Smashbomb

Excalibur is a classic, and deservedly so. The visuals and performances from the entire cast are outstanding, and you get to see early appearances from the likes of a then-unknown Patrick Stewart or Liam Neeson. The film is epic in scope, and that's part of the problem--in trying to tell the entire Arthurian legend, the film only has time (even at nearly two and a half hours) to hit the highlights without adding sufficient connective tissue to make sure that we care about the characters. Then there's the fact that the film caters to more of a child's fantasy version of knights in shining armor than anything else. I don't mind the anachronism of plate armor in the "dark ages," but characters living in their plate day on and day out, in peacetime, in the middle of their fortress? That crap is uncomfortable! Ten year old me would have bought that reality, but this film would have been (and in fact specifically WAS) denied to ten year old me based on the nudity and gore. I'm not asking for gritty realism, but I also wasn't expecting a return to the fantasties of my youth. Worth seeing, to be sure, but not timeless or without it's flaws.

Kudos

Breath in the Dark

Jane Hersey

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Settling down on the bed, I stroked the plump, still body, watching my mother's face just to make...

Trapped (Blood Rose Tales #1)

Caris Roane

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Mastyr Vampire Zephyr, a one-man fighting force, struggles to save the life of a woman who despises...

Paranormal Romance

Stephen O'Connor (8 KP) rated Assassin's Apprentice in Books

May 14, 2017

Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb | 1995 | Fiction & Poetry

8.9

(11 Ratings)

Book Rating

Easy to read and well writen (3 more)

The story is just a hook that keeps you reading

One of the best first person books I've ever read

The world built by Hobb is beautiful and epic

I don't really have one but I need to give at least one, some people will feel if could be 50 pages shorter (0 more)

My number one, but for bias reasons

Now I have to be honest and admit that my feeling for this book/series are slightly Bias, let me give the reason. This is the book that got me into my love of reading Fantasy as a whole and the other reason, when I decided to quite smoking I swapped the cigarette for reading, with this being the book that got me through it 😊 . So moving onto the book itself and how it's just god Damn Awesome. Robin Hobb is just a fantastic writer and this just shows throughout the book, the story telling and writing are second to none. Fitz is a royal bastard that gets dumped at the castle doors and left to the care of his unknowing royal family. His struggle of trying to find a place in court and live with the stigma of being the bastard are his young life. This book will have you falling for the character of Fitz like he's your own blood and you'll care for him like no other book characters. Putting the book down for more than 1 day isn't even possible. I'm pretty terrible at writing anything, never mind trying to sell a good book through a review, so please just take my advice and trust me when I say how bloody awesome this book is.

Kudos

Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) May 14, 2017

Is this book a framed narrative. I've heard a lot about it

Kudos

Eve Oxspring (14 KP) rated Phantom Thread (2017) in Movies

Feb 15, 2018

Excellent performances (2 more)

Interesting concept

Beautiful cinematography

An intense character study with a side of high fashion

Contains spoilers, click to show

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this movie for days. On the surface, it's a somewhat absurd look into the life of a overly privileged, egotistical fashion designer (Day-Lewis). His every whim is provided for by his stoic sister (Manville) and a number of lovers that he, in some way or other, always manages to drive away.

It should have been forgettable, but, in fact was the complete opposite.

The lack of context really makes this film. There are clues throughout, the odd word or image littered here and there, but it is left almost entirely to the audience to piece together the meaning of everything. Woodcock clearly has issues when it comes to his mother, who taught him everything he knew and who died years before the film takes place. He projects these issues onto those around him, involving them in the "game" that is his life. As we, the audience, begin to realise this, so, too, does Alma (Krieps), his current lover. She repeatedly poisons him, knowing the only time she will be truly alone and at his full attention is when he is incapable of being anywhere else. She takes care of him almost as a mother would a small child, further adding to (or relieving?) already prevalent issues in him.

The more I think about this film, the more I love it. I admit, I didn't care for it at all when I first walked out of the cinema, but as time has passed - as I've had a chance to digest and unpack all the gifts this film gives - I find myself liking it more and more. A second viewing is definitely on the cards.