versus the chaotic, the clean versus the dirty. The Park's designer home is white, open and ordered, the Kim's is claustrophobic, cluttered and busy. The two are illustrated perfectly on each end of the spectrum and the two overlap briefly when the Kim's briefly take over the Park's home.
I thought the acting was good but I wasn't blown away by anything, potentially more of an issue with the script for me as I wasn't keen on some of the character traits that came out. The divide between the two families is obviously something that carries through to their members, but whereas we might expect the rich to be the villains in a story (and yes, they aren't necessarily the best people in the world) it is in fact the poor that are verging on the bad side of things. It does appear that in this instance money is the corrupting influence on the Kims and they get the taste for the high life. All the actors involved are very strong in helping this come across to the audience.
Beyond this set up I wasn't left with the gushing feeling that many, MANY others were. Maybe this just went over my head, I'm the first to admit that when I go to a movie I turn my brain down. Maybe it was more thinking than I'm willing to put into a film. When films touch a lot of different genres I feel like I have some trouble with then so this could also contribute to my underwhelmed feeling. My instinct coming out was that I wanted it to be a little darker and closer to a thriller than just drama.
After one viewing I would say I wouldn't have chosen to see it again but there's an Unlimited Screening coming I feel like it's worth giving it a second viewing in case I see something I didn't see before, but I'm not sure how much it will change things.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/parasite-movie-review.html
Merissa (12897 KP) rated Snowed In: Dane and Heath in Books
Mar 1, 2019
Snowed In: Dane and Heath by Rafe Jadison
Heath was happy to stay late and finish off some work with Dane, right up until the majority of people went home due to a snowstorm. Dane is used to the snow in Buffalo, but in D.C., it's a whole new story.
This is a Gay For You (sort of) story, which will make more sense once you hear Dane's side of the story. Heath is gay, and happy that way. He really isn't about to become a straight man's plaything. Luckily for them both, they are able to work out just what they are to each other, and take it from there.
The descriptions in this book are so clear and concise, I got goosebumps even though the sun was streaming in through my window. And in certain sections of the book, there was more than enough steam going on. With a smooth pace and a neat story all wrapped up on a snowstorm bow, I thoroughly enjoyed both the characters and the story itself. With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.
* 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!
This is a Gay For You (sort of) story, which will make more sense once you hear Dane's side of the story. Heath is gay, and happy that way. He really isn't about to become a straight man's plaything. Luckily for them both, they are able to work out just what they are to each other, and take it from there.
The descriptions in this book are so clear and concise, I got goosebumps even though the sun was streaming in through my window. And in certain sections of the book, there was more than enough steam going on. With a smooth pace and a neat story all wrapped up on a snowstorm bow, I thoroughly enjoyed both the characters and the story itself. With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.
* 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!
Sam (74 KP) rated The Keeper Of Lost Things in Books
Mar 27, 2019
So to begin with I struggled with this one. Even though it only had 300 pages, it seemed to be taking a while for anything to happen with the plot. But I’m glad I didn’t give in. It did take until around page 150 for me to get into it, but after that point it was brilliant.
Laura is a brilliant protagonist. She’s got all of her own problems and is then left with the complicated mystery of Anthony’s life. But she never dwells on the past too much. She moves on from everything that has happened and lives in the moment.
I loved Sunshine. She’s such an enthusiastic character and she seemed to be the only one who could see the truth in everything that was going off. Sunshine had Down’s Syndrome and she saw a friend in Laura. She made the perfect friend and was such a lovely person with some of the best ideas. It was so refreshing to find a character like her.
I would happily just read a book of all the short stories that came with every lost item. I found most of them gripping, and quite a lot of them dealt with quite serious subjects. They were like little windows into people’s lives and I found them really compelling.
The Keeper of Lost Things is a brilliant little book and worth picking up.
Laura is a brilliant protagonist. She’s got all of her own problems and is then left with the complicated mystery of Anthony’s life. But she never dwells on the past too much. She moves on from everything that has happened and lives in the moment.
I loved Sunshine. She’s such an enthusiastic character and she seemed to be the only one who could see the truth in everything that was going off. Sunshine had Down’s Syndrome and she saw a friend in Laura. She made the perfect friend and was such a lovely person with some of the best ideas. It was so refreshing to find a character like her.
I would happily just read a book of all the short stories that came with every lost item. I found most of them gripping, and quite a lot of them dealt with quite serious subjects. They were like little windows into people’s lives and I found them really compelling.
The Keeper of Lost Things is a brilliant little book and worth picking up.
TerraBlizzard (18 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey in Video Games
May 24, 2019
Little buggy for such a big game. (2 more)
Depth of character customization.
Replay value is high. Multiple endings that can be hard to achieve for certain ones.
The game that brought the franchise back into good light.
A beautifull addition to the AC collection, taking the parts that worked in previous titles and combining them to a solid core story.
If you haven't played this yet, do. But bare in mind the story can take abit of getting into the first 3 hours of gameplay can be tedious to get through but once you put on the "mask" that's when the story starts to grip you so keep playing.
The story of these games have been the key to their success and this game keeps it going but love it or hate it the game is based 95% in history more than present day. With short bits of modern day play which I personally would of like to seen more of building upon the modern day creed and it's standing against the Templars. With that said Odysseus breaks the one main story line up into parts of 4 each driving you to a different goal.
Graphics are great on HD, so this gives me hope for those with 4k screens and High spec consoles/PC set ups to enjoy a beautifully crafted world.
If you haven't played this yet, do. But bare in mind the story can take abit of getting into the first 3 hours of gameplay can be tedious to get through but once you put on the "mask" that's when the story starts to grip you so keep playing.
The story of these games have been the key to their success and this game keeps it going but love it or hate it the game is based 95% in history more than present day. With short bits of modern day play which I personally would of like to seen more of building upon the modern day creed and it's standing against the Templars. With that said Odysseus breaks the one main story line up into parts of 4 each driving you to a different goal.
Graphics are great on HD, so this gives me hope for those with 4k screens and High spec consoles/PC set ups to enjoy a beautifully crafted world.
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 in TV
Feb 24, 2018
Tilly (2 more)
Lorca
Other world episodes
You have to take it as it own seprate series else your not giving it a chance
I actually really enjoy this series but can see why some might not. To be fair any time you say Jason Isaccs I'm sold so this was a no brainer for me. The first episode i had several problems with mainly because i couldn't separate the old star trek series to this and there are a lot of inconsistencies. However once i got over myself and said okay don't focus on the fact that klingons should not have cloaking technology i actually started to love. the show, Tilly is by far my favorite characters and i keep telling my friend if she doesn't cos play other world Tilly at comic con I'm so dis owning her. ( Im only half joking when i say it)
I love the other world episode where human are out to destroy every other species lets face it the state of the planet today were more likely to be like this that accepting of every race i mean there are a lot of people who aren't accepting of people on our planet why should the universe be any different. It also just a great plot devise.
I love the other world episode where human are out to destroy every other species lets face it the state of the planet today were more likely to be like this that accepting of every race i mean there are a lot of people who aren't accepting of people on our planet why should the universe be any different. It also just a great plot devise.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated The Break in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary highly recommends this author’s latest release “The Break”
Marian Keyes has given us many brilliant novels – some of which I have ‘laughed out loud’ embarrassing my mother while on holiday in strange places. I have many happy memories reading Marian Keyes while on holiday.
I haven’t read anything by this author in some time and was excited to be given the chance to read and review for NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph. It is a well paced book that is difficult to put down but I found that unlike some other books I have read recently I was able to put it down and take a break for normal life stuff… maybe it is due to this being a longer book that most that I read these days? Or maybe I have been reading too many crime based books that this just didn’t hold my attention as much as Marian Keyes did in the past. Don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed it and do recommend it as a novel.
It is a long read – enjoyable – and funny.
If you have read Marian Keyes in the past then you really don’t want to miss this one!
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic novel.
Marian Keyes has given us many brilliant novels – some of which I have ‘laughed out loud’ embarrassing my mother while on holiday in strange places. I have many happy memories reading Marian Keyes while on holiday.
I haven’t read anything by this author in some time and was excited to be given the chance to read and review for NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph. It is a well paced book that is difficult to put down but I found that unlike some other books I have read recently I was able to put it down and take a break for normal life stuff… maybe it is due to this being a longer book that most that I read these days? Or maybe I have been reading too many crime based books that this just didn’t hold my attention as much as Marian Keyes did in the past. Don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed it and do recommend it as a novel.
It is a long read – enjoyable – and funny.
If you have read Marian Keyes in the past then you really don’t want to miss this one!
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic novel.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 27, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2021)
Like, I'm sure, many others, if you'd mentioned the words 'Wonder Woman' to me prior to 2016 Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice I probably would have thought of the 1970s(?) Linda Carter starring TV series.
That was a role that Gal Gadot took in in the 2016 movie, portraying a different take on the character: one who has largely remained in the background throughout history, only revealing herself (and her powers) towards the end of that movie.
This film takes place at an earlier period in her life (albeit 'bookended' by a modern day setting, with Diana receiving a vintage photo of her in costume): during the First World War, to be precise, when Diana first leaves the Amazonian island paradise of Thermiscyra and enters the world, discovering her powers and heritage in the process.
While there may be an element of truth in the criticism that the plot of this movie is - largely - a role-reversed Captain America (World War setting? Sacrificial ending?) and that it probably could have done without the CGI battle at the end (which, IMO, lessened the impact the movie would have had without it) this is still a very enjoyable movie indeed!
As an aside: the stand-out scene where Diana crosses No-Mans land on her own? That was nearly cut from the movie.
That was a role that Gal Gadot took in in the 2016 movie, portraying a different take on the character: one who has largely remained in the background throughout history, only revealing herself (and her powers) towards the end of that movie.
This film takes place at an earlier period in her life (albeit 'bookended' by a modern day setting, with Diana receiving a vintage photo of her in costume): during the First World War, to be precise, when Diana first leaves the Amazonian island paradise of Thermiscyra and enters the world, discovering her powers and heritage in the process.
While there may be an element of truth in the criticism that the plot of this movie is - largely - a role-reversed Captain America (World War setting? Sacrificial ending?) and that it probably could have done without the CGI battle at the end (which, IMO, lessened the impact the movie would have had without it) this is still a very enjoyable movie indeed!
As an aside: the stand-out scene where Diana crosses No-Mans land on her own? That was nearly cut from the movie.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Rumour in Books
Feb 22, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I try to write my review soon after reading each book. Because it took so long for me to finish reading The Rumor by Lesley Kara, I needed time to process my thoughts before writing this review.
In The Rumor, a mom hears a rumor outside her son's school. Her casual comment repeating the rumor was not intended to be a big deal. However, once something is said, it is impossible to take it back. Words run faster than people ever could. Words travel faster than the speed of light.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but reached a point where I kept having to put it down. I do not know why because I liked the writing style and the story. I think it might be because I felt the middle was too long.
I am glad I finished it because I did enjoy the last few chapters. Many reviews thoroughly liked the novel and I did not have to invoke the "50-page rule" so it is worth reading.
This was Lesley Kara's debut novel. Her next one, Who Did You Tell, is due out in 2020 and I have added it to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/21/20.
I try to write my review soon after reading each book. Because it took so long for me to finish reading The Rumor by Lesley Kara, I needed time to process my thoughts before writing this review.
In The Rumor, a mom hears a rumor outside her son's school. Her casual comment repeating the rumor was not intended to be a big deal. However, once something is said, it is impossible to take it back. Words run faster than people ever could. Words travel faster than the speed of light.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but reached a point where I kept having to put it down. I do not know why because I liked the writing style and the story. I think it might be because I felt the middle was too long.
I am glad I finished it because I did enjoy the last few chapters. Many reviews thoroughly liked the novel and I did not have to invoke the "50-page rule" so it is worth reading.
This was Lesley Kara's debut novel. Her next one, Who Did You Tell, is due out in 2020 and I have added it to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/21/20.
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