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The Substitute
8.0
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Book
Bestselling Author Mickey Miller brings you a brand new, sexy contemporary Romance. Can a star...
David McK (3562 KP) rated The fall guy (2024) in Movies
Dec 6, 2024
I think I might have to make a new genre for this to fit into - rom-com adventure conspiracy action movie maybe?
Anyway, in this Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman who - after a near fatal accident (or was it?) - broke off all contact with his former co-workers, including his girlfriend (as played by Emily Blunt), until he is eventually pulled back into the making of a new movie, directed by said former partner, after the star of the movie (who he was previously the body double for, pre-accident) goes missing.
This movie, then, is really about a movie-within-a-movie, playing heavy attention to the oft-overlooked role of the professional stuntmen (and women) in Hollywood blockbusters.
Anyway, in this Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman who - after a near fatal accident (or was it?) - broke off all contact with his former co-workers, including his girlfriend (as played by Emily Blunt), until he is eventually pulled back into the making of a new movie, directed by said former partner, after the star of the movie (who he was previously the body double for, pre-accident) goes missing.
This movie, then, is really about a movie-within-a-movie, playing heavy attention to the oft-overlooked role of the professional stuntmen (and women) in Hollywood blockbusters.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Not a Sparrow Falls (Second Chances Collection, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
When I first began reading this book, I was a bit hesitant about reading it because it does not fall into the categories of books that I prefer to read. What propelled me to keep reading was my curiousity about the grandmother of the main character, as well as how the plot seemed to sort of verge to the right of what I tried to predict would happen next as I read. I enjoy reading books that are not completely predictable, but not so unpredictable that the events are absurd. This would definitely fall under that heading.
With this book, I got a peak into a lifestyle (of drugs) that I have blessedly never experienced first hand, and it opened my eyes to the desperation and hopelessness that accompanies it. I also got a look into the polar opposite of that lifestyle - that of a pastor and the politics within a specific denomination. Along with these two heavy topics, Nichols also seamlessly weaves the equally heavy topics of depression and suicide beautifully, albeit bittersweetly. I found myself shedding tears over the book, not once, but twice. The wisdom addressing these topics was right on target and fit very naturally into the plot without the book coming across as "preachy." Each of the characters, no matter how small his or her part in the plot, was well-defined and unique, and I appreciated each one. All of the "loose ends" were accounted for and tied up, and every character seemed to reach a place of redemption in their own way.
This book was very satisfying and I am glad I decided to read it.
With this book, I got a peak into a lifestyle (of drugs) that I have blessedly never experienced first hand, and it opened my eyes to the desperation and hopelessness that accompanies it. I also got a look into the polar opposite of that lifestyle - that of a pastor and the politics within a specific denomination. Along with these two heavy topics, Nichols also seamlessly weaves the equally heavy topics of depression and suicide beautifully, albeit bittersweetly. I found myself shedding tears over the book, not once, but twice. The wisdom addressing these topics was right on target and fit very naturally into the plot without the book coming across as "preachy." Each of the characters, no matter how small his or her part in the plot, was well-defined and unique, and I appreciated each one. All of the "loose ends" were accounted for and tied up, and every character seemed to reach a place of redemption in their own way.
This book was very satisfying and I am glad I decided to read it.
Cody Cook (8 KP) rated The Circus of Dr Lao in Books
Jun 29, 2018
Somewhat mixed feelings about this book. I became interested due to the film with Tony Randall, which keeps the book's dark humor while adding on a layer of optimism and sentimentality. However, this layer is completely absent from the book. Instead, one feels the palpable cynicism and hatred for humanity and God of a military and newspaper man who obviously witnessed more than his fair share of suffering and inhumanity.
The cynicism does not always feel unwarranted, nor does the bitter but humorous style of much of the book fail to be entertaining. It vacilates between being a sardonic delight and a heavy (and even heavy-handed) piece of short literature that has to be digested in multiple sittings.
The author, himself the grandson and namesake of the great evangelist and abolitionist Charles Finney, if he believes in a God, seems to find Him distant, petty, and hateful. One begins to wonder why the circus seems to provide such fodder for this kind of nihilism (as in Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and Anton LaVey's biographical details), and perhaps it's because it puts on display those things that we think of as deserving to be hidden where we must face them and despair. The Circus of Dr. Lao puts God through a theodicy trial that Finney doesn't seem to think the Deity survives, but Finney's nihilism is hardly a palatable alternative.
Funny at times, interesting often, and very well-written, the life-as-a-meaningless-freakshow motif still sullies what this book could be. An interesting counterpoint to the film, but on the whole I still much prefer the cinematic rendering.
The cynicism does not always feel unwarranted, nor does the bitter but humorous style of much of the book fail to be entertaining. It vacilates between being a sardonic delight and a heavy (and even heavy-handed) piece of short literature that has to be digested in multiple sittings.
The author, himself the grandson and namesake of the great evangelist and abolitionist Charles Finney, if he believes in a God, seems to find Him distant, petty, and hateful. One begins to wonder why the circus seems to provide such fodder for this kind of nihilism (as in Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and Anton LaVey's biographical details), and perhaps it's because it puts on display those things that we think of as deserving to be hidden where we must face them and despair. The Circus of Dr. Lao puts God through a theodicy trial that Finney doesn't seem to think the Deity survives, but Finney's nihilism is hardly a palatable alternative.
Funny at times, interesting often, and very well-written, the life-as-a-meaningless-freakshow motif still sullies what this book could be. An interesting counterpoint to the film, but on the whole I still much prefer the cinematic rendering.
Jane the Virgin - Season 1
8.2
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TV Season Watch
This has been a year of growth and change for Jane Villanueva as she adapted to her brand new role...
Fairies in Wonderland 20 Postcards: An Interactive Coloring Adventure for All Ages
Book
Take an enchanting trip through a magical fairy world in this beautifully illustrated, interactive...
Colin Newman recommended Harvest by Neil Young in Music (curated)
Micah Ulibarri (79 KP) rated Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives in TV
May 10, 2018
I had never heard anything from this Indian-American comedian, but I was excited cause I'm always down for stand-up.
It's important to know going in that his stand up is pretty heavily political and definitely left-leaning. That in and of itself didn't bother me. In fact, I found quite a bit of that part hilarious (the Trump bit and the Universal healthcare bit). However, I discovered that a solid hour+ of that material does start to feel heavy handed. Especially when the last 15 minutes or so feel more like a sermon and less like a stand up.
If you lean that way or are an American immigrant, you will probably enjoy it much more than me. For me it was a bit much by the end.
It's important to know going in that his stand up is pretty heavily political and definitely left-leaning. That in and of itself didn't bother me. In fact, I found quite a bit of that part hilarious (the Trump bit and the Universal healthcare bit). However, I discovered that a solid hour+ of that material does start to feel heavy handed. Especially when the last 15 minutes or so feel more like a sermon and less like a stand up.
If you lean that way or are an American immigrant, you will probably enjoy it much more than me. For me it was a bit much by the end.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Apr 23, 2018
So, i haven't read the book this is based off of, but I did just start it yesterday. I've also seen this movie twice now (thanks moviepass).
I really liked the film, it was heavy on the nostalgia, which I didn't mind at all. I don't think another director could have directed this film, Spielberg's direction was fantastic.
The cast was my fantastic, I completely didn't realize Halliday was Mark Rylance from Dunkirk. I'm also glad Simon Pegg ended up in the movie, because you can't really have this nerdy of a movie without him.
Side note: I didn't know why Drafthouse was promoting so much for this movie until I read that the author lives here in Austin.
My opinion may change after I read the book, but for now, it's a 9.
I really liked the film, it was heavy on the nostalgia, which I didn't mind at all. I don't think another director could have directed this film, Spielberg's direction was fantastic.
The cast was my fantastic, I completely didn't realize Halliday was Mark Rylance from Dunkirk. I'm also glad Simon Pegg ended up in the movie, because you can't really have this nerdy of a movie without him.
Side note: I didn't know why Drafthouse was promoting so much for this movie until I read that the author lives here in Austin.
My opinion may change after I read the book, but for now, it's a 9.
Dana (24 KP) rated A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This was a pretty good ending to the series. Though I liked the other two novels better, this one still held its own. With heavy ties to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, this novel took on even darker and more serious elements to the series. Frankly, I didn't know that would have been possible. The characters went on developing and there were quite a few twists that I didn't see coming. After one point toward that later half of the book, however, I found myself not wanting to pay as much attention. I felt like it had already been through all of the stuff it was going through and got a bit repetitive. I liked the book, overall, though and would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a good horror novel!