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Unleashing Happiness: How I Helped Free My Child from Anxious Thoughts
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Is it really possible for a mother to heal her angry child, changing her daughter's personality from...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hostage (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Chief of Police Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) is a man filled with turmoil. A former S.W.A.T. officer and top hostage negotiator for the Los Angeles Police Department, Talley now toils away in a quite California town where crime is light and very infrequent. The change in locales was made necessary for Jeff in the aftermath of a hostage negotiation where things did not go accordingly leaving Jeff with more questions than answers.
As if this is not bad enough, Talley is having difficulties with his wife Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and his daughter Amanda (Rumer Willis), who is not happy with their relocation to the quiet locale or the strain that is amongst her parents as it is clear that they still love each other very much.
The quiet town is disrupted when a robbery of a successful locale business man goes horribly wrong and ends up with a dead police officer and three hostages being held in a high tech, high security home.
Jeff responds to the incident and soon finds himself dealing with the three young men who are clearly in over their head and very dangerous due to the instability of the situation. Jeff decides to call in the Sheriff’s office as he believe his police force is not suited for this sort of situation and essentially decides to wash his hands of the situation and go home.
While driving home, Jeff is carjacked by a group of individuals who show Jeff that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage and instruct him not to let anyone in or out of the house where the hostage crisis is taking place. Jeff is also instructed to not deviate in any way from his instructions under pain of immediate death for his wife and daughter. His only communication with his new handlers will be via a cell phone, and he is to resume control of the negotiations.
It is learned that there is something in the house that the people holding Jeff’s family need and are willing to resort to very extreme measure to get it.
It is at this point that the very, very gripping and entertaining setup to the film begins to slide, as the second half of the film does not come close to matching the quality of the opening segments.
There are some very good cat and mouse moments as the men in the house start to argue amongst themselves, and interact with the family inside the house. The supporting performances are solid especially those of Jennifer (Michelle Horn), who plays the daughter held captive by the trio and the eerie performance of Ben Foster as the twisted Hostage taker Mars.
Sadly the film decides to turn to a series of brutal images and sequences rather than continue to develop the characters and work the story. The characters often embark on some inane courses of action and do things that not only contradict what we know about their characters but also fly into the lapse of logic as people in their situations would never do. I would love to expand on this by referencing a segment of the film but in the interest of not spoiling the film, I will explain it as when characters are told not to do something, why would they repeatedly do it, and then continue to do so without any consequences?
It is the continued lack of common sense and the and the very over the top and lazy finale to the film that sinks what could have and should have been a much better movie as the film is clearly sunk by the awful final 40 minutes of the show. Willis does a solid job with his role but the last act of the script let him down as even a star of his magnitude and talents cant make up for the films numerous shortcomings.
As if this is not bad enough, Talley is having difficulties with his wife Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and his daughter Amanda (Rumer Willis), who is not happy with their relocation to the quiet locale or the strain that is amongst her parents as it is clear that they still love each other very much.
The quiet town is disrupted when a robbery of a successful locale business man goes horribly wrong and ends up with a dead police officer and three hostages being held in a high tech, high security home.
Jeff responds to the incident and soon finds himself dealing with the three young men who are clearly in over their head and very dangerous due to the instability of the situation. Jeff decides to call in the Sheriff’s office as he believe his police force is not suited for this sort of situation and essentially decides to wash his hands of the situation and go home.
While driving home, Jeff is carjacked by a group of individuals who show Jeff that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage and instruct him not to let anyone in or out of the house where the hostage crisis is taking place. Jeff is also instructed to not deviate in any way from his instructions under pain of immediate death for his wife and daughter. His only communication with his new handlers will be via a cell phone, and he is to resume control of the negotiations.
It is learned that there is something in the house that the people holding Jeff’s family need and are willing to resort to very extreme measure to get it.
It is at this point that the very, very gripping and entertaining setup to the film begins to slide, as the second half of the film does not come close to matching the quality of the opening segments.
There are some very good cat and mouse moments as the men in the house start to argue amongst themselves, and interact with the family inside the house. The supporting performances are solid especially those of Jennifer (Michelle Horn), who plays the daughter held captive by the trio and the eerie performance of Ben Foster as the twisted Hostage taker Mars.
Sadly the film decides to turn to a series of brutal images and sequences rather than continue to develop the characters and work the story. The characters often embark on some inane courses of action and do things that not only contradict what we know about their characters but also fly into the lapse of logic as people in their situations would never do. I would love to expand on this by referencing a segment of the film but in the interest of not spoiling the film, I will explain it as when characters are told not to do something, why would they repeatedly do it, and then continue to do so without any consequences?
It is the continued lack of common sense and the and the very over the top and lazy finale to the film that sinks what could have and should have been a much better movie as the film is clearly sunk by the awful final 40 minutes of the show. Willis does a solid job with his role but the last act of the script let him down as even a star of his magnitude and talents cant make up for the films numerous shortcomings.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Dolls (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Story: Dolls starts when alcoholic children’s book author Robert Holbrook (Downey) moves into his recently deceased mother’s home to start work on his latest work, when he is joined by his teenage daughter Sammey (Simpson) who wants to get away from her mother.
When Robert and Sammey discover three creepy dolls in the attic, Robert decides that he wants to use these characters to create his latest story, known as the Attic Dolls. When a sister of a former patient Margaret (Wallace) appears, she warns Sammey about the evil inside the dolls that come out to play when you look away.
Thoughts on Dolls
Characters – Robert is an alcoholic children’s author, he has made mistakes in his life which has left his family facing financial ruin, his daughter struggle to be able to face a college future, he has moved out to focus on his new book, which will see him being joined by his daughter. The latest book idea uses the creepy dolls found in the attic of his mother’s home, which will see him suffer nightmares as he looks to withdraw from his drinking problems. Sammey is his 17-year-old daughter who wants to live with him over her mother, she has been on certain medications, though it is unclear what is wrong with her to need them. She first gets scared by the dolls believing the story she hears about them, while trying to remain rebellious about her future. Margaret was the sister of one of the patient’s of Robert’s mother, she warns the family about the evil from the dolls which might be connected to the deaths.
Performances – Thomas Downey is strong through the film, we believe that he is going through troubles. Trinity Simpson is entertaining in her role, she brings the fear of what is going on to make us believe everything happening. Dee Wallace is the biggest name in the film, she is in a supporting role, which lets her bring the experience to the film.
Story – The story here follows a family that move into a house of a deceased relative only to discover three creepy dolls in the attic, soon strange things start happening around the house as it appears the dolls come to life when people aren’t looking. This story does play into the creepy dolls genre of horror which does to use mental health and addiction to try and reflect the situation going on through the events of the film. It does start by going in one direction, but it does feel like it is going to target on a rampage, then throws another twist to them in and it does seem to rush a lot of the story going on through the film. it does end in a very confusing manor which could make most of the film feel almost redundant.
Horror – The horror in this comes from the dolls which do feel creepy and make us feel uneasy wondering what they will be doing next.
Settings – The film is set in the one location which is the house, it is filled with locations where the dolls could sneak around without being seen, only heard, which does play into the rules created.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are only used when they are needed, they are simply with certain small movements which does help the film unfold.
Scene of the Movie – The dolls appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a new creepy doll movie, which has been the it feature at the moment, with Child’s Play and Annabelle in the cinema, this one does have a creepy feel to it even if the story does seem to be rushed.
Overall: Creepy Fun horror.
When Robert and Sammey discover three creepy dolls in the attic, Robert decides that he wants to use these characters to create his latest story, known as the Attic Dolls. When a sister of a former patient Margaret (Wallace) appears, she warns Sammey about the evil inside the dolls that come out to play when you look away.
Thoughts on Dolls
Characters – Robert is an alcoholic children’s author, he has made mistakes in his life which has left his family facing financial ruin, his daughter struggle to be able to face a college future, he has moved out to focus on his new book, which will see him being joined by his daughter. The latest book idea uses the creepy dolls found in the attic of his mother’s home, which will see him suffer nightmares as he looks to withdraw from his drinking problems. Sammey is his 17-year-old daughter who wants to live with him over her mother, she has been on certain medications, though it is unclear what is wrong with her to need them. She first gets scared by the dolls believing the story she hears about them, while trying to remain rebellious about her future. Margaret was the sister of one of the patient’s of Robert’s mother, she warns the family about the evil from the dolls which might be connected to the deaths.
Performances – Thomas Downey is strong through the film, we believe that he is going through troubles. Trinity Simpson is entertaining in her role, she brings the fear of what is going on to make us believe everything happening. Dee Wallace is the biggest name in the film, she is in a supporting role, which lets her bring the experience to the film.
Story – The story here follows a family that move into a house of a deceased relative only to discover three creepy dolls in the attic, soon strange things start happening around the house as it appears the dolls come to life when people aren’t looking. This story does play into the creepy dolls genre of horror which does to use mental health and addiction to try and reflect the situation going on through the events of the film. It does start by going in one direction, but it does feel like it is going to target on a rampage, then throws another twist to them in and it does seem to rush a lot of the story going on through the film. it does end in a very confusing manor which could make most of the film feel almost redundant.
Horror – The horror in this comes from the dolls which do feel creepy and make us feel uneasy wondering what they will be doing next.
Settings – The film is set in the one location which is the house, it is filled with locations where the dolls could sneak around without being seen, only heard, which does play into the rules created.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are only used when they are needed, they are simply with certain small movements which does help the film unfold.
Scene of the Movie – The dolls appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a new creepy doll movie, which has been the it feature at the moment, with Child’s Play and Annabelle in the cinema, this one does have a creepy feel to it even if the story does seem to be rushed.
Overall: Creepy Fun horror.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated A United Kingdom (2017) in Movies
Oct 1, 2017
One of the greatest love stories in the past century
Rarely can you make a claim that a true relationship is the greatest love story in the past century until you hear about Seretse Khama and his wife Ruth.
As an African chieftain of Bechuanaland, now Botswana, Khama was studying law in the UK before meeting Ruth, a secretary and daughter to a British Army captain. Even after the Second World War interracial couples faced much prejudice, but none so much as a king of a British protectorate and an ordinary white woman.
Facing many trials and tribulations, even exile from his own country thanks to the British relationship with the then apartheid nation of South Africa, the couple attempt to endure endless hardships to be the rightful rulers of Botswana.
It's always magnificent when you hear these stories are based on real life events. The Notebook has nothing on this.
As an African chieftain of Bechuanaland, now Botswana, Khama was studying law in the UK before meeting Ruth, a secretary and daughter to a British Army captain. Even after the Second World War interracial couples faced much prejudice, but none so much as a king of a British protectorate and an ordinary white woman.
Facing many trials and tribulations, even exile from his own country thanks to the British relationship with the then apartheid nation of South Africa, the couple attempt to endure endless hardships to be the rightful rulers of Botswana.
It's always magnificent when you hear these stories are based on real life events. The Notebook has nothing on this.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated How to Stop Time in Books
Jan 6, 2018
A little glib, better as a young adult novel
Matt Haig's novel, soon to be a motion picture with Benedict Cumberbatch, has had rave reviews, yet I feel I'm in the minority in saying it fell short of expectations.
Following Tom Hazard, an unusual protagonist with a rare condition which has made him live for centuries, has been searching for his daughter ever since he was forced to leave her. Describing major events in history, Hazard continues to change his identity in order to survive becoming a history teacher as his current persona. All the while being controlled by the mysterious Hendricks. Is it better to live for a short while with love, or for eternity alone?
While the story is imaginative, the characters are underdeveloped and the constant time change is inconsistent. The plot may be a little too juvenile for me, not really to my taste. Enjoy the film.
Following Tom Hazard, an unusual protagonist with a rare condition which has made him live for centuries, has been searching for his daughter ever since he was forced to leave her. Describing major events in history, Hazard continues to change his identity in order to survive becoming a history teacher as his current persona. All the while being controlled by the mysterious Hendricks. Is it better to live for a short while with love, or for eternity alone?
While the story is imaginative, the characters are underdeveloped and the constant time change is inconsistent. The plot may be a little too juvenile for me, not really to my taste. Enjoy the film.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Secret Daughter in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This novel tells the story of two families who become intertwined despite living half a world apart and without really knowing or ever even meeting each other. One is a poor family struggling to survive in rural India. The other is a pair of medical school students who meet and fall in love, one being from India.
The American couple end up having fertility issues, while the destitute couple in India are exactly the opposite. Not wanting to know her husband has disposed of another unwanted girl, the Indian mother smuggles her baby daughter to an orphanage in Mumbai. And it is there, where the American couple end up adopting her.
The story moves through the life of the girl in parallel with the lives of her adoptive and biological parents. In the end it is a tear jerker, but has a great message about who your real family is.
The American couple end up having fertility issues, while the destitute couple in India are exactly the opposite. Not wanting to know her husband has disposed of another unwanted girl, the Indian mother smuggles her baby daughter to an orphanage in Mumbai. And it is there, where the American couple end up adopting her.
The story moves through the life of the girl in parallel with the lives of her adoptive and biological parents. In the end it is a tear jerker, but has a great message about who your real family is.
Rightlywriting (10 KP) rated The Breakfast Club (1985) in Movies
Aug 19, 2017
Dramatic vintage teen flick
Contains spoilers, click to show
They did a good job at portraying all of the types and attitudes of highschoolers during the 80s. As an 80s teen myself, I enjoyed this movie back then as I could identify with the kids portrayed - the rich girl who thought she was above everyone, the smoker, the geek, the jock, and the introvert (I was a geeky introvrrt). Too bad kids in real life from different backgrounds can't figure out how much alike they really are behind their facades the way they do by the end of the movie. My teen daughter in 2009 enjoyed this movie too so I guess today's teens aren't much different. Would be a good movie to show teens in school to show how they can be friends and get along if they put their differences and prejudices aside.
Lindsay (1793 KP) rated Child of Promise (Brides of Culdee Creek, #4) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
This is so heartbreaking that it hard to believe it the final book in the series. Beth has her heart set on the priest in Grand View Though she try to be not heartbroken by it. Beth goes to medical school. She hold a heartfelt past as well.
Noah is having struggles with his faith and calling once his wife dies and his daughter has disability from her birth. Noah grandmother help with letting Beth stay with them when she has some trouble with finding a place to stay.
Can things go the way they intend or do Noah and Beth find the love and the god they need and for Noah does he stay and learn that god is there for him and he is doing what god wanted him to do. Come read this series if you enjoy it. The first is emotional though the last.
Noah is having struggles with his faith and calling once his wife dies and his daughter has disability from her birth. Noah grandmother help with letting Beth stay with them when she has some trouble with finding a place to stay.
Can things go the way they intend or do Noah and Beth find the love and the god they need and for Noah does he stay and learn that god is there for him and he is doing what god wanted him to do. Come read this series if you enjoy it. The first is emotional though the last.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Left Behind (2014) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018 (Updated Feb 12, 2018)
Rapture with a capital C
Relatively lavish faith-based disaster movie which has somehow managed to land the services of a few people you may actually have heard of. Panic and chaos ensue when millions of people vanish in the blink of an eye; Nicolas Cage is stuck flying a plane looking for a place to land, on the ground his daughter runs around trying to work out what's happening. The final revelation (sorry) is telegraphed very early on by endless discussions of sin and religion.
Like most faith-based movies this is crippled by its own earnestness and didacticism; some ultra-low-budget action does not help much, and is strikingly poorly directed given Vic Armstrong is (in his own words) 'the world's greatest stuntman'. Unlikely to convince the undecided of either the essential truth of Christianity or the long-term prospects of Nicolas Cage's acting career.
Like most faith-based movies this is crippled by its own earnestness and didacticism; some ultra-low-budget action does not help much, and is strikingly poorly directed given Vic Armstrong is (in his own words) 'the world's greatest stuntman'. Unlikely to convince the undecided of either the essential truth of Christianity or the long-term prospects of Nicolas Cage's acting career.
Awix (3310 KP) rated All the Money in the World (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018 (Updated Feb 12, 2018)
Ear today, gone tomorrow
Classy true-crime drama formerly starring Kevin Spacey. Grandchild of insanely wealthy oil tycoon is kidnapped and held to ransom; tycoon refuses to pay up on principle (said principle being 'I never give money away if I don't have to'); everything gets a bit stressful between tycoon and his ex-daughter-in-law. Body parts end up being put in the post.
Ridley Scott does a very good job of bringing an outlandishly grotesque true story to the screen, although the usual liberties are taken with the chronology of what actually happened. Fine performances from Christopher Plummer and Michelle Williams, amusingly unflattering depiction of Italy in the 70s; laudable general message of how having money can really screw you up and you're better off without it (Scott has an estimated net worth of $140 million, in case you were wondering). A solidly entertaining movie.
Ridley Scott does a very good job of bringing an outlandishly grotesque true story to the screen, although the usual liberties are taken with the chronology of what actually happened. Fine performances from Christopher Plummer and Michelle Williams, amusingly unflattering depiction of Italy in the 70s; laudable general message of how having money can really screw you up and you're better off without it (Scott has an estimated net worth of $140 million, in case you were wondering). A solidly entertaining movie.