Search
The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
6.5
Rate It
Book
From New York Times bestselling author Simon Baatz, the first comprehensive account of the murder...
crime non-fiction
LANDSCAPE DESIGN Magazine
Photo & Video and Magazines & Newspapers
App
暮らしの景観・環境をデザインする。 Designing environment and scenery for public. ...
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Hummingbird Project (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Contemporary technology drama comes to the silver screen in the form of The Hummingbird Project starring Jesse Eisenberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and Salma Hayek. The film’s premise is realistic enough: A pair of insiders at a big Wall Street company defect to start a project for a rival firm – to built a single fiber optic connection between a stock exchange in Kansas City and the New York Stock Exchange. This was realistic enough that my lack of knowledge on the history of Wall Street’s networking had me looking up later to see if there was any truth or basis to portions of the plot. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find anything referencing a Kansas City Stock Exchange. Unless they were referring to livestock? Because there was a Kansas City Livestock Exchange. Anyway, my biases up front – despite my clear lacking of aforementioned knowledge, I am a tech geek with experience in networking and related technology fields. So, a premise like this has a lot to attract my attention. There is admittedly much to enjoy about dramas regarding our contemporary plights in the realm of technology, because that’s where a lot of work is centered. Gone are the days of building railroads. But our internet infrastructure…
The film does a fairly good job representing the intense difficulty of such a project: it’s something like one thousand miles of straight line to run one fiber optic connection without obstruction. Most people would not think about what goes into making that into reality, which is the draw for most of the film’s conflict. I do however recognize that centering the plot on a large scale construction job of an internet cable doesn’t exactly scream excitement for most people; and this is especially true when the end goal is to shave off one millisecond from their current transaction times. Yet, this arguably ironic dynamic actually ended up being somewhat of a draw for me. Halfway through the film the question arises, “All this for just a millisecond of increased speed?” That’s the point though, and I wish the film would have delved deeper into these kinds of themes. This represents my chief criticism: all of the elements are here for a truly stellar drama but everything is explored at only a shallow or moderate depth. The characters have decent arcs, thrown some difficult challenges and curveballs to overcome, but Jesse Eisenberg’s character only briefly touches on the back-story that truly drives him, and while Alexander Skarsgård‘s character is more fully fleshed out his arc is essentially basic. I do enjoy the role reversal as one would usually expect to see Jesse Eisenberg playing the socially awkward genius programmer and Alexander Skarsgård to play the ambitious go-getter who runs the project, but they take opposite roles to great effect. The actors all do great here for the most part, including the excellent Michael Mando in a supporting role. My only complaint here is the acting dips a bit into melodrama later in the film, but this is mostly attributed to subplots that edge into the unbelievable.
Ironically Hummingbird Project works best at representing its core premise of what most would consider a mundane construction project. The actors do well, and I especially enjoy Alexander Skarsgård‘s portrayal of the lonely genius, but their underlying drama and back-stories are a bit of a mixed bag. Some of it works decently well while other elements do not – particularly late in the film. Sadly the themes at play are a bit too obvious and underexplored, but it is an appreciated attempt to represent a seldom explored aspect of contemporary industry.
The film does a fairly good job representing the intense difficulty of such a project: it’s something like one thousand miles of straight line to run one fiber optic connection without obstruction. Most people would not think about what goes into making that into reality, which is the draw for most of the film’s conflict. I do however recognize that centering the plot on a large scale construction job of an internet cable doesn’t exactly scream excitement for most people; and this is especially true when the end goal is to shave off one millisecond from their current transaction times. Yet, this arguably ironic dynamic actually ended up being somewhat of a draw for me. Halfway through the film the question arises, “All this for just a millisecond of increased speed?” That’s the point though, and I wish the film would have delved deeper into these kinds of themes. This represents my chief criticism: all of the elements are here for a truly stellar drama but everything is explored at only a shallow or moderate depth. The characters have decent arcs, thrown some difficult challenges and curveballs to overcome, but Jesse Eisenberg’s character only briefly touches on the back-story that truly drives him, and while Alexander Skarsgård‘s character is more fully fleshed out his arc is essentially basic. I do enjoy the role reversal as one would usually expect to see Jesse Eisenberg playing the socially awkward genius programmer and Alexander Skarsgård to play the ambitious go-getter who runs the project, but they take opposite roles to great effect. The actors all do great here for the most part, including the excellent Michael Mando in a supporting role. My only complaint here is the acting dips a bit into melodrama later in the film, but this is mostly attributed to subplots that edge into the unbelievable.
Ironically Hummingbird Project works best at representing its core premise of what most would consider a mundane construction project. The actors do well, and I especially enjoy Alexander Skarsgård‘s portrayal of the lonely genius, but their underlying drama and back-stories are a bit of a mixed bag. Some of it works decently well while other elements do not – particularly late in the film. Sadly the themes at play are a bit too obvious and underexplored, but it is an appreciated attempt to represent a seldom explored aspect of contemporary industry.
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness in Books
Jan 18, 2021
History (1 more)
Well-written
H.H. Holmes had many aliases and lives.
He's been a doctor and a licensed pharmacist, who then conned an old couple into selling their drug store to him where he preyed on young girls and ignorant customers that would buy whatever Holmes would tell them to buy, whether it were real or fake tonics.
He was a building owner who had a murder hotel secretly built with " a wooden chute that would descend from a secret location on the second floor all the way to the basement... ", "a room next to his office fitted with a large walk-in vault, with airtight seams and asbestos-coated iron walls. A gas jet embedded in one wall would be controlled from his closet...", "a large basement with hidden chambers and a sub-basement for the permanent storage of sensitive material. "
He owned and ran an alcohol-treatment company known as the Silver Ash Institute that claimed to have the cure for alcoholism.
He was a traveling business man, who had two wives and two children. He established the Campbell-Yates Manufacturing Company, which made nothing and sold nothing.
He was also labeled as America's first serial killer. His body count is unknown even today; his victims were frequently young women, which included stenographers and house wives. He was best known for convincing people who trusted him to sign him as the beneficiary of their life insurance policies, only to kill them and make it seem an accident so he could collect the money.
Holmes grew up in a small farming village in New Hampshire, where he briefly spoke about an early fear of a human skeleton that hung in a doctor's office: " 'I had daily to pass the office of one village doctor, the door of which was seldom if ever barred,' he wrote in a later memoir. 'Partly from its being associated in my mind as the source of all the nauseous mixtures that had been my childish terror (for this was before the day of children's medicines), and partly because of vague rumors I had heard regarding its contents, this place was one of peculiar abhorrence to me.' "... "Two children discovered Mudgett's [Holmes' real last name] fear and one day captured him and dragged him 'struggling and shrieking' into the doctor's office. 'Nor did they desist,' Mudgett wrote, 'until I had been brought face to face with one of its grinning skeletons, which, with arms outstretched, seemed ready in its turn to seize me. It was a wicked and dangerous thing to do to a child of tender years and health,' he wrote, ' but it proved an heroic method of treatment, destined ultimately to cure me of my fears, and to inculcate in me, first, a strong feeling of curiosity, and, later, a desire to learn, which resulted years afterwards in my adopting medicine as a profession.' "
Erik Larson's fourth book, the Devil in the White City, is only partly about Holmes and his dark trail of murder and lies. The story told is mostly centered around the planning and building of the 1893 World's Fair. The prologue opens with one of the architects aboard a ship long after the fair has ended - - - 1912 to be exact- - - where he begins to write of the fair in his diary. The next chapter continues on with Chicago competing against other major cities to win the rights to host the World's Fair. Chicago was not the ideal place for the fair because it was known for it's crime and slaughter houses - - - this was exactly why the politicians wanted it so badly there, so it would help to lighten the image of Chicago for the rest of the world. Even the local Whitechapel Club that had sprouted up after the infamous murders by Jack the Ripper, were excited to win the rights to host the fair in their city, and celebrated in a macabre way:
"Upon learning that Chicago had won the fair, the men of the Whitechapel Club composed a telegram to Chauncey Depew, who more than any other man symbolized New York and its campaign to win the fair. Previously Depew had promised the members of the Whitechapel Club that if Chicago prevailed he would present himself at the club's next meeting, to be hacked apart by the Ripper himself - - - metaphorically, he presumed, although at the Whitechapel Club could one ever be certain? The club's coffin, for example, had once been used to transport the body of a member who had committed suicide. After claiming his body, the club hauled it to the Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, where members erected an immense pyre. They placed the body on top, then set it alight. Carrying torches and wearing black hooded robes, they circled the fire singing hymns to the dead between sips of whiskey. The club also had a custom of sending robed members to kidnap visiting celebrities and steal them away in a black coach with covered windows, all without saying a word.
The club's telegram reached Depew in Washington twenty minutes after the final ballot, just as Chicago's congressional delegation began celebrating at the Willard Hotel near the White House. The telegram asked, 'When may we see you at our dissecting table?' "
There are chapters in-between, technically reading like a side story, that tell us about Holmes and his misdeeds in Chicago, but there just wasn't enough about Holmes that I could consider this a True Crime book, nor an informative book about Holmes. Unfortunately, when the reader begins to really dwell into the story of Holmes, it's quickly ended by having two or more chapters about the building of the World's Fair. One interesting point about the story is that the reader does get to see how many inventions were brought to light because of the Fair, such as the invention of the Ferris Wheel. Larson's writing is very coherent and the descriptions are so well done that the reader is practically transported back to the late 1800s, yet, before I finished the book, I felt misled by the title... then coming across everything that happened to not only the Fair, but the people who were involved with it, it's hard not to wonder if the whole thing was cursed, thus the Devil being in the White City.
One of the side stories I did really enjoy was the slow unfolding of a man named Prendergast. A delusional young man who ran one of the groups of paperboys in Chicago, who was also obsessed with politics, became a determined supporter of Mayor Harrison; after Harrison was voted into office again, Prendergast believed it was because of him and the letters he sent out to numerous politicians and potential voters. Prendergast also believed he deserved a chair on the council for Harrison's re-election, for which he even showed up at City Hall to take over. This incident was the straw that broke the camel's back for Prendergast - - - he was humiliated when the people there laughed in his face. Prendergast then decided to take matters into his own hands, and bought a revolver. The day before the Fair would end, Prendergast showed up at Harrison's home and shot him. Harrison died minutes later. Prendergast turned himself in for the murder as soon as he left Harrison's residence. When asked why he had done it, Prendergast responded: " ' Because he betrayed my confidence. I supported him through his campaign and he promised to appoint me corporation counsel. He didn't live up to his word.' "
This book has been voted as a top True Crime must-read novel. I don't agree with this. As I said before: Holmes' chapters are few; eighty percent of this book is about the building of the World's Fair. As a True Crime junkie, I didn't enjoy this one, but also as a history junkie, I enjoyed learning about the Fair and everything that happened. I can't recommend this book to TC fans or horror fans. It's mostly history and architecture.
He's been a doctor and a licensed pharmacist, who then conned an old couple into selling their drug store to him where he preyed on young girls and ignorant customers that would buy whatever Holmes would tell them to buy, whether it were real or fake tonics.
He was a building owner who had a murder hotel secretly built with " a wooden chute that would descend from a secret location on the second floor all the way to the basement... ", "a room next to his office fitted with a large walk-in vault, with airtight seams and asbestos-coated iron walls. A gas jet embedded in one wall would be controlled from his closet...", "a large basement with hidden chambers and a sub-basement for the permanent storage of sensitive material. "
He owned and ran an alcohol-treatment company known as the Silver Ash Institute that claimed to have the cure for alcoholism.
He was a traveling business man, who had two wives and two children. He established the Campbell-Yates Manufacturing Company, which made nothing and sold nothing.
He was also labeled as America's first serial killer. His body count is unknown even today; his victims were frequently young women, which included stenographers and house wives. He was best known for convincing people who trusted him to sign him as the beneficiary of their life insurance policies, only to kill them and make it seem an accident so he could collect the money.
Holmes grew up in a small farming village in New Hampshire, where he briefly spoke about an early fear of a human skeleton that hung in a doctor's office: " 'I had daily to pass the office of one village doctor, the door of which was seldom if ever barred,' he wrote in a later memoir. 'Partly from its being associated in my mind as the source of all the nauseous mixtures that had been my childish terror (for this was before the day of children's medicines), and partly because of vague rumors I had heard regarding its contents, this place was one of peculiar abhorrence to me.' "... "Two children discovered Mudgett's [Holmes' real last name] fear and one day captured him and dragged him 'struggling and shrieking' into the doctor's office. 'Nor did they desist,' Mudgett wrote, 'until I had been brought face to face with one of its grinning skeletons, which, with arms outstretched, seemed ready in its turn to seize me. It was a wicked and dangerous thing to do to a child of tender years and health,' he wrote, ' but it proved an heroic method of treatment, destined ultimately to cure me of my fears, and to inculcate in me, first, a strong feeling of curiosity, and, later, a desire to learn, which resulted years afterwards in my adopting medicine as a profession.' "
Erik Larson's fourth book, the Devil in the White City, is only partly about Holmes and his dark trail of murder and lies. The story told is mostly centered around the planning and building of the 1893 World's Fair. The prologue opens with one of the architects aboard a ship long after the fair has ended - - - 1912 to be exact- - - where he begins to write of the fair in his diary. The next chapter continues on with Chicago competing against other major cities to win the rights to host the World's Fair. Chicago was not the ideal place for the fair because it was known for it's crime and slaughter houses - - - this was exactly why the politicians wanted it so badly there, so it would help to lighten the image of Chicago for the rest of the world. Even the local Whitechapel Club that had sprouted up after the infamous murders by Jack the Ripper, were excited to win the rights to host the fair in their city, and celebrated in a macabre way:
"Upon learning that Chicago had won the fair, the men of the Whitechapel Club composed a telegram to Chauncey Depew, who more than any other man symbolized New York and its campaign to win the fair. Previously Depew had promised the members of the Whitechapel Club that if Chicago prevailed he would present himself at the club's next meeting, to be hacked apart by the Ripper himself - - - metaphorically, he presumed, although at the Whitechapel Club could one ever be certain? The club's coffin, for example, had once been used to transport the body of a member who had committed suicide. After claiming his body, the club hauled it to the Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, where members erected an immense pyre. They placed the body on top, then set it alight. Carrying torches and wearing black hooded robes, they circled the fire singing hymns to the dead between sips of whiskey. The club also had a custom of sending robed members to kidnap visiting celebrities and steal them away in a black coach with covered windows, all without saying a word.
The club's telegram reached Depew in Washington twenty minutes after the final ballot, just as Chicago's congressional delegation began celebrating at the Willard Hotel near the White House. The telegram asked, 'When may we see you at our dissecting table?' "
There are chapters in-between, technically reading like a side story, that tell us about Holmes and his misdeeds in Chicago, but there just wasn't enough about Holmes that I could consider this a True Crime book, nor an informative book about Holmes. Unfortunately, when the reader begins to really dwell into the story of Holmes, it's quickly ended by having two or more chapters about the building of the World's Fair. One interesting point about the story is that the reader does get to see how many inventions were brought to light because of the Fair, such as the invention of the Ferris Wheel. Larson's writing is very coherent and the descriptions are so well done that the reader is practically transported back to the late 1800s, yet, before I finished the book, I felt misled by the title... then coming across everything that happened to not only the Fair, but the people who were involved with it, it's hard not to wonder if the whole thing was cursed, thus the Devil being in the White City.
One of the side stories I did really enjoy was the slow unfolding of a man named Prendergast. A delusional young man who ran one of the groups of paperboys in Chicago, who was also obsessed with politics, became a determined supporter of Mayor Harrison; after Harrison was voted into office again, Prendergast believed it was because of him and the letters he sent out to numerous politicians and potential voters. Prendergast also believed he deserved a chair on the council for Harrison's re-election, for which he even showed up at City Hall to take over. This incident was the straw that broke the camel's back for Prendergast - - - he was humiliated when the people there laughed in his face. Prendergast then decided to take matters into his own hands, and bought a revolver. The day before the Fair would end, Prendergast showed up at Harrison's home and shot him. Harrison died minutes later. Prendergast turned himself in for the murder as soon as he left Harrison's residence. When asked why he had done it, Prendergast responded: " ' Because he betrayed my confidence. I supported him through his campaign and he promised to appoint me corporation counsel. He didn't live up to his word.' "
This book has been voted as a top True Crime must-read novel. I don't agree with this. As I said before: Holmes' chapters are few; eighty percent of this book is about the building of the World's Fair. As a True Crime junkie, I didn't enjoy this one, but also as a history junkie, I enjoyed learning about the Fair and everything that happened. I can't recommend this book to TC fans or horror fans. It's mostly history and architecture.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Aeon's End in Tabletop Games
Feb 22, 2021
Excellent Deck Builder
Aeons End- is a excellent deck builder game that has a intresting twist. Lets talk more about it.
Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game in which you and your teammates are attempting to take down a member of The Nameless before it is able to destroy your home city of Gravehold. You do this by adding powerful spells, gems, and relics to your decks and strategically using them in a way that helps you defeat the enemies that come your way.
At the beginning of each game of Aeon’s End, you’ll set up your characters’ unique decks, put together a nemesis deck for the boss monster, and create a supply of cards that players can buy throughout the game. After all of that’s done, you’re ready to play!
Turn order is determined by the turn order deck. At the start of the game and after every turn, you’ll draw a card from this deck to see whose turn it is (the nemesis or a player).
On each turn, you can do one or more of the following actions in any order:
buy a card
play a card
charge up your special ability
focus or open a breach
prep a spell
react to a keyword on a nemesis card.
Aether is the currency in the game. You’ll use it to pay for new cards (spells, relics, and gems), to focus/open breaches, and to gain charges. You’ll start out with some basic cards that give you one aether apiece, but some of the cards you buy from the supply will give you more.
You cast spells in a unique way in this game. Open breaches allow you to prep a spell without paying a cost, while closed breaches need to be focused or opened in order to use them. When you focus a breach, you simply turn it clockwise and pay the “focus” cost written on the card. The spells you prepped can be cast on your next turn; prepped spells in closed breaches must be cast, while those in open breaches don’t have to be if you want to wait until a future turn.
Another unique aspect of this game is the way deck building works. Your deck is never shuffled, so you have to think about the order in which you put cards in your discard pile. When you cast spells or buy cards from the supply, those cards will go directly into your discard pile. When you use gems or relics, you’ll wait until the end of your turn and put them on top of your discard pile in any order. When your draw deck is empty, you simply flip your discard pile to create your new draw deck.
The main way to beat the nemesis is to take its life total down to zero, but you can also win if the nemesis’ deck runs out and there are no nemesis cards in play. You’ll lose if Gravehold is destroyed or if every player is exhausted (i.e. at zero life).
Its a excellent deck builder game. I highly recordmend playing it and owning it.
Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game in which you and your teammates are attempting to take down a member of The Nameless before it is able to destroy your home city of Gravehold. You do this by adding powerful spells, gems, and relics to your decks and strategically using them in a way that helps you defeat the enemies that come your way.
At the beginning of each game of Aeon’s End, you’ll set up your characters’ unique decks, put together a nemesis deck for the boss monster, and create a supply of cards that players can buy throughout the game. After all of that’s done, you’re ready to play!
Turn order is determined by the turn order deck. At the start of the game and after every turn, you’ll draw a card from this deck to see whose turn it is (the nemesis or a player).
On each turn, you can do one or more of the following actions in any order:
buy a card
play a card
charge up your special ability
focus or open a breach
prep a spell
react to a keyword on a nemesis card.
Aether is the currency in the game. You’ll use it to pay for new cards (spells, relics, and gems), to focus/open breaches, and to gain charges. You’ll start out with some basic cards that give you one aether apiece, but some of the cards you buy from the supply will give you more.
You cast spells in a unique way in this game. Open breaches allow you to prep a spell without paying a cost, while closed breaches need to be focused or opened in order to use them. When you focus a breach, you simply turn it clockwise and pay the “focus” cost written on the card. The spells you prepped can be cast on your next turn; prepped spells in closed breaches must be cast, while those in open breaches don’t have to be if you want to wait until a future turn.
Another unique aspect of this game is the way deck building works. Your deck is never shuffled, so you have to think about the order in which you put cards in your discard pile. When you cast spells or buy cards from the supply, those cards will go directly into your discard pile. When you use gems or relics, you’ll wait until the end of your turn and put them on top of your discard pile in any order. When your draw deck is empty, you simply flip your discard pile to create your new draw deck.
The main way to beat the nemesis is to take its life total down to zero, but you can also win if the nemesis’ deck runs out and there are no nemesis cards in play. You’ll lose if Gravehold is destroyed or if every player is exhausted (i.e. at zero life).
Its a excellent deck builder game. I highly recordmend playing it and owning it.
Bumble - Meet New People
Lifestyle and Social Networking
8.0
Rate It
App
Over 21 million people have signed up for Bumble to start building valuable relationships, finding...
John Roope (4 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 12, 2019
Great Design (1 more)
Good Action
Cheesy Dialogue (3 more)
Paper thin characters
Poor Performances
Distracting CGI main character
A cluttered poorly written movie with engaging action keeping it afloat
Alita battle angel is full of great action and a potentially interesting story that's let down by a substandard script. It follows Alita a cyborg rebuilt by Dr Dyson Igo ( a substandard performance from Cristoph Waltz) who has amnesia and must rediscover her past while on a quest to reach the mysterious floating city of Salem.
The first act of the movie is probably the strongest from a character perspective as we see Alita exploring this new world and building relationships with our central characters however on a dime that all changes. After observing Dr Igos mysterious nocturnal activities she unlocks some of her past discovering that she has unmatched fighting capabilities and suddenly becomes a wise cracking badass instead of this innocent girl and suddenly the action is centre stage.
Alita becomes a hunter warrior and participates in motor ball in order to reach Salem and defeat the baddies that want to capture her at all costs for the enigmatic nova up in the floating city. The action is well choreographed and while it does sometimes creep into the transformers/man of steel realm of headache inducing loud cluttered cgi infused battles for the most part they are exciting and tense as she battles larger and more experienced opponents. However after seeing Alita best even the strongest the tension in these fights wane as it becomes clearer and clearer she is in a league of of her own and her heartless ruthlessness disconnected me somewhat from sympathising with her as a character.
Fallen by the wayside in this deluge of action is the development of side characters and their relationships with Alita as well as the back story for the world. The father daughter dynamic is left shallow as is her relationship with Hugo who has a rather troubling occupation and Igo's ex wife who's collaborating with Salems spokesperson Vektor in order to get to Salem. None of these characters have enough time to develop their characters in order to give the audience much of an emotional connection that just leaves the movie feeling very stretched out and thin especially as the emotional connection with our heroine wanes.
The effects for the most part were good for the most part but Alita's CGI face didn't work for me at all at times it was over expressive and other times looked blank. It left me cringing at times when she spoke as the uncanny valley territory creeps ever closer. It just struck me as unnecessary and down right creepy feeling like a twisted sexual fantasy of a ultra innocent doe eyed girl who was also a killing machine. It was endlessly distracting and feel like it would be easier to connect with her as a character if she didn't loom so fake while everyone else felt completely real.
Going into this for some fun balls to the wall action you probably won't be too disappointed but looking for much depth here will be in vain as this never reaches the levels the ambitiously vast story aspires to get to
The first act of the movie is probably the strongest from a character perspective as we see Alita exploring this new world and building relationships with our central characters however on a dime that all changes. After observing Dr Igos mysterious nocturnal activities she unlocks some of her past discovering that she has unmatched fighting capabilities and suddenly becomes a wise cracking badass instead of this innocent girl and suddenly the action is centre stage.
Alita becomes a hunter warrior and participates in motor ball in order to reach Salem and defeat the baddies that want to capture her at all costs for the enigmatic nova up in the floating city. The action is well choreographed and while it does sometimes creep into the transformers/man of steel realm of headache inducing loud cluttered cgi infused battles for the most part they are exciting and tense as she battles larger and more experienced opponents. However after seeing Alita best even the strongest the tension in these fights wane as it becomes clearer and clearer she is in a league of of her own and her heartless ruthlessness disconnected me somewhat from sympathising with her as a character.
Fallen by the wayside in this deluge of action is the development of side characters and their relationships with Alita as well as the back story for the world. The father daughter dynamic is left shallow as is her relationship with Hugo who has a rather troubling occupation and Igo's ex wife who's collaborating with Salems spokesperson Vektor in order to get to Salem. None of these characters have enough time to develop their characters in order to give the audience much of an emotional connection that just leaves the movie feeling very stretched out and thin especially as the emotional connection with our heroine wanes.
The effects for the most part were good for the most part but Alita's CGI face didn't work for me at all at times it was over expressive and other times looked blank. It left me cringing at times when she spoke as the uncanny valley territory creeps ever closer. It just struck me as unnecessary and down right creepy feeling like a twisted sexual fantasy of a ultra innocent doe eyed girl who was also a killing machine. It was endlessly distracting and feel like it would be easier to connect with her as a character if she didn't loom so fake while everyone else felt completely real.
Going into this for some fun balls to the wall action you probably won't be too disappointed but looking for much depth here will be in vain as this never reaches the levels the ambitiously vast story aspires to get to
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated Strange the Dreamer in Books
Mar 23, 2018
A dreamy read
When I first started reading Strange the Dreamer my first feeling was that I was in for something special. I have never read a Laini Taylor book before and I was immediately struck by her use of language and the writing style is almost musical with a lilting flow. The language is mature in nature and very different from what you would normally expect in a YA read. The story itself is told in 3rd person but moves between the two main characters, Lazlo and Sarai. Lazlo is a wonderful character, quiet and unnasuming but full of wild dreams about the lost city of Weep. The stories that fuelled his play as a young child become his lifes work as an adult, channeling his time into learning all he can of the city from scraps left behind in the library he finds as his workplace. He is wonderfully earnest, yet there is a fire in him – so when a delegation arrives that promises an answer to his dreams he comes out from his shadow, his lifes work given meaning. Sarai is also in a strange form of existence, one of only 5 surviving children of the citadel of Weep her life is sheltered and borderline to poverty. As with all children of the citadel, she has a power passed down from her parents, Sarai holds the power of dreams but as the daughter of the Godess of Despair her world becomes one of never ending nightmare.
When Sarai’s and Lazlo’s worlds collide within their dreams they start to unravel the truth behind all that took place in Weep and a mystery that has haunted both the residents of Weep iteslf and those who remain in the citadel. The world building is beautiful, the story is quite a slow burn, providing you with the minimal amount of information that you need to form a picture of what is happening. This makes the reveals all the more satisfying and really gives you a chance to understand the world and appriciate the depth of thought put into its creation.
The only downside to this approach is that for the most part I felt that the side characters got left behind. Whist time was spent on the others within the Citadel, I felt that those who were met by Lazlo during his journey were almost a side thought and they appeared just enough to progress the story. There were some members of Lazlo’s party that I was desperate to find out more about, and I felt that there was plenty of opportunity within the 500+ pages to accommodate this as some parts could have done with a little trimming; the delicious slowness treading a very fine line between frustratingly dull at times. There is a second book in the works, so maybe these characters may get there turn then, but from the ending i’m not sure that they will.
In summary I found Strange the Dreamer to be a wonderful read if not a little slow at times. It was so beautifully different to the fantasy I have been reading recently and I give this 4*
When Sarai’s and Lazlo’s worlds collide within their dreams they start to unravel the truth behind all that took place in Weep and a mystery that has haunted both the residents of Weep iteslf and those who remain in the citadel. The world building is beautiful, the story is quite a slow burn, providing you with the minimal amount of information that you need to form a picture of what is happening. This makes the reveals all the more satisfying and really gives you a chance to understand the world and appriciate the depth of thought put into its creation.
The only downside to this approach is that for the most part I felt that the side characters got left behind. Whist time was spent on the others within the Citadel, I felt that those who were met by Lazlo during his journey were almost a side thought and they appeared just enough to progress the story. There were some members of Lazlo’s party that I was desperate to find out more about, and I felt that there was plenty of opportunity within the 500+ pages to accommodate this as some parts could have done with a little trimming; the delicious slowness treading a very fine line between frustratingly dull at times. There is a second book in the works, so maybe these characters may get there turn then, but from the ending i’m not sure that they will.
In summary I found Strange the Dreamer to be a wonderful read if not a little slow at times. It was so beautifully different to the fantasy I have been reading recently and I give this 4*
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Big Hero 6 (2014) in Movies
Nov 5, 2018
Phenomenal
Big Hero 6 sits on top for me as probably the best under-the-radar film of all-time. No one talks about it or really brings it up. Anytime I mention its greatness, I get the typical response: “Well, yeah, I guess it was kind of awesome.” Not only is it one of the best under-the-radar films, but it’s the best film I have reviewed so far. Disagree all you want, but hear me out on my argument.
Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brother’s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.
Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiro’s friends. He doesn’t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it’s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.
The powers the team displayed added to the film’s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.
Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.
Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but it’s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the film’s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.
Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.
Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brother’s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.
Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiro’s friends. He doesn’t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it’s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.
The powers the team displayed added to the film’s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.
Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.
Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but it’s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the film’s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.
Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Acts Of Vengeance (2017) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Acts of Vengeance starts as fast-talking defence lawyer Frank (Banderas) misses his daughter’s talent show, that same night his wife Sue (Serafini) and daughter Olivia (Blankenship) are killed, with the police struggling to come up with the answers to who was behind it.
Frank teaches himself how to fight and defend himself as he continues to investigate the murders, being joined by a nurse Alma (Vega), he learns about the corruption coming from the streets, setting out to end the problem once and for all, while under a vow of silence.
Thoughts on Acts of Vengeance
Characters – Frank was a fast-talking defence lawyer, he made a career out of getting criminals off, this only put his personal life on the back burner though, leaving him to not be around when his wife and daughter are murdered. Taking a vow of silence, Frank decides to train and investigate the crime to seek the vengeance he requires to move on with his life. Strode is the one cop that offers Frank any advice while he searches for the truth. Alma is a nurse that has found herself under the fingers of a ruthless gang that want her to do work, she choses to help Frank when he becomes injured. While the end of the film does give the motivation for the killer, that does offer the question of who is in the right for the most part.
Performances – Antonio Banderas in the leading role is the strongest part of the film, we know he can handle himself in a fight, making this easy for him to deliver on. The supporting cast do struggle to make the impact which would be required, which only disappoints with the talent we have on show.
Story – The film follows a man that loses his wife and child, forcing him to go on a one man mission to learn the truth and taking on crime after making his career from defending criminals. When it comes to stories, this is the simplest kind, which is needed for action, when we get the reveal to who the killer was, it does make perfect sense, it is just the building up to this moment that is a waste, with endless amounts of time spend talking about the number of words a person say in a day.
Action – The action is mostly the training before Frank gets into his fights, each fight is in a different location which the fighting seemingly being easy to shoot style never too difficult to pull off.
Settings – The film is set in one city which sees just how different parts of the city can be the corrupt.
Scene of the Movie – Killer’s motivation.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The talking about using too many words.
Final Thoughts – This is just another basic action movie, it offers little new material for the genre and if we are honest is nothing more than a late night movie.
Overall: Late Night action film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/04/01/abc-film-challenge-action-a-acts-of-vengeance-2017/
Frank teaches himself how to fight and defend himself as he continues to investigate the murders, being joined by a nurse Alma (Vega), he learns about the corruption coming from the streets, setting out to end the problem once and for all, while under a vow of silence.
Thoughts on Acts of Vengeance
Characters – Frank was a fast-talking defence lawyer, he made a career out of getting criminals off, this only put his personal life on the back burner though, leaving him to not be around when his wife and daughter are murdered. Taking a vow of silence, Frank decides to train and investigate the crime to seek the vengeance he requires to move on with his life. Strode is the one cop that offers Frank any advice while he searches for the truth. Alma is a nurse that has found herself under the fingers of a ruthless gang that want her to do work, she choses to help Frank when he becomes injured. While the end of the film does give the motivation for the killer, that does offer the question of who is in the right for the most part.
Performances – Antonio Banderas in the leading role is the strongest part of the film, we know he can handle himself in a fight, making this easy for him to deliver on. The supporting cast do struggle to make the impact which would be required, which only disappoints with the talent we have on show.
Story – The film follows a man that loses his wife and child, forcing him to go on a one man mission to learn the truth and taking on crime after making his career from defending criminals. When it comes to stories, this is the simplest kind, which is needed for action, when we get the reveal to who the killer was, it does make perfect sense, it is just the building up to this moment that is a waste, with endless amounts of time spend talking about the number of words a person say in a day.
Action – The action is mostly the training before Frank gets into his fights, each fight is in a different location which the fighting seemingly being easy to shoot style never too difficult to pull off.
Settings – The film is set in one city which sees just how different parts of the city can be the corrupt.
Scene of the Movie – Killer’s motivation.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The talking about using too many words.
Final Thoughts – This is just another basic action movie, it offers little new material for the genre and if we are honest is nothing more than a late night movie.
Overall: Late Night action film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/04/01/abc-film-challenge-action-a-acts-of-vengeance-2017/