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Back to the Future (Pop Classics)
Book
Great Scott!! The latest in Quirk's series of Pop Classic Picture Books (following HOME ALONE, THE...

Andy K (10823 KP) rated Red Sparrow (2018) in Movies
Dec 30, 2018
Clever espionage thriller
While Jennifer Lawrence may not be my favorite (or I haven't seen a lot of her films), I thought she held her own and did an amicable job (maybe the accent not so much) through this heavy plot in a slightly too long thriller.
She plays a ballet dancer who is forced t work for the government in trade for state sponsored benefits for her and her mother to continue.
The plot gets a little muddled and confusing as to who is on which side in the middle of the film. People keep switching sides or double crossing each other so it becomes hard to follow at times.
It felt like the film could've lost like 20 minutes and been more coherent and quicker paced. Having not read the book, I cannot compare it (although differing from the book does not make it worse). I'll go to my grave defending that point.
I was never bored while watching and would definitely recommend.
She plays a ballet dancer who is forced t work for the government in trade for state sponsored benefits for her and her mother to continue.
The plot gets a little muddled and confusing as to who is on which side in the middle of the film. People keep switching sides or double crossing each other so it becomes hard to follow at times.
It felt like the film could've lost like 20 minutes and been more coherent and quicker paced. Having not read the book, I cannot compare it (although differing from the book does not make it worse). I'll go to my grave defending that point.
I was never bored while watching and would definitely recommend.

Karim Ainouz recommended The Piano Teacher (La Pianiste) (2001) in Movies (curated)
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief review
This book is such an amazing, attention gripping story about the adventure of half blood Percy Jackson. The link between the real world and the fantasy world of Greek mythology makes this novel stand out amongst others, it makes the whole plot of the story much more exciting as well as being educational about Greek beliefs in mythology.

James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Hitler's Secret in Books
May 31, 2020
Exhilarating
Pace. This book has it, the most brilliant, non stop, don't put the book down pace. Despite finding WW2 fascinating I never thought of liking a spy thriller set then but actually it worked incredibly. Imagine being an enemy in an evil fascist state full of vile nazis and corruption, it is tense from start to finish, never letting up easing off. It will have your heart racing and reading just one more chapter every time. Extraordinarily exhilarating, Hitlers Secret is better than Bond.

The Princess Bride: A Storybook to Color
Book
Color your way through Florin to the Fire Swamps and back again, with The Princess Bride: A...

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Evil Dead (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
One of the greatest horror movies of all time would have to be “The Evil Dead” which had been spawned by Sam Raimi and his original short film “Within the Woods”. “Within the Woods” was filmed with the intent of gaining investors to collaborate on a full length film starring the then unknown God of “B” horror movies Bruce Campbell. “The Evil Dead” and its predecessor “Within the Woods” was meant to be serious and horrifying, though that proved to be hard with a smaller budget that Raimi and Campbell had originally hoped for. Little did they know that Evil Dead would become one of the largest trilogies in cult film histories.
Based on Raimi’s original 1981 script, five young adult friends set out on a short vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. Whilst reading from a book that was obviously supposed to stay hidden, one of them ends up summoning dormant demons that end up causing havoc among the group. Killing them off one by one. Though the aura of the film is somewhat similar to the original, we all know that with remakes there are always some differences. In the original the five friends go to a cabin for a care free fun filled weekend the remake centers around one friend trying to kick her drug habits “cold turkey” with the help of her three friends and older brother.
The cinematography of the film is one hundred times better (remember in the original; Bruce running from the “deadite” and you could see the lights in the rafters of the studio “that does not happen in this film”). The remake pays homage to the original in certain respects and can be spotted throughout the film if you are a true “Evil Dead” fanatic. Unlike the original movie that had been filmed in Tennessee the remake was filmed in its entirety in New Zealand. The recreation of the cabin is almost uncanny with a couple of differences here and there. As expected the special FX are much better with a bigger budget and the advancement of technology. Like the original the actors are not well known and only have done a couple other projects. The cast was well selected and the acting was much better.
If you are a true fan of the original film you may like or dislike it. I myself found it to be entertaining however it doesn’t come close to the original film. If you’ve never seen the original you may like this movie based on its own merits. I must add if you’ve never seen the original film shame on you. To all Evil dead and/or Bruce Campbell fans I can not disclose to you if Bruce makes a cameo but I will say this stay till the end of the credits and you may feel pretty groovy.
Based on Raimi’s original 1981 script, five young adult friends set out on a short vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. Whilst reading from a book that was obviously supposed to stay hidden, one of them ends up summoning dormant demons that end up causing havoc among the group. Killing them off one by one. Though the aura of the film is somewhat similar to the original, we all know that with remakes there are always some differences. In the original the five friends go to a cabin for a care free fun filled weekend the remake centers around one friend trying to kick her drug habits “cold turkey” with the help of her three friends and older brother.
The cinematography of the film is one hundred times better (remember in the original; Bruce running from the “deadite” and you could see the lights in the rafters of the studio “that does not happen in this film”). The remake pays homage to the original in certain respects and can be spotted throughout the film if you are a true “Evil Dead” fanatic. Unlike the original movie that had been filmed in Tennessee the remake was filmed in its entirety in New Zealand. The recreation of the cabin is almost uncanny with a couple of differences here and there. As expected the special FX are much better with a bigger budget and the advancement of technology. Like the original the actors are not well known and only have done a couple other projects. The cast was well selected and the acting was much better.
If you are a true fan of the original film you may like or dislike it. I myself found it to be entertaining however it doesn’t come close to the original film. If you’ve never seen the original you may like this movie based on its own merits. I must add if you’ve never seen the original film shame on you. To all Evil dead and/or Bruce Campbell fans I can not disclose to you if Bruce makes a cameo but I will say this stay till the end of the credits and you may feel pretty groovy.

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2332 KP) rated Lights! Camera! Puzzles! in Books
Apr 25, 2019
Puzzling Murder on a Movie Set
Cora Felton, famed Puzzle Lady, is having her worst nightmare come true when a tell all book from her least favorite ex-husband becomes a bestseller and gets turned into a movie. She agrees to become an associate producer on the film in hopes of control some of the damage even if it means she has to spend time with her least favorite ex-husband on a daily basis. Before things can even get started, however, tragedy visits the set when a production assistant is killed. The police aren’t sure what to make of it, but Cora isn’t that concerned since it has nothing to do with her. However, as things continue to go wrong on the film, she begins to take a more active interest. Can she figure out who is behind everything happening?
As a longtime fan of the series, I was looking forward to Cora’s latest adventure only to find myself disappointed. The star of the series has always been the witty dialogue between Cora and the rest of the characters. I did laugh some, but I found most of it lacking the spark of the better books in the series. The plot is really a series of events, although Cora does get a clue at the end that helps her put things together. We spend most of the book in New York City on various locations, which leaves the series regulars on the sideline, and the new characters aren’t strong enough to carry the book. We do get a new crossword and Sudoku to solve as we read. This is one of those books where it is easy to pick on the shortcomings, but I was entertained as I breezed through the book. Still, this is one only for fans who need Cora’s latest adventure. Those new to the series won’t enjoy the book.
As a longtime fan of the series, I was looking forward to Cora’s latest adventure only to find myself disappointed. The star of the series has always been the witty dialogue between Cora and the rest of the characters. I did laugh some, but I found most of it lacking the spark of the better books in the series. The plot is really a series of events, although Cora does get a clue at the end that helps her put things together. We spend most of the book in New York City on various locations, which leaves the series regulars on the sideline, and the new characters aren’t strong enough to carry the book. We do get a new crossword and Sudoku to solve as we read. This is one of those books where it is easy to pick on the shortcomings, but I was entertained as I breezed through the book. Still, this is one only for fans who need Cora’s latest adventure. Those new to the series won’t enjoy the book.

Eastern Westerns: Film and Genre Outside and Inside Hollywood
Book
The western, one of Hollywood's great film genres, has, surprisingly, enjoyed a revival recently in...

Digital Filmmaking for Kids For Dummies
Book
The easy way for kids to get started with filmmaking If you've been bitten by the filmmaking bug...