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Full of the usual de Bernieres charm.
A really charming, quirky story. A young boy goes to live on a farming station in the Outback (Australia) after his mother has a nervous breakdown in response to the death of his father. It's clear he misses both of his parents, but he loves his grandpa (who, incidentally does an excellent job of caring for him) and loves the Outback. After a cyclone hits, he finds a little red puppy in the destruction and names him Blue.
I loved the descriptions of the Outback, particularly the cyclone and it's aftermath. Hopefully this is the closest I'll ever get to such a phenomenon! I'm very much a dog person, so anything involving a dog is on to a winner for me (but I've never been a fan of the anthropomorphised type of story since reaching adulthood - although Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Watership Down etc were firm favourites as a child).
I've read Red Dog, which is the follow up to this novel, so there was a bittersweet element to this book, as I know how the next one ends.
Top marks for the story and just to de Bernieres' style. I'm a fan.
I loved the descriptions of the Outback, particularly the cyclone and it's aftermath. Hopefully this is the closest I'll ever get to such a phenomenon! I'm very much a dog person, so anything involving a dog is on to a winner for me (but I've never been a fan of the anthropomorphised type of story since reaching adulthood - although Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Watership Down etc were firm favourites as a child).
I've read Red Dog, which is the follow up to this novel, so there was a bittersweet element to this book, as I know how the next one ends.
Top marks for the story and just to de Bernieres' style. I'm a fan.
Awix (3310 KP) rated King of Thieves (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
Michael Caine leads a crack team of crock crooks in robbing a safe deposit vault in London in this loosely-based-on-reality black comedy thriller. Quite apart from Caine, the film has an excellent cast (Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, Paul Whitehouse, and Michael Gambon, plus Charlie Cox for the streaming generation), which will probably be what draws most people to it.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.
Merissa (13919 KP) rated Twisted Sisters (The Orion Circle #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The second book in the Orion Circle series is just as action-packed as the first book. I will admit to the beginning taking me by surprise but I loved how it was written, with the characters of Kacie and Logan being immediately recognisable and flowing to the forefront of my mind, even though it is a while since I have read the first book in this series, Tortured Souls.
This story is layered with intricate twists and turns as Logan and Kacie have to deal with a number of different things, and the opponents they're facing are very good at finding out their secret fears. Although the timing of this book is over a short period, it never seemed rushed or hurried. Each scene was well-written and time given to each action and character, so that you understand just what is going on. With excellent teamwork by the Orion Circle as a whole (although the Pastor did annoy me at the end!), action, adventure and a touch of romance, this is one story that I didn't want to end.
Absolutely recommended and I can't wait for more!
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This story is layered with intricate twists and turns as Logan and Kacie have to deal with a number of different things, and the opponents they're facing are very good at finding out their secret fears. Although the timing of this book is over a short period, it never seemed rushed or hurried. Each scene was well-written and time given to each action and character, so that you understand just what is going on. With excellent teamwork by the Orion Circle as a whole (although the Pastor did annoy me at the end!), action, adventure and a touch of romance, this is one story that I didn't want to end.
Absolutely recommended and I can't wait for more!
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Jul 16, 2019
An absolute joy from start to finish
Into the Spider-Verse is nothing short of excellent.
The animation style is beautiful, quirky, packed with colour, and doesn't let go of your attention until the credits have finished rolling.
The assembled voice cast are all great, and compliment the emotion and humour felt throughout.
The humour in question is flawless...every joke and humourous beat land perfectly. It's a funny movie, as well as carrying along a powerful message about growing up, and realising that you're not alone.
The storyline is pretty crazy, and as it deals with multiple dimensions, there's a chance to pull in some fun characters from the comic world, including Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, Spider Gwen, and Spider-Man Noir (hilarious btw). It's definitely out there, but it works very well.
Miles' universe, where the movie takes place, is a setting that allows the writers to take free reign, tinkering with classic villains we know and love, making this a Spider-Man movie worth seeing for fans old and new.
Possibly the best Spider-Man movie yet (maybe in a par with Far From Home).
End note - the post credit scene is just the best thing ever.
The animation style is beautiful, quirky, packed with colour, and doesn't let go of your attention until the credits have finished rolling.
The assembled voice cast are all great, and compliment the emotion and humour felt throughout.
The humour in question is flawless...every joke and humourous beat land perfectly. It's a funny movie, as well as carrying along a powerful message about growing up, and realising that you're not alone.
The storyline is pretty crazy, and as it deals with multiple dimensions, there's a chance to pull in some fun characters from the comic world, including Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, Spider Gwen, and Spider-Man Noir (hilarious btw). It's definitely out there, but it works very well.
Miles' universe, where the movie takes place, is a setting that allows the writers to take free reign, tinkering with classic villains we know and love, making this a Spider-Man movie worth seeing for fans old and new.
Possibly the best Spider-Man movie yet (maybe in a par with Far From Home).
End note - the post credit scene is just the best thing ever.
Mothergamer (1625 KP) rated NOS4A2 in TV
Jul 22, 2019
I have read the book and the book itself is pretty good and has some great moments in it. I was curious about the TV show so I checked it out. It's not bad, but it's not as strong as it could be. Zachary Quinto does an excellent job as the villain of the story Charlie Manx and Ashleigh Cummings does a great job as Vic Mcqueen. The rest of the cast is good as well. However, the TV show concept is very clunky in places and in some spots is kind of boring. There were opportunities for it to be scary because Charlie is supposed to be scary, but it falls flat and sometimes feels tedious and causes the story to drag out. The age makeup they did for Zachary Quinto is fantastic and the makeup for the children is well done as well. Honestly, the writing for the show is pretty weak which is unfortunate for a story that is about a macabre and surreal story. This is a case where the book is definitely better.
ClareR (6118 KP) rated The Book of M in Books
Dec 21, 2018
An enjoyable, original book.
Oh how I love a bit of dystopia. This time, people 'lose' their shadows, and with the loss of their shadows comes the loss of their memories. The added twist, is that when they are losing their memories, people begin to be able to do remarkable, scary things. Magical things.
We follow Ory and his quest to find his wife, Max, after her shadow disappears. She leaves to protect him. There are also two other main characters whose stories we follow - an olympic trained archer and the Amnesiac.
I loved this. The narrators were excellent, and for such an implausible concept, it just seemed so likely! For a book with magic, it didn't seem wildly fantastical. Why SHOULDN'T this happen? It makes a change from a killer virus (for the record, I like those kinds of stories too, by the way). I really liked the descriptions of those who lost their memories - the way in which it happened sounded a bit like I would imagine those with Alzheimers or dementia lose their memories. This book is about how important our memories actually are, how they shape the way we live our lives.
A very good book/ listen (I listened to this on Audible)!
We follow Ory and his quest to find his wife, Max, after her shadow disappears. She leaves to protect him. There are also two other main characters whose stories we follow - an olympic trained archer and the Amnesiac.
I loved this. The narrators were excellent, and for such an implausible concept, it just seemed so likely! For a book with magic, it didn't seem wildly fantastical. Why SHOULDN'T this happen? It makes a change from a killer virus (for the record, I like those kinds of stories too, by the way). I really liked the descriptions of those who lost their memories - the way in which it happened sounded a bit like I would imagine those with Alzheimers or dementia lose their memories. This book is about how important our memories actually are, how they shape the way we live our lives.
A very good book/ listen (I listened to this on Audible)!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Nov 19, 2019
Phenomenal
Finally a film that does justice to one of the most twisted, yet relatable, villains out there. With the focus on his character, rather than that caped guy, we could really start to appreciate how such a villain could emerge.
In a Gotham very similar to today (government budget cuts, strain on mental health services, increasing divide between the rich and poor, and figures of power and responsibility showing no empathy for the downtrodden), Arthur Fleck is a man struggling to juggle (accidental circus pun) work, caring for his mother and his stand-up career. With a supposed tourettes-like condition where he spontaneously bursts out laughing at the most inappropriate times, Arthur is also finding it hard to find a place in society, and longs to be accepted, if not loved.
The film is an excellent example of how events can conspire to make someone vulnerable and repeatedly abandoned by society suddenly snap. And also how the downtrodden masses will take inspiration from an unlikely hero to rise up and take a stand for their own rights.
The film itself mirrors Arthur's moods, at times serene, at others whimsical with sudden moments of utter mad violence.
A very stylish and dark film, but with a quality story and cast to match.
In a Gotham very similar to today (government budget cuts, strain on mental health services, increasing divide between the rich and poor, and figures of power and responsibility showing no empathy for the downtrodden), Arthur Fleck is a man struggling to juggle (accidental circus pun) work, caring for his mother and his stand-up career. With a supposed tourettes-like condition where he spontaneously bursts out laughing at the most inappropriate times, Arthur is also finding it hard to find a place in society, and longs to be accepted, if not loved.
The film is an excellent example of how events can conspire to make someone vulnerable and repeatedly abandoned by society suddenly snap. And also how the downtrodden masses will take inspiration from an unlikely hero to rise up and take a stand for their own rights.
The film itself mirrors Arthur's moods, at times serene, at others whimsical with sudden moments of utter mad violence.
A very stylish and dark film, but with a quality story and cast to match.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 2, 2020
The Psychological Man
The Invisible Man- was a good movie, i liked it alot, but their were some things i was just overall confused about and the ending, i was just overall confused. I was like what wait, what just happened, oh end of movie, okay. Dont want to explain more, about the ending, okay movie, just want to cut to the credits. So than i can be confused and overall disappointed. Other than the ending, a few parts of the movie, i really enjoyed it. I think its a good remake/reimagining. I like the plot, Elizabeth Moss was great in it, the psychological i thought was excellent and Liegh Whannell does it again.
The Plot: After staging his own suicide, a crazed scientist uses his power to become invisible to stalk and terrorize his ex-girlfriend. When the police refuse to believe her story, she decides to take matters into her own hands and fight back.
Their is twist and turns thoughtout the movie, and you will keep on second guessing until the very ending. Their is horror, sci-fi, psychological espects, thrills, suspense and revenge.
Overall The Invisible Man was good, just with a few set-backs, other than that. Go and watch it.
The Plot: After staging his own suicide, a crazed scientist uses his power to become invisible to stalk and terrorize his ex-girlfriend. When the police refuse to believe her story, she decides to take matters into her own hands and fight back.
Their is twist and turns thoughtout the movie, and you will keep on second guessing until the very ending. Their is horror, sci-fi, psychological espects, thrills, suspense and revenge.
Overall The Invisible Man was good, just with a few set-backs, other than that. Go and watch it.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated MASH (1970) in Movies
Jul 31, 2019
Broke new comedy ground (3 more)
Biting social commentary
Excellent cast
Moderately funny
Less a plot than a loosely-connected set of escapades (2 more)
Not the show you remember
Some of the stuff the protagonists get up to is legitimately awful, and this shouldn't have been okay even in the 70s
Groundbreaking at the time, but unremarkable today
If you're looking into this on account of the TV show, don't bother. It's very different. An anti-Vietnam movie about Korea, MASH is a dark comedy that's moderately funny and broke new ground at the time, but there's not much to recommend it today. Worth seeing? Sure. But it's not necessarily deserving of its cult status.
Plus, the protagonists are legitimately despicable people. You're supposed to cheer for them against the by-the-book fuddy-duddies like Burns and "Hot Lips" Houlihan, but honestly? The scene where they pull up the sides of the shower tent and expose HLH mid-shower is a bit uncomfortable, made more so by her breakdown/rant next scene as she berates the unit Commander for letting them get away with crap like that - and she's not wrong. The protagonists deserve to be court martialed for this, but no consequences are ever leveled. Even for the 70s, that's messed up....
Plus, the protagonists are legitimately despicable people. You're supposed to cheer for them against the by-the-book fuddy-duddies like Burns and "Hot Lips" Houlihan, but honestly? The scene where they pull up the sides of the shower tent and expose HLH mid-shower is a bit uncomfortable, made more so by her breakdown/rant next scene as she berates the unit Commander for letting them get away with crap like that - and she's not wrong. The protagonists deserve to be court martialed for this, but no consequences are ever leveled. Even for the 70s, that's messed up....
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hunt For The Enemy (The Enemy #3) in Books
Apr 24, 2020
What a satisfying and thrilling conclusion to this trilogy!
Having recently read the first 2 books in this series, Dance With The Enemy and Rise Of The Enemy, and thoroughly enjoyed them, I just had to read the final part and quickly downloaded it via Kindle Unlimited® and dived into it straight away.
Once again, this book if full of action and suspense from start to finish that certainly kept me enthralled and reading way into the night. There are new characters and returning ones all of which are well developed and believable; the pace is fast and the plot is excellent and full of twists ... you really don't know who to trust!
This is the third in the series and although it can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading them in order but if I had to choose, this particular story is my favourite in that it delves into Logan's past and previous missions which adds even more to him as a character. However, regardless whether you read one or all of them, you won't be disappointed in the slightest but be warned, once you start reading them, you won't be able to stop so make sure you have some free time on your hands 😃
Having recently read the first 2 books in this series, Dance With The Enemy and Rise Of The Enemy, and thoroughly enjoyed them, I just had to read the final part and quickly downloaded it via Kindle Unlimited® and dived into it straight away.
Once again, this book if full of action and suspense from start to finish that certainly kept me enthralled and reading way into the night. There are new characters and returning ones all of which are well developed and believable; the pace is fast and the plot is excellent and full of twists ... you really don't know who to trust!
This is the third in the series and although it can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading them in order but if I had to choose, this particular story is my favourite in that it delves into Logan's past and previous missions which adds even more to him as a character. However, regardless whether you read one or all of them, you won't be disappointed in the slightest but be warned, once you start reading them, you won't be able to stop so make sure you have some free time on your hands 😃