Search

Search only in certain items:

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
1992 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

"I usually have Reservoir Dogs and Rocky Horror Picture Show on my list, because I just love them so much. I did Kids, and the first film I really can remember watching specifically to look at acting after that was Reservoir Dogs. My dad had given me the VHS tape of it to watch over and over and over again. Well, he didn’t intend for me, I think, to watch it over and over and over again, but I watched it over and over again; I think I watched it like five or six times that week. I would come home from school and I would just watch it again, and memorize the whole thing, and I was just so blown away by the acting in it. It seemed like it must have had all this money, because you remember it being bloody, you remember the shock, all that kinda stuff. And then you watch it and you’re like, “Actually, [Quentin Tarantino] cut around all of that.” The dude with red stuff on his chest, you know what I mean? It’s all acting. And it’s such an interesting way of telling the story, going back and inside of itself. My dad, I’ll never forget, he was like, “Watch this for the acting,” and I was just blown away. So I feel like that’s a piece of work that I love looking at as sort of a modern way of getting into those huge monologues, telling stories in an epic way, and the sort of more modern kind of small stories."

Source
  
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
Christopher Paolini | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Space Epic From The Author Of The Eragon Series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Paolini's Eragon series, I looked forward to listening to the audiobook of his latest novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.

Paolini did not disappoint. His work on this space opera spanned for nearly a decade. The research completed to make it accurate as possible shows he did not rush his writing.

Do not expect to read/listen to this in one sitting. The run time is 32 hours, 29 minutes, and the book is 880 pages. The book could have been released into a trilogy but do not let that scare you. The story may be long, but it is well built and full of completely fleshed out characters and worlds. My favorite character is Gregorovich, a ship mind. Paolini's sarcastic words and the narrator's voice makes him a character as memorable as paranoid Marvin from H2G2.
 
In 2013, the narrator, Jennifer Hale, was recognized by Guinness World Records as "the most prolific video game voice actor (female)." Her voice is instantly recognizable, and the array of voices she uses in the audiobook are separate and distinct from each other.

Paolini's story and Hale's voices make this an enjoyable story to remember.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/15/20.
  
40x40

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016) in Movies

Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)  
Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016)
Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016)
2016 | Comedy
Once again I appreciate Kevin Hart's energy and strong presence as a performer, but this just felt like a first draft for a weaker Chris Tucker set. The 'movie' bits didn't really do a whole lot for me but I admit it's a clever idea that maybe would have landed harder if not for Tim Story's flat, chintzy coverage. I like the black and gold aesthetic, and the tour itself has a handful of mild laughs - albeit sporadically. But my main problem with this is that there's a surfeit of innately hilarious setups followed almost exclusively by not-so-funny payoffs. Setting up jokes where he asks an audience member if they'd still be with their partner if an orangutan hopped the fence and stole his kneecaps or a genius segment about Hart's wife sucking all the numbing cream off his dick should by all accounts be comedy gold in their own right... but not when they're followed with ungodly long Katt Williams-esque tangents about how funny it would be to pretend to walk like you can't bend your legs like you're that annoying kid who thinks he's funny in second grade - complete with the same obnoxious running jokes repeated seemingly 500 times over and appallingly bad impersonations or whatever. By the end I just didn't care. The notion of a stand-up mogul - as boasted in its advertising - certainly is an intriguing one, though this seems like such a lukewarm set to peddle that distinction. But with some greater optimization this could have been epic.
  
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3)
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3)
Cheryl S. Mackey | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3) by Cheryl Mackey
Exiles & Empire is the third book in The Immortals series. This is a prequel series that leads onto The Destiny series, the first book of which is already available.

We reunite with our main four characters in the midst of a battle. Old acquaintances are there, but you are unsure if they are friend to foe to start with. Time is running out for our characters as Rodon appears to get stronger with every meeting. By contrast, Emaranthe appears more fragile and small, although still very strong. The mystery deepens around Emaranthe, and Ivo is desperately worried about the woman he loves. As for Jaeger, he allows himself to feel again - just slightly - although this doesn't have a happy outcome.

An exciting story that is once again packed full of action, intrigue, dilemmas, and suspense. The writing is descriptive and on point. There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The creativity of Ms. Mackey knows no bounds, and this book continues the story along nicely, whilst still leaving you wanting more.

For an epic fantasy that is full of action, I have no hesitation in recommending this book, although you will need to start at the beginning of the series for it to make sense!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Excalibur (1981)
Excalibur (1981)
1981 | Action, Sci-Fi
7
7.7 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Lush, beautiful visuals (1 more)
Stellar performances from all involved
Long movie, but feels like it rushes from highlight to highlight without fleshing out the story. (1 more)
More mythic fantasy of "knights in shining armor" as my younger self would have conceived it than anything grounded in reality.
Long on visuals, short on narrative cohesion and characterization
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.
  
    BLEACH Brave Souls

    BLEACH Brave Souls

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    The first smartphone action game based on the mega-hit manga and anime Bleach. Build a team using...

    Zwift

    Zwift

    Health & Fitness and Games

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Never ride alone again. Zwift is an online 3D world populated by cyclists powered by indoor cycling...

    Rich Girl Shopping Day

    Rich Girl Shopping Day

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    There's a new shop in town! they have tons of designer dresses, shoes and bags.Get ready for a...

    Ro: Idle Poring

    Ro: Idle Poring

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Official Release! Classic RO World! Gravity: Ragnarok Online Licensed Game RO: Idle Poring brings...