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The Economics and Political Economy of Energy Subsidies
Book
Government subsidies to energy are widespread and represent a heavy burden on public budgets in many...
Mothergamer (1616 KP) rated The Last of Us Part II in Video Games
Jun 29, 2020
I really wanted to like this game. There have been so many issues with the leaks and misleading trailers. Initially the game starts out pretty strong showing Ellie and Joel living in Jackson peacefully. That doesn't last long of course and the main theme of the story is about how the cycle of revenge and violence hurts everyone. The gameplay is good for the most part, but the storytelling comes across as very heavy handed and having to switch between Ellie and Abby feels frustrating. I understand the intent behind what the writers were trying to do showing both sides of the situation but it comes across as clunky and sloppy writing. I also took issue with the handling of a trans character in the game. They made this trans character a target for constant abuse and trauma, including deadnaming them something that is incredibly hurtful to a trans person. The fact that the writers did not get any input from trans writers is frankly grossly irresponsible because we LGBT people are more than trauma and we're tired of this constant trauma trope. It's not okay and it's very lazy writing. The story is not completely bad, but it's not great either and I feel we didn't really need this sequel. You can read my full review with spoilers here: http://lorrie28-mothergamer.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-last-of-us-part-ii-good-but-not.html
Chino Moreno recommended Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby by Girls Against Boys in Music (curated)
Armoured Trains: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia 1826-2016
Book
The military was quick to see the advantages of railways in warfare, whether for the rapid...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Willy's Wonderland (2021) in Movies
Feb 21, 2021
I can safely say that I got exactly what I expected from Willy's Wonderland, a schlocky as hell B-Movie horror that manifests Nicolas Cage going toe-to-toe with a host of murderous animatronic mascots, set to a music score of synth heavy electronica/children's party jingles. Is it silly and dumb? Yes. Does it have annoying and unlikable teenage human characters who are there just to die horribly? Also yes. Is it entertaining as fuck? Most definitely.
Cage's silent protagonist feels like the role that his career has been leading up to all these years. He has his very own corner of the zeitgeist at this point, and is just running with it, happily poking fun at himself whilst managing to be undeniably badass, whether it be the Mad Max-esque opening, tearing the robots to shreds with his bare hands, or him furiously dancing whilst playing pinball. Whenever he's on screen, he steals all the focus, without uttering a word. It's so ridiculous and enjoyable, that it renders the half-baked plot a moot point.
The animatronics themselves look pretty decent for the most part, and there's some solid gore here and there. It's the kind of gore that will make you burst out laughing, but in a good way.
Willy's Wonderland is far from a perfect experience, but it is what it is, and never tries to be anything more, and therefore succeeds in what it's trying to achieve.
Cage's silent protagonist feels like the role that his career has been leading up to all these years. He has his very own corner of the zeitgeist at this point, and is just running with it, happily poking fun at himself whilst managing to be undeniably badass, whether it be the Mad Max-esque opening, tearing the robots to shreds with his bare hands, or him furiously dancing whilst playing pinball. Whenever he's on screen, he steals all the focus, without uttering a word. It's so ridiculous and enjoyable, that it renders the half-baked plot a moot point.
The animatronics themselves look pretty decent for the most part, and there's some solid gore here and there. It's the kind of gore that will make you burst out laughing, but in a good way.
Willy's Wonderland is far from a perfect experience, but it is what it is, and never tries to be anything more, and therefore succeeds in what it's trying to achieve.
Young Jean Lee recommended Contempt (1963) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021
This >> ππ₯π₯πͺπ¦ ππΆπ³π±π©πΊ: ππ¦ππͺπ³πͺπ°πΆπ΄, the blue leather suit >> the red leather suit - however - the drunk father bit from ππ¦ππͺπ³πͺπ°πΆπ΄ >> the drunk father bit from this (even if the toy factory stuff is still hilarious). One of the most optimized stand-up routines in all of comedy, tapers off a bit in the last half hour but otherwise most of this flows together perfectly - not a word wasted, not a word too heavy, not a word missing. A breathless, hysterical tirade of brute toxicity which many performers today try and fail to emulate with their "can't say ANYTHING these days amirite??" out-of-touch middle-aged man energy. A simple facet of comedy this exemplifies which the aforementioned curdled attempts at Reddit-tier provocation fail to realize is that you have to try to be funny first, *then* go for the offensive stuff. The crowdwork here is just insane, Murphy as a stage performer was unmatched in the 80s: the energy, the creativity, the gravitas, the sheer talent. Not only are his vocal impersonations on point as always, but so too are his physical ones - a simple change in glance and facial expression and you feel like you're *actually* watching that person until the real Eddie 'returns'. It's nuts. Then it's also got such infectious 80s flair and is one of the few stand-up movies where the skit stuff at the beginning is actually worthwhile (looking at you, ππ¦π·πͺπ― ππ’π³π΅: ππ©π’π΅ ππ°πΈ?). Singular,
ClareR (6074 KP) rated Mother Mother in Books
May 4, 2021
I have to admit to reading this book because I was curious. Iβve heard of Annie Mac on the radio, and I was intrigued. Oh, and I really liked the cover. This is often a reason why I choose a book: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnβt. It definitely worked this time.
I was sucked in to this books world, and became really emotionally invested in this story. Mary and her brother have such a hard upbringing, that what comes later seems inevitable. Regardless of this, Mary becomes a good mother. She does that thing that so many mother do, and gives up her sense of self, and her life revolves around her son, TJ. She has a job she enjoys, but she is a solitary figure. When she stops seeing her friend Louise after she finds out that sheβs pregnant with TJ, there isnβt any mention of anyone else. I couldnβt help but feel that she must have been so lonely.
Mary clings on to her family, even though her father and brother probably donβt deserve her attention and love, and TJ takes advantage of her unquestioning love - like a typical teenager.
There are some pretty heavy, emotional parts in this, and I read the last few chapters through tears. I canβt believe that this is a debut - itβs so well written. Itβs an easy book to recommend, and a tough book to read.
I was sucked in to this books world, and became really emotionally invested in this story. Mary and her brother have such a hard upbringing, that what comes later seems inevitable. Regardless of this, Mary becomes a good mother. She does that thing that so many mother do, and gives up her sense of self, and her life revolves around her son, TJ. She has a job she enjoys, but she is a solitary figure. When she stops seeing her friend Louise after she finds out that sheβs pregnant with TJ, there isnβt any mention of anyone else. I couldnβt help but feel that she must have been so lonely.
Mary clings on to her family, even though her father and brother probably donβt deserve her attention and love, and TJ takes advantage of her unquestioning love - like a typical teenager.
There are some pretty heavy, emotional parts in this, and I read the last few chapters through tears. I canβt believe that this is a debut - itβs so well written. Itβs an easy book to recommend, and a tough book to read.
Martin Carr recommended track Crazy Horses by Donny Osmond in Definitive Collection by Donny Osmond in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Maze Runner (2014) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
There's absolutely no excuse to not have utilized the actual maze more (we get like three action scenes in it?) but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a ball with this otherwise thoroughly fun and often thrilling popcorn entertainment. Dylan O'Brien is tremendous in it, even when it wears the dystopian YA format a little too prominently. For a while I couldn't tell if the simplicity helped or hurt this in the end - I mean on the one hand this has precious nothing to say about the implications of its brutal story/world, but then again on the other it 110% forgoes the usual heavy-handed yet jejune moralizing that normally sugar-coat these films. I'm sure you could have found a decent medium between the two but Wes Ball's direction is sturdy, and I kind of like the idea of all these random 18/20-somethings nonchalantly trapped in this ludicrous scenario who just see this giant, mechanical deathtrap maze as a way of life lol. So I had more than enough fun with it. Try to picture a 2014 blockbuster "Lord of the Flies" without the obvious symbolism meets a market-tested ππ©π¦ ππͺπππ’π¨π¦ where a bunch of extras get PG-13-ed to death by huge mechanical alien spiders. Plus no one even takes their shirt off I mean that's *gotta* be a first for one of these.







