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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated To Capture What We Cannot Keep in Books
Oct 5, 2020
On the backdrop of the construction of the Eiffel Tower, Beatrice Colin builds a story that is perfect for those who like some romance with their historical fiction. You can read more about this novel in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/11/13/the-structures-of-love/
Merissa (11666 KP) created a post
Oct 21, 2022
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Comedown (2012) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020
It's fun getting High, but the comedown is a killer.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Jacob Anderson, Jessica Barden, Duane Henry, Callum Macnab, Sophie Stuckey, Adam Deacon & Jeff Bell star as 6 friends who agree to setup an aerial on the roof of an abandoned tower block In exchange for free drugs & cash.
After Breaking into the building & completing the Job, they begin an excessive night of drugs, booze and Tunes.
Unfortunately for them, the Tower block isn't as empty as they thought, as they quickly realise that this is someone's home and trespassers will be killed....
A perfectly dark & serious tone, with a Saw meets Scream feel that definitely is one you'll happily rewatch.
After Breaking into the building & completing the Job, they begin an excessive night of drugs, booze and Tunes.
Unfortunately for them, the Tower block isn't as empty as they thought, as they quickly realise that this is someone's home and trespassers will be killed....
A perfectly dark & serious tone, with a Saw meets Scream feel that definitely is one you'll happily rewatch.
Dave Mustaine recommended Angel by Angel in Music (curated)
Kevin Morby recommended track Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen in Back in the Motherland by Leonard Cohen in Music (curated)
Paul Tyrrell (139 KP) rated Elevation in Books
Apr 27, 2020 (Updated Apr 27, 2020)
Average King
Having read all of King (except the Dark Tower series) this is one of his more average yarns. Easy to get into as Ling is brilliant at getting you to warm to his characters but the story doesn't make you wish for it to be longer like his best works do.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
10 years in the making
A film adaptation of Stephen Kingâs wildly successful Dark Tower novels has been rumoured for over a decade. In 2007, J.J. Abrams was attached to direct the film but dropped out in December 2009.
Then, in 2010, veteran director Ron Howard was to head the project, but that fell through in 2015. Finally, by June 2015 the film entered full-steam ahead production with Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel at the helm.
So, 10 years on from the first murmurings of a Dark Tower film were discovered, what is the finished product like? And does it capture the wonder of that eight-novel behemoth by King?Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter OâDim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Unfortunately, this troubled production has resulted in a film thatâs biggest sin is its averageness. Thereâs not a single thing about The Dark Tower that stands out as unique, even with charismatic stars like Matthew McCounaughey and Idris Elba at the helm.
The two of them perform well with the overtly expositional dialogue and Elba just reeks of charisma, despite the dross he unfortunately has to spout from time to time. Newcomer Tom Taylor is fine, but it pains me to say it, just a little bit bland.
The plot is nigh on impossible to understand for those who havenât read Kingâs books with a story that never fully explains what the titular tower even does. How on earth can a film enter production without a script that fully describes such a vital plot point? Itâd be like Mad Max: Fury Road never actually featuring Max, just referencing him occasionally.
Elsewhere, Tom Holkenborgâs score is bland, the special effects just about as average as you can get and the cinematography uninspiring. This is such a shame, because moments of excellence shine through.
The action is choreographed to a good standard and the sequences in which Elba and Taylor visit Earth are an enjoyable fish-out-of-water style distraction from an otherwise disappointing script. Think Thor on Earth but in NYC rather than New Mexico.
Ultimately though, films like this get me a little angry and I feel frustrated just writing this review. With eight books in which to take nuggets of story from, the film just kind of plods along for 95 minutes. Iâm not normally one for suggesting a movie be longer, but The Dark Tower really did need an extra 30 minutes at least to flesh out the characters and plot.
Overall, despite two commanding performances from its lead stars, The Dark Tower is a royal mess. In a year that has featured numerous disappointing sequels, Sony couldâve kicked things up a gear with something completely new. In the end, weâre left with a film as bland and average as you can possibly get. What a shame.
Letâs just hope that It is the King adaptation weâve been waiting for.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/08/19/the-dark-tower-review-10-years-in-the-making/
Then, in 2010, veteran director Ron Howard was to head the project, but that fell through in 2015. Finally, by June 2015 the film entered full-steam ahead production with Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel at the helm.
So, 10 years on from the first murmurings of a Dark Tower film were discovered, what is the finished product like? And does it capture the wonder of that eight-novel behemoth by King?Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter OâDim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Unfortunately, this troubled production has resulted in a film thatâs biggest sin is its averageness. Thereâs not a single thing about The Dark Tower that stands out as unique, even with charismatic stars like Matthew McCounaughey and Idris Elba at the helm.
The two of them perform well with the overtly expositional dialogue and Elba just reeks of charisma, despite the dross he unfortunately has to spout from time to time. Newcomer Tom Taylor is fine, but it pains me to say it, just a little bit bland.
The plot is nigh on impossible to understand for those who havenât read Kingâs books with a story that never fully explains what the titular tower even does. How on earth can a film enter production without a script that fully describes such a vital plot point? Itâd be like Mad Max: Fury Road never actually featuring Max, just referencing him occasionally.
Elsewhere, Tom Holkenborgâs score is bland, the special effects just about as average as you can get and the cinematography uninspiring. This is such a shame, because moments of excellence shine through.
The action is choreographed to a good standard and the sequences in which Elba and Taylor visit Earth are an enjoyable fish-out-of-water style distraction from an otherwise disappointing script. Think Thor on Earth but in NYC rather than New Mexico.
Ultimately though, films like this get me a little angry and I feel frustrated just writing this review. With eight books in which to take nuggets of story from, the film just kind of plods along for 95 minutes. Iâm not normally one for suggesting a movie be longer, but The Dark Tower really did need an extra 30 minutes at least to flesh out the characters and plot.
Overall, despite two commanding performances from its lead stars, The Dark Tower is a royal mess. In a year that has featured numerous disappointing sequels, Sony couldâve kicked things up a gear with something completely new. In the end, weâre left with a film as bland and average as you can possibly get. What a shame.
Letâs just hope that It is the King adaptation weâve been waiting for.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/08/19/the-dark-tower-review-10-years-in-the-making/
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Book of Phoenix ( Who Fears Death book0) in Books
May 23, 2022
89 of 230
Book
The Book of Phoenix ( Who Fears Death book 0)
By Nnedi Okorafor
âď¸âď¸
A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell....
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okoraforâs powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New Yorkâs Tower 7. She is an âaccelerated womanââonly two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenixâs abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.
Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7âs refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.
But Phoenixâs escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanityâs future.
I donât want to completely trash a book so Iâll just leave it at this! It just wasnât for me I found it a struggle and quite boring!
Book
The Book of Phoenix ( Who Fears Death book 0)
By Nnedi Okorafor
âď¸âď¸
A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell....
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okoraforâs powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New Yorkâs Tower 7. She is an âaccelerated womanââonly two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenixâs abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.
Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7âs refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.
But Phoenixâs escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanityâs future.
I donât want to completely trash a book so Iâll just leave it at this! It just wasnât for me I found it a struggle and quite boring!
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Oct 1, 2018
Enjoyable Love Story
This book follows Maddy; a teenage girl who suffers from a rare disease that prevents her from leaving her house. Her uneventful daily like is shaken up when a new boy moves in next door.
Maddy reminds me of a princess trapped in a tower, but the tower is her own body. She understands that Olly isn't going to come save the day. She actually afraid of letting him into her life. The best part of this book is seeing Maddy decide what risks are worth taking. Once she decides to let Olly be a part of her life her view on the world starts to change. Overall this was a great book, and Maddy's love story proves that the best things in life come with a little risk.
Maddy reminds me of a princess trapped in a tower, but the tower is her own body. She understands that Olly isn't going to come save the day. She actually afraid of letting him into her life. The best part of this book is seeing Maddy decide what risks are worth taking. Once she decides to let Olly be a part of her life her view on the world starts to change. Overall this was a great book, and Maddy's love story proves that the best things in life come with a little risk.