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“Touchgrind Skate 2 is one of the best touch gaming experiences around that is a must buy for...
Virtual Families
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Virtual Families is a casual family sim that runs in true real time. Adopt a little person from the...
Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide From the My Favorite Murder Podcast
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The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1...
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Bad Words (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) is a man with some issues. At 40 he works away as a proofreader in his small Ohio community and has little going for himself in the way of friends, career, or a social life.
Guy decides to enter into spelling competitions using the loophole that since he never completed the 8th grade, he is still eligible to compete under the bylaws of competition.
Needless to say this does not make him a well-liked person especially when he dominates the competition and wins entry to compete in a nationally televised competition.
To say that the surly Triby is the worst nightmare come true for the competition would be an understatement but despite their best efforts to keep him out and place him at a disadvantage, Guy dominates the competition with a mix of psych out tactics, mind games, and a very well-defined knowledge of spelling.
A journalist named Jenny (Kathryn Hahn), attempts to get Guy to reveal his true reasons for entering the competition but despite the fact that her outlet is sponsoring guy and covering his expenses, he remains largely tight lipped about his reasons and continues to deploy all manner of underhanded tactics to get inside the heads of his much younger competition.
A young Indian prodigy named Chaitanya (Rohan Chad), starts to bond with Guy who despite his best efforts becomes fond of the boy and sees a kindred spirit in the child despite being forced to compete against one another.
As the competition heats up, Guy and his new friend bond which causes Guy to question many aspects of his life all of which results in a funny yet poignant journey.
Jason Bateman is making his directorial debut with the film and does a solid job. While I had expected the film to play much more to the bawdy humor and Guy’s methods to undermine his younger foes, the film actually plays out more as a drama with comedy elements.
The film is not one that is going to light up the numbers at the box office and I would not be surprised if it is largely ignored in favor of the more glamorous films that are opening against it. That being said, the film is a solid and enjoyable story and I believe that when audiences discover it, likely on DVD and Netflix they will come to appreciate the film and the creative team behind it.
As it stands, a very good premise that at times struggles with its identity, but delivers when it counts.
http://sknr.net/2014/03/21/bad-words/
Guy decides to enter into spelling competitions using the loophole that since he never completed the 8th grade, he is still eligible to compete under the bylaws of competition.
Needless to say this does not make him a well-liked person especially when he dominates the competition and wins entry to compete in a nationally televised competition.
To say that the surly Triby is the worst nightmare come true for the competition would be an understatement but despite their best efforts to keep him out and place him at a disadvantage, Guy dominates the competition with a mix of psych out tactics, mind games, and a very well-defined knowledge of spelling.
A journalist named Jenny (Kathryn Hahn), attempts to get Guy to reveal his true reasons for entering the competition but despite the fact that her outlet is sponsoring guy and covering his expenses, he remains largely tight lipped about his reasons and continues to deploy all manner of underhanded tactics to get inside the heads of his much younger competition.
A young Indian prodigy named Chaitanya (Rohan Chad), starts to bond with Guy who despite his best efforts becomes fond of the boy and sees a kindred spirit in the child despite being forced to compete against one another.
As the competition heats up, Guy and his new friend bond which causes Guy to question many aspects of his life all of which results in a funny yet poignant journey.
Jason Bateman is making his directorial debut with the film and does a solid job. While I had expected the film to play much more to the bawdy humor and Guy’s methods to undermine his younger foes, the film actually plays out more as a drama with comedy elements.
The film is not one that is going to light up the numbers at the box office and I would not be surprised if it is largely ignored in favor of the more glamorous films that are opening against it. That being said, the film is a solid and enjoyable story and I believe that when audiences discover it, likely on DVD and Netflix they will come to appreciate the film and the creative team behind it.
As it stands, a very good premise that at times struggles with its identity, but delivers when it counts.
http://sknr.net/2014/03/21/bad-words/
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Courier (2020) in Movies
Aug 16, 2021
Cumberbatch is brilliant. (1 more)
Great real life history lesson
A peerless Cumberbatch and a miscast Buckley.
It's not to be confused with the Olga Kurylenko / Gary Oldman 2019 movie of the same title. But with a fresh Berlin current-day Russian spy scandal in the news this week, seeing the cold war spy drama "The Courier" is a timely thing to do.
Positives:
- Benedict Cumberbatch is outstandingly good in this. He could have been born to play the slightly bemused English gentlemen of the time. All golf, tweed suits and gentlemen's clubs. No spoilers, but there is a physical transformation as well that's impressive to observe. The film would have been decidedly so-so I think without that core central performance.
- The film is based on a true story. As someone who was born in 1961, it's a good reminder to count our blessings that you, me and everyone else are still around to live our lives at all. The world was on the brink of a precipice and learning the story of Wynne's part in this was insightful history.
- There's a nice catchy Russian-themed score by Abel Korzeniowski.
Negatives:
- I'm a big fan of Jessie Buckley. Really, I am. And to be fair to her, her performance is really good. I particularly liked a scene where she dismissed on the doorstep a local busybody. But I just didn't see her as Wynne's pearl-neckless-wearing wife in this part. Perhaps the problem is that although there's a 13 year age gap between the leads, I always imagine Buckley as being much younger that her 31 years. For whatever reason, the casting didn't work for me.
Summary Thoughts on "The Courier": As a true-life spy story, the movie is interesting and Cumberbatch's performance is brilliant. But I can't say that I was 100% grabbed by it. While having a few moments of high drama and tension - particularly one on a plane - I never felt that to be maintained for enough of the movie. Director Dominic Cooke has a limited filmography (with the Saoirse Ronan movie "On Chesil Beach" being his only other feature) and writer Tom O'Connor is the guy behind the more flippant "Hitman's Bodyguard" films. Perhaps a more experienced writer/director team would have elevated this to a higher level.
So it's eminently watchable but not memorable. Just a marginal hit in my book.
(For the full graphical review, please check out onemannsmovies on the web, Facebook and Tiktok. Thanks.)
Positives:
- Benedict Cumberbatch is outstandingly good in this. He could have been born to play the slightly bemused English gentlemen of the time. All golf, tweed suits and gentlemen's clubs. No spoilers, but there is a physical transformation as well that's impressive to observe. The film would have been decidedly so-so I think without that core central performance.
- The film is based on a true story. As someone who was born in 1961, it's a good reminder to count our blessings that you, me and everyone else are still around to live our lives at all. The world was on the brink of a precipice and learning the story of Wynne's part in this was insightful history.
- There's a nice catchy Russian-themed score by Abel Korzeniowski.
Negatives:
- I'm a big fan of Jessie Buckley. Really, I am. And to be fair to her, her performance is really good. I particularly liked a scene where she dismissed on the doorstep a local busybody. But I just didn't see her as Wynne's pearl-neckless-wearing wife in this part. Perhaps the problem is that although there's a 13 year age gap between the leads, I always imagine Buckley as being much younger that her 31 years. For whatever reason, the casting didn't work for me.
Summary Thoughts on "The Courier": As a true-life spy story, the movie is interesting and Cumberbatch's performance is brilliant. But I can't say that I was 100% grabbed by it. While having a few moments of high drama and tension - particularly one on a plane - I never felt that to be maintained for enough of the movie. Director Dominic Cooke has a limited filmography (with the Saoirse Ronan movie "On Chesil Beach" being his only other feature) and writer Tom O'Connor is the guy behind the more flippant "Hitman's Bodyguard" films. Perhaps a more experienced writer/director team would have elevated this to a higher level.
So it's eminently watchable but not memorable. Just a marginal hit in my book.
(For the full graphical review, please check out onemannsmovies on the web, Facebook and Tiktok. Thanks.)
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated Blinded by the Light (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Based on a true story, Blinded by the Light follows the life of Javed, a down-on-his-luck Pakistani teenager living in Great Britain in the 1980s, who is in a social stranglehold by his strict father. He just wants to live a life like any other kid his age, and hang out with his friends, and go to parties, and maybe even meet a girl, but his overbearing dad has other expectations and plans for him. Being that they’re minorities in a foreign country in a time of racism, Javed’s father wants him to keep his head down and put his family first and foremost. That means living the life his father chooses for him, and not being able to live the life he desires. Feeling trapped by his circumstances, Javed’s bleak outlook becomes changed completely after he makes a new friend at school who introduces him to the music of the All-American legend, Bruce Springsteen.
One stormy night, fueled by his frustrations with his family, Javed turns to the cassette tapes he borrowed from his friend, and listens to “The Boss” for the very first time. It’s an instantly cathartic and unforgettably life-changing experience. The words speak to him in a way that no song ever has before. The lyrics speak of his ambitions and know his struggles and pain. It’s as if suddenly through the songs of Springsteen, Javed has found his voice and a guiding light. He’s instantly transformed by it, and is given a purpose and a passion to pursue it. For him, the music is the spark to light the fire to his ambitions; to leave his small town, to escape poverty, to resist his father’s oppression, to live on his own accord, to become a writer, and to feed his hungry heart.
As a writer and a lover of Springsteen myself, I connected with Blinded by the Light on a profoundly personal level. Springsteen’s music has spoken to me in a similar fashion as it does to Javed in the film. While I’m not the super fan that he is, I like to think we all have comparable experiences with certain musical artists who resonate with us deep in our souls. Bruce’s music in particular speaks to the common man, and it rallies against the injustices of the world in the pursuit of the American dream. I can’t think of a single musician that I personally find to be more motivational than him. It is my hope that people will watch this movie, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the music of Bruce Springsteen, and they’ll have a reaction to it much like Javed in this movie.
It goes without saying that the soundtrack in Blinded by the Light is fantastic. It has a nice mix of classic hits as well as some lesser known Springsteen songs, including some live versions, and they’re all put to good use here. Out of all of the recent movies inspired by real-life musicians, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Yesterday, Blinded by the Light is by far my personal favorite. There are no poor cover songs nor bad lip synching to be found here. What you get is 100% The Boss. In a few parts, the movie even breaks out into full-on dancing musical numbers. While they’re a little cheesy and even feel a bit out of place, I found that they remained true to the music and were simply too much fun not to enjoy.
Director Gurinder Chadha does a fine job crafting Javed’s story and all of its complexities while also paying homage to The Boss. The movie explores our innate desire for freedom and finding ourselves, while also exposing the sacrifices we often must make in life for those we love. The film additionally explores social issues of the era, including political turmoil, fascist movements, and racism, which Javed faces first-hand as a Pakistani in England, and which unfortunately still feel uncomfortably relevant today. Javed is played by Viveik Kalra in his motion-picture debut, and he is immensely likable and relatable in his performance. The cast as a whole is pretty good, with the standouts being Hayley Atwell as Javed’s teacher, Ms. Clay, who encourages him to continue with his writing, as well as Kulvinder Ghir, who plays Javed’s controlling father. I also liked Aaron Phagura as Roops, Javed’s loyal Bruce-Springsteen-cassette-tape-sharing friend. We all could use more friends like him!
Overall, Blinded by the Light is a loving tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, but more than anything, it’s an emotional, identifiable, and uplifting tale about reaching for your dreams. The struggles that Javed faces resonate brilliantly with the messages of the music, and his story is an inspiring one worth hearing. Springsteen fans in particular definitely won’t want to miss this movie, but I think regardless of your interest or familiarity with Springsteen and his music, you’re likely to find something to enjoy here. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even walk out of the theater as a fan.
One stormy night, fueled by his frustrations with his family, Javed turns to the cassette tapes he borrowed from his friend, and listens to “The Boss” for the very first time. It’s an instantly cathartic and unforgettably life-changing experience. The words speak to him in a way that no song ever has before. The lyrics speak of his ambitions and know his struggles and pain. It’s as if suddenly through the songs of Springsteen, Javed has found his voice and a guiding light. He’s instantly transformed by it, and is given a purpose and a passion to pursue it. For him, the music is the spark to light the fire to his ambitions; to leave his small town, to escape poverty, to resist his father’s oppression, to live on his own accord, to become a writer, and to feed his hungry heart.
As a writer and a lover of Springsteen myself, I connected with Blinded by the Light on a profoundly personal level. Springsteen’s music has spoken to me in a similar fashion as it does to Javed in the film. While I’m not the super fan that he is, I like to think we all have comparable experiences with certain musical artists who resonate with us deep in our souls. Bruce’s music in particular speaks to the common man, and it rallies against the injustices of the world in the pursuit of the American dream. I can’t think of a single musician that I personally find to be more motivational than him. It is my hope that people will watch this movie, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the music of Bruce Springsteen, and they’ll have a reaction to it much like Javed in this movie.
It goes without saying that the soundtrack in Blinded by the Light is fantastic. It has a nice mix of classic hits as well as some lesser known Springsteen songs, including some live versions, and they’re all put to good use here. Out of all of the recent movies inspired by real-life musicians, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Yesterday, Blinded by the Light is by far my personal favorite. There are no poor cover songs nor bad lip synching to be found here. What you get is 100% The Boss. In a few parts, the movie even breaks out into full-on dancing musical numbers. While they’re a little cheesy and even feel a bit out of place, I found that they remained true to the music and were simply too much fun not to enjoy.
Director Gurinder Chadha does a fine job crafting Javed’s story and all of its complexities while also paying homage to The Boss. The movie explores our innate desire for freedom and finding ourselves, while also exposing the sacrifices we often must make in life for those we love. The film additionally explores social issues of the era, including political turmoil, fascist movements, and racism, which Javed faces first-hand as a Pakistani in England, and which unfortunately still feel uncomfortably relevant today. Javed is played by Viveik Kalra in his motion-picture debut, and he is immensely likable and relatable in his performance. The cast as a whole is pretty good, with the standouts being Hayley Atwell as Javed’s teacher, Ms. Clay, who encourages him to continue with his writing, as well as Kulvinder Ghir, who plays Javed’s controlling father. I also liked Aaron Phagura as Roops, Javed’s loyal Bruce-Springsteen-cassette-tape-sharing friend. We all could use more friends like him!
Overall, Blinded by the Light is a loving tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, but more than anything, it’s an emotional, identifiable, and uplifting tale about reaching for your dreams. The struggles that Javed faces resonate brilliantly with the messages of the music, and his story is an inspiring one worth hearing. Springsteen fans in particular definitely won’t want to miss this movie, but I think regardless of your interest or familiarity with Springsteen and his music, you’re likely to find something to enjoy here. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even walk out of the theater as a fan.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Sundays at Tiffany's in Books
Apr 27, 2018
James Patterson never ceases to amaze me. I read this book in a matter of hours.
when Jane's imaginary friend, Michael, leaves and promises that she'll forget him, Jane is heartbroken. She goes through her life, seemingly in mediocrety, until one day after a terrible break-up with her crappy-boyfriend (dude, you so had it coming.), she visits her favorite childhood restaurant and is bombarded by memories of Michael.
then she looks across the room and sees him.
and then it takes off. Jane changes her life, no longer afraid to be who she really is. Michael calls into question who he is, and struggles through his own identity crisis--is he human, or angel, or something else? and why didn't Jane's "imaginary" experience go the way it was supposed to?
but then Michael realizes his mission in New York--and his whole world comes crashing down. how is he supposed to do this, and how is he supposed to live with it?
the whole time reading this book, i kept thinking questions. for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, I won't tell you what they were. one of them was "will he forget, like he did with all his other past experiences?" I couldn't see a way out of the climax... but the ending was all too sweet. i squealed (don't believe me? my sister was in the room at the time. ask her. it's true).
all in all, this book is a treasure to me. it's staying on my bookshelf where it belongs, i won't ever sell it or give it away (yeah, you can borrow it if you really want to. be careful of the pages.). maybe i loved it more than anyone else ever has, because of a strange connection I share with Jane Margaux. my imaginary friend's name was Michael, too.
when Jane's imaginary friend, Michael, leaves and promises that she'll forget him, Jane is heartbroken. She goes through her life, seemingly in mediocrety, until one day after a terrible break-up with her crappy-boyfriend (dude, you so had it coming.), she visits her favorite childhood restaurant and is bombarded by memories of Michael.
then she looks across the room and sees him.
and then it takes off. Jane changes her life, no longer afraid to be who she really is. Michael calls into question who he is, and struggles through his own identity crisis--is he human, or angel, or something else? and why didn't Jane's "imaginary" experience go the way it was supposed to?
but then Michael realizes his mission in New York--and his whole world comes crashing down. how is he supposed to do this, and how is he supposed to live with it?
the whole time reading this book, i kept thinking questions. for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, I won't tell you what they were. one of them was "will he forget, like he did with all his other past experiences?" I couldn't see a way out of the climax... but the ending was all too sweet. i squealed (don't believe me? my sister was in the room at the time. ask her. it's true).
all in all, this book is a treasure to me. it's staying on my bookshelf where it belongs, i won't ever sell it or give it away (yeah, you can borrow it if you really want to. be careful of the pages.). maybe i loved it more than anyone else ever has, because of a strange connection I share with Jane Margaux. my imaginary friend's name was Michael, too.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Secret of Joy in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Thoughts: This is such a sweet heart-warming story about life and love, and takes the drama of ex-wives and love-sick ladies to a whole new level, giving it life and plausibility at the same time. How did Melissa do it? No idea. But she won me over.
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated The Golden Tresses of the Dead in Books
Feb 20, 2019
The Curious Case of the Clue in the Cake
The day has finally arrived – Flavia’s oldest sister is getting married. Considering how rocky her romantic life has been over the years, this is a bit surprising. The wedding is beautiful, but when the newlyweds go to cut the cake, they find a finger in the cake. How did it get there? Who did it belong to? Before Flavia can really dig into this case, she and Dogger get their first client for their new Arthur W. Dogger and Associates Discreet Investigations. A local woman has come in asking them to find some missing letters that would be damaging to her father if they got out. Only Dogger isn’t so certain that their client’s story is true. What is really going on?
As a longtime fan, it was great to be back in Bishop’s Lacey with Flavia and the rest of the cast. In fact, I hadn’t realized just how much I’ve come to love these characters until I noticed how much I was smiling through the book. The exception is Flavia’s cousin Undine. I get what she represents, Flavia’s Flavia, but I find her super annoying, although there is hope for her character to grow here. The plot was a bit out there, but I still bought it. The pacing is uneven, especially for the wedding at the beginning, but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen in other books. Flavia is still Flavia, after all, so we get her thoughts on chemistry, poison, and life in general. I listen to their series on audio, and Jayne Entwistle’s narration continues to be outstanding. If you haven’t given them a listen, I highly recommend you try the series this way. But no matter how you read this one, fans will be sure to enjoy this latest visit.
As a longtime fan, it was great to be back in Bishop’s Lacey with Flavia and the rest of the cast. In fact, I hadn’t realized just how much I’ve come to love these characters until I noticed how much I was smiling through the book. The exception is Flavia’s cousin Undine. I get what she represents, Flavia’s Flavia, but I find her super annoying, although there is hope for her character to grow here. The plot was a bit out there, but I still bought it. The pacing is uneven, especially for the wedding at the beginning, but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen in other books. Flavia is still Flavia, after all, so we get her thoughts on chemistry, poison, and life in general. I listen to their series on audio, and Jayne Entwistle’s narration continues to be outstanding. If you haven’t given them a listen, I highly recommend you try the series this way. But no matter how you read this one, fans will be sure to enjoy this latest visit.