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Alice (12 KP) rated Hanging Tree: The Sixth PC Grant Mystery in Books
Jul 3, 2018
What can I say about The Hanging Tree that isn’t good? It was a satisfying installment to the series but there was still something missing for me. It had the usual characters and the usual awkwardness with Peter Grant and the Met and the demi-monde which as always was written to the same standard.
However, there were a few parts of this book that bugged me which I’ll go through shortly.
The Hanging Tree is the sixth installment of the bestselling Peter Grant/Rivers of London series and finally there is some proper river action. This book centers around Tyburn or Lady Ty as she is affectionately known. Lady Ty for those of you who don’t know is an overwhelming bitch with a major Goddess complex – with good reason really.
This book follows Peter as he helps to investigate the murder of a teenager – don’t let this fool you, the principal suspect in the murder is one of the family Rivers. This kicks off simultaneous police investigations and Folly blow-ups abound.
First, the things I liked:
The reappearance of much loved characters such as Nightingale, Molly, Guleed, Stefanopaulos and even Seawoll.
The introduction of new characters
The familiar writing style
The monologuing of Peter Grant
The plot
The return of some characters I won’t name and
The revelations!!!
Now, I hate to do this really (and I despise using bullet points as a side note) but needs must.
Things I disliked:
The overuse of the term white to describe characters that had no context and almost no bearing on the story-line whatsoever – I’m almost positive I counted at least 15 uses of the word “white” in the first 30% of the book, sometimes more than once a page. The worst use of this – for me – was “a scary white waitress”, I don’t know about you, but the need to describe a character based solely on their skin tone is a big no no for me. It lacked context and bearing on the part of the story at hand.
The return of some characters I won’t name – what the actual fuck Ben? That’s wrong! They can’t be better than Peter!
Now despite my reservations and the things I disliked, I did enjoy this book. In the end. It took about 60% for this book to grab my attention with both hands which I suppose could be construed as a bad thing, however that first two thirds set up the ending in a great way. The culmination of multiple prolonged story arcs were a welcome wrap up to this installment and I look forward to the next.
However, there were a few parts of this book that bugged me which I’ll go through shortly.
The Hanging Tree is the sixth installment of the bestselling Peter Grant/Rivers of London series and finally there is some proper river action. This book centers around Tyburn or Lady Ty as she is affectionately known. Lady Ty for those of you who don’t know is an overwhelming bitch with a major Goddess complex – with good reason really.
This book follows Peter as he helps to investigate the murder of a teenager – don’t let this fool you, the principal suspect in the murder is one of the family Rivers. This kicks off simultaneous police investigations and Folly blow-ups abound.
First, the things I liked:
The reappearance of much loved characters such as Nightingale, Molly, Guleed, Stefanopaulos and even Seawoll.
The introduction of new characters
The familiar writing style
The monologuing of Peter Grant
The plot
The return of some characters I won’t name and
The revelations!!!
Now, I hate to do this really (and I despise using bullet points as a side note) but needs must.
Things I disliked:
The overuse of the term white to describe characters that had no context and almost no bearing on the story-line whatsoever – I’m almost positive I counted at least 15 uses of the word “white” in the first 30% of the book, sometimes more than once a page. The worst use of this – for me – was “a scary white waitress”, I don’t know about you, but the need to describe a character based solely on their skin tone is a big no no for me. It lacked context and bearing on the part of the story at hand.
The return of some characters I won’t name – what the actual fuck Ben? That’s wrong! They can’t be better than Peter!
Now despite my reservations and the things I disliked, I did enjoy this book. In the end. It took about 60% for this book to grab my attention with both hands which I suppose could be construed as a bad thing, however that first two thirds set up the ending in a great way. The culmination of multiple prolonged story arcs were a welcome wrap up to this installment and I look forward to the next.
Necole (36 KP) rated The Hospital: How I Survived the Secret Child Experiments at Aston Hall in Books
Aug 12, 2018
Wow … I had to keep putting this book down to wrap my head around the abuse and neglect that Barbara had to deal with at such a young age. It was a very emotionally read. My brain and heart didn't want to believe these events could happen to a child as I was reading it. I couldn't believe her real mom left her and left her in the care of her father.
When she was 5 with the emotional and physical abuse she endured from her father and the "mum" her father left her with. I couldn't believe her father would call her a dirty little tinker and belittle her like that and made her think she was nothing. And the "mum" she was left with, leaving her by herself, treating her the way she did, and using Barbara as a way to get money is such a disgrace.
And then when her dad had a son, to read how the two were treated completely differently all because of blood line, oh my heart went out for poor Barbara.
Unfortunately the abuse and turmoil continued after she was put in homes and then into the hospital. To read what happened in the hospital and what the Dr. did she Barbra and the other poor girls, I was in complete shock. Aston Hall was a complete nightmare and how any girl survived that is amazing in itself.
She finally was treated with dignity and love and kindness when she went to Blackbrook by some of the nuns, only to have that taken away and be mistreated yet again.
I commend Barbara for writing this story, to open our eyes to an event that occurred in 1971, and be brave enough to tell us her story. I praise the fact that she could over come all these obstacles in life and be how she is now. It is truly astonishing.
I just hate that she voiced what was going on to so many deaf ears and no one listened or believed her until she was in her teen years. I would hope in todays society that this would never happen and people are now more than ever willing to give children a voice, listen to them, and investigate. I wonder if this happened to Barbara now, would the abuse and neglect been stopped sooner.
I would so recommend this book but be prepared for a shocking, emotional and heart wrenching story. I hope Barbara knows now her own self worth and wish she would have known it her entire life.
When she was 5 with the emotional and physical abuse she endured from her father and the "mum" her father left her with. I couldn't believe her father would call her a dirty little tinker and belittle her like that and made her think she was nothing. And the "mum" she was left with, leaving her by herself, treating her the way she did, and using Barbara as a way to get money is such a disgrace.
And then when her dad had a son, to read how the two were treated completely differently all because of blood line, oh my heart went out for poor Barbara.
Unfortunately the abuse and turmoil continued after she was put in homes and then into the hospital. To read what happened in the hospital and what the Dr. did she Barbra and the other poor girls, I was in complete shock. Aston Hall was a complete nightmare and how any girl survived that is amazing in itself.
She finally was treated with dignity and love and kindness when she went to Blackbrook by some of the nuns, only to have that taken away and be mistreated yet again.
I commend Barbara for writing this story, to open our eyes to an event that occurred in 1971, and be brave enough to tell us her story. I praise the fact that she could over come all these obstacles in life and be how she is now. It is truly astonishing.
I just hate that she voiced what was going on to so many deaf ears and no one listened or believed her until she was in her teen years. I would hope in todays society that this would never happen and people are now more than ever willing to give children a voice, listen to them, and investigate. I wonder if this happened to Barbara now, would the abuse and neglect been stopped sooner.
I would so recommend this book but be prepared for a shocking, emotional and heart wrenching story. I hope Barbara knows now her own self worth and wish she would have known it her entire life.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Aug 13, 2018
"Watched #TheMeg. Suggest renaming it #TheMeh." This is what I posted on Twitter after coming out of the movie theater. How do you bland-ify a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark? Well, you hire Jon Turteltaub as the director, and cast Jason Statham as the lead for starters. Then you methodically go through and remove everything that made the book work so well except for the giant shark. Because, really, who needs the human drama at all? Gigantic shark should carry it through, right? RIGHT?!
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
Meg (47 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Sep 11, 2018 (Updated Sep 11, 2018)
Characters (2 more)
Tropes
Romance
Good but not amazing
Contains spoilers, click to show
3.5/5 stars
So I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. It took a while to pick up and get properly into the plot line, the first 40% took me ages to get through but I ended up finishing the last 45% or so in one sitting. The book was fast paced and well written, however I found the language to be very basic in places, I would have liked a little more sophistication or development in the writing. For me it felt more like a children’s book than a young adult in terms of the writing style and vocabulary.
The plot was good, predictable in places which I expected considering I’ve read so many YA fantasy, many of the tropes and plot twists are similar. There was still an element of surprise when it was most important and I still found myself enjoying the book even when I knew what was coming.
I found some of the characters to be quite two dimensional and in all honesty I wasn’t fond of many of them and didn’t have the same attachment to the characters that I usually would in other books. I found it predictable that Cardan would not be a true villain and that Dain was not as he seems, the characterisation of Cardan is typical to that of YA fantasy; misunderstood, mysterious and handsome boy that is cruel but somehow every reader seems to love him. I couldn’t understand how Black could make the reader hate him to such a strong capacity and then completely turn it around within a few chapters. It seems unrealistic to me that Jude, who is such a strong minded and brutal character herself, would instantly forget all the pain and anger than Cardan put her through, as soon as she gets an indication that the only reason he did it is because he likes her. To me, that incredibly weakens her character and undermines her whole character development; I dislike when authors weaken their female protagonists with an unnecessary romance.
I would have liked a little more character development for Vivi and Oriana, both of whom I really liked by the end of the book.
All in all, I think I would continue with the rest of the series, but I hope that The Wicked King is a bit better written and we get more from the other characters.
So I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. It took a while to pick up and get properly into the plot line, the first 40% took me ages to get through but I ended up finishing the last 45% or so in one sitting. The book was fast paced and well written, however I found the language to be very basic in places, I would have liked a little more sophistication or development in the writing. For me it felt more like a children’s book than a young adult in terms of the writing style and vocabulary.
The plot was good, predictable in places which I expected considering I’ve read so many YA fantasy, many of the tropes and plot twists are similar. There was still an element of surprise when it was most important and I still found myself enjoying the book even when I knew what was coming.
I found some of the characters to be quite two dimensional and in all honesty I wasn’t fond of many of them and didn’t have the same attachment to the characters that I usually would in other books. I found it predictable that Cardan would not be a true villain and that Dain was not as he seems, the characterisation of Cardan is typical to that of YA fantasy; misunderstood, mysterious and handsome boy that is cruel but somehow every reader seems to love him. I couldn’t understand how Black could make the reader hate him to such a strong capacity and then completely turn it around within a few chapters. It seems unrealistic to me that Jude, who is such a strong minded and brutal character herself, would instantly forget all the pain and anger than Cardan put her through, as soon as she gets an indication that the only reason he did it is because he likes her. To me, that incredibly weakens her character and undermines her whole character development; I dislike when authors weaken their female protagonists with an unnecessary romance.
I would have liked a little more character development for Vivi and Oriana, both of whom I really liked by the end of the book.
All in all, I think I would continue with the rest of the series, but I hope that The Wicked King is a bit better written and we get more from the other characters.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Office Christmas Party (2016) in Movies
Oct 13, 2018
Fun Holiday Film
A Branch Manager of a struggling tech company looks to throw the mother of all parties to help recruit a major client. He has to do it under the nose of his jerk sister who is the CEO of the company.
Acting: 10
Stellar cast all around, each of them bringing a different type of hilarity to the film. Kate McKinnon is my personal favorite, playing the role of Office Manager Mary Winetoss. Her against-the-grain role makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.
Jennifer Aniston plays Carol Vanstone, the CEO you love to hate. Aniston, typically an innocent good girl, is actually quite good at being bad. One scene in particular has her squaring up with a little girl in a lounge and it’s easily one of the best parts of the film.
Beginning: 7
Pretty plain lift-off as you are introduced to the majority of the players in the film. It’s not the greatest start, but it still has its moments. Ten minutes was enough to make me want to see more.
Characters: 10
Office Christmas Party would fall short without hilarious characters like Vanstone and Winetoss. They keep the narrative interesting and the party entertaining. There’s random cameos, a crazy black DJ, and a nutty pimp. This film has it all!
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 4
Easily one of the film’s weak spots. The film’s goal is to throw a huge party for a potential client and hope the CEO doesn’t find out. When you think about it, there’s not too much room for conflict here, at least not enough to raise concern. If you go into the film with that in mind, you’ll have a much better time.
Genre: 8
Memorability: 6
There are quite a few fun moments that ultimately save the film. They don’t hit you like machine gun fire, rather they are more sporadic hence the lower score. I did walk away with some good quotable lines that cracked me up (“Something’s happening in my diaper"!).
Pace: 5
Plot: 8
Resolution: 6
Overall: 74
As I’m sitting here watching Olivia Munn and Jason Bateman do their dance routine in giant snowman costumes, I can’t help but think that a few tweaks here and there could have really made this film a classic. I enjoyed Office Christmas Party and have no problem adding it to my holiday rotation. If you’re looking to expand out of the feel good, innocent Christmas films of the year, this definitely one to check out.
Acting: 10
Stellar cast all around, each of them bringing a different type of hilarity to the film. Kate McKinnon is my personal favorite, playing the role of Office Manager Mary Winetoss. Her against-the-grain role makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.
Jennifer Aniston plays Carol Vanstone, the CEO you love to hate. Aniston, typically an innocent good girl, is actually quite good at being bad. One scene in particular has her squaring up with a little girl in a lounge and it’s easily one of the best parts of the film.
Beginning: 7
Pretty plain lift-off as you are introduced to the majority of the players in the film. It’s not the greatest start, but it still has its moments. Ten minutes was enough to make me want to see more.
Characters: 10
Office Christmas Party would fall short without hilarious characters like Vanstone and Winetoss. They keep the narrative interesting and the party entertaining. There’s random cameos, a crazy black DJ, and a nutty pimp. This film has it all!
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 4
Easily one of the film’s weak spots. The film’s goal is to throw a huge party for a potential client and hope the CEO doesn’t find out. When you think about it, there’s not too much room for conflict here, at least not enough to raise concern. If you go into the film with that in mind, you’ll have a much better time.
Genre: 8
Memorability: 6
There are quite a few fun moments that ultimately save the film. They don’t hit you like machine gun fire, rather they are more sporadic hence the lower score. I did walk away with some good quotable lines that cracked me up (“Something’s happening in my diaper"!).
Pace: 5
Plot: 8
Resolution: 6
Overall: 74
As I’m sitting here watching Olivia Munn and Jason Bateman do their dance routine in giant snowman costumes, I can’t help but think that a few tweaks here and there could have really made this film a classic. I enjoyed Office Christmas Party and have no problem adding it to my holiday rotation. If you’re looking to expand out of the feel good, innocent Christmas films of the year, this definitely one to check out.
Carma (21 KP) rated It Takes Two (Just Everyday Heroes: Night Shift, #2) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
It takes Two is the first book Ive read by Erin Nicholas. It was also the first I read in the Counting on Love series, and I hate when I read a series out of order. The good news is that these books can stand on their own with minimal carrying over and lots of explanation to previous happenings.
Isabelle Dixon thought she could have a wild and crazy night before she has to settle herself into a new lifestyle because of a medical issue. She thinks Shane Kelley is the perfect candidate for the job. 6 months later she cant believe she is still seeking him out and cant seem to let go.
Shane Kelley has fallen fast and hard for Isabelle Dixon. He has asked her to move in with him multiple times and wont take no for an answer. He thought their biggest obstacle was her brother Connor but it seems like they cant get past something bigger. He wont give up even when she seems to be keeping something really big from him.
Isabelle and Shane take a humorous road trip to find out if they can truly make it work between them. Each stop, on their way to a vacation house, has humor, angst, trials and truths. There may also be a little fun game included in their adventure, not known to all the parties involved.
I love the dynamic between the Dixon sisters, each with their own strengths and issues. Isabelle seems like a good mix of a party girl with a stay at home girl. She has to make some big choices with an unexpected health issue that hits her. She wants to hide herself away from the world but also loves being with Shane. Can she have it both ways and have them both happy?
Shane is the over the top, romantic boyfriend we all crave in life. Well maybe. He does go a little over the top sometimes but hey props for creativity. He loves Isabelle and wants to be with her all day every day. He knows she is hiding something from him but can he overcome the issues to make her happy for forever?
If you havent read anything by Erin Nicholas, what are you thinking? The Counting on Love series, which apparently is a semi continuation of the Bradfords series with brief appearances by some Bradford characters, is the perfect place to start. I havent read the Bradford series yet but Im anxious to now since completing the Counting on Love series.
Isabelle Dixon thought she could have a wild and crazy night before she has to settle herself into a new lifestyle because of a medical issue. She thinks Shane Kelley is the perfect candidate for the job. 6 months later she cant believe she is still seeking him out and cant seem to let go.
Shane Kelley has fallen fast and hard for Isabelle Dixon. He has asked her to move in with him multiple times and wont take no for an answer. He thought their biggest obstacle was her brother Connor but it seems like they cant get past something bigger. He wont give up even when she seems to be keeping something really big from him.
Isabelle and Shane take a humorous road trip to find out if they can truly make it work between them. Each stop, on their way to a vacation house, has humor, angst, trials and truths. There may also be a little fun game included in their adventure, not known to all the parties involved.
I love the dynamic between the Dixon sisters, each with their own strengths and issues. Isabelle seems like a good mix of a party girl with a stay at home girl. She has to make some big choices with an unexpected health issue that hits her. She wants to hide herself away from the world but also loves being with Shane. Can she have it both ways and have them both happy?
Shane is the over the top, romantic boyfriend we all crave in life. Well maybe. He does go a little over the top sometimes but hey props for creativity. He loves Isabelle and wants to be with her all day every day. He knows she is hiding something from him but can he overcome the issues to make her happy for forever?
If you havent read anything by Erin Nicholas, what are you thinking? The Counting on Love series, which apparently is a semi continuation of the Bradfords series with brief appearances by some Bradford characters, is the perfect place to start. I havent read the Bradford series yet but Im anxious to now since completing the Counting on Love series.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Oh Dear Silvia in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> is a contemporary, somewhat humorous, novel by British comedian, Dawn French. Set in England it focuses on a sixty-year-old woman, Silvia Shute, who has fallen from a balcony, sustaining a serious head injury that has left her in a coma.
Knowing this you cannot help wondering how you do write a book where the main character is unconscious and how would this affect the narrative? This is how. Although Silvia is indeed the main character, the tale is actually told through observing family members and friends when they visit her in hospital. The entire book plays out in Silvia’s hospital room, Suite 5, but each character brings something else to story through their thoughts, feelings and actions.
Ed, Silvia’s ex husband, provides details of what has happened since their divorce. Jo, her older sister, reminisces about their childhood whist trying and failing to use a number of New Age ideas to wake Silvia up. There is Cat, her best friend, through who we discover what actually happened to Silvia, whilst, Tia, her cleaner is bringing in her favourite foods and updating her on the various goings on in the celebrity world. Cassie, her daughter however, portrays Silvia in a different light that makes us question what kind of person Silvia really was. And finally there is Winnie, a nurse at the hospital. Winnie’s accounts provide the reader with an extra storyline that is nothing to do with Silvia and her accident.
The story being told in this way gives the reader a chance to learn about who Silvia was which causes us to think different things about her which we would not have had the opportunity to feel had Silvia been able to tell the story herself. Firstly we feel worry for her, but then we begin to hate her particularly with the help of Cassie as well as Ed, who admits that had Silvia been conscious he would not have been visiting. Finally we get to a stage of understanding. Understanding who Silvia was, understanding why she did what she did, understanding what has happened to her.
The book takes on many themes: drama, mystery… and humour. Well, it is meant to be humour. I can understand the funny parts but personally it was not my type of humour. Too much swearing in my opinion. But then if you enjoy that type of thing, <i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> has the potential to be a really funny book.
Knowing this you cannot help wondering how you do write a book where the main character is unconscious and how would this affect the narrative? This is how. Although Silvia is indeed the main character, the tale is actually told through observing family members and friends when they visit her in hospital. The entire book plays out in Silvia’s hospital room, Suite 5, but each character brings something else to story through their thoughts, feelings and actions.
Ed, Silvia’s ex husband, provides details of what has happened since their divorce. Jo, her older sister, reminisces about their childhood whist trying and failing to use a number of New Age ideas to wake Silvia up. There is Cat, her best friend, through who we discover what actually happened to Silvia, whilst, Tia, her cleaner is bringing in her favourite foods and updating her on the various goings on in the celebrity world. Cassie, her daughter however, portrays Silvia in a different light that makes us question what kind of person Silvia really was. And finally there is Winnie, a nurse at the hospital. Winnie’s accounts provide the reader with an extra storyline that is nothing to do with Silvia and her accident.
The story being told in this way gives the reader a chance to learn about who Silvia was which causes us to think different things about her which we would not have had the opportunity to feel had Silvia been able to tell the story herself. Firstly we feel worry for her, but then we begin to hate her particularly with the help of Cassie as well as Ed, who admits that had Silvia been conscious he would not have been visiting. Finally we get to a stage of understanding. Understanding who Silvia was, understanding why she did what she did, understanding what has happened to her.
The book takes on many themes: drama, mystery… and humour. Well, it is meant to be humour. I can understand the funny parts but personally it was not my type of humour. Too much swearing in my opinion. But then if you enjoy that type of thing, <i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> has the potential to be a really funny book.
TacoDave (3643 KP) rated Gentlemen Broncos (2009) in Movies
Oct 30, 2019 (Updated Oct 30, 2019)
dry humor (2 more)
great actors
unique feel
I love this weird movie.
I love Gentelmen Broncos. Full stop.
I saw it for the first time in a theater where I was the only customer, and I was a bit wary of watching a comedy by myself, but it ended up being a great experience. This film is written and directed by the same people who made Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which should let you know out of the gate that it is a bit abnormal.
The plot centers around a teenage boy named Benjamin who writes science fiction novels. Benjamin is headed off to a writing camp for home-schooled kids. In the bus on the way to camp he meets some other interesting teens and becomes fast friends with a few of them.
Once at the writing camp, he discovers that his favorite author - Ronald Chevalier (played by the hilarious Jemaine Clement) - will be judging everyone's writing. Overjoyed by this news, Benjamin submits his "best" book "Yeast Lords" into the competition. But it seems that things are not what they seem, because Chevalier has a bad case of writer's block, so he steals the plot of "Yeast Lords" and turns it into a new novel that keeps some elements, but destroys others.
Will Benjamin be able to prove a famous author stole his story? Can Benjamin and his friends film their own version of "Yeast Lords" and make a successful movie out of it? Can Benjamin kiss a girl without puking?
Interspersed with the regular scenes of the movie are scenes from the story "Yeast Lords" where Sam Rockwell (amazing, as always) plays the hero Bronco. These scenes morph and shift over the course of the movie as Bronco turns from a manly, tough hero into an effeminate oddball once Chevalier rewrites the story. Watching this transition is fascinating and hilarious.
And interspersed between everything else are oddball character moments that don't add to the plot, but are quirky and funny.
I'll admit that this movie isn't for everyone. It is weird. Some of the humor is so dry you need a drink afterwards. But for my sense of humor, it was dead-on. I have watched it many times, I own it on Blu-ray, and I show it to friends.
Give the trailer a try and see if it is your cup of tea. You'll either hate it (and curse me), or you'll love it and become a fan.
I saw it for the first time in a theater where I was the only customer, and I was a bit wary of watching a comedy by myself, but it ended up being a great experience. This film is written and directed by the same people who made Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which should let you know out of the gate that it is a bit abnormal.
The plot centers around a teenage boy named Benjamin who writes science fiction novels. Benjamin is headed off to a writing camp for home-schooled kids. In the bus on the way to camp he meets some other interesting teens and becomes fast friends with a few of them.
Once at the writing camp, he discovers that his favorite author - Ronald Chevalier (played by the hilarious Jemaine Clement) - will be judging everyone's writing. Overjoyed by this news, Benjamin submits his "best" book "Yeast Lords" into the competition. But it seems that things are not what they seem, because Chevalier has a bad case of writer's block, so he steals the plot of "Yeast Lords" and turns it into a new novel that keeps some elements, but destroys others.
Will Benjamin be able to prove a famous author stole his story? Can Benjamin and his friends film their own version of "Yeast Lords" and make a successful movie out of it? Can Benjamin kiss a girl without puking?
Interspersed with the regular scenes of the movie are scenes from the story "Yeast Lords" where Sam Rockwell (amazing, as always) plays the hero Bronco. These scenes morph and shift over the course of the movie as Bronco turns from a manly, tough hero into an effeminate oddball once Chevalier rewrites the story. Watching this transition is fascinating and hilarious.
And interspersed between everything else are oddball character moments that don't add to the plot, but are quirky and funny.
I'll admit that this movie isn't for everyone. It is weird. Some of the humor is so dry you need a drink afterwards. But for my sense of humor, it was dead-on. I have watched it many times, I own it on Blu-ray, and I show it to friends.
Give the trailer a try and see if it is your cup of tea. You'll either hate it (and curse me), or you'll love it and become a fan.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Indelible (Grant County, #4) in Books
Jul 23, 2019
Better then the last but still not in the same league as the first couple of books in this series....
This is the fourth in the Grant County series and for a series that started so strong (I loved the first two books) I was really disappointed with this. I would recommend approaching this series in order as they do carry a lot of emotional baggage through the series.
This was the first one I listened to as an audiobook and the Southern American accents used were a bit grating for me, so I'll try to stick to the books in the future for this series (obviously a personal preference.)
With a shootout occuring in the town in the present day, we get flashbacks to an “origin” type story 12 years earlier, which sets out to give the reasoning behind the attack. It’s a pretty shocking attack and the present day part was tense.
This book is very focused on two of the main characters from the series, Medical examiner Sara Linton and her now ex husband / current boyfriend (it’s a complicated relationship) Police Chief Jeffrey. In the flashback parts of this book we see Sara and Jeffrey taking a trip to Jefferies hometown where his best friend ends up shooting someone and a body is found from Jefferies distant past. I didn’t find the investigation part here as engaging as in the previous books, with too much focus on what Jeffrey was like as a lad.
I think my main issue with this particular book is I just don’t like Jeffery and having so much dedicated to back story for him didn’t endear him any more to me. I came out of that part of the story still not liking him or really understanding why Sara is so in love with him (I suppose love is blind.)
Although I enjoyed the action packed present day shootout it still had a character issue in the form of the ever complicated Lena Adams. She is back to being a cop and this is her first day back (talk about bad timing!) I really have no idea why they are letting her back on the force she just seems to be a terrible cop (and not a particularly nice person) who is suffering from PTSD.
I feel I may be being too harsh on this book and I can fully understand people who love the characters in this series (or love to hate main characters) enjoying this book. I just prefer this series when it’s slightly more focused on a case rather than their personal lives.
This was the first one I listened to as an audiobook and the Southern American accents used were a bit grating for me, so I'll try to stick to the books in the future for this series (obviously a personal preference.)
With a shootout occuring in the town in the present day, we get flashbacks to an “origin” type story 12 years earlier, which sets out to give the reasoning behind the attack. It’s a pretty shocking attack and the present day part was tense.
This book is very focused on two of the main characters from the series, Medical examiner Sara Linton and her now ex husband / current boyfriend (it’s a complicated relationship) Police Chief Jeffrey. In the flashback parts of this book we see Sara and Jeffrey taking a trip to Jefferies hometown where his best friend ends up shooting someone and a body is found from Jefferies distant past. I didn’t find the investigation part here as engaging as in the previous books, with too much focus on what Jeffrey was like as a lad.
I think my main issue with this particular book is I just don’t like Jeffery and having so much dedicated to back story for him didn’t endear him any more to me. I came out of that part of the story still not liking him or really understanding why Sara is so in love with him (I suppose love is blind.)
Although I enjoyed the action packed present day shootout it still had a character issue in the form of the ever complicated Lena Adams. She is back to being a cop and this is her first day back (talk about bad timing!) I really have no idea why they are letting her back on the force she just seems to be a terrible cop (and not a particularly nice person) who is suffering from PTSD.
I feel I may be being too harsh on this book and I can fully understand people who love the characters in this series (or love to hate main characters) enjoying this book. I just prefer this series when it’s slightly more focused on a case rather than their personal lives.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 3 in TV
Aug 10, 2019
Almost perfect
I toyed between giving this an 8 or 9, and in the end I’ve decided to be generous although I’m still not entirely sure. I was worried I’d hate this series as I’ve heard some say it’s not great, but I actually enjoyed this much more than series 2 and possibly even slightly more than the first series.
My first negative is the story. The whole Russian thing is a little bit ridiculous and far fetched (even for this show), which is a shame as the rest of the plot is intriguing and really rather good. The horror and gore aspects of this are brilliant. I thought this was by far the scariest of the seasons as the Mind Flayer is truly terrifying and beyond creepy. The mixture of retro references, humour and horror works so well and makes it really enjoyable to watch. All of the characters shine, even the new ones like Robin or new-ish ones like Erica, are well developed and fit in well with the rest of the originals. I of course still have a soft spot for Hopper who is just marvellous yet again in this, often rather sinister and darkly hilarious. And the pairing yet again of Steve and Dustin is such fun. The childhood romance thing is a little bit cheesy and sickly sweet, but fortunately bearable for the most part as it takes a backseat to the rest of the action.
My biggest issue with this show, other than the over the top and strangely stupid Russians, and the reason why I was debating giving it a lower score, is the ending. Or rather the end credits scene that ruined everything. The actual ending to this show is one of the most emotional things I’ve seen in a long time in a tv show, and I’m not ashamed to admit I was virtually in tears at the ending. It was such a heartwarming and fitting way to end the show, and really quite lovely in a sad way. It was a great way to round off a show and finish the entire series on a massive high without the need to make another season. However, the end credits scene is pure ‘sequel baiting’ and whilst Netflix haven’t officially confirmed, it already sounds like season 4 is in the making. And I can’t even begin to describe how angry I am at this, why do they insist on ruining a perfectly good ending?! I really wish they hadn’t done this. But this aside, I enjoyed this series quite a lot.
My first negative is the story. The whole Russian thing is a little bit ridiculous and far fetched (even for this show), which is a shame as the rest of the plot is intriguing and really rather good. The horror and gore aspects of this are brilliant. I thought this was by far the scariest of the seasons as the Mind Flayer is truly terrifying and beyond creepy. The mixture of retro references, humour and horror works so well and makes it really enjoyable to watch. All of the characters shine, even the new ones like Robin or new-ish ones like Erica, are well developed and fit in well with the rest of the originals. I of course still have a soft spot for Hopper who is just marvellous yet again in this, often rather sinister and darkly hilarious. And the pairing yet again of Steve and Dustin is such fun. The childhood romance thing is a little bit cheesy and sickly sweet, but fortunately bearable for the most part as it takes a backseat to the rest of the action.
My biggest issue with this show, other than the over the top and strangely stupid Russians, and the reason why I was debating giving it a lower score, is the ending. Or rather the end credits scene that ruined everything. The actual ending to this show is one of the most emotional things I’ve seen in a long time in a tv show, and I’m not ashamed to admit I was virtually in tears at the ending. It was such a heartwarming and fitting way to end the show, and really quite lovely in a sad way. It was a great way to round off a show and finish the entire series on a massive high without the need to make another season. However, the end credits scene is pure ‘sequel baiting’ and whilst Netflix haven’t officially confirmed, it already sounds like season 4 is in the making. And I can’t even begin to describe how angry I am at this, why do they insist on ruining a perfectly good ending?! I really wish they hadn’t done this. But this aside, I enjoyed this series quite a lot.
