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Not Thomas
Not Thomas
Sara Gethin | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is such a sad story I often struggled to bring myself to read it. The novel is written as if it were a true story told by the central character, 5-year-old Tomos. Tomos has just moved in with his birth mother, following a long period of foster care which came to an end when the foster parent died.

The language with which it’s written, is very much like that of its protagonist, with common wording, present tense, short sentences, and childlike enthusiasm clearly conveyed. In spite of this, you may argue it’s not necessarily easy to read, as I shall explain.

In the beginning of the book, the neglect endured by Tomos is more commonplace, such as: occasionally having crisps instead of a cooked meal, making do with a removable ladder to on and off his bed, and his mum missing his nativity play. Later a teacher spots there’s an issue and starts bringing food and uniform for him to school.

However, after each let-down, the author must have thought “Right, what’s the worst thing that can happen next?” By the end of the book, there’s a rape, an arrest, and a murder. Eventually the teacher forges a rescue of sorts for Tomos, but things may never be the same again for poor Tomos.

Reading a book where the dialogue is in my own Welsh valley dialect made the story feel all the more real to me. In the first half of the book, the dialogue amongst the adults provides more depth, context and complexity to the story, which would otherwise only be hinted at.

In the end, it’s the realism of the story that makes it such a hard read.

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My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by David Byrne / Brian Eno
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by David Byrne / Brian Eno
2005 | Experimental
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I had an English teacher in high school. You know how every high school has a super hip teacher? Mine was this guy named Leonard Krill. I had been a big fan of David Bowie, and I think Talking Heads had just put out Remain In Light, and of course I knew Brian Eno because he he worked with Bowie and produced Talking Heads and Roxy Music. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts came out and I couldn't afford to buy it, but Leonard Krill loaned it to me so I could tape it. It was again one of those records that I didn't fully understand, because all the vocals come from these weird, disparate sources. I kind of thought because I was listening to a David Byrne and Brian Eno record I would hear David Byrne and Brian Eno's vocals, that it'd sound like one of the records they'd made. On the first listen I didn't quite get it, but after that it became one of my favourite records. In 1999 when I put out the album Play, I was doing some interviews and people were asking where did I get the idea of putting other people's old vocals onto rhythmic music, and I said 'it all started with My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. Without that album I would never ever have had the idea to sample old vocals and put them on my tracks'. It was a direct inspiration - in a really simple way I was copying my heroes. I can't think of any person who has affected modern music more than Brian Eno. If you invented a fictional character like Brian Eno it'd be almost unbelievable."

Source
  
Captain Underpants (2017)
Captain Underpants (2017)
2017 | Animation, Comedy
Based off the bestselling kids’ book series by Dav Pilkey, Captain

Underpants tells the story of George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins

(Thomas Middleditch), a couple of over imaginative elementary school kids

that spend their days trying to make the most out of the daily monotonous

chore that is school by secretly playing pranks to keep themselves and

their fellow schoolmates entertained. And, trying to make sure they don’t

get caught by the school principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helm). Outside of

school, they spend countless hours in their treehouse creating comic

books.

 

Their greatest creation is the underwear sporting, high flying,

overly friendly, and extremely unintelligent superhero Captain Underpants.

Mr. Krupp’s main purpose in life is to make everyone else’s life

miserable. When he threatens to separate the boys, put them in different

classrooms, after being caught playing a prank. The boys decide to

hypnotize their principal into becoming the incredible Captain Underpants.

Ecstatic about seeing their comic book come to life, they suddenly realize

their plan backfires when Mr. Krupp in Capt Underpants persona hires

Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll) to be the school’s new science teacher.

He’s no ordinary school teacher. Professor Poopypants wants to rid the

world of laughter starting with kids the at George and Harold’s school. Oh

NO!!!!

 

 

 

This film is everything you would expect it to be: outlandish, vibrant, and

full of potty humor. Just enough to keep parents entertained and the

kiddos completely engaged. From what I gather, not having read the books,

but my son has, it follows the storyline pretty closely to the first novel

in the 8 book series. I am not surprised if Dreamworks capitalizes on this

and releases a movie for each book.
  
My teacher, my obsession (2018)
My teacher, my obsession (2018)
2018 |
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The janitor of a school is closing up for the night. After hearing noises and a scream, he goes exploring to find a girl crying. He goes to help only to be told by another girl with blood on her hands to run and the movie starts.
Once the movie starts properly, we see both girls. One is the daughter of the hot new English teacher and the other being the yearbook photographer. Both girls get chatting after school in the computer room and agree to meet up to study. We soon discover that kyla (the yearbook photographer) has an ulterior motive, she is obsessed with rileys dad. It is more than a crush though. She doesn't want anyone else to get in her way of how she feels about him (Chris). At first it starts with her trying to keep Riley away from Trisha (another girl with a crush on Chris), and makes up lies to keep her mum and Chris from spending the night together, and even breaks them up before seducing Chris herself.
Personally I don't get the negativity surrounding this movie, I actually quite enjoyed it. OK a couple of scenes were a little cringy, such as when kyla was hitting herself, I couldn't help but laugh because it was so ridiculous.
It is very much like swimfan except its a student obsessed with a teacher, rather than another student.
I was disappointed with Chris as I didn't expect him to give in to kylas advances which he did, so the rest is on him really for leading her on.
In some scenes I found the music didn't really go with the scene, or there was music which wasn't needed, such as the end scene.
The movie was left open for a sequel which I personally don't see happening.