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Ross (3284 KP) rated Once upon a Time in Mexico (2003) in Movies
Dec 19, 2017
The third instalment in the Mariachi trilogy (which I still don't quite agree with as El Mariachi and Desperado were basically the same film but with the title character being weak/strong) sees El happily together with Salma Hayek but on the run from banditos who finally tracked him down. Opening silly action sequence where they climb down a building while chained at the wrist and escape on top of a bus. Johnny Depp appears as a very naughty CIA agent, who is constantly building up empires/governments to watch them fall and profiting from the spoils. He becomes embroiled in Willem Defoe's coup of the Mexican Culiacan region, meanwhile tries to even out the balance in Mexico by killing all chefs whose Puerco Pibil is too good or not good enough.
Roles for Mickey Rourke as a fugitive, Enrique Eglesias as a down on his luck mariachi gigolo, Cheech Marin as ... Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo as ... Danny Trejo give this film a strong cast and a familiar Rodriguez film.
Further silly action scenes, exploding / remote controlled guitar cases and double/triple crossing complete an excellent fun ride of a film where belief has to be suspended.
Roles for Mickey Rourke as a fugitive, Enrique Eglesias as a down on his luck mariachi gigolo, Cheech Marin as ... Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo as ... Danny Trejo give this film a strong cast and a familiar Rodriguez film.
Further silly action scenes, exploding / remote controlled guitar cases and double/triple crossing complete an excellent fun ride of a film where belief has to be suspended.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Secret Life of Bees in Books
Dec 31, 2017
Audiobook edition
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator, Jenna Lamia, was an excellent choice in my opinion. She sounded just like I thought she should sound, and added a lot of emotion to the story. I admired the main characters strengths (all of them!) - they were all very strong female figures. They probably had to be in the situations that they all found themselves to be in. I'm not big on regurgitating what a story is about - you only have to look at the book description above, but for me, this was very much an educational story. Having been brought up in the UK, I have never seen any of the situations described in the book - not to the extent that they are here anyway. That's the privilege I have of being middle classed, white and living in the UK I suppose (although I can remember a black teenager being shadowed around a toy shop by a member of staff for no reason at all. When I pointed out to them that their time might be better spent stocking the shelves, they didn't seem to have an answer for me as to why they felt the need to follow one customer around).
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated On Writing in Books
May 14, 2017
Short memoir follwed by a how to write fiction section.
Great book. I read it in a couple of days and it was exactly what I was looking for. I am not a Stephen King fan as I am not keen on the fantasy/ horror genre, but this book is non fiction. The first part of the book is a short memoir of writer's growth and early experiences, I found this part both funny and insightful and not at all what I expected from Stephen King. The 'On Writing' part was excellent. The author's hints and tips are subjective yet honest which is refreshing. Not all writers work the same and King is clear that this is only advice and may not be suitable for everyone. Bad habits and grammatical no-no's were probably the most helpful pieces of advice for myself, his huge dislike for the 'adverb' is something I may find myself becoming accustomed to in my own work revision. For non writers, do not dismiss this book, it is a little jewel that gives the reader a close and personal account of the authors honestly and quirks. I really loved it.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Charlie's Farm (2014) in Movies
Jun 18, 2017
Imaginative kills (2 more)
Great special effects
Another cool slasher icob
A head smashing fun romp
Poor Charlie, orpaned at age 9 when his cannibalizing parents were lynched by the locals for murdering and eating the transient workers they hired on their desolate pig farm.
Fast forward 25 years and Tara Reid and her friends are roaming the Australian land in search of urban legend Charlie and his farm. What they find will definitely satisfy the veiwer once they locate the farm and all hell breaks loose.
A good script, excellent effects, and a beast of a killer played with absolute disdain for the trespassing adults by a mountain of a man named Nathan Jones who portrays Charlie with an almost childlike innocence even though he's slaughters his victims he seems to be playing with them, like a kid with a magnifying glass who enjoys burning ants. Jones has played beasts before in films like Troy. And a few years after the release of this he was the monster of a man in Mad Max:Fury Road.
Jones kills(pardon the pun) this role.
I recommend this film for people who enjoy a good slasher flick. Charlie's Farm gives the watcher what they're looking for, and leaves you yearning for one more kill.
Fast forward 25 years and Tara Reid and her friends are roaming the Australian land in search of urban legend Charlie and his farm. What they find will definitely satisfy the veiwer once they locate the farm and all hell breaks loose.
A good script, excellent effects, and a beast of a killer played with absolute disdain for the trespassing adults by a mountain of a man named Nathan Jones who portrays Charlie with an almost childlike innocence even though he's slaughters his victims he seems to be playing with them, like a kid with a magnifying glass who enjoys burning ants. Jones has played beasts before in films like Troy. And a few years after the release of this he was the monster of a man in Mad Max:Fury Road.
Jones kills(pardon the pun) this role.
I recommend this film for people who enjoy a good slasher flick. Charlie's Farm gives the watcher what they're looking for, and leaves you yearning for one more kill.
Susan (45 KP) rated Greenleaf - Season 1 in TV
Jul 4, 2017
Excellent casting (4 more)
Reveals the truth about families and the secrets they keep
Will grab u your attention from episode one and won't let you go til the end
All churches may not be like this one but we all know there's truth to this plot
Oprah plays a role like you've never seen her play and she doesn't disappoint
A Mega Church filled with sex, deep dark family secrets,and drama, drama, drama!
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was looking for a new show to binge watch when I came across this. When I saw that Oprah was part of the show I knew it would be something worth watching. I stayed up all night and the next day, unable to stop watching because I had to know what happened next. This show does not disappoint! It has everything a series needs to draw you in and keep you watching.. A family with money and a mega church with secrets that have been kept hidden for years...until their estranged daughter arrives intent on exposing the truth behind her sister's suicide. A house and church built on sex, murder, lies and scandal won't stand for long as the truth is revealed episode by episode. A must see series!
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Jul 16, 2017
Tom Holland nails awkward teenage Peter Parker (4 more)
Excellent continuity with the MCU
The Vulture is a compelling villain
Marisa Tomei, obviously
Sarcastic, Funny Tony Stark Returns!
Peter Parker Done Right for Once!
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the perfect movie to kick off the character's triumphant addition to the MCU. I don't know exactly what kind of magic Disney worked out with Sony, but damn does it feel good. The Marvel execs know exactly how to handle the character, unlike Sony, and Sony still gets to rake in the cash from Marvel's hottest property. Spider-Man in the MCU is a huge win-win for everyone involved, but most importantly for the fans. Tom Holland plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man just as he should be, an awkward teenager still coming to grips with and refining his powers. He quips while fighting, running his mouth as a teenager with power would. Outside his costume, though, he is much more reserved. He is so uncomfortable just being himself, Peter Parker, and that fact is so integral to the character. Spider-Man has finally been perfected in live-action film, and Homecoming left me smiling and eager for Spidey to join the larger MCU conflicts once again.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Jul 23, 2017
New Characters are Excellent (3 more)
God Bless Alan Tudyk
Perhaps the Best Space Battle in Star Wars Yet
The Rebels "Storming the Beach"
A Crazy Caper Set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Rogue One is a fantastic film. It feels so fresh, despite being "a Star Wars Story," mostly because it is so different than any of the movies in the main saga. Better yet, it functions as an awesome prequel to the original trilogy. Even if you're of mind to forget Star Wars 1-3, I'm betting you'll be more than willing to add this movie to the start of your Original Trilogy marathons. Rogue One is a delightful mash of a couple genres, most notably spy, heist, and war films, and it works so well. It's a ground level look at the Rebellion and their efforts to steal plans to the Death Star, shown through the point-of-view of regular soldiers with no apparent Force powers to speak of. It's a thrilling ride, and one that also gets you invested in its well-written characters in a fairly short amount of time. Oh, and Disney, is there any way Alan Tudyk can come back to the series?
Niten. NR (75 KP) rated Dunkirk (2017) in Movies
Jul 27, 2017
Cinematography (6 more)
Story line/lines (merge)
An excellent cast.
Hans Zimmer's score
Minimalistic dialogue
Spitfires (aerial combat scenes)
Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance & Tom Hardy (being cool) .
Powerful & Immense
This is one hell of a film. It's an epic, all consuming, continually intensifying beast of a movie. The cinematography blew me away with those great big expansive shots. The 3 storyline amalgamation and the timescale structure of this, was superb in my opinion. Each lead in each storyline gave a powerful performance without the overuse of dialogue. Hans Zimmer's score built and built until, at times I felt like I was about to explode. I did feel that I enjoyed the film all the more because I was aware of the situation historically, there is a brief explanation early on but, I would advise anyone who's not aware, to read up a little on the massive scale of this evacuation, the uniqueness of the situation and the dangerous time it was for all involved. Overall, it's a must see at the cinema and to get the best of the sound and those beautiful aerial Spitfire vs Messerschmitt scenes, in Imax if possible.
Ross (3284 KP) rated King of Thorns in Books
Sep 5, 2017
The second in the broken empire trilogy continues from where the "prince..." left off. Jorg is now King of Renar having successfully taken over rule from his naughty uncle.
In this book we see Jorg seemingy become more regal, less of a renegade loose canon, though this turns out not to be through his choice.
Similar to the first book, the story line is split between the "present", 4 years after the events of the Prince of Thorns and a separate timeline following immediately from the first book. The way these are woven together allows a good rate of reveals of key events and information along the way, while also leaving enough mystery behind for later.
The plot follows Jorg on his wedding day trying to defend his land from the would-be emperor, the prince of Arrow, and also in the past on a tour of the outlying countries trying to solve various problems.
The post-apocalyptic element hinted at in the first book is further explored here, but not in a way to detract from the important points of the story.
Overall this is an excellent follow-up with top-notch storytelling and engaging action, with the prince/king we love to hate and hate to hate.
In this book we see Jorg seemingy become more regal, less of a renegade loose canon, though this turns out not to be through his choice.
Similar to the first book, the story line is split between the "present", 4 years after the events of the Prince of Thorns and a separate timeline following immediately from the first book. The way these are woven together allows a good rate of reveals of key events and information along the way, while also leaving enough mystery behind for later.
The plot follows Jorg on his wedding day trying to defend his land from the would-be emperor, the prince of Arrow, and also in the past on a tour of the outlying countries trying to solve various problems.
The post-apocalyptic element hinted at in the first book is further explored here, but not in a way to detract from the important points of the story.
Overall this is an excellent follow-up with top-notch storytelling and engaging action, with the prince/king we love to hate and hate to hate.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Right Hand in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I started listening to The Right Hand with absolutely no idea what it was about, and within seconds I was entranced. Everything about this book was 5 stars or higher. The writing was right for the genre: descriptive and witty, but more focused on the point of the story than the writing itself. The pacing was perfect, the tone was awesome, and the characters were fabulous. I mean, a CIA spy who is so bad-ass and awesome at what he does that the organization doesn't even want to know how he gets his job done, only that he gets it done? How awesome is that? The plot never stopped moving, changing, turning. (And since I did listen to the audiobook, I will say, the reader did an excellent job!)
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+