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Not my favourite but still great
Not my favourite book in the Max Wolfe series but still very enjoyable with a very relevant and disturbing story line with great characters, twists, gritty tension, violence and humanity all written at a great pace that makes you want to continue reading well into the wee small hours of the night. I continue to love getting to know Max and adore his relationship with his daughter, Scout and their dog, Stanley with their moments adding a depth and warmth to Max that can be hidden under his strong policeman persona.
Although not my favourite, I would still highly recommend this series and Tony Parsons as a great British author and would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for a review.
Although not my favourite, I would still highly recommend this series and Tony Parsons as a great British author and would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for a review.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Anger Is a Gift in Books
Apr 7, 2018
This book has left me speechless, in awe, and in tears. The timeliness of it with the #MarchFor OurLives can not be understated. It reminds us that minorities have been faced with violence for too long and often at the hands of those who are supposed to serve and protect. The diversity of the characters is truely a quilt of the underrepresented within this country. The care and compassion that Oshiro uses to create such deep characters makes a true impact on the reader. As a middle and elementary school teacher I don't think I could use this book to teach but I can recommend it. I think this book needs to be in every high school library in the country though and possibly used in the curriculum . It is a discussion that needs to be opened.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Polar (2019) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019 (Updated Apr 16, 2019)
Good movie!
This movie was a bit slow moving but one it picked up, it was intense. Mads Mikkelsen is a very good actor and not seen enough in movies, in my opinion. His performance here was great. There's plenty of blood and violence for any action fan. There's also more than a bit of sex and nudity. The characters were creative and the effects were great. Definitely doesn't hurt that Kathryn Winnick is in this one, either(no, she doesn't get nude but who cares, it's KW!)and she puts on a good performance, as well. Some parts of the story were predictable but it unfolded well and did have a couple pretty good twists. Overall, I'd recommend this one to any action fan, though it may be a bit dark for some and definitely not for the kids! Worth a watch!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated No Country for Old Men (2007) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Lost in a coin toss
Number 7 of my #top10 #favourite #films is 'No Country For Old Men'. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bleak & #depressing #NoCountryForOldMen takes all the #hope you have for the good guys winning and rips it out of your hands again and again. Not only is it #unfair, tense and #gorgeous to look at its constantly making you think deeply while toying with your emotions too. Acting is next level, the dialog is masterfully slick and #javierbardem might just be the #coldest & #scariest #villain ever put on screen making No Country For Old Men a film that really should be in everyone's top 10 list. Deciphering its intricate plot, many metaphors and head spinning #intelligence is something i sadly #feel i will never achieve fully but my god do i enjoy trying.
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#filmbuff #filmcritic #coenbrothers #saturday #weekend #beautiful #violence #joshbrolin #tommyleejones
Bleak & #depressing #NoCountryForOldMen takes all the #hope you have for the good guys winning and rips it out of your hands again and again. Not only is it #unfair, tense and #gorgeous to look at its constantly making you think deeply while toying with your emotions too. Acting is next level, the dialog is masterfully slick and #javierbardem might just be the #coldest & #scariest #villain ever put on screen making No Country For Old Men a film that really should be in everyone's top 10 list. Deciphering its intricate plot, many metaphors and head spinning #intelligence is something i sadly #feel i will never achieve fully but my god do i enjoy trying.
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#filmbuff #filmcritic #coenbrothers #saturday #weekend #beautiful #violence #joshbrolin #tommyleejones
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir in Books
Feb 5, 2018
A human experience in the BLM movement
There has recently been an upswing of works relating to racism in the US, so it was only a matter of time that one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement spoke about this issue.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors is eloquent, and her experiences are truly harrowing. From watching her 12 year old brother being assaulted and harrassed by police officers, growing up in poverty, to being an adult and watching another brother being locked up for being mentally disabled. It is really quite horrifying to see the spectrum of violence that black bodies still endure even post-Jim Crow laws. Cullors will argue that this is but an extension of those days.
It is a timely piece, and one of the better writings on the topic, mixing activism and academia with her own memoir.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors is eloquent, and her experiences are truly harrowing. From watching her 12 year old brother being assaulted and harrassed by police officers, growing up in poverty, to being an adult and watching another brother being locked up for being mentally disabled. It is really quite horrifying to see the spectrum of violence that black bodies still endure even post-Jim Crow laws. Cullors will argue that this is but an extension of those days.
It is a timely piece, and one of the better writings on the topic, mixing activism and academia with her own memoir.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)
Knowingly absurd black comedy thriller is powered along by engaging performances and some good gags. A group of affluent friends think they're participating in a kind of murder mystery role-playing game; in fact the situation is in deadly earnest.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
Awix (3310 KP) rated You Were Never Really Here (2018) in Movies
Mar 16, 2018 (Updated Mar 17, 2018)
On paper Lynne Ramsay's art-house thriller looks like it's channelling Taxi Driver plus any Luc Besson thriller you care to mention: brutal mercenary (Phoenix) takes on a mission to free a senator's daughter, but the job goes bad, to say the least.
However, it's not just the story, but how you tell it - the plot itself is cut down to the bone, and the film is built around the way the director presents a succession of tiny details, a broodingly intense performance from Phoenix, and a driving score from Jonny Greenwood. Pretty heavy stuff throughout, with some graphic violence and a relentlessly bleak vision of the world, but not the kind of film you can really look away from once it has you in its grasp. Not sure it really qualifies as entertainment, but an impressive work of art.
However, it's not just the story, but how you tell it - the plot itself is cut down to the bone, and the film is built around the way the director presents a succession of tiny details, a broodingly intense performance from Phoenix, and a driving score from Jonny Greenwood. Pretty heavy stuff throughout, with some graphic violence and a relentlessly bleak vision of the world, but not the kind of film you can really look away from once it has you in its grasp. Not sure it really qualifies as entertainment, but an impressive work of art.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2444 KP) rated The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Elvis is hired to track down Ellen Lang's husband because the husband disappeared with their son. However, after the Lang house is searched and the first body turns up, he realizes he is in way over his head.
This book suffers from the cliches of the PI genre, but manages to overcome them with some pretty entertaining characters. Elvis and his PI partner Joe are both interesting, and Elvis's sense of humor is fun. There are some twists that surprised me as well. The book is definitely outside my normal comfort zone with the use of bad language and more violence, which I wasn't always comfortable with. Still, I do intend to read more in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-monkeys-raincoat-by-robert.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book suffers from the cliches of the PI genre, but manages to overcome them with some pretty entertaining characters. Elvis and his PI partner Joe are both interesting, and Elvis's sense of humor is fun. There are some twists that surprised me as well. The book is definitely outside my normal comfort zone with the use of bad language and more violence, which I wasn't always comfortable with. Still, I do intend to read more in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-monkeys-raincoat-by-robert.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated The Domestics (2018) in Movies
Dec 13, 2018
So bad
This movie was bad. Post apocalyptic world where a young couple decide they have to go to the hometown of the wife because she hasn't heard from her parents in a while. The apocalyptic event wasn't a war or anything, the 'government' just decided to poison everyone with some kind of massive crop dusting technique. Survivors were anyone immune to the poison. Most people then belong to some violent gang or another and money still means something (what?). Anyway, the acting was shoddy at best and the cinematography was pretty low calibur. The characters were very boring and the story line was just all over the place. There's enough violence to say kids shouldn't watch it but this movie is so bad I'd say the adults should pass on it, too. This one is NOT worth a watch.
Dean Jaggs (29 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Oct 29, 2019
Ryan Reynolds (2 more)
Crude Humour
Movie makes fun of itself and the studios
Holding on for a hero
I never tire of watching this movie, Reynolds has over the years proved to be quite versatile, playing serious roles and crossing various genres but Deadpool has to be his standout role, where he is hilarious, I love all the little digs he makes about the films low budget and the xmen movies, and the subtle digs at his off screen friend Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character, some may say that the violence is a bit over the top but the comedy side more than makes up for it, just wish Marvel would transition the Merc with a mouth into the more mainstream movies, could just imagine the interaction between Deadpool and Iron Man as Wilson would undoubtedly drive Stark nuts