Search
Search results
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Incredibles 2 (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Super
#pixar #disney #incredibles2 is an exceptional #sequel with a much more mature tone & flawless #animation. After doing a double bill of the incredibles films today in #4k I found myself awe of the technical achievement on show. This #film is stunning & I mean visual #perfection, particle effects are complex & mesmerising, #eyes house tiny red veins, faces blush & cloths contain intricate stitching too with character animation also being fluid & #natural. Subject matter is dark this time around & deals with extremely #adult themes, parents might want to think twice before taking kids to see this one as id say almost 80% of the film is a heavily dialog driven #drama. I wont lie at times its incredibly intense, heavy going & hard work but its also always fascinating & higly rewarding housing many very real world/mature themes with great complexity & depth. With things getting very serious the film does break things up every now & again with just enough huge scale top notch memorable action set pieces & slick comedy to let your brain rest briefly (however I found most #Kids in my screening were getting restless & bored by then so parents may want to think twice before taking the #family). Themes of death, jealousy, trust, lies, parent roll reversal, balancing home #life & family with work, teaching kids to be themselves while also making sure they obey the law & fit in, as well as metaphors about technology enslaving us all & how superhero films are only pushed on us to distract us from real world problems & belief someone else will solve all our problems for us (this is not only refreshing but expertly handled & over flowing with intelligence giving the #film a more human, realistic & relevant tone). Voice work is simply top notch with #bobodenkirk being the most interesting & going the extra mile. Score & #sound design are also on point & at times I swear I thought #jackjack was a #kid in my screening running around behind me. The last 20mins felt a tad rushed but with such likeable & well fleshed out characters & a more mature story #incredibles 2 might just be the most intelligent & #fun #superhero film or the year. #odeon #odeonlimitless #beautiful #hero #super
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Gore heavy police procedural
This is the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles thriller series, apparently there is a TV series based off this but I’ve never seen it so went into this blind. Isles does not appear as a character in this book and even RIzzoli is more of a secondary character.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
Debbiereadsbook (1551 KP) rated Mr March (Calendar Men #3) in Books
Mar 6, 2018
fabulous sexy read.
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book .
It's only a matter a time, you know, before a book in a series tips you one way or the other. It tips you up to that five star read, or down to three and you really don't want to read any more.
This one?? 5 star read people!
I said in my review for February, that I liked that the shifter element was just sort of there, it wasn't a major part of the story. But here, the shifter part is a MASSIVE part of the story! Go figure, huh!
Jason is Mr March, and they have just finished up shooting on Arturo's land. There is a bit of an overlap between February and March's books. Waking up in someone else's bed, Jason can't remember how he got there, but he CAN remember the vet who looked after his lion form. Casey is a vet at the refuge that Jason's cat is bought to, but there is something bigger going on, and it will take some digging to get to just what.
I loved Jason's sisters, and their teasing of Jason. Loved Jessica too. Jason and Casey have a huge network of support and they need it, especially when they find out what is really going on!
It's not an overly complicated book, nor is it graphic or explicit, but I really LOVED that it wasn't! It's a really great read, and I read this in one sitting, at 1130 at night. Good job I did not have work this morning!
The shoot is now slowly shifting from single nekkid guys for each month, to a couple for each month. Still not sure it will get published, but it's great fun watching it, either way.
I would like to know more about how Perry's dad is, since he was the original photographer. He;s dealing with some heavy stuff and it would be nice to catch up with him, even if it's just a bit more than we get here.
Fabulous, sexy, read
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
It's only a matter a time, you know, before a book in a series tips you one way or the other. It tips you up to that five star read, or down to three and you really don't want to read any more.
This one?? 5 star read people!
I said in my review for February, that I liked that the shifter element was just sort of there, it wasn't a major part of the story. But here, the shifter part is a MASSIVE part of the story! Go figure, huh!
Jason is Mr March, and they have just finished up shooting on Arturo's land. There is a bit of an overlap between February and March's books. Waking up in someone else's bed, Jason can't remember how he got there, but he CAN remember the vet who looked after his lion form. Casey is a vet at the refuge that Jason's cat is bought to, but there is something bigger going on, and it will take some digging to get to just what.
I loved Jason's sisters, and their teasing of Jason. Loved Jessica too. Jason and Casey have a huge network of support and they need it, especially when they find out what is really going on!
It's not an overly complicated book, nor is it graphic or explicit, but I really LOVED that it wasn't! It's a really great read, and I read this in one sitting, at 1130 at night. Good job I did not have work this morning!
The shoot is now slowly shifting from single nekkid guys for each month, to a couple for each month. Still not sure it will get published, but it's great fun watching it, either way.
I would like to know more about how Perry's dad is, since he was the original photographer. He;s dealing with some heavy stuff and it would be nice to catch up with him, even if it's just a bit more than we get here.
Fabulous, sexy, read
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Merissa (13358 KP) rated Rising for Autumn (Philadelphia Coven Chronicles #3) in Books
Mar 21, 2018
Rising for Autumn (Philadelphia Coven Chronicles #3) by Katherine McIntyre
Rising for Autumn is my favourite book so far in the Philadelphia Coven Chronicles. We meet the woman behind the Ice Queen mask and it is Sam, the djinn, who is there to help with the unmasking - but only in private! After all, Alanna is the leader of the coven, and a heavy weight rests on her shoulders with every decision she makes. If everyone knew how these decisions cost her, their unwavering faith in her may change. The Order of the Serpent rears its ugly head again, in fact, Alanna is correct in saying it should be a hydra! Thrown together, Sam and Alanna realise neither is quite what the other one thought.
I loved the approach in this book. Alanna is a strong woman, and makes no bones or apologies for that. There are not many who are prepared to look for the woman though, and that made me quite sad as I felt how lonely she was. Sam has tried to live as normal a life as he can, being a djinn tied to a lamp. Alanna constantly surprises him, and he sees the weight she carries. These two end up leaning on each other, as well as brainstorming and verbal sparring!
An excellent story, wrapped up in a tidy bundle with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters come to life and jump off the page, making you feel their highs and lows. I also love the season in each book. Katherine McIntyre is exceptional at placing the season without it being overpowering. It's subtle, and yet there for the seeing. I absolutely loved this story, and can't wait to continue with the series, although I also don't want it to end. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=24219
I loved the approach in this book. Alanna is a strong woman, and makes no bones or apologies for that. There are not many who are prepared to look for the woman though, and that made me quite sad as I felt how lonely she was. Sam has tried to live as normal a life as he can, being a djinn tied to a lamp. Alanna constantly surprises him, and he sees the weight she carries. These two end up leaning on each other, as well as brainstorming and verbal sparring!
An excellent story, wrapped up in a tidy bundle with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters come to life and jump off the page, making you feel their highs and lows. I also love the season in each book. Katherine McIntyre is exceptional at placing the season without it being overpowering. It's subtle, and yet there for the seeing. I absolutely loved this story, and can't wait to continue with the series, although I also don't want it to end. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=24219
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Turning This Thing Around in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
As a former sufferer of depression and anxiety, this book was something I really wanted to read. While it wasn't the best memoir I've ever read, it was still alright.
I like the title of this book. It fits in well considering Keith turns his life around. It's super fitting.
The cover may be plain, but the one picture works well especially when it comes to any kind of disease whether mental or physical.
I found the pacing of this book started off at a decent pace. However, the second part of the book slowed way down, and I found myself skimming over some of the paragraphs and pages.
It was interesting to read about Keith's tumultuous relationship with Mary. My heart went out to both of them, and I found myself relating to a lot of what was happening. I wanted Keith and Mary's relationship to work, I really did. It was interesting to read about how Keith coped when he came to Mary.
The second half became a bit too spiritual for me, and I found my interest waning. When I say spiritual, I don't mean godly. To me, it focused a bit too much on meditation. Plus, it became too quote heavy. It seemed that Keith was quoting a book or movie on almost every page. I'd rather have just read Keith's words as he's quite a good writer judging by this book. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Keith was able to mostly overcome all the negative in his life, and he made some really good points and gave good advice, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Overall, Turning This Thing Around is a decent read. I think those that are into spirituality and possibly those that are in the throes of depression and anxiety would benefit the most from this book.
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
As a former sufferer of depression and anxiety, this book was something I really wanted to read. While it wasn't the best memoir I've ever read, it was still alright.
I like the title of this book. It fits in well considering Keith turns his life around. It's super fitting.
The cover may be plain, but the one picture works well especially when it comes to any kind of disease whether mental or physical.
I found the pacing of this book started off at a decent pace. However, the second part of the book slowed way down, and I found myself skimming over some of the paragraphs and pages.
It was interesting to read about Keith's tumultuous relationship with Mary. My heart went out to both of them, and I found myself relating to a lot of what was happening. I wanted Keith and Mary's relationship to work, I really did. It was interesting to read about how Keith coped when he came to Mary.
The second half became a bit too spiritual for me, and I found my interest waning. When I say spiritual, I don't mean godly. To me, it focused a bit too much on meditation. Plus, it became too quote heavy. It seemed that Keith was quoting a book or movie on almost every page. I'd rather have just read Keith's words as he's quite a good writer judging by this book. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Keith was able to mostly overcome all the negative in his life, and he made some really good points and gave good advice, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Overall, Turning This Thing Around is a decent read. I think those that are into spirituality and possibly those that are in the throes of depression and anxiety would benefit the most from this book.
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated With You Always (Orphan Train, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
It is a well known fact that Jody writes some of my favorite books of all time. Her ability to express the time and place in a beautifully real way has drawn me into more than one story. And on more than one occasion, my attention would not be relinquished until I turned the last page of the book (or longer).
With You Always is the beginning of a new series and it is full of the same passion and faith that infuses Jody's other books. Elise is an immigrant woman in New York during the mid 1800s. A challenging time for many people, a single woman trying to take care of her siblings had limited options. When heading west to find employment, Elise struggles between doing what is best for her family and not wanting to be separated from them. Will she open her heart to God and allow Him to guide her steps?
With so much uncertainty about his future, Thornton Quincy battles to find his identity. Constantly being compared to his brother, he has never allowed himself to find who he truly is and the kind of man that he wants to be.
The emotions in this story gripped me from the start. So much suffering, so many families torn apart, my heart was (and still is) heavy with the situations that our characters face. However, it was so encouraging to witness God's hand weaving in and out of their lives. Lining up the pieces and placing everything in order. Although, beware the cliff hanger. AH! I am hoping that this story continues if not strictly from Elise's perspective than maybe Marianne's or Sophie's....because I NEED ANSWERS!!! Ok, that is all...Pick up this book, read it, and let me know what you think of it! I think this is a brilliant opening to the series and a unique look into an aspect of history that is so easily overlooked.
I received a complimentary copy of With You Always from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
With You Always is the beginning of a new series and it is full of the same passion and faith that infuses Jody's other books. Elise is an immigrant woman in New York during the mid 1800s. A challenging time for many people, a single woman trying to take care of her siblings had limited options. When heading west to find employment, Elise struggles between doing what is best for her family and not wanting to be separated from them. Will she open her heart to God and allow Him to guide her steps?
With so much uncertainty about his future, Thornton Quincy battles to find his identity. Constantly being compared to his brother, he has never allowed himself to find who he truly is and the kind of man that he wants to be.
The emotions in this story gripped me from the start. So much suffering, so many families torn apart, my heart was (and still is) heavy with the situations that our characters face. However, it was so encouraging to witness God's hand weaving in and out of their lives. Lining up the pieces and placing everything in order. Although, beware the cliff hanger. AH! I am hoping that this story continues if not strictly from Elise's perspective than maybe Marianne's or Sophie's....because I NEED ANSWERS!!! Ok, that is all...Pick up this book, read it, and let me know what you think of it! I think this is a brilliant opening to the series and a unique look into an aspect of history that is so easily overlooked.
I received a complimentary copy of With You Always from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Sisters Brothers (2018) in Movies
Jan 7, 2019 (Updated Jan 7, 2019)
Cast all give brilliant performances (1 more)
Quirky filming techniques
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
I was dying to see this movie as soon as I saw the first trailer for it, but even though it dropped in the states months ago, it's not coming to UK cinemas until April 2019! However, if you mess around with the location settings on your on-demand website of choice, it is possible to legally watch this movie in Britain without having to wait another 4 months for it to release.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Have you ever wondered how your body works? Author Mark Murphy has his theory. The human body is full of little creatures known as min, and it is no different for 34 year old Will. Min live in every part of the body doing different jobs to make each part of the body work they way it should. However, these min are much like the humans they inhabit: they have their own jobs, their own lives, their own feelings and their own opinions.
Penelope Potts is a bored 15 year old min living in the left ear department with nothing much to do. Yet one day life becomes much more exciting when she and her best friend Henry are selected to take part in the trials to try and win themselves a position in Central Head.
Whilst this is taking place, however, the evil leader of the min, Sananab (incidentally bananas spelt backwards) has come up with a malicious plan that may change the life of the min forever. When Sananab discovers that Penelope is doing very well in the trials he becomes very interested in her. But when Penelope discovers his evil plan her life is immediately in danger.
Murphy’s ideas are very imaginative but are also similar to the <i>Numbskulls</i> in the <i>Beano</i> – perhaps this even had some influence on his novel? It is fun to envisage tiny beings living in human bodies making sure every organ works properly. The min themselves are an interesting bunch. Apart from Penelope, none appear to be that intelligent leading to humorous scenes, which could have the reader laughing out loud.
<i>Minology</i> despite the <i>“ology”</i> is not a heavy read and can be taken at the reader’s own pace. Whether they want something to read leisurely or something to read quickly this book will be more than adequate. And, if you like the min so much and want to read even more about their funny lives, there is a second book!
Have you ever wondered how your body works? Author Mark Murphy has his theory. The human body is full of little creatures known as min, and it is no different for 34 year old Will. Min live in every part of the body doing different jobs to make each part of the body work they way it should. However, these min are much like the humans they inhabit: they have their own jobs, their own lives, their own feelings and their own opinions.
Penelope Potts is a bored 15 year old min living in the left ear department with nothing much to do. Yet one day life becomes much more exciting when she and her best friend Henry are selected to take part in the trials to try and win themselves a position in Central Head.
Whilst this is taking place, however, the evil leader of the min, Sananab (incidentally bananas spelt backwards) has come up with a malicious plan that may change the life of the min forever. When Sananab discovers that Penelope is doing very well in the trials he becomes very interested in her. But when Penelope discovers his evil plan her life is immediately in danger.
Murphy’s ideas are very imaginative but are also similar to the <i>Numbskulls</i> in the <i>Beano</i> – perhaps this even had some influence on his novel? It is fun to envisage tiny beings living in human bodies making sure every organ works properly. The min themselves are an interesting bunch. Apart from Penelope, none appear to be that intelligent leading to humorous scenes, which could have the reader laughing out loud.
<i>Minology</i> despite the <i>“ology”</i> is not a heavy read and can be taken at the reader’s own pace. Whether they want something to read leisurely or something to read quickly this book will be more than adequate. And, if you like the min so much and want to read even more about their funny lives, there is a second book!
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Crowland Chronicle Continuations, 1459 1486 in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Anyone who has read about the Wars of the Roses, and about Richard III in particular, has probably come across mention of The Croyland (now known as Crowland) Chronicle, and in particular the Continuation that refers to events in this period.
This volume was produced to mark the 500th anniversary or the writing of the Continuation and is only the second English translation and publication of it.
The book itself is a very scholarly book and the editors seem to assume that a reader will have a working knowledge of Latin as in the introductory section there are numerous quotations in Latin which are not then rendered in English. The introductory section is quite in-depth and indeed takes up more than half of the pages in the volume! A lot of it I will admit to having found rather heavy going, although the information I did glean was interesting and useful. I was not particularly aware of the history of the original manuscript, in that is had been badly damaged in a fire and much of the current text was therefore taken from a copy of the text written as part of the earlier English publication. There are some plates which show some of the surviving pages of the manuscript, but not all pages have survived, so the current editors have used the earlier transcript as a starting point. There is also an interesting and useful consideration of the authorship of the Continuation.
The Continuation itself takes up just under half of the volume and the original Latin text is printed on one side the the English translation on the facing page. I found the translation quite readable, even if it did feel like a bit of a whirlwind tour of events! Oddly, the national political picture breaks off several times and we have inserted a sort of obituary of Abbots of Croyland who happened to die as this point in the main narrative.
What I think I would like to see, and what would be of interest to a general historical reader, would be a publication of the English translation with an introduction and analysis geared more to the general reader than to the academic scholar.
This volume was produced to mark the 500th anniversary or the writing of the Continuation and is only the second English translation and publication of it.
The book itself is a very scholarly book and the editors seem to assume that a reader will have a working knowledge of Latin as in the introductory section there are numerous quotations in Latin which are not then rendered in English. The introductory section is quite in-depth and indeed takes up more than half of the pages in the volume! A lot of it I will admit to having found rather heavy going, although the information I did glean was interesting and useful. I was not particularly aware of the history of the original manuscript, in that is had been badly damaged in a fire and much of the current text was therefore taken from a copy of the text written as part of the earlier English publication. There are some plates which show some of the surviving pages of the manuscript, but not all pages have survived, so the current editors have used the earlier transcript as a starting point. There is also an interesting and useful consideration of the authorship of the Continuation.
The Continuation itself takes up just under half of the volume and the original Latin text is printed on one side the the English translation on the facing page. I found the translation quite readable, even if it did feel like a bit of a whirlwind tour of events! Oddly, the national political picture breaks off several times and we have inserted a sort of obituary of Abbots of Croyland who happened to die as this point in the main narrative.
What I think I would like to see, and what would be of interest to a general historical reader, would be a publication of the English translation with an introduction and analysis geared more to the general reader than to the academic scholar.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Mandy (2018) in Movies
Oct 30, 2019 (Updated Oct 30, 2019)
A ride from start to finish
Mandy is an utterly bizarre experience, but it's one that kept me absolutely enthralled from beginning to end.
The basic plot is pretty simple - Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) live an idyllic and secluded life until a run in with a cult-like group lead by Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache).
After a night of terror falls on the couple, Red takes it upon himself to exact bloody vengeance on those who have harmed them.
This straightforward horror-revenge narrative however is washed in a truly striking example of filmaking.
The cinematography throughout is gorgeous, from huge sweeping shots, to grainier settings full of fog and red light. Director Panos Cosmatos lands numerous memorable shots and presents with a surreal visual experience with a continuous 80s vibe under the surface.
This distinct style paired with a beautiful synth heavy score from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson (which constantly reminded me of Twin Peaks) gives the movie a dream-like coating that gives the movie a really unsettling and downright creepy presence.
King Crimson plays over the opening credits also, which is always going to win me over!
The first half is a slow burner (the title card doesn't appear until 70 minutes in!), really taking advantage of everything mentioned above, before taking a pretty crazy, LSD drenched turn.
The gorier moments of Mandy happen here, and they're pretty effective, outlandish, but at the same time realistic. It certainly sticks with you as the movie slips further into a drug fuelled bloody nightmare. (there's a goddamn chainsaw duel!)
The cast are all pretty decent - Linus Roache makes for a menacing villain during his limited screentime, and his followers are suitably weird (the whole thing has a horrible Charles Manson vibe to it), and Nicolas Cage is both unnervingly restrained at times (even when drenched in blood) with the odd moment of full blown Cage that we've come to know and love.
Mandy deals with themes of love, revenge, toxic masculinity, religion, and cultism, all wrapped up in a truly outlandish and violent fever dream.
Some people love it, some people hate it, but it's certainly unlike any horror I've seen before and I though it's was pretty damn good.
The basic plot is pretty simple - Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) live an idyllic and secluded life until a run in with a cult-like group lead by Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache).
After a night of terror falls on the couple, Red takes it upon himself to exact bloody vengeance on those who have harmed them.
This straightforward horror-revenge narrative however is washed in a truly striking example of filmaking.
The cinematography throughout is gorgeous, from huge sweeping shots, to grainier settings full of fog and red light. Director Panos Cosmatos lands numerous memorable shots and presents with a surreal visual experience with a continuous 80s vibe under the surface.
This distinct style paired with a beautiful synth heavy score from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson (which constantly reminded me of Twin Peaks) gives the movie a dream-like coating that gives the movie a really unsettling and downright creepy presence.
King Crimson plays over the opening credits also, which is always going to win me over!
The first half is a slow burner (the title card doesn't appear until 70 minutes in!), really taking advantage of everything mentioned above, before taking a pretty crazy, LSD drenched turn.
The gorier moments of Mandy happen here, and they're pretty effective, outlandish, but at the same time realistic. It certainly sticks with you as the movie slips further into a drug fuelled bloody nightmare. (there's a goddamn chainsaw duel!)
The cast are all pretty decent - Linus Roache makes for a menacing villain during his limited screentime, and his followers are suitably weird (the whole thing has a horrible Charles Manson vibe to it), and Nicolas Cage is both unnervingly restrained at times (even when drenched in blood) with the odd moment of full blown Cage that we've come to know and love.
Mandy deals with themes of love, revenge, toxic masculinity, religion, and cultism, all wrapped up in a truly outlandish and violent fever dream.
Some people love it, some people hate it, but it's certainly unlike any horror I've seen before and I though it's was pretty damn good.