Surface: Matters of Aesthetics, Materiality, and Media
Book
What is the place of materiality the expression or condition of physical substance in our visual age...
Young Generation Awakening: Economics, Society, and Policy on the Eve of the Arab Spring
Edward A. Sayre and Tarik M. Yousef
Book
The street protests that erupted in Tunisia in December 2010 and spread quickly throughout the...
Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth
Frank Cottrell Boyce and Steven Lenton
Book
The Blythes are a big, warm, rambunctious family who live on a small farm and sometimes foster...
Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic: Fifty-Four Neglected Authors, Actors, Artists and Others
Elizabeth McCarthy and Bernice M. Murphy
Book
Horror and Gothic in all of their various forms have penetrated the cultural mainstream in a manner...
Odd People: Hunting Spies in the First World War
Book
First World War espionage was a fascinating and dangerous affair, spawning widespread paranoia in...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Lighthouse (2019) in Movies
Jun 18, 2020
It's bleak and minimalist, boasting a cast of two for 98% of the films runtime, it's completely open for interpretation, and poses more questions than it answers, and after a fair bit of thought, I think I actually loved it.
Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson are unarguably fantastic. There is nothing less than full commitment to what they're trying to do.
Robert Egger's shooting style is great as well. The whole movie is presented in a black and white 4:3 ratio. Some of the grainy framing shots littered throughout echo of old 40s and 50s horror classics, and everything else presented to us feels fresh and new, whilst being fed undertones of Greek mythology and H.P. Lovecraft.
The script is modest and subtle with flashes of intensity, a particular highlight is Willem Defoe's terrifying monologue after his cooking is criticized...
As for the plot, it's anything but straightforward. As I said, open for interpretation, but what starts off as a slightly off-feeling drama snowballs dramatically into something quite disturbing and tense. This is aided by a sporadic but great music score, and the constant noise of the lighthouse engine room (reminded me of the logging mill from Twin Peaks!)
The Lighthouse certainly isn't for everyone, but if you like a challenge with your horror then make sure you check it out.
Kate (493 KP) rated Find Me at Willoughby Close in Books
Jun 30, 2020
I saw the cover and read the blurb and knew this was one book I would definitely read. It was a feel good read. When reading it I could of been anywhere as I totally escaped into this book.
I couldn't put book the book down from the first page and I immediately felt for the main character, Harriet, which doesn't normally happen. I really felt for her especially as she took one knock after another but she took it in her stride. As she explained who she used to be I totally knew the type of person she was describing because we all know someone like this.
The character definitely changed throughout the book and became a better, nicer person and someone she wanted to be. She even explained in the book how she had changed and how she was changing back to her old self. And Kate Hewitt's writing really brought this to life. The main character didn't even need to tell the reader as we could see it.
It reminded me of similar stories I have read. All those books are what I call feel good books because they make the reader feel good and they are truly books you can lose yourself in. You can even imagine yourself sitting in the sun reading this book on holiday.
The story was so believable and could happen to read people.
I already have the other books in the series ready in my e-reader library to read and I can't wait.
I would 100% recommend this book and other by this author.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved, #1) in Books
Jul 16, 2020
I think one thing that put me off is this books lack of a proper description on Goodreads as seen above. You really do have no idea what it's going to be about. I have done a bit of searching and found a better more evolved description.
I assumed this would be about vampires with the name but it's not. Just people who live a really long time that call themselves Immortals. Nastasya - Nasty to her friends - comes to realise that she's hanging out with a bad crowd after her best friend of hundreds of years breaks a mans back for no reason. She seeks out a fellow Immortal she met about 50 years ago who offered to take her in and spends time at her sanctuary.
Nasty goes from being a careless party girl to someone who actually doesn't mind working and likes being busy. She begins to have proper friends and people who care about her and who she cares about. She feels like she has a purpose in life again.
I'll admit I liked this more than I thought I would. It dragged me in and I was intrigued by how Nasty and a certain blond Viking type Immortal, Reyn, knew each other. It took about 80% of the book to figure it out and then, though they knew they should hate each other, they were still drawn to each other. I am VERY interested in seeing what happens next with this lot.
I cannot wait to continue this series.
Antigay Bias in Role-Model Occupations
Book
From the first game of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs on April 22, 1876, tens of...
How to Overcome Eating Disorders: Breaking Free for a Better Life
Book
If you want to gain a better understanding of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia and...