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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Titane (2021) in Movies
Mar 22, 2022
Titane is a truly mind bending experience, with several layers to work through to get to its core. It's been marketed as a sex fuelled body horror, which it certainly is to a degree, but beyond that, it's a fascinating character drama between two people who are coasting through life with their own separate issues. It's a love story that explores grief to an uneasy level, and dives headfirst into gender fluidity in the modern world. It's a bold vision that uses horror to great effect. To delve into the details any further would defeat the whole point of how the narrative unfolds - definitely recommend going in as blind as possible.
Agathe Rousselle is a revelation in the lead roll, an actor who certianly comes across as steadfast and fearless in her first feature length project. I'm excited to see what she brings to the table in the future. Vincent Lindon by comparison is a veteran of the industry, and the two of them share a chemistry that is equally electric as it is uncomfortable.
It's wonderfully directed by Julia Ducournau, who has crafted a visually striking and vibrant piece that will worm it's way into your brain and stay there for a while. Between this and her last film Raw, she surely has a big part to play in the future of the genre.
Titane isn't an easy watch, and is sometimes challenging, but is ultimately rewarding, and certainly unique. A modern body horror that gets under the skin in more ways than one.
Agathe Rousselle is a revelation in the lead roll, an actor who certianly comes across as steadfast and fearless in her first feature length project. I'm excited to see what she brings to the table in the future. Vincent Lindon by comparison is a veteran of the industry, and the two of them share a chemistry that is equally electric as it is uncomfortable.
It's wonderfully directed by Julia Ducournau, who has crafted a visually striking and vibrant piece that will worm it's way into your brain and stay there for a while. Between this and her last film Raw, she surely has a big part to play in the future of the genre.
Titane isn't an easy watch, and is sometimes challenging, but is ultimately rewarding, and certainly unique. A modern body horror that gets under the skin in more ways than one.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated Live, Local, and Dead in Books
Oct 15, 2022
Politics Makes for a Bad Cozy Mystery
Jaye Jordan is making a go of it at the local Vermont radio station she has bought. However, some of the changes she has made haven’t been hits with all her neighbors. When she finally has enough with two of them protesting outside her station, she takes their gun and fires it into a snowman. Unfortunately, the snowman was hiding the dead body of Edwin Anger, a conservative talk show host whose syndicated show Jaye had just taken off her station. How did he get there?
A body in a snowman is an intriguing premise, so I went into this book with high hopes. Sadly, it was obvious fairly early on the book wasn’t going to deliver on them. The problem starts with the characters. While Jaye and the rest of the obvious series regulars are fun characters, the cast is filled with conservative stereotypes that are the worst examples of liberal views of conservatives. Meanwhile the main characters said some things that made me roll my eyes. The plot was a series of events with hardly any investigation at all. More specific complaints would get into spoiler territory. There was quite a bit of (mostly mild) foul language as well. While the book does have some genuinely funny moments, they felt at odds with some of the things that were going on in the story. I kept reading, hoping the author had something up her sleeve that would redeem the book, but it never happened. I recommend you avoid this book.
A body in a snowman is an intriguing premise, so I went into this book with high hopes. Sadly, it was obvious fairly early on the book wasn’t going to deliver on them. The problem starts with the characters. While Jaye and the rest of the obvious series regulars are fun characters, the cast is filled with conservative stereotypes that are the worst examples of liberal views of conservatives. Meanwhile the main characters said some things that made me roll my eyes. The plot was a series of events with hardly any investigation at all. More specific complaints would get into spoiler territory. There was quite a bit of (mostly mild) foul language as well. While the book does have some genuinely funny moments, they felt at odds with some of the things that were going on in the story. I kept reading, hoping the author had something up her sleeve that would redeem the book, but it never happened. I recommend you avoid this book.
Garbage (The SPARK Files, #1)
10.0
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Evan isn’t brave. But when he hears a group of Human Firsters attacking a garbage collection...
MM Science Fiction Romance Hurt/Comfort
Rockin’ Around the Chickadee
9.0
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Bells are ringing and alarms are sounding in Donna Andrews' latest cheery addition in the New York...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning in Books
Jul 26, 2024
A Little Murder for Christmas
This year, Anty Boisjoly is planning to spend Christmas with his aunt Azalea, who is a bit of a recluse. He hasn’t visited her in years, in fact. When Anty arrives, Azalea informs him that she’s just discovered the body of her next-door neighbor, a man she’d begun to be friendly with. The victim is a local war hero, and everyone in the village is upset by the news. Unfortunately, the footprints in the snow make it look like Azalea is the only person who could have realistically killed the man. Oh, and there’s also the fact that he was seen by many people in the pub hours after Azalea claims she found the body. Can Anty figure out what really happened and prove his aunt innocent?
The book doesn’t hesitate, jumping into the murder in the first chapter. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, especially early on. The further I got into the book, the more impossibility we saw, and the more I was engaged. By the end, everything made sense. I also found the suspects a little shallow. I loved the first in the series, so maybe my expectations were too high here. The one thing that was definitely the same as the first book was the dry wit. I laughed so much reading this book. We get some nice Christmas cheer over the course of the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone looking for a humorous impossible crime mystery.
The book doesn’t hesitate, jumping into the murder in the first chapter. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, especially early on. The further I got into the book, the more impossibility we saw, and the more I was engaged. By the end, everything made sense. I also found the suspects a little shallow. I loved the first in the series, so maybe my expectations were too high here. The one thing that was definitely the same as the first book was the dry wit. I laughed so much reading this book. We get some nice Christmas cheer over the course of the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone looking for a humorous impossible crime mystery.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Body Electric in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[Beth Revis] does it again with [The Body Electric]. In this futuristic world things are not always what they may seem. Ella is miserable due to the death of her father and the impending death of her mother. She just wants to be happy and make her mother happy. Unfortunately there are dark secrets hidden that will turn her world upside down.
If you have been wise enough to read the [Across the Universe] trilogy (and if you haven't you should, NOW) you will recognize the wonderful writing style and storytelling as well as references to Godspeed. [Revis] imagines a dark yet hopeful future. She does a magnificent job of showing both the good and evil of the human spirit.
If you have been wise enough to read the [Across the Universe] trilogy (and if you haven't you should, NOW) you will recognize the wonderful writing style and storytelling as well as references to Godspeed. [Revis] imagines a dark yet hopeful future. She does a magnificent job of showing both the good and evil of the human spirit.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Art of Racing in the Rain in Books
Jan 15, 2018
Wow! The best thing I can say about this book is READ IT! I adored it.
Anyone that has ever loved a dog will love this book. It is written with so much heart & love poured in to it. I cried my way through it & didn't want it to end at all. But thankfully the ending was very well written & provided good closure. Enzo didn't need his soul to leave his body to come back as a man, he was very much a human even though he was a dog. This story really got to me as I often refer to my dog as a person. He has so many expressions, it's hard to think of him in any other light.
Anyone that has ever loved a dog will love this book. It is written with so much heart & love poured in to it. I cried my way through it & didn't want it to end at all. But thankfully the ending was very well written & provided good closure. Enzo didn't need his soul to leave his body to come back as a man, he was very much a human even though he was a dog. This story really got to me as I often refer to my dog as a person. He has so many expressions, it's hard to think of him in any other light.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Project Almanac (2015) in Movies
Apr 29, 2018
A modern but sadly unnecessary take on time travel
The problem with time travel films is that there's quite a few out there and they're all fairly similar. Project Almanac really suffers as it is sadly inferior to most of these other films, some of which it even references here.
Its a stylish and modern take on time travel and this is one of the good things about this film. It also paints the act of travelling in time as a little harsher on the body than most. The problem is the plot is fairly predictable, some of it is just silly and doesn't make sense, and the ending is just plain old stupid. There's potential here, it's just a shame they haven't done anything with it.
Its a stylish and modern take on time travel and this is one of the good things about this film. It also paints the act of travelling in time as a little harsher on the body than most. The problem is the plot is fairly predictable, some of it is just silly and doesn't make sense, and the ending is just plain old stupid. There's potential here, it's just a shame they haven't done anything with it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated Trunk Music (Harry Bosch #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Harry Bosch is back working homicide, and his first case involves a body left in a car trunk. It looks like the victim was the victim of a mob hit, and he has connections in Las Vegas. Is the case really going to be that simple?
Bosch’s cases are always fun, and this book is no exception. I was able to spot a couple of the twists coming a little early, but that was a minor complaint. The characters are strong, both returning and new. A face from Bosch’s past comes back into his life here, and I love his new lieutenant.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-trunk-music-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Bosch’s cases are always fun, and this book is no exception. I was able to spot a couple of the twists coming a little early, but that was a minor complaint. The characters are strong, both returning and new. A face from Bosch’s past comes back into his life here, and I love his new lieutenant.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-trunk-music-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Charlie's high school rival, successful novelist Godfrey Priest, comes to down, Charlie isn't too thrilled. Godfrey was always an ego driven jerk, and time and success hasn't changed any of that. But when Godfrey is killed and Charlie finds the body, he starts poking around trying to figure out who did it.
This series debut had lots of twists to the plot, even in the first 100 pages. The characters were real and fresh right out of the gate as well. I truly felt for them. I can't wait to visit them with the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-murder-past-due-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This series debut had lots of twists to the plot, even in the first 100 pages. The characters were real and fresh right out of the gate as well. I truly felt for them. I can't wait to visit them with the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-murder-past-due-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.