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Sadiq Khan: The Making of a Mayor
Book
When Sadiq Khan was elected London mayor, his victory immediately became a global phenomenon. As the...
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
In the 1st film Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) move to the suburbs when they welcome an infant daughter into their lives name Stella (Zoey Vargas). All goes well with the couple, until Delta Psi Beta fraternity moves in next door. The fraternity leader Teddy (Zac Efron) aspires to join Delta Psi’s Hall of Fame by throwing a massive end of the year party, which end up shutting down the fraternity once and for all.
In the sequel, a few years after Mac and Kelly, pregnant with their second baby, are preparing to sell their house, when another couple agrees to take their property off their hands with one condition 30 days to inspect the house and make sure that everything is up to snuff. Unfortunately there is some bad news; the new tenants of the house next door are going to be louder than the previous ones.
The freshmen, Beth (Kiersey Clemons), Nora (Beanie Feldstein) and Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz) tried joining to one of their school sororities, but found out that only the fraternities are allow to throw parties, and when they do the girls are victims of constant harassment, the drinks are spiked and the guys trying to have sex with them every minute even if is consensual or not. So Beth, Nora and Shelby decide to start their own sorority, Kappa Nu, where the girls don’t have to dress to impress, where they embrace self-respect and partying hard as a show of defiance.
The member of Kappa Nu are Mac and Kelly’s new neighbors, who are not very pleased about it, but when Mac ask them to keep quiet during the escrow period, he becomes just another man telling them what to do, so the war begins.
Neighbors 2 is uproariously funny, ridiculous and almost breathtaking dirty providing a successful attempt to have a great sequel. Being able to watch Zac Efron shirtless and wearing short shorts for prolonged periods of time is always a plus. It is hard to believe than nine years ago Seth Rogen was the chubby stoner with a terrible idea for a porn site in Knocked up and now He is the father of the year. Although I think that it is a shame that ,LLCoolJ ,didn’t make it to the final cut as was shown in the trailer, but I have to admit it was a nice touch having Zoey Vargas playing Stella for the second time, she is adorable. I only can say you’ll laugh if you’re young, you’ll laugh if you’re old, there is plenty of jokes and many disgusting and strong visual gags, and I loved it.
In the sequel, a few years after Mac and Kelly, pregnant with their second baby, are preparing to sell their house, when another couple agrees to take their property off their hands with one condition 30 days to inspect the house and make sure that everything is up to snuff. Unfortunately there is some bad news; the new tenants of the house next door are going to be louder than the previous ones.
The freshmen, Beth (Kiersey Clemons), Nora (Beanie Feldstein) and Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz) tried joining to one of their school sororities, but found out that only the fraternities are allow to throw parties, and when they do the girls are victims of constant harassment, the drinks are spiked and the guys trying to have sex with them every minute even if is consensual or not. So Beth, Nora and Shelby decide to start their own sorority, Kappa Nu, where the girls don’t have to dress to impress, where they embrace self-respect and partying hard as a show of defiance.
The member of Kappa Nu are Mac and Kelly’s new neighbors, who are not very pleased about it, but when Mac ask them to keep quiet during the escrow period, he becomes just another man telling them what to do, so the war begins.
Neighbors 2 is uproariously funny, ridiculous and almost breathtaking dirty providing a successful attempt to have a great sequel. Being able to watch Zac Efron shirtless and wearing short shorts for prolonged periods of time is always a plus. It is hard to believe than nine years ago Seth Rogen was the chubby stoner with a terrible idea for a porn site in Knocked up and now He is the father of the year. Although I think that it is a shame that ,LLCoolJ ,didn’t make it to the final cut as was shown in the trailer, but I have to admit it was a nice touch having Zoey Vargas playing Stella for the second time, she is adorable. I only can say you’ll laugh if you’re young, you’ll laugh if you’re old, there is plenty of jokes and many disgusting and strong visual gags, and I loved it.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Nov 25, 2018
A truly remarkable original modern musical classic!
I'm sure by now I am the only person in the world who hadn't seen The Greatest Showman until tonight. It was very much worth the wait.
The songs, look, art direction, make up, costumes, sets and cinematography were the true stars along with fantastic, mesmerizing performances by the entire cast. I was worried about Zac Efron, but he really held his own and I forgot about his High School Musical days. It was also surprising to see Michelle Williams in this type of role since I am used to seeing her in heavy dramas where she nearly never smiles. That was a pleasant surprise also.
Have to mention Hugh Jackman, a role he was born to play. He has to be the only actor who can command such a presence in gritty action films and charismatic characters like this one.
I could've done without the CGI lions and elephants since they did not look realistic and kind of took you out of those moments but a minor complaint.
The plot is certainly one from a musical meaning non super complicated or in-depth, maybe a little cheesy; however, it didn't bother me in this case.
I'm sure I'll be humming these songs for some time to come and watching it again with my daughter soon.
The songs, look, art direction, make up, costumes, sets and cinematography were the true stars along with fantastic, mesmerizing performances by the entire cast. I was worried about Zac Efron, but he really held his own and I forgot about his High School Musical days. It was also surprising to see Michelle Williams in this type of role since I am used to seeing her in heavy dramas where she nearly never smiles. That was a pleasant surprise also.
Have to mention Hugh Jackman, a role he was born to play. He has to be the only actor who can command such a presence in gritty action films and charismatic characters like this one.
I could've done without the CGI lions and elephants since they did not look realistic and kind of took you out of those moments but a minor complaint.
The plot is certainly one from a musical meaning non super complicated or in-depth, maybe a little cheesy; however, it didn't bother me in this case.
I'm sure I'll be humming these songs for some time to come and watching it again with my daughter soon.
The Bergdorf Goodman Cookbook
Book
A stylish collection of 100 recipes from the renowned BG restaurant at the singular luxury shopping...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated From Sky to Sky (No Less Days, #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2021
From Sky to Sky was such a different story, from the literal first page you are immersed in this world where a few people have been blessed, or cursed, with long life. Amanda G. Stevens took me on a journey of questioning why we live each day as if we have an infinite amount when we truly do not know how many days we get to live. She presented the gospel through her characters in a very meaningful and honest way, not shying away from the struggles people face. I thought that Zac was an interesting character and that he showed a lot of caring given his situation. The other secondary characters were also well developed, and I hope to learn more about them in the books that follow, as this book left me with a sense of just beginning to know their characters.
I would highly recommend reading this series in order as From Sky to Sky does drop you into an already moving plot, that is easier to understand after having read the first book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative storyline, the consistent characters, and for making me think about how fragile life really is.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
I would highly recommend reading this series in order as From Sky to Sky does drop you into an already moving plot, that is easier to understand after having read the first book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative storyline, the consistent characters, and for making me think about how fragile life really is.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Someone Like Me in Books
Jul 14, 2019
A great paranormal thriller!
I always know I’m going to get a book from M R Carey that stretches my imagination, keeps me guessing and makes me late for work (actually, that last one isn’t so good, to be honest). I don’t want to say too much about what actually happens in this book at the risk of giving the whole plot away, but here goes!
Liz is a single mother with two children, and the book starts with their father returning the children late from spending the weekend with him. When Liz points out that they have school in the morning, he snaps. He starts to strangle her, and just as she thinks he’s going to kill her, she senses an outside influence taking her over. This ‘influence’ saves her life.
Fran is a teenager coping with the PTSD and hallucinations caused by her kidnapping as a six year old. Their paths cross thanks to Zac, Liz’s seventeen year old son.
This is a story that requires the reader to leave their rational, logical mindset at the door - and I’m all for that! I loved everything about this book. I don’t know how M.R. Carey comes up with the ideas for his novels, but I’m just incredibly glad that he does!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Liz is a single mother with two children, and the book starts with their father returning the children late from spending the weekend with him. When Liz points out that they have school in the morning, he snaps. He starts to strangle her, and just as she thinks he’s going to kill her, she senses an outside influence taking her over. This ‘influence’ saves her life.
Fran is a teenager coping with the PTSD and hallucinations caused by her kidnapping as a six year old. Their paths cross thanks to Zac, Liz’s seventeen year old son.
This is a story that requires the reader to leave their rational, logical mindset at the door - and I’m all for that! I loved everything about this book. I don’t know how M.R. Carey comes up with the ideas for his novels, but I’m just incredibly glad that he does!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Burn the Dark ( Elwood Legacy book2) in Books
Mar 26, 2023
🔞🔞
35 of 235
Kindle
Burn the Dark ( Elwood Legacy book 2)
By Nicola Rose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
What if the good guy you fell for turned bad, and the bad guy swooped in to save the day?
When I'm abducted, Zac is forced to make the decision he’s been running from for decades. Forever changed, he’s ripped away from me — leaving the perfect sized hole for Alex to step into.
Struggling to come to terms with our own changes, Alex and I must work together to fix this mess caused by ancient legacy and a vampire leader hell-bent on using us for his own gain.
But the vampires aren’t the only ones with something dark running through their veins… maybe underestimating me was the biggest mistake they all made?
This stepped up a bit! I enjoyed the first book and loved Jess and this one was no different she is a really good character. This book stepped up on the darkness a touch and may be a trigger to some with rape and abuse issues or those sensitive to reading that sort of material. Overall we got some kickass powers from Jess and Alex finally stepping up. This is a really good dark series and I’m still convinced a little lie a certain popular tv show.
35 of 235
Kindle
Burn the Dark ( Elwood Legacy book 2)
By Nicola Rose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
What if the good guy you fell for turned bad, and the bad guy swooped in to save the day?
When I'm abducted, Zac is forced to make the decision he’s been running from for decades. Forever changed, he’s ripped away from me — leaving the perfect sized hole for Alex to step into.
Struggling to come to terms with our own changes, Alex and I must work together to fix this mess caused by ancient legacy and a vampire leader hell-bent on using us for his own gain.
But the vampires aren’t the only ones with something dark running through their veins… maybe underestimating me was the biggest mistake they all made?
This stepped up a bit! I enjoyed the first book and loved Jess and this one was no different she is a really good character. This book stepped up on the darkness a touch and may be a trigger to some with rape and abuse issues or those sensitive to reading that sort of material. Overall we got some kickass powers from Jess and Alex finally stepping up. This is a really good dark series and I’m still convinced a little lie a certain popular tv show.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Dec 28, 2017
Music (1 more)
Hugh Jackman
Heartwarming with a fantastic soundtrack
I'll be honest and say that I'm a sucker for musicals, so it was pretty unlikely that I was ever not going to like this. And unsurprisingly, I did think it was really good.
It's a genuinely feel good and enjoyable film, with a fantastic soundtrack. The plot is interesting and they speed through the storyline instead of dwelling and trying to drag it out beyond the 2 hour mark. Hugh Jackman is probably one of the best and most loveable leading men in Hollywood and he puts on another fine show here. It's so entertaining to watch him sing and dance. It was refreshing too to see Zac Efron singing and dancing again since his High School Musical days.
Parts of the script and some scenes seem a little bit cheesy and cringeworthy, but fortunately the true star of this film is the music. All the songs were catchy and made me really want to sing along. They were that good that I have a feeling the soundtrack is going to be on repeat in my car now for quite some time to come.
I tend to rate films based on whether I'd go out and buy them, and I would definitely fork out some cash for this. Although it isn't the best musical I've ever seen, it's still hugely enjoyable with brilliant music.
It's a genuinely feel good and enjoyable film, with a fantastic soundtrack. The plot is interesting and they speed through the storyline instead of dwelling and trying to drag it out beyond the 2 hour mark. Hugh Jackman is probably one of the best and most loveable leading men in Hollywood and he puts on another fine show here. It's so entertaining to watch him sing and dance. It was refreshing too to see Zac Efron singing and dancing again since his High School Musical days.
Parts of the script and some scenes seem a little bit cheesy and cringeworthy, but fortunately the true star of this film is the music. All the songs were catchy and made me really want to sing along. They were that good that I have a feeling the soundtrack is going to be on repeat in my car now for quite some time to come.
I tend to rate films based on whether I'd go out and buy them, and I would definitely fork out some cash for this. Although it isn't the best musical I've ever seen, it's still hugely enjoyable with brilliant music.
Saffy Alexandra (89 KP) rated Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes in TV
Jun 10, 2019
After the huge hype about a new movie coming out called Ted Bundy featuring Zac Efron of course there was going to be a mass calling for more information on the serial killer. So when on Netflix they said they were doing a series on unseen and unheard clips of Ted Bundy then I, like many, were pulled in ready to be wowed.
I was left a little underwhelmed and a bit dissapointed to be honest. I think I was expecting more drama or something we hadn't ever heard about Ted Bundy, but if you had already done your research (or even Wikipedia'ed him) then this TV series didn't really give you much more.
The first few episodes I felt were very slow and didn't really hold my attention but through perseverance I kept with the show till the end.
It was interesting and hearing and seeing actual witnesses and people from Ted Bundy's life was certainly one plus to watching this series and an interesting input and out look on the serial killer.
What most fascinated me was the fact that police ended up going to Ted Bundy and asking him to help them solve other Serial Killer murders, that was possibly the most eye-opening through out this.
An interesting series if you haven't seen or heard about Ted Bundy and a clever outlook to the Serial Killer, but over all not a winner in my eyes.
I was left a little underwhelmed and a bit dissapointed to be honest. I think I was expecting more drama or something we hadn't ever heard about Ted Bundy, but if you had already done your research (or even Wikipedia'ed him) then this TV series didn't really give you much more.
The first few episodes I felt were very slow and didn't really hold my attention but through perseverance I kept with the show till the end.
It was interesting and hearing and seeing actual witnesses and people from Ted Bundy's life was certainly one plus to watching this series and an interesting input and out look on the serial killer.
What most fascinated me was the fact that police ended up going to Ted Bundy and asking him to help them solve other Serial Killer murders, that was possibly the most eye-opening through out this.
An interesting series if you haven't seen or heard about Ted Bundy and a clever outlook to the Serial Killer, but over all not a winner in my eyes.
Rachel Maria Berney (114 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Dec 7, 2018
A musical for non-musical fans
I hate musicals, I avoid them like the plague. My daughter decided to put this on and I ended up sitting and watching the whole thing by myself, she wandered off to play.
This is a musical that even the haters of musicals I think would enjoy. The only reason I can see why I didn't mind and actually liked some of the songs is the irony and sarcasm that was inherent in the songs and in the acting whilst they were singing. Normally, the people singing, whether it's a happy or sad song, have those insane asylum grins plastered to their faces, which make you feel uncomfortable. The songs were catchy, warning, they stay with you for days.
The story line was good, I enjoyed it. The acting was very good and the singing not that bad. I was surprised to find out Hugh Jackman was the leading man, I didn't recognise him at all at first. Took me a while to figure our that it was Zac Effron supporting too.
The costumes and make-up were fantastic and the actual shows were really good to watch. I would love to know what they would've been like at the real Barnum circus, as well as what the real relationships were within the troupe. Intrigued me enough that I am going to put my history at uni to use and research it.
I think if you take a chance and watch this, you will be pleasantly surprised.
This is a musical that even the haters of musicals I think would enjoy. The only reason I can see why I didn't mind and actually liked some of the songs is the irony and sarcasm that was inherent in the songs and in the acting whilst they were singing. Normally, the people singing, whether it's a happy or sad song, have those insane asylum grins plastered to their faces, which make you feel uncomfortable. The songs were catchy, warning, they stay with you for days.
The story line was good, I enjoyed it. The acting was very good and the singing not that bad. I was surprised to find out Hugh Jackman was the leading man, I didn't recognise him at all at first. Took me a while to figure our that it was Zac Effron supporting too.
The costumes and make-up were fantastic and the actual shows were really good to watch. I would love to know what they would've been like at the real Barnum circus, as well as what the real relationships were within the troupe. Intrigued me enough that I am going to put my history at uni to use and research it.
I think if you take a chance and watch this, you will be pleasantly surprised.