Search
Search results
Awix (3310 KP) rated West Side Story (1961) in Movies
Feb 22, 2018
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' toweringly brilliant musical should be ring-fenced for eternity, regardless of what Steven Spielberg thinks. Racial tension and gang violence is rife on New York's west side, but when co-founder of the Jets Tony (Beymer) falls in love with Maria (Wood), sister of the leader of the Sharks, can this bring about peace and understanding between the two street gangs? (Probably not.)
Appealing leads and some soaringly beautiful love songs, but also whip-smart humour and social commentary in many of the other numbers, all superbly directed and choreographed. The darkening of the story into genuine tragedy is masterfully done. One of those transcendentally great films, especially on the big screen; the reason that we have a 10 on the scale.
Appealing leads and some soaringly beautiful love songs, but also whip-smart humour and social commentary in many of the other numbers, all superbly directed and choreographed. The darkening of the story into genuine tragedy is masterfully done. One of those transcendentally great films, especially on the big screen; the reason that we have a 10 on the scale.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Corruptor (1998) in Movies
Jan 8, 2021 (Updated Jan 8, 2021)
Double Cross
The Corruptor- is a really good movie. Its a very underrated action packed drama film. Both Mark Walhberg and Chow Yun-Fat are both great.
The plot: Martial arts expert Detective Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) teams up with his colleague Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg) to keep several gangs in New York City's Chinatown from annihilating each other. They must contend not only with the increasingly power-hungry gangsters, but also with the temptation of bribery and corruption as the bad guys divide and conquer the police forces. In what's beginning to seem like a losing battle, Chen and Wallace struggle to establish law and prevent more bloodshed.
If you havent seen this film than go watch it. Cause its really good.
The plot: Martial arts expert Detective Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) teams up with his colleague Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg) to keep several gangs in New York City's Chinatown from annihilating each other. They must contend not only with the increasingly power-hungry gangsters, but also with the temptation of bribery and corruption as the bad guys divide and conquer the police forces. In what's beginning to seem like a losing battle, Chen and Wallace struggle to establish law and prevent more bloodshed.
If you havent seen this film than go watch it. Cause its really good.
Dean (6921 KP) rated Black and Blue (2019) in Movies
Jan 25, 2021
Decent crime thriller
One of the films I missed as it didn't get a long release at the cinema in the UK. Naomie Harris plays a rookie cop in a rundown area of New Orleans. With corrupt cops and gangs working together in the supply of drugs. Soon she is hunted by both through the neighborhood after capturing a murder by the corrupt cops on her bodycam.
Overall it was an enjoyable watch, a little slow at the start and middle section. It had quite a low budget feel to it despite some big cast names. Worth a watch but far from the better films with a similar plotline. @21 Bridges (2019) is one example that had more action.
Overall it was an enjoyable watch, a little slow at the start and middle section. It had quite a low budget feel to it despite some big cast names. Worth a watch but far from the better films with a similar plotline. @21 Bridges (2019) is one example that had more action.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Dirty Game (Annie Carter #1) in Books
Oct 27, 2021
178 of 250
Book
Dirty Game (Annie Carter book 1)
By Jessie Keane
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane's gritty debut novel. For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain. Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was. Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her. Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.
Growing up I was always fascinated with London gangs especially the Krays so this was right up my street. Jessie writes brilliantly about a hard ,fast paced and violent lifestyle. I love Annie’s journey in this book and can’t wait to read more. It’s brilliantly written and so similar to Martina Cole (I’m not sure who came first I just found Martina first!) the whole work surrounding these characters is violent and intricate, what I love in this one is the slight twist at the end! Highly recommend to those who love this style of writing.
Book
Dirty Game (Annie Carter book 1)
By Jessie Keane
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane's gritty debut novel. For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain. Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was. Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her. Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.
Growing up I was always fascinated with London gangs especially the Krays so this was right up my street. Jessie writes brilliantly about a hard ,fast paced and violent lifestyle. I love Annie’s journey in this book and can’t wait to read more. It’s brilliantly written and so similar to Martina Cole (I’m not sure who came first I just found Martina first!) the whole work surrounding these characters is violent and intricate, what I love in this one is the slight twist at the end! Highly recommend to those who love this style of writing.
Merissa (11731 KP) created a post
Mar 25, 2019
Deano Arnott (28 KP) rated Peaky Blinders in TV
Jan 29, 2018
Fantastic cast (1 more)
Great story
Netflix continues to rule...
Your television set has been taken over by order of the Peeky F****** Blinders. Birmingham 1919 and this family want to rule the world. When ambitious head of the family, Thomas Shelby, returns home from the war, he wants the world to know that he intends to take charge. Wanting to get the family business into a legitimate bookmaking empire, Thomas finds himself locking horns with gangs up and down the country, all the time being pursued by a straighter than thou police officer who enforces the law with an iron fist. Clashing gang wars, street fights and some very colourful characters, this show is set for superstardom as it continues to keep audiences captivated with brute force and a strong political presence. Great show and keeps getting better.
Steve Vai recommended West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim in Music (curated)
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Mad Max (1979) in Movies
Jan 5, 2018
Decent
Guilty confession: Typically when I watch a "classic" or a film I've really been looking forward to, I go into it expecting to like it. In other words, the film is already ahead of the curve when it comes to my grading scale. It has to do a lot to let me down. I hate to say it, but Mad Max? It let me down. Not in the sense that it was bad, but rather in the sense that I was hoping for more.
Max is a police officer in a post-apocalyptic world where biker gangs rule the road. After his partner is brutally burned by one of the most dangerous gangs, Max decides to retire but a terrible turn of events sucks him right back in.
The film got off to a slow start for me. I was confused by what was happening and why it was happening. It's not a good sign when I have to jump on to Wikipedia to clarify things. Unfortunately things never quite bounced back for me after that. I spent a good majority of the film thinking, "What are the stakes for Max? Why should I care about his character?" You're not really given a ton of insight into who he is and why he's a hero you want to root for. Read to kids in the hospital. Pull a cat out of a tree. Do something! Give me a reason to care. I don't think that's too much to ask for.
Despite my issues with the film, Mad Max is carried by a solid performance from Gibson. Visceral rage just oozes from the man as he goes out for his revenge. He's got that look, one we've seen in many films before. A look that says, "I'm crazy and I want you to know it." His passion in the role is a shining spot.
The film also benefits from solid world-building. Though you're only given a small taste, it's all you need to see. The road is what's important, the heartbeat of the film. You witness it in the attention to detail behind the cars (Max's car in the end was dope) and the gangs' constant power struggle over maintaining territory. The road is a wasteland, yet extremely vital for those living in it.
I'm giving Mad Max a 73. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. For a movie to be missing some key components and still get a decent score says a lot. It's kind of like eating at an expensive restaurant: When you see your plate, you're slightly let down because you were hoping for more, but you quickly find that the portion you received was good enough.
Max is a police officer in a post-apocalyptic world where biker gangs rule the road. After his partner is brutally burned by one of the most dangerous gangs, Max decides to retire but a terrible turn of events sucks him right back in.
The film got off to a slow start for me. I was confused by what was happening and why it was happening. It's not a good sign when I have to jump on to Wikipedia to clarify things. Unfortunately things never quite bounced back for me after that. I spent a good majority of the film thinking, "What are the stakes for Max? Why should I care about his character?" You're not really given a ton of insight into who he is and why he's a hero you want to root for. Read to kids in the hospital. Pull a cat out of a tree. Do something! Give me a reason to care. I don't think that's too much to ask for.
Despite my issues with the film, Mad Max is carried by a solid performance from Gibson. Visceral rage just oozes from the man as he goes out for his revenge. He's got that look, one we've seen in many films before. A look that says, "I'm crazy and I want you to know it." His passion in the role is a shining spot.
The film also benefits from solid world-building. Though you're only given a small taste, it's all you need to see. The road is what's important, the heartbeat of the film. You witness it in the attention to detail behind the cars (Max's car in the end was dope) and the gangs' constant power struggle over maintaining territory. The road is a wasteland, yet extremely vital for those living in it.
I'm giving Mad Max a 73. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. For a movie to be missing some key components and still get a decent score says a lot. It's kind of like eating at an expensive restaurant: When you see your plate, you're slightly let down because you were hoping for more, but you quickly find that the portion you received was good enough.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Athletico Mince in Podcasts
Jan 9, 2018
On the surface this is a football podcast. I wouldn't normally listen to those but the allure of Bob Mortimer was too much to resist.
The first couple of episodes are very football focused (pun intended) and just need to be endured. They are very much finding their feet and settling into a pattern.
After that we are off into the realms of Bob's imagination as his features ("wife's questions", "Gangs of the EPL", "Scottish tales" etc etc) emerge into the world. All of these features show the kind of quirky comedy that Reeves and Mortimer are known for, but for once it is clear how much of this Bob contributes.
The features are all hilarious or at the very least entertaining and the result of two football fans talking a bit about football but generally just larking about.
Possibly my favourite podcast.
The first couple of episodes are very football focused (pun intended) and just need to be endured. They are very much finding their feet and settling into a pattern.
After that we are off into the realms of Bob's imagination as his features ("wife's questions", "Gangs of the EPL", "Scottish tales" etc etc) emerge into the world. All of these features show the kind of quirky comedy that Reeves and Mortimer are known for, but for once it is clear how much of this Bob contributes.
The features are all hilarious or at the very least entertaining and the result of two football fans talking a bit about football but generally just larking about.
Possibly my favourite podcast.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Fistful of Dollars (1964) in Movies
Jun 12, 2018 (Updated Oct 22, 2018)
Genre-defining spaghetti western is an Italian-made interpretation of a quintessentially American genre, filmed in Spain and based on a Japanese movie (so stop going on about how much you hate globalisation). Taciturn stranger moseys into a divided town south of the border, decides to make some quick money by playing the two ruling gangs off against one another. Cue many trumpet solos and Clint Eastwood gunning folk down like it's going out of fashion.
Not quite up to the same standards as the film that inspired it, Yojimbo, but still a really impressive film in the way it combines Leone's visual style, Eastwood's inscrutable charisma and Morricone's operatic score. The focus is so visual that the film ends up coming across as slightly superficial and overly interested in violence and sadism, but it is still a classic of its kind and really a landmark in both US and European cinema.
Not quite up to the same standards as the film that inspired it, Yojimbo, but still a really impressive film in the way it combines Leone's visual style, Eastwood's inscrutable charisma and Morricone's operatic score. The focus is so visual that the film ends up coming across as slightly superficial and overly interested in violence and sadism, but it is still a classic of its kind and really a landmark in both US and European cinema.