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Debbiereadsbook (1171 KP) rated Skin and Bone (Digging Up Bones #2) in Books
Mar 7, 2019
fabulous second book!
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book.
This is book TWO in the Digging Up Bones series, and you really SHOULD read book one, Bone To Pick, before you read this one. You'll need it to get a feel for Javi and Cloister before this book.
I'm not gonna write a blurby bit, cos if I'm honest (and I'm ALL about the honest!) I got a bit lost with the Janet Morrow storyline, and once I decided I would just read those bits, and not pay much attention, I liked this a lot better. Also being honest, this is highly likely to be ME (since I'm a bit of a mess at the moment) rather than this book, because I really did LOVE catching up with Javi, Cloister and Bournville!
They are such damaged, broken men, and it really is a pleasure watching them fall. Because they HAVE fallen, they just can't admit, not even to themselves, how much the other man means to him. Javi nearly does, but he shuts that thought down right quick! Cloister does admit he LIKES Javi, but I read far more into that, than was actually said.
It's the little things that tell a lot, you know? Like how Javi looks after Clositer when he gets hit by the truck. Like how Cloister tells Javi not to get shot. The random thoughts that make you giggle how they come out of nowhere, about they think about the other, about how they feel. They DO admit to feeling, at least to themselves, sorta, kinds, and it's those out of nowhere things I LOVE about these two! There is no way to predict where the comments and thoughts will come from. Love being kept on my toes.
We get more of Cloister's history, about his family and some of my questions (that I had after book one) are answered here. We get why Javi was sent to town, to work, after what happened in Phoenix.
I hope there is at least one more book, I really do! These guys NEED to be happy, like REALLY happy with each other and at the moment, while . . . . . content . . . .they aren't really happy. And you know, we don't know what's going to happen to Javi when his replacement comes to twon, a woman who does NOT have happy thoughts about Javi! And there is something going on in Javi's head about higher ups in the food chain, so I need to know about that!
So, thank you, Ms Moore, for my copy, I'm sorry I got a bit lost, but I'm still giving it the rating it deserves.
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book TWO in the Digging Up Bones series, and you really SHOULD read book one, Bone To Pick, before you read this one. You'll need it to get a feel for Javi and Cloister before this book.
I'm not gonna write a blurby bit, cos if I'm honest (and I'm ALL about the honest!) I got a bit lost with the Janet Morrow storyline, and once I decided I would just read those bits, and not pay much attention, I liked this a lot better. Also being honest, this is highly likely to be ME (since I'm a bit of a mess at the moment) rather than this book, because I really did LOVE catching up with Javi, Cloister and Bournville!
They are such damaged, broken men, and it really is a pleasure watching them fall. Because they HAVE fallen, they just can't admit, not even to themselves, how much the other man means to him. Javi nearly does, but he shuts that thought down right quick! Cloister does admit he LIKES Javi, but I read far more into that, than was actually said.
It's the little things that tell a lot, you know? Like how Javi looks after Clositer when he gets hit by the truck. Like how Cloister tells Javi not to get shot. The random thoughts that make you giggle how they come out of nowhere, about they think about the other, about how they feel. They DO admit to feeling, at least to themselves, sorta, kinds, and it's those out of nowhere things I LOVE about these two! There is no way to predict where the comments and thoughts will come from. Love being kept on my toes.
We get more of Cloister's history, about his family and some of my questions (that I had after book one) are answered here. We get why Javi was sent to town, to work, after what happened in Phoenix.
I hope there is at least one more book, I really do! These guys NEED to be happy, like REALLY happy with each other and at the moment, while . . . . . content . . . .they aren't really happy. And you know, we don't know what's going to happen to Javi when his replacement comes to twon, a woman who does NOT have happy thoughts about Javi! And there is something going on in Javi's head about higher ups in the food chain, so I need to know about that!
So, thank you, Ms Moore, for my copy, I'm sorry I got a bit lost, but I'm still giving it the rating it deserves.
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Five Total Strangers in Books
Dec 24, 2020
Browsing for my next digital read, I came across Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards. The synopsis definitely had my interest piqued. I'm glad I decided to read this story because I enjoyed it very much.
High school senior Mira is trying to get home to her mother for Christmas. However, a severe snowstorm means that Mira's connecting flight has been cancelled until further notice. Desperate to get home to her mother, Mira decides to take a chance with the college girl who was sat beside her on the plane named Harper. Somehow, Harper manages to snag a rental car, but there are three other people besides Harper and Mira. When personal items start going missing and strange things begin happening, Mira wonders who can she actually trust that's sharing a car with her and just what is the end game.
I loved, loved, loved the plot. It sounds like it's such a simplistic storyline with just five people travelling together, but it was so much more than that. It's a mystery, horror, thriller, and suspense story all in one which are all of my favorite genres. The pacing was absolutely spot on, and I found myself closely following each word on the page to find out what would happen next. I felt like I was one of the people in the car. I started getting paranoid about who to trust in the car. There were a couple of plot twists which were interesting. I never could figure out who was the sender of the letters to Mira until it was revealed at the end, and I wasn't sure who the saboteur was either until the end. There were many times I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation while reading Five Total Strangers. I pretty much read the whole book in one sitting. The only thing that was a small disappointment was the ending. It didn't feel like it was rushed, but I felt like there could have been a bit more information. I would have loved to know what the other occupants of the car got up to after their disastrous trip. There were no cliffhangers though which I was grateful for.
I felt like the characters were fleshed out perfectly for Five Total Strangers. There isn't much backstory for Harper, Brecken, Kayla, and Josh besides little tidbits here and there, but that's what makes this book even better. It gives it more of a mysterious feel. I liked the book being in Mira's perspective. I felt like I was feeling everything right along with Mira. Even though she was only eighteen, she came across as much older. Sure, she still made some decisions with a teen brain, but for the most part, she did have a good head on her shoulders. I liked Harper, and I admired her bravado. However, I also liked the times she showed her human side and her vulnerability. I admired Josh and Brecken's desire to help out when things got really rough. I did love Kayla's dry humor peppered within the book. I would even go as far as saying she was my favorite character in Five Total Strangers.
Trigger warnings for Five Total Strangers include swearing, attempted murder, death, some violence, and some drug use.
All in all, Five Total Strangers is a fantastic read which will leave you guessing who to trust throughout the book. With a great set of characters and fantastic world building, this is not a book you want to miss. I would definitely recommend Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards to those aged 15+ who are after a story that will captivate them the entire time.
High school senior Mira is trying to get home to her mother for Christmas. However, a severe snowstorm means that Mira's connecting flight has been cancelled until further notice. Desperate to get home to her mother, Mira decides to take a chance with the college girl who was sat beside her on the plane named Harper. Somehow, Harper manages to snag a rental car, but there are three other people besides Harper and Mira. When personal items start going missing and strange things begin happening, Mira wonders who can she actually trust that's sharing a car with her and just what is the end game.
I loved, loved, loved the plot. It sounds like it's such a simplistic storyline with just five people travelling together, but it was so much more than that. It's a mystery, horror, thriller, and suspense story all in one which are all of my favorite genres. The pacing was absolutely spot on, and I found myself closely following each word on the page to find out what would happen next. I felt like I was one of the people in the car. I started getting paranoid about who to trust in the car. There were a couple of plot twists which were interesting. I never could figure out who was the sender of the letters to Mira until it was revealed at the end, and I wasn't sure who the saboteur was either until the end. There were many times I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation while reading Five Total Strangers. I pretty much read the whole book in one sitting. The only thing that was a small disappointment was the ending. It didn't feel like it was rushed, but I felt like there could have been a bit more information. I would have loved to know what the other occupants of the car got up to after their disastrous trip. There were no cliffhangers though which I was grateful for.
I felt like the characters were fleshed out perfectly for Five Total Strangers. There isn't much backstory for Harper, Brecken, Kayla, and Josh besides little tidbits here and there, but that's what makes this book even better. It gives it more of a mysterious feel. I liked the book being in Mira's perspective. I felt like I was feeling everything right along with Mira. Even though she was only eighteen, she came across as much older. Sure, she still made some decisions with a teen brain, but for the most part, she did have a good head on her shoulders. I liked Harper, and I admired her bravado. However, I also liked the times she showed her human side and her vulnerability. I admired Josh and Brecken's desire to help out when things got really rough. I did love Kayla's dry humor peppered within the book. I would even go as far as saying she was my favorite character in Five Total Strangers.
Trigger warnings for Five Total Strangers include swearing, attempted murder, death, some violence, and some drug use.
All in all, Five Total Strangers is a fantastic read which will leave you guessing who to trust throughout the book. With a great set of characters and fantastic world building, this is not a book you want to miss. I would definitely recommend Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards to those aged 15+ who are after a story that will captivate them the entire time.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Scream 4 (2011) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Horror films have been in a steady decline for the past few years with countless remakes and sequels to some of the most loved horror franchises. After an 8 year hiatus, Wes Craven resurrects the seemingly dead Scream series with some fantastic results. Scream 4 does for horror what the original did way back in 1996; it carves out a new direction for what has been a lifeless genre.
Scre4m sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott alongside the much loved Courtney Cox and David Arquette as Gale Riley (previously Weathers) and Dewey Riley respectively. This time, the story focuses on Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodsboro promoting a book about her life. Of course, this is Scream; so it’s not all plain sailing and her arrival beckons the return of ‘Ghostface’ and his (or her) grisly murders.
The first Scream was well-known for poking fun at the genre and the latest instalment is no exception. It wraps a sublime mix of comedy and self-awareness with the sharp horror which made the first trilogy such a hit. The success in this film is that it never takes itself too seriously, and neither do the cast who look like they’re having a bloody good time. 8 years on and they don’t look like they’re too long in the tooth for this kind of madness, which is an unusual thing. By far the standout performance is from Courtney Cox who slips seamlessly back into the role of Gale and shows the audience why she was the perfect choice for her part.
However, it isn’t all about the veteran stars, some new talent joins the ranks and what better place to start than in a film which has the opportunity of revitalising a tarnished and battered genre. Nico Torterella joins the franchise as Trevor Sheldon, playing a similar part to that of Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in the original. Torterella, with his limited characterisation does very well and steps into the shoes of the creepy ex-boyfriend role exceptionally. But who is he the ex-boyfriend of I hear you cry? Well, Emma Roberts comes to the series for the first time as Jill Roberts, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. Emma plays the part well and in fact provides some of the standout lines throughout the entire film.
Anna Paquin also gets a short cameo in the introduction of the film; much like Drew Barrymore did in the first.
Scream 4 is much like the first with its comedic timing and as such is one of the better instalments in the series, stopping short of being the best. It has been directed very well but is slightly too long and the constant guessing game of who is to blame for the murders can wear thin if you’re not in the mood for Cluedo. The fantastic characters, portrayed brilliantly by their real-life counterparts and the excellent story really are the highlights of a film which has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. Here, 8 years on from Scream 3 and 15 years; yes 15 years on from the original, Scream 4 revitalises the horror genre and is in every respect, brilliant.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
Scre4m sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott alongside the much loved Courtney Cox and David Arquette as Gale Riley (previously Weathers) and Dewey Riley respectively. This time, the story focuses on Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodsboro promoting a book about her life. Of course, this is Scream; so it’s not all plain sailing and her arrival beckons the return of ‘Ghostface’ and his (or her) grisly murders.
The first Scream was well-known for poking fun at the genre and the latest instalment is no exception. It wraps a sublime mix of comedy and self-awareness with the sharp horror which made the first trilogy such a hit. The success in this film is that it never takes itself too seriously, and neither do the cast who look like they’re having a bloody good time. 8 years on and they don’t look like they’re too long in the tooth for this kind of madness, which is an unusual thing. By far the standout performance is from Courtney Cox who slips seamlessly back into the role of Gale and shows the audience why she was the perfect choice for her part.
However, it isn’t all about the veteran stars, some new talent joins the ranks and what better place to start than in a film which has the opportunity of revitalising a tarnished and battered genre. Nico Torterella joins the franchise as Trevor Sheldon, playing a similar part to that of Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in the original. Torterella, with his limited characterisation does very well and steps into the shoes of the creepy ex-boyfriend role exceptionally. But who is he the ex-boyfriend of I hear you cry? Well, Emma Roberts comes to the series for the first time as Jill Roberts, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. Emma plays the part well and in fact provides some of the standout lines throughout the entire film.
Anna Paquin also gets a short cameo in the introduction of the film; much like Drew Barrymore did in the first.
Scream 4 is much like the first with its comedic timing and as such is one of the better instalments in the series, stopping short of being the best. It has been directed very well but is slightly too long and the constant guessing game of who is to blame for the murders can wear thin if you’re not in the mood for Cluedo. The fantastic characters, portrayed brilliantly by their real-life counterparts and the excellent story really are the highlights of a film which has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. Here, 8 years on from Scream 3 and 15 years; yes 15 years on from the original, Scream 4 revitalises the horror genre and is in every respect, brilliant.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
Kyera (8 KP) rated Carve the Mark in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Carve the Mark is a science-fiction novel told from two different perspectives. Akos is from Thuvhe, the ruling half of the planet and Cyra is from Shotet, the half that longs to be recognized in the system as legitimate and take Thuvhe's place. At some point as the people of the system make the journey from adolescence to adulthood, they come into abilities. Cyra's harnesses the current, which feeds and surrounds everything but it causes her and anyone she touches unbearable agony. Akos is like her counter-balance since he can disrupt the current. This means it doesn't harm him to touch Cyra and he is able to dampen her pain. Although they are from the same planet they were raised in two very different worlds until Akos is kidnapped and thrust into a culture of people he doesn't understand. Despite what the Shotet put him through, he is still capable of being curious and kind.
It is a wonderful example of history being written by the victors. We don't know exactly what happened, but each party has a different story. Each side is at fault in some fashion and the Thuvhesit people are not as guiltless as they proclaim.
Akos immediately was my favourite character and continued to be throughout the novel. He is likable and cares deeply for his family. While he has to reason to treat Cyra with kindness when they first meet, he takes the time to get to know her. Initially, I did not care much for Cyra but as her character grew and developed I liked her more. She learned that she did not have to be defined by those who raised her and had the ability to change.
It only took a few chapters before I was completely engrossed in the book. There are a few aspects that could have been improved in the book. The author seems to be a lover of the comma. As a writer who personally overuses it myself (and am trying to get better about), I noticed that so many of her sentences had numerous commas. It made parts of the text more difficult to read and complex than the needed to be. The other odd writing choice I noticed was her choice of point of view. She switched between Cyra and Akos' perspectives, which is not unusual - but she used the first person for Cyra and the third person for Akos. That was a different choice than what I'd experienced in books before and I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed it.
The world we find ourselves exploring is vividly and beautifully described from the icy cities of Thuvhe to the watery Pithe, the vast reaches of space, and the ever-changing coloured current that binds it all together. While we are not given the opportunity to explore all 9 planets of the Assembly and the smaller bodies, I hope that we shall see more of them in future novels. Each culture and people we encounter is so unique and fascinating to explore more of.
Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy science fiction books. I enjoyed that the title of the book was really meaningful to the overall narrative and journey that the characters go on. The book was wrapped up in a way that leaves you satisfied for now, but always wondering what comes next. It is another great series start for Veronica Roth and I can't wait to see where she takes us.
It is a wonderful example of history being written by the victors. We don't know exactly what happened, but each party has a different story. Each side is at fault in some fashion and the Thuvhesit people are not as guiltless as they proclaim.
Akos immediately was my favourite character and continued to be throughout the novel. He is likable and cares deeply for his family. While he has to reason to treat Cyra with kindness when they first meet, he takes the time to get to know her. Initially, I did not care much for Cyra but as her character grew and developed I liked her more. She learned that she did not have to be defined by those who raised her and had the ability to change.
It only took a few chapters before I was completely engrossed in the book. There are a few aspects that could have been improved in the book. The author seems to be a lover of the comma. As a writer who personally overuses it myself (and am trying to get better about), I noticed that so many of her sentences had numerous commas. It made parts of the text more difficult to read and complex than the needed to be. The other odd writing choice I noticed was her choice of point of view. She switched between Cyra and Akos' perspectives, which is not unusual - but she used the first person for Cyra and the third person for Akos. That was a different choice than what I'd experienced in books before and I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed it.
The world we find ourselves exploring is vividly and beautifully described from the icy cities of Thuvhe to the watery Pithe, the vast reaches of space, and the ever-changing coloured current that binds it all together. While we are not given the opportunity to explore all 9 planets of the Assembly and the smaller bodies, I hope that we shall see more of them in future novels. Each culture and people we encounter is so unique and fascinating to explore more of.
Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy science fiction books. I enjoyed that the title of the book was really meaningful to the overall narrative and journey that the characters go on. The book was wrapped up in a way that leaves you satisfied for now, but always wondering what comes next. It is another great series start for Veronica Roth and I can't wait to see where she takes us.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated NOS4A2 in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<i>I read this novel as my BookBum Club book for January! Check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/297482-the-bookbum-club">The BookBum Club on Goodreads!</a></i>
A darkly disturbing thrill ride of a book! I was expecting it to spook me out a little more than it did, but it was super enjoyable even still.
I’ve never read a Joe Hill book before this one, but now I know I want to read more of his work. I don’t think there’s any denying that his writing style really sucks you into the story and he’s a genius as describing things. How can one man come up with so many different Christmas similes? I also loved how this book was set up, where sometimes the end of sentence in a paragraph wouldn’t end because the title of the next paragraph completed the sentence. I thought this was a really unique aspect of the novel, as well as several illustrations dotted throughout.
One thing I really loved about this novel was the characters. I’ve seen some less that glowing reviews whinging about Vic, and while I can understand some people’s frustration at how frustrating she was, I think the whole point of her character to be frustrating. I personally found her troubled but sweet. Lou was equally sweet, a nice human being through-and-through, but at the end of the day, I don’t think he brought an awful lot to the story.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, of course, was Charlie Manx. What a genuinely terrifying character. I’ve read through several books with horrifying characters (Annie Wilkes springs to mind immediately) and Charlie Manx is definitely up there with the worst of them. What made him so chilling, for me, was how I imagined his voice. Every sentence of his speech was lifted at the end by an exclamation mark! He was always so cheery! Always so sinister! And then, of course, we have Bing Partridge who may just be the most repulsive character I’ve ever read about.
I loved the story of this novel, but I’m not going to explain what happened because this novel needs to be experienced, not told, in order to reach its full potential. My only issue was I though maybe 700 pages was a bit long. Chapter after chapter was a new dip and dive in this roller-coaster of a story, but sometimes it just felt like stalling time.
Another thing that disappointed me about this book, and this is what brought it down to 4 stars, is that I was expecting this to be scarier than it turned out to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s seriously sinister and has some really creepy moments, but I wanted to get to “I can’t sleep” scared. Though saying that, when I was driving home in the dark one day, an old classic black British car (we have a lot of old car conventions around where I live) pulled up behind me and followed me nearly all the way home and I did get the heebie-geebies (don’t worry, I didn’t break the speed limit though).
Overall, this novel is well worth the read if you’re into dark, sinister novels filled with the really weird and the really wonderful. I’m so happy I’ve finally read this novel and have been opened up to the world of Joe Hill’s writing. I will definitely be reading more of his stuff.
A darkly disturbing thrill ride of a book! I was expecting it to spook me out a little more than it did, but it was super enjoyable even still.
I’ve never read a Joe Hill book before this one, but now I know I want to read more of his work. I don’t think there’s any denying that his writing style really sucks you into the story and he’s a genius as describing things. How can one man come up with so many different Christmas similes? I also loved how this book was set up, where sometimes the end of sentence in a paragraph wouldn’t end because the title of the next paragraph completed the sentence. I thought this was a really unique aspect of the novel, as well as several illustrations dotted throughout.
One thing I really loved about this novel was the characters. I’ve seen some less that glowing reviews whinging about Vic, and while I can understand some people’s frustration at how frustrating she was, I think the whole point of her character to be frustrating. I personally found her troubled but sweet. Lou was equally sweet, a nice human being through-and-through, but at the end of the day, I don’t think he brought an awful lot to the story.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, of course, was Charlie Manx. What a genuinely terrifying character. I’ve read through several books with horrifying characters (Annie Wilkes springs to mind immediately) and Charlie Manx is definitely up there with the worst of them. What made him so chilling, for me, was how I imagined his voice. Every sentence of his speech was lifted at the end by an exclamation mark! He was always so cheery! Always so sinister! And then, of course, we have Bing Partridge who may just be the most repulsive character I’ve ever read about.
I loved the story of this novel, but I’m not going to explain what happened because this novel needs to be experienced, not told, in order to reach its full potential. My only issue was I though maybe 700 pages was a bit long. Chapter after chapter was a new dip and dive in this roller-coaster of a story, but sometimes it just felt like stalling time.
Another thing that disappointed me about this book, and this is what brought it down to 4 stars, is that I was expecting this to be scarier than it turned out to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s seriously sinister and has some really creepy moments, but I wanted to get to “I can’t sleep” scared. Though saying that, when I was driving home in the dark one day, an old classic black British car (we have a lot of old car conventions around where I live) pulled up behind me and followed me nearly all the way home and I did get the heebie-geebies (don’t worry, I didn’t break the speed limit though).
Overall, this novel is well worth the read if you’re into dark, sinister novels filled with the really weird and the really wonderful. I’m so happy I’ve finally read this novel and have been opened up to the world of Joe Hill’s writing. I will definitely be reading more of his stuff.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated A Star Is Born (2018) in Movies
Oct 19, 2018 (Updated Oct 19, 2018)
Bradley Cooper's direction (2 more)
Both lead performances
Great original songs
Better Than Expected
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have dragged my other half to see plenty of stuff recently that she has sat through because I wanted to see it, so I thought it was about time that I let her drag me to something that she fancied seeing. I'm pretty glad that she did.
I expected A Star Is Born to be full of cheesy dialogue and crappy pop songs and I didn't know what to expect from Bradley Cooper's first time in the director's chair. Thankfully, my uncertainty and doubt was proven wrong. This is an absolutely fantastic directorial debut from Cooper. There were several parts in the movie where it felt similar to a Clint Eastwood directed movie, the influence that Clint obviously had on Cooper when they worked together for American Sniper has clearly paid off here. The cinematography is brilliant throughout the film and he gets a lot out of his actors too.
Considering Cooper is an actor, he plays an exceptionally convincing rock star as Jackson Maine. His voice is phenomenal and if all of the guitar playing was done by him, then that was impressive also. Likewise, considering Lady Gaga's background is as a singer and not an actress, she did a pretty great job in this role as Ally - even if she is playing a character very similar to herself. Sam Elliot is also fantastic, (as he always is,) as Jack's older brother and I reckon could be in for an Oscar shout for best supporting role.
In order to talk about the main negative I had with the film, I am going to have to spoil the way that it ends. So SPOILERS from this point on, you have been warned.
I know that Jackson didn't commit suicide just because of what Ally's sleazy agent said to him at the end of the movie, but I only know that because I had to fill in the blanks myself. The way that the movie presents it, is as if the agent tells Jack that he's an embarrassment to Ally and that's what makes him want to hang himself, which to me isn't justification enough to have a character take their own life, especially a character like Jackson Maine. The argument could be made that it wasn't what the agent said that led to Jack's suicide, but because he said out loud the way that Jack sees himself. As a burden and embarrassment to Ally. Although, if this was the case I feel like the movie could have driven it home a bit more. Like I said, I know that there was more to the character's decision to end his life than that, but the movie doesn't show it, instead making it look as if he decided to hang himself because of a smarmy wee prick's obnoxious comments.
Overall, this film was far better than it had any right to be. Although, the movie is funny in parts, overall it takes itself more seriously than I expected it too and I think that it is better for it. It may not win best picture, but I reckon it deserves a nomination, as does Bradley Cooper for best director.
I expected A Star Is Born to be full of cheesy dialogue and crappy pop songs and I didn't know what to expect from Bradley Cooper's first time in the director's chair. Thankfully, my uncertainty and doubt was proven wrong. This is an absolutely fantastic directorial debut from Cooper. There were several parts in the movie where it felt similar to a Clint Eastwood directed movie, the influence that Clint obviously had on Cooper when they worked together for American Sniper has clearly paid off here. The cinematography is brilliant throughout the film and he gets a lot out of his actors too.
Considering Cooper is an actor, he plays an exceptionally convincing rock star as Jackson Maine. His voice is phenomenal and if all of the guitar playing was done by him, then that was impressive also. Likewise, considering Lady Gaga's background is as a singer and not an actress, she did a pretty great job in this role as Ally - even if she is playing a character very similar to herself. Sam Elliot is also fantastic, (as he always is,) as Jack's older brother and I reckon could be in for an Oscar shout for best supporting role.
In order to talk about the main negative I had with the film, I am going to have to spoil the way that it ends. So SPOILERS from this point on, you have been warned.
I know that Jackson didn't commit suicide just because of what Ally's sleazy agent said to him at the end of the movie, but I only know that because I had to fill in the blanks myself. The way that the movie presents it, is as if the agent tells Jack that he's an embarrassment to Ally and that's what makes him want to hang himself, which to me isn't justification enough to have a character take their own life, especially a character like Jackson Maine. The argument could be made that it wasn't what the agent said that led to Jack's suicide, but because he said out loud the way that Jack sees himself. As a burden and embarrassment to Ally. Although, if this was the case I feel like the movie could have driven it home a bit more. Like I said, I know that there was more to the character's decision to end his life than that, but the movie doesn't show it, instead making it look as if he decided to hang himself because of a smarmy wee prick's obnoxious comments.
Overall, this film was far better than it had any right to be. Although, the movie is funny in parts, overall it takes itself more seriously than I expected it too and I think that it is better for it. It may not win best picture, but I reckon it deserves a nomination, as does Bradley Cooper for best director.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Aug 16, 2019
Rowan Caine feels like her life is at a bit of a dead end when she finds the advertisement: it's for a live-in nanny, and the pay is amazing. Rowan has a background in nannying and working with children, so she submits her CV and crosses her fingers. Still, she can't believe her luck when she interviews at the gorgeous Heatherbrae House in Scotland. It's isolated, but beautiful. And then she gets the job caring for four seemingly lovely children: Rhiannon, 14; Maddie, 8; Ellie, 5; and Petra, eighteen months. But the position isn't all it cracked up to be. The children are nothing like the sweet kids they appeared when she interviewed. The entire house is a smart home, controlled by a home management app, and it seems to go haywire constantly. The parents leave nearly the moment she arrives. And it really seems like the rumors of ghosts and a haunted house that drove away the past four nannies are true. We know Rowan is writing about all of this from prison--jailed for the death of one of the children. She claims she's innocent. What really happened at Heatherbrae House?
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
Jeff Nichols recommended The Hustler (1961) in Movies (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2020
Why is this even prefaced everywhere with Fast & Furious? Apart from a couple of characters and the fact there are cars with a crapload of action they aren't really the same thing.
Hattie Shaw and her MI6 team have secured a virus that could threaten everyone if it gets into the wrong hands. In a surprise attacked by Brixton, an enhanced "bad guy", her entire team is killed and she has to make a quick decision.
As the story of the missing vial gets out handlers call in their top assets to retrieve it. The trouble is that they hate each other and working together isn't something that's going to work. Hobbs goes looking for Hattie on the streets and Shaw heads to her flat, both set some action they weren't expecting to, highlighting just what they're up against.
As an offshoot from the Fast & Furious franchise you expect the action, but Hobbs & Shaw takes a much bigger step towards comedy, which thankfully both Johnson and Statham are good at. Individually they'll get me to see a film, I might wish I hadn't when I come out of it, but you can pretty much guarantee that they'll give you a consistent result when it comes to the acting.
The two of them together are fun and they bounce off each other with impeccable timing, but there might be just a little bit too much insulting back and forth thrown into this one. It's not that it's bad, it's just that when it happens it can occasionally feel too long. It's almost as if they told them to improvise and they'd cut out a whole load of it and then never did. [One of my favourite bits of them together in the film is at the beginning of the trailer above.]
Vanessa Kirby as Shaw's sister Hattie is a bit more sensible than the leading men, that doesn't mean she's any less engaged in the action though. Right from the off they're showing her as tough and no-nonsense which fits in with the family characteristics. You get some great glimpses of the Shaw kids showing shared traits and it's really nice to see that link on the screen. Outside of the action and the family moments she sadly doesn't feel like a very well-formed character, there are several inconsistencies in her that I found to be confusing. You'd think one of those would be the age gap between her and Deckard, but honestly, until I saw some people mention it online I hadn't noticed it... it's a summer blockbuster... who's watching for those sorts of technicalities?!
Our bad guy Brixton, portrayed by Idris Elba is... yummy. I don't feel like there's much to say about Brixton, he kicks ass, he's got great tech and there's a good history with Shaw... but... he didn't really feel like a bad guy. Eteon certainly felt like an evil empire, but Brixton is just a minion in the grand scheme of things. I have my theories about Eteon, but that would mean major spoilers I'm afraid. I imagine we'll see more of them in the next one.
We get another wonderful pop up from Helen Mirren. Yeeeeeess, Queen! She's brilliant as always. There are a few cameos, and I'm impressed they managed to keep them secret. It was a fun discovery and definitely added to the humour of the whole thing, had you taken them out of the mix then you would have been left a much more "sensible" action film, but they went with it and it was certainly entertaining.
Obviously there's a lot of action, in a lot of different scenes. As ridiculous as it is, I did like the London chase that happens shortly after the jog down the building that you see in the trailer. It includes some good jaw-dropping moments and ends with a particularly satisfying moment. As fun as this sequence was, it does include the most dubious bit of CGI in the whole film... watch for that bike.
My other favourite scene is the finale, the whole thing is kind of long but specifically I'm thinking about Hobbs, Shaw and Brixton facing off. Even before going into the film you know exactly what needs to happen to get to the resolution, so when they get to that point you're sat going "about time!" As the storm sets in we get an amazing sequence with slow-mo of the three of them fighting in the rain. It was immense... some may say daft, but that's totally why I turned up for it. There's also some great glitching of Brixton's tech that I thought worked really well with everything. My only issue is that there's one moment where Jason Statham appears to genuinely smile and it feels completely out of character.
There are some things I want to mention before I finish.
- There feels like a lot of product placement happening throughout, including for things that aren't even real products.
- You do not... I repeat... DO NOT drive by a Greggs without stopping for a chicken bake.
Let's face it, if you even remotely enjoy action and comedy together then you're going to be enjoying this movie. You don't need to switch your brain on to watch this, it's just pure entertainment.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/hobbs-shaw-movie-review.html
Hattie Shaw and her MI6 team have secured a virus that could threaten everyone if it gets into the wrong hands. In a surprise attacked by Brixton, an enhanced "bad guy", her entire team is killed and she has to make a quick decision.
As the story of the missing vial gets out handlers call in their top assets to retrieve it. The trouble is that they hate each other and working together isn't something that's going to work. Hobbs goes looking for Hattie on the streets and Shaw heads to her flat, both set some action they weren't expecting to, highlighting just what they're up against.
As an offshoot from the Fast & Furious franchise you expect the action, but Hobbs & Shaw takes a much bigger step towards comedy, which thankfully both Johnson and Statham are good at. Individually they'll get me to see a film, I might wish I hadn't when I come out of it, but you can pretty much guarantee that they'll give you a consistent result when it comes to the acting.
The two of them together are fun and they bounce off each other with impeccable timing, but there might be just a little bit too much insulting back and forth thrown into this one. It's not that it's bad, it's just that when it happens it can occasionally feel too long. It's almost as if they told them to improvise and they'd cut out a whole load of it and then never did. [One of my favourite bits of them together in the film is at the beginning of the trailer above.]
Vanessa Kirby as Shaw's sister Hattie is a bit more sensible than the leading men, that doesn't mean she's any less engaged in the action though. Right from the off they're showing her as tough and no-nonsense which fits in with the family characteristics. You get some great glimpses of the Shaw kids showing shared traits and it's really nice to see that link on the screen. Outside of the action and the family moments she sadly doesn't feel like a very well-formed character, there are several inconsistencies in her that I found to be confusing. You'd think one of those would be the age gap between her and Deckard, but honestly, until I saw some people mention it online I hadn't noticed it... it's a summer blockbuster... who's watching for those sorts of technicalities?!
Our bad guy Brixton, portrayed by Idris Elba is... yummy. I don't feel like there's much to say about Brixton, he kicks ass, he's got great tech and there's a good history with Shaw... but... he didn't really feel like a bad guy. Eteon certainly felt like an evil empire, but Brixton is just a minion in the grand scheme of things. I have my theories about Eteon, but that would mean major spoilers I'm afraid. I imagine we'll see more of them in the next one.
We get another wonderful pop up from Helen Mirren. Yeeeeeess, Queen! She's brilliant as always. There are a few cameos, and I'm impressed they managed to keep them secret. It was a fun discovery and definitely added to the humour of the whole thing, had you taken them out of the mix then you would have been left a much more "sensible" action film, but they went with it and it was certainly entertaining.
Obviously there's a lot of action, in a lot of different scenes. As ridiculous as it is, I did like the London chase that happens shortly after the jog down the building that you see in the trailer. It includes some good jaw-dropping moments and ends with a particularly satisfying moment. As fun as this sequence was, it does include the most dubious bit of CGI in the whole film... watch for that bike.
My other favourite scene is the finale, the whole thing is kind of long but specifically I'm thinking about Hobbs, Shaw and Brixton facing off. Even before going into the film you know exactly what needs to happen to get to the resolution, so when they get to that point you're sat going "about time!" As the storm sets in we get an amazing sequence with slow-mo of the three of them fighting in the rain. It was immense... some may say daft, but that's totally why I turned up for it. There's also some great glitching of Brixton's tech that I thought worked really well with everything. My only issue is that there's one moment where Jason Statham appears to genuinely smile and it feels completely out of character.
There are some things I want to mention before I finish.
- There feels like a lot of product placement happening throughout, including for things that aren't even real products.
- You do not... I repeat... DO NOT drive by a Greggs without stopping for a chicken bake.
Let's face it, if you even remotely enjoy action and comedy together then you're going to be enjoying this movie. You don't need to switch your brain on to watch this, it's just pure entertainment.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/hobbs-shaw-movie-review.html