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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Secrets of the Weird in Books
Jun 5, 2018
Chad Stroup’s novel, Secrets of the Weird is a piece of bizarro fiction that leaves me with more questions than answers. That’s not to say the book is bad by any means; I just feel that it does not live up to its full potential. Sweetville is a decidedly dark setting, with its own underground that we as readers get a brief glimpse of and nothing more. It’s as if Stroup teases us.
What I loved: the dynamic cast of characters Stroup creates. His ability to write lifelike and engaging characters is astounding. The main character, Trixie, is so real in her struggles that I imagine she’s quite relatable for several people. Her trek to being a woman is filled with bump after bump, and yet she still finds a reason to carry on, to seek her own happiness. In fact, much of this book focuses on her journey to self-acceptance, culminating in a beautiful metamorphosis. Other characters are equally fleshed out, but in ways that make my stomach turn. For instance, Cypress and the Angelghoul are despicable. Were either character to perish, I’d be fine. But its these anti-heroes that open up a lot of unanswered questions – if they can be called that.
First, there’s the Withering Wyldes. A creature whose purpose is to convert others into joining their cult like organization. Their history is explained, and they consistently show up throughout the book, but after a few chapters in which a linguist tries to understand their method of communication, they become background noise. The Angelghoul’s quest for enlightenment goes uncompleted. Trixie’s boyfriend fades away into nothing. And finally, Cypress’s threats seem to… well, not come to fruition.
The book is most definitely a fun read, but with those plot issues it falls short of a five skull rating for me. I’ll have to give it three.
What I loved: the dynamic cast of characters Stroup creates. His ability to write lifelike and engaging characters is astounding. The main character, Trixie, is so real in her struggles that I imagine she’s quite relatable for several people. Her trek to being a woman is filled with bump after bump, and yet she still finds a reason to carry on, to seek her own happiness. In fact, much of this book focuses on her journey to self-acceptance, culminating in a beautiful metamorphosis. Other characters are equally fleshed out, but in ways that make my stomach turn. For instance, Cypress and the Angelghoul are despicable. Were either character to perish, I’d be fine. But its these anti-heroes that open up a lot of unanswered questions – if they can be called that.
First, there’s the Withering Wyldes. A creature whose purpose is to convert others into joining their cult like organization. Their history is explained, and they consistently show up throughout the book, but after a few chapters in which a linguist tries to understand their method of communication, they become background noise. The Angelghoul’s quest for enlightenment goes uncompleted. Trixie’s boyfriend fades away into nothing. And finally, Cypress’s threats seem to… well, not come to fruition.
The book is most definitely a fun read, but with those plot issues it falls short of a five skull rating for me. I’ll have to give it three.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Valentine's Rising in Books
Nov 18, 2018
Better than the Third one
I was pleasantly surprised with this book after the drivel that was number three. I’m not sure if it was because Valentine decide to finally grow up and get a pair or circumstances in the novel made him this way (likely the latter) but it made for very good reading. There were some very important choices Valentine had to make for himself and his crew; some of them extremely difficult and the way he dealt with the aftermath was good. It was nice to finally see him being part of a team instead of a one man army and doing everything himself.
Again the supporting characters are what made this book going for me (still on the anti-Valentine train for now) they had their distinct personalities and they weren’t flat or meant to just be part of the plot. They each had their part to play whether small or big and it made the plot better and rounded out. I have a soft spot for Ahn-Kha and Styachowski I like them both for their strengths and although they were ‘quiet’ they played substantially in the plot. (More so Styachowski than Ahn-Kha).
The plot was good albeit it slowed down to a crawl at the end. It was getting to be too much and by that time, I was already wanting to close the book. There’s plenty of action so that does not disappoint. There were some parts where I came close to closing it because of Valentine’s idiotic behavior, but otherwise, this was much better than the third.
This one was enough to redeem itself so I will carry on and read the next. I hope it continues this way.
Again the supporting characters are what made this book going for me (still on the anti-Valentine train for now) they had their distinct personalities and they weren’t flat or meant to just be part of the plot. They each had their part to play whether small or big and it made the plot better and rounded out. I have a soft spot for Ahn-Kha and Styachowski I like them both for their strengths and although they were ‘quiet’ they played substantially in the plot. (More so Styachowski than Ahn-Kha).
The plot was good albeit it slowed down to a crawl at the end. It was getting to be too much and by that time, I was already wanting to close the book. There’s plenty of action so that does not disappoint. There were some parts where I came close to closing it because of Valentine’s idiotic behavior, but otherwise, this was much better than the third.
This one was enough to redeem itself so I will carry on and read the next. I hope it continues this way.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Tigger Movie (2000) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
Decent Movie Carried By Characters We All Know and Love
In The Tigger Movie, the bouncing tiger Tigger is on a quest to find his family. While pretty predictable overall, it’s still endearing enough to be enjoyable.
Acting: 10
The Winnie the Pooh voiceover cast is always a treat to listen to. I’ve always loved that they really embody the personalities of their characters. You can feel how timid Piglet is while Tigger’s voice gives you the feeling that he is going to bounce straight through a wall. They are all extremely original.
Beginning: 5
A bit of a slow start. It’s almost like Disney is trying to justify why Tigger needs his own movie in the first place. The movie isn’t a long one, however, and things quickly pick up not too long after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 5
It’s a cute movie with a touching message, but nothing to write home about. It’s something I would want my kids to see, but not something I would watch on my own multiple times like Up. There are some strong moments here and there like Tigger’s montage song of his family. I also like the concept of what family really means.
Pace: 10
Plot: 9
Interesting story with enough meat to carry a movie. It is pretty linear and you can see the ending coming a mile away, but it was creative enough to hold my attention. I rather enjoyed the small adventure.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 75
The Tigger Movie is decent overall with fun familiar characters and an endearing story. It’s not the best of the Disney bunch, but I would say it’s worth a watch. It’s little gems like these that make Disney+ all the more worth it.
Acting: 10
The Winnie the Pooh voiceover cast is always a treat to listen to. I’ve always loved that they really embody the personalities of their characters. You can feel how timid Piglet is while Tigger’s voice gives you the feeling that he is going to bounce straight through a wall. They are all extremely original.
Beginning: 5
A bit of a slow start. It’s almost like Disney is trying to justify why Tigger needs his own movie in the first place. The movie isn’t a long one, however, and things quickly pick up not too long after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 5
It’s a cute movie with a touching message, but nothing to write home about. It’s something I would want my kids to see, but not something I would watch on my own multiple times like Up. There are some strong moments here and there like Tigger’s montage song of his family. I also like the concept of what family really means.
Pace: 10
Plot: 9
Interesting story with enough meat to carry a movie. It is pretty linear and you can see the ending coming a mile away, but it was creative enough to hold my attention. I rather enjoyed the small adventure.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 75
The Tigger Movie is decent overall with fun familiar characters and an endearing story. It’s not the best of the Disney bunch, but I would say it’s worth a watch. It’s little gems like these that make Disney+ all the more worth it.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Alpha (2018) in Movies
Apr 7, 2020
My Unpopular Opinion
Set in prehistoric times, a young man has to survive on his own after getting injured during a hunt. In the process of trying to stay alive, he ends up befriending a lone wolf. I was hoping to like this movie a lot more, but it seemed to drag in too many spots for me.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 3
Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wasn’t really cutting it for me as far as characters go. When you’re talking about one person to carry a movie, I was hoping for someone with a bit more charisma. The wolf was a cute addition, but the combo wasn’t quite enough to make me care more about the story.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 4
There wasn’t a whole lot of action going on, at least not enough to keep me entertained. Yes, it’s a story around survival and that concept itself should be riveting enough, but, sadly, it wasn’t. There was too much of nothing happening for too long of stretches. I kept waiting for things to develop and, by the time I started to feel fireworks, it ended being a small fizzle.
Entertainment Value: 8
Memorability: 3
Pace: 3
Pretty slow as far as survival movies go. I kept waiting for it to pick up and, while it had a few shining moments here and there, it was pretty tame for the most part. Y’all, I tried, I really did. Just wasn’t working for me.
Plot: 6
Resolution: 8
Overall: 63
Don’t take my opinion as God when it comes to Alpha. There are plenty out there that adore this movie. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. It’s way too slow and uninteresting for me to recommend.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 3
Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wasn’t really cutting it for me as far as characters go. When you’re talking about one person to carry a movie, I was hoping for someone with a bit more charisma. The wolf was a cute addition, but the combo wasn’t quite enough to make me care more about the story.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 4
There wasn’t a whole lot of action going on, at least not enough to keep me entertained. Yes, it’s a story around survival and that concept itself should be riveting enough, but, sadly, it wasn’t. There was too much of nothing happening for too long of stretches. I kept waiting for things to develop and, by the time I started to feel fireworks, it ended being a small fizzle.
Entertainment Value: 8
Memorability: 3
Pace: 3
Pretty slow as far as survival movies go. I kept waiting for it to pick up and, while it had a few shining moments here and there, it was pretty tame for the most part. Y’all, I tried, I really did. Just wasn’t working for me.
Plot: 6
Resolution: 8
Overall: 63
Don’t take my opinion as God when it comes to Alpha. There are plenty out there that adore this movie. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. It’s way too slow and uninteresting for me to recommend.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated What's Your Number? (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
According to a study published in a ladies’ magazine, the average woman will have a maximum of 10 sexual partners, and apparently, the higher your number of sexual partners, the lower your chances of ever finding Mr. Right. Ally, played by Anna Faris, takes this study to heart and after conducting her own study, masked as a bachelorette party game, she realizes her number is dangerously above average.
After running into an ex who went from disgusting to dashing, Ally decides her number can’t go up if she revisits the exes she’s already accumulated, to see if any others have made similar transformations. However, looking them up, even in the age of Google, proves to be a daunting task. Luckily for Ally, her cad of a neighbor, Colin, played by oft-naked Chris Evans, just happens to be quite skilled in cyber-snooping. In exchange for tracking down her exes, Colin gets to use Ally’s apartment to escape his one-night-stands that are just a little slow to leave.
I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy, no matter how silly or predictable. I had high hopes for an Anna Faris-Chris Evans pairing. Both are easy on the eyes, endearingly charming and have great comic timing. Together, they provided the majority of the lighter moments and sure, they could both show off their exceptional physiques as often as they want and no one will complain. With slightly tamer glimpses of “Bridesmaids” and a few delightfully awkward moments, Faris proves yet again, she can carry a movie. Unfortunately, the story, based on a book by Karyn Bosnak, felt stretched to fill the running time of 106 minutes, even with a strong but underused cast of exes, that included Faris’ real-life love Chris Pratt, Andy Samberg and Joel McHale.
After running into an ex who went from disgusting to dashing, Ally decides her number can’t go up if she revisits the exes she’s already accumulated, to see if any others have made similar transformations. However, looking them up, even in the age of Google, proves to be a daunting task. Luckily for Ally, her cad of a neighbor, Colin, played by oft-naked Chris Evans, just happens to be quite skilled in cyber-snooping. In exchange for tracking down her exes, Colin gets to use Ally’s apartment to escape his one-night-stands that are just a little slow to leave.
I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy, no matter how silly or predictable. I had high hopes for an Anna Faris-Chris Evans pairing. Both are easy on the eyes, endearingly charming and have great comic timing. Together, they provided the majority of the lighter moments and sure, they could both show off their exceptional physiques as often as they want and no one will complain. With slightly tamer glimpses of “Bridesmaids” and a few delightfully awkward moments, Faris proves yet again, she can carry a movie. Unfortunately, the story, based on a book by Karyn Bosnak, felt stretched to fill the running time of 106 minutes, even with a strong but underused cast of exes, that included Faris’ real-life love Chris Pratt, Andy Samberg and Joel McHale.
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