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Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Lightning Thief in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I decided to read this partly because I had just seen the movie and partly because I heard that it was a good series for fans of the Harry Potter series. Well, in regards to the movie, it's appalling how much the producers changed the book's plot to make the movie. If they make a second movie, I likely will not be interested, as I much more prefer the book's plot. In regards to the book's similarities to Harry Potter, they are vast, but really, who wouldn't aim to write something as popular and complex as the Harry Potter series? J.K. Rowling owns a castle! So, on to the actual book.
Years ago I thought that writing a fantasy series that uses Greek mythology would be a great idea, so I was excited when I heard of the Percy Jackson series. I love the modernized spin on the various good and bad characters, bringing them to life in both creative and believeable ways, such as Ares on a Harley and "Mr." Charon wearing Italian suits. The "Gods" of mythology at times seemed more like immature teenagers or work-aholic parents, with as much flaws as any normal human, and I really appreciated that they were differentiated from The GOD early on, and their place in the known universe was explained in the context of Percy's world. I especially like the scene of Hephaestus' trap that Percy and Annabeth get caught in. How the "normal" humans explained away the activities of the mythological characters was probably the most creative of the whole text, and at times rather humorous. It actually makes me wonder how much of what I see everyday is only a cover for what is really happening in the spiritual realm.
The only element that really bugged me about the text was how Percy changed from this moody, victimized pre-teen to a rather mature young man with almost no transition - emotional or otherwise. It almost felt like Percy possessed two different personalities that shared the same body. While Percy often says that he did not want to be the son of Poseidon, I found evidence of inner termoil strangely absent throughout the text. I also felt that there were smaller issues that could have been more detailed and developed, such as the characters of Grover and Annabeth. I will be continuing the series with The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2) in the near future.
Years ago I thought that writing a fantasy series that uses Greek mythology would be a great idea, so I was excited when I heard of the Percy Jackson series. I love the modernized spin on the various good and bad characters, bringing them to life in both creative and believeable ways, such as Ares on a Harley and "Mr." Charon wearing Italian suits. The "Gods" of mythology at times seemed more like immature teenagers or work-aholic parents, with as much flaws as any normal human, and I really appreciated that they were differentiated from The GOD early on, and their place in the known universe was explained in the context of Percy's world. I especially like the scene of Hephaestus' trap that Percy and Annabeth get caught in. How the "normal" humans explained away the activities of the mythological characters was probably the most creative of the whole text, and at times rather humorous. It actually makes me wonder how much of what I see everyday is only a cover for what is really happening in the spiritual realm.
The only element that really bugged me about the text was how Percy changed from this moody, victimized pre-teen to a rather mature young man with almost no transition - emotional or otherwise. It almost felt like Percy possessed two different personalities that shared the same body. While Percy often says that he did not want to be the son of Poseidon, I found evidence of inner termoil strangely absent throughout the text. I also felt that there were smaller issues that could have been more detailed and developed, such as the characters of Grover and Annabeth. I will be continuing the series with The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2) in the near future.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) in Movies
May 31, 2018 (Updated May 31, 2018)
American A-bomb test has unexpected consequences when the blast defrosts a frozen, wholly fictional dinosaur; the creature swims off to devastate the nearest city for no particularly well-explained reason. A decent monster movie with a surprisingly gritty tone (by the standards of the genre, anyway); in terms of cultural impact, utterly eclipsed by an unofficial Japanese remake which came out the following year and has had 31 sequels to date.
There are various quirky and tropey bits that will raise a smile for the seasoned viewer of this sort of thing (e.g. the moment when the sweet old supporting character postpones their first holiday in thirty years in order to look for the monster: they might as well have him followed around by a robed man with a scythe), but on the whole it passes the time well enough. There is a sense in which most of the film is just filling time until the climax, when the Rhedosaurus runs amok in the streets of New York, but it does so fairly engagingly; also manages to find a half-decent explanation as to why they don't just bomb the monster to death (Devlin and Emmerich, please take note). Wheeled on for monster-extermination duties is a young Lee van Cleef, who seems slightly annoyed to be appearing in this kind of film. Great fun to watch when you're about seven; stands up pretty well for older viewers, too.
There are various quirky and tropey bits that will raise a smile for the seasoned viewer of this sort of thing (e.g. the moment when the sweet old supporting character postpones their first holiday in thirty years in order to look for the monster: they might as well have him followed around by a robed man with a scythe), but on the whole it passes the time well enough. There is a sense in which most of the film is just filling time until the climax, when the Rhedosaurus runs amok in the streets of New York, but it does so fairly engagingly; also manages to find a half-decent explanation as to why they don't just bomb the monster to death (Devlin and Emmerich, please take note). Wheeled on for monster-extermination duties is a young Lee van Cleef, who seems slightly annoyed to be appearing in this kind of film. Great fun to watch when you're about seven; stands up pretty well for older viewers, too.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Again Again in Books
Jun 12, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
In Again Again, E. Lockhart is inventive in the way she tells the story of Adelaide Buchwald and her life. Lockhart asks if you could redo some events or moments in your life, would you? Again Again shows for every opportunity you did not take; there is a different one that you did. It reminded me of the old saying, "When one door closes, another opens."
I found the synopsis misleading in that it did not match the energy of the book. The story is a nicely paced story about a teenage girl with ups and downs. The synopsis sounded as if it was describing an adventure movie.
I had difficulty getting into the story, but once I realized Lockhart's intent, I found it flowed well. Again Again is a charming story that is not a new one. However, how Lockart reveals the story is what makes this a good read.
Again Again is marketed as a romance. While there is some teenage angst, it is more of a book of Adelaide trying to live an as-happy/normal-as-a-teenager-can-be life and deal with complex emotions, happy, grief, fear, anger, love, etc.
Also, be sure to read Emily Lockhart's We Were Liars.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/12/20.
In Again Again, E. Lockhart is inventive in the way she tells the story of Adelaide Buchwald and her life. Lockhart asks if you could redo some events or moments in your life, would you? Again Again shows for every opportunity you did not take; there is a different one that you did. It reminded me of the old saying, "When one door closes, another opens."
I found the synopsis misleading in that it did not match the energy of the book. The story is a nicely paced story about a teenage girl with ups and downs. The synopsis sounded as if it was describing an adventure movie.
I had difficulty getting into the story, but once I realized Lockhart's intent, I found it flowed well. Again Again is a charming story that is not a new one. However, how Lockart reveals the story is what makes this a good read.
Again Again is marketed as a romance. While there is some teenage angst, it is more of a book of Adelaide trying to live an as-happy/normal-as-a-teenager-can-be life and deal with complex emotions, happy, grief, fear, anger, love, etc.
Also, be sure to read Emily Lockhart's We Were Liars.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/12/20.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Movieland in Books
Jul 26, 2022 (Updated Jul 26, 2022)
A Sniper in the State Park
Eve Ronin’s latest case starts in Malibu Creek State Park. A former movie studio backlot, it’s been known for hiking and camping for years. But someone shot at two female campers, killing one and wounding the other. Eve’s partner, Duncan Pavone, immediately connects the shooting to some cases he was investigating before Eve joined the department, but the higher ups are refusing to acknowledge that this is anything but an isolated incident. Can Eve find the truth no matter where it lays?
This strong book may be the best in the series to date. I couldn’t figure out where the plot was going to go for quite a while, and I mean that in the best way possible. Once I reached the end, everything was resolved in a logical manner. Eve got some great growth here, and all the characters, old and new, were strong and at their best. There are a couple of sub-plots that grow out of the events in previous books in the series. While you could read this as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order. Since this is a police procedural, there is a tad more content that I try to avoid, but it was kept to a minimum. I also really enjoyed the humor in the book. If you are looking for a strong mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
This strong book may be the best in the series to date. I couldn’t figure out where the plot was going to go for quite a while, and I mean that in the best way possible. Once I reached the end, everything was resolved in a logical manner. Eve got some great growth here, and all the characters, old and new, were strong and at their best. There are a couple of sub-plots that grow out of the events in previous books in the series. While you could read this as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order. Since this is a police procedural, there is a tad more content that I try to avoid, but it was kept to a minimum. I also really enjoyed the humor in the book. If you are looking for a strong mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Wonder Woman: Warbringer in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I must start off by saying that I picked up this book completely on a whim. I had seen the Wonder Woman movie and hadn't cared for it at all. I've noticed over the last couple years that I am definitely more of a Marvel fan than I am DC; however, that being said, I ended up enjoying this book A LOT. Another thing I need to point no matter how ashamed I am of this; Wonder Woman was the first book I've read by Leigh Bardugo. I've heard a lot about her writing style around booktube, and she has tons of fans. I must admit I quite enjoyed her writing style and even went so far as to purchase Shadow & Bone immediately after finishing this book.
I read this book in 2 ways. I physically read some of it and I also listened to a bit of it on Overdrive from my local library. I really enjoyed both aspects of it. Wonder Woman as a character was very well written and her journey in this story was much more enjoyable than in the movie.
The plot of the story was unique and moved along quickly which kept me deeply enthralled in the story and left me not wanting to put the book down. The characters are we written (especially WW). The supporting characters are easy to relate to, but when all is said and done I must admit they were easy to forget.
Overall I give it 4 stars and look forward to the other DC books that are coming out in the coming months.
I read this book in 2 ways. I physically read some of it and I also listened to a bit of it on Overdrive from my local library. I really enjoyed both aspects of it. Wonder Woman as a character was very well written and her journey in this story was much more enjoyable than in the movie.
The plot of the story was unique and moved along quickly which kept me deeply enthralled in the story and left me not wanting to put the book down. The characters are we written (especially WW). The supporting characters are easy to relate to, but when all is said and done I must admit they were easy to forget.
Overall I give it 4 stars and look forward to the other DC books that are coming out in the coming months.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Story: The Meaning of Life is a series of different ideas of the meaning of life from point of views, we enter into different class, different religions and different careers. Each chapter connects to the previous which adds to the bigger point in the comedy behind just what is being poked fun at.
Thoughts on The Meaning of Life
Story – With this being a series of sketches it doesn’t make it difficult to talk about the story, we have so many different mini stories which are clearly put together to show the different stages of life, from birth to death as the search for the meaning of life is put together. Most of the sketches generally miss which end up feeling flat as they just don’t build up to the moment of comedy required, it has also ended up feeling very dated with the way it handles everything in a not so subtle manor.
Comedy – The comedy in this film is all about taste, if you are not a fan of the Monty Python team, you won’t enjoy the comedy through the film, bit like myself. If you are a fan you will get to laugh more.
Settings – The film takes us to multiply locations for each sketches, each will become clear for the message trying to be told.
Scene of the Movie – Catholic and Protestants
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of the comedy misses.
Final Thoughts – This is a sketch movie that tries to play through important moments in history and only feels too forced for anything to really be anything special.
Overall: Sketch show comedy.
Thoughts on The Meaning of Life
Story – With this being a series of sketches it doesn’t make it difficult to talk about the story, we have so many different mini stories which are clearly put together to show the different stages of life, from birth to death as the search for the meaning of life is put together. Most of the sketches generally miss which end up feeling flat as they just don’t build up to the moment of comedy required, it has also ended up feeling very dated with the way it handles everything in a not so subtle manor.
Comedy – The comedy in this film is all about taste, if you are not a fan of the Monty Python team, you won’t enjoy the comedy through the film, bit like myself. If you are a fan you will get to laugh more.
Settings – The film takes us to multiply locations for each sketches, each will become clear for the message trying to be told.
Scene of the Movie – Catholic and Protestants
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of the comedy misses.
Final Thoughts – This is a sketch movie that tries to play through important moments in history and only feels too forced for anything to really be anything special.
Overall: Sketch show comedy.
When the Cock Crows: A History of the Pathe Exchange
Book
Influential during Hollywood's silent-film era, the Pathe Exchange was a multinational film company...
Chris Columbus recommended On the Waterfront (1954) in Movies (curated)
Lenard (726 KP) rated Late Night (2019) in Movies
Aug 26, 2019
Late Night is a well-written comedy about a non-white female hired to add diversity to the writing staff of a late night talk show. Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson showing the comic skills developed during her university days as Hugh Laurie's girlfriend) is a older sophisticated woman who hosts a show whose audience is dying off, literally in some cases and figuratively. If things do not improve, she will no longer be host of her eponymous talk show. So, in an unexpected but obvious hiring decision, Molly Patel is hired to join the writing staff. At first, seen as an interloper with little comedy or writing experience, Molly uses her Mindy Kaling charm to win over her co-workers and her boss. As Katherine starts to see a way to take advantage of her uniqueness and the youth of Molly, she challenges the status quo of late night.
The movie is charming. The characters are developed and not cardboard cutouts of caricatures thanks to the writing, Max Casella, Reid Scott, Denis O'Hare, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan, and John Lithgow have backstories and motivations. However, the movie never really goes after the boys' club landscape that late night television inhabits nor does it go after the concept of diversity hires. It simply turns Molly into some sprite who sprinkles enthusiasm into the mundane lives of the people she encounters. Late Night also begins the campaign for John Lithgow as this year's Best Supporting Actor, Not for this role as the mentor for Molly's transformation to strong woman and devoted husband of Katherine who learns the meaning of karma, but for his role later this year as Roger Ailes.
The movie is charming. The characters are developed and not cardboard cutouts of caricatures thanks to the writing, Max Casella, Reid Scott, Denis O'Hare, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan, and John Lithgow have backstories and motivations. However, the movie never really goes after the boys' club landscape that late night television inhabits nor does it go after the concept of diversity hires. It simply turns Molly into some sprite who sprinkles enthusiasm into the mundane lives of the people she encounters. Late Night also begins the campaign for John Lithgow as this year's Best Supporting Actor, Not for this role as the mentor for Molly's transformation to strong woman and devoted husband of Katherine who learns the meaning of karma, but for his role later this year as Roger Ailes.
BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated Toy Story 3 (2010) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
It's hard to believe this movie came out 9 years ago.... yet I know I've seen it enough to count those years. It's not my favourite Toy Story, mainly because I loved the first one so much, but it's by far the most influential one. It encouraged me to get rid of some of my toys and give them to charity stores for other children to use. Better home for them. I do however have a Strawberry scented Lotso of my own who I'm still not convinced isn't evil but he sure smells good!
Also like to add... Barbie and Ken? Adorable!!!!
And so glad Bonny was given the toys... they will love her! (See Toy Story 4)
Also like to add... Barbie and Ken? Adorable!!!!
And so glad Bonny was given the toys... they will love her! (See Toy Story 4)