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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
When I was younger, my mom and I would get all dressed up and we would take a special holiday trip up to Seattle to see The Nutcracker. I was captivated by the costumes, dancing and the story. When I found out that a film was being made based off of the famed ballet I was very excited especially with Disney behind it.

Clara is given a gift for Christmas that requires a one of a kind key. To find this key she must follow a piece of string that leads her into a world full of magic and mystery but is in a state of disrepair. Along the way she meets many different characters who want to help her find the key and restore harmony within the lands.

The film in its entirety is visually stunning and equally entertaining. In a way, the film sort of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland as it has a very Tim Burtone-sque feel to it. The star studded cast made the film that much better. It was lovely seeing Mackenzie Foy all grown up, the beautiful Keira Knightly with her somewhat annoying high pitched character voice, Morgan Freeman and Dame Helen Mirren’s amazing acting and Misty Copeland’s beautiful dancing just to name a few.

It is certainly refreshing to see a new twist on a classic story. I am pleased that they didn’t do away with the dancing along with the most familiar score listened to during the holidays. The CG sets were amazing with bold colors that made the film very visually appealing. It encapsulates an entertaining and adventurous story along with humor and excellent acting. In my book, that is the perfect recipe for a great film. I look forward to adding this one to my ever growing movie collection.
  
TD
The Dancing Master
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Dancing Master is the first book I have read by Julie Klassen. This story is not only intriguing and suspenseful, but it is also full of romance and God's love and grace. Set in Regency England, I found this to be an excellent book. If you like Jane Austen's settings, you will most definitely like Julie Klassen's books.

Written in a more modern American voice, the language flows well and is easy to understand. I really love the characters in this story. Everyone seems to have secrets they are trying to hide and the past comes back to haunt more than one person in the story. However, all will be revealed in due course. Will our characters be able to overcome their differences? Or will the past come between them and drive them apart for good?

I found Alec and Julia's story to be fun, a bit suspenseful, and romantic. While romance isn't as prevalent in this book, it is still there.

I borrowed The Dancing Master from my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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Jonathan Higgs recommended Universal by K-Klass in Music (curated)

 
Universal by K-Klass
Universal by K-Klass
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is quite a diverse one compared to the rest of them. I'm pretty sure it was my first introduction to dance music full stop. Somehow my brother ended up with it (he was four years older so a lot of stuff I like came through him). He came along with this album called K-Klass, and I didn't even know how to say it. When I first listened to it, I didn't understand how it was made or what it was or what I was listening to. It was really just early 90s standard dance music with house vocals. I remember dancing to it with my sisters and my parents not really getting it. And so I thought, ""Well if my parents don't get it, maybe this is the cool new thing!"" I was only about 7, a chubby little kid dancing around to this stupid music. But it gave me a sense of something I had never felt, which was a sense of ownership of music. These sounds were truly new, my parents didn't have them and we did. It spurred me into more electronic music as a kid."

Source
  
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Avery (1 KP) rated Love in Books

Mar 4, 2018  
Love
Love
Matt de la Pena | 2018 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
representative (1 more)
beautiful
What Love Is
This book beautifully illustrates in a way that is accessible to all readers what love really is. There are depictions of love as new parents, love as a father dancing with their child on top of a trailer home, love in the moments of a fight between parents. I bought this book for my son, his daycare, and my classroom. If you want a way to talk about how much love there is in a world that feels so destroyed right now, this is the book.