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KatyShubo (75 KP) rated Happy: Finding Joy in Every Day and Letting Go of Perfect in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Disappointingly not Happy
I’m glad I picked this up at a Charity Shop and didn’t pay full price (I now understand why I see this a lot in Charity Shops though)
I found this to be full of surface anecdotal bites filled with colourful pages.
I was expecting a journal, with spaces for the reader to explore notes within the texts but they were few and far between.
If you are genuinely looking for a guide on how to find or discover happiness then this is not the read for you.
I’m saddened that I had bought this for many people before I read this
I found this to be full of surface anecdotal bites filled with colourful pages.
I was expecting a journal, with spaces for the reader to explore notes within the texts but they were few and far between.
If you are genuinely looking for a guide on how to find or discover happiness then this is not the read for you.
I’m saddened that I had bought this for many people before I read this
Erika (17789 KP) rated Bodyguard in TV
Dec 13, 2018
I watched this show last month, when it was finally put on Netflix (US). I keep bouncing between wanting to rate it a 7 or an 8. I feel like the show didn't quite live up to the hype. The weird, and frankly, unnecessary fling in it struck me as kind of off... I mean, I guess it was so the characters had more feelings towards each other? I watch a lot of films/shows, and I did kind of figure who was pulling all of the strings after the school was bombed. It had a very '24' vibe. I liked that it was a short season, and honestly, it doesn't need to be continued, it was good as a limited series.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Winter's Bone (2010) in Movies
Jan 27, 2019
JLaw and the rednecks
Before she was "JLaw", Jennifer Lawrence garnered an Oscar nomination for this Best Picture nominee from 2010 about a young girl trying to find her delinquent father and trying to keep her family together at the same time.
Tensions rise quickly among the local townsfolk when the girl starts asking questions to try and figure out his whereabouts so she doesn't have to lose the family home to foreclosure.
Great acting and writing and overall look of this bleak film where none of the characters are very savory. The young girl's journey is interesting and has some twists and turns before she finally figures things out.
I liked it a lot.
Tensions rise quickly among the local townsfolk when the girl starts asking questions to try and figure out his whereabouts so she doesn't have to lose the family home to foreclosure.
Great acting and writing and overall look of this bleak film where none of the characters are very savory. The young girl's journey is interesting and has some twists and turns before she finally figures things out.
I liked it a lot.
David McK (3623 KP) rated Star Wars: Captain Phasma in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Lead-in comic mini-series to "The Last Jedi", following Captain Phasma's disappointing showing (i.e didn't do much, then got sent down a garbage chute) in "The Force Awakens".
This, effectively, is about how she covers her failings and works her way back into The First Order, covering her tracks and using another escapee from the now-explodeed StarKiller base as her fall guy.
While the art - like all the recent Marvel Star Wars issues - is good, the story, however, leaves a lot to be desired: there's nothing really memorable about this, now real 'wow' moment (like there was in '[b:Vader Down|27247275|Vader Down (Star Wars)|Jason Aaron|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462909901s/27247275.jpg|47296344]';) to make it stick in the mind.
In short: forgettable.
This, effectively, is about how she covers her failings and works her way back into The First Order, covering her tracks and using another escapee from the now-explodeed StarKiller base as her fall guy.
While the art - like all the recent Marvel Star Wars issues - is good, the story, however, leaves a lot to be desired: there's nothing really memorable about this, now real 'wow' moment (like there was in '[b:Vader Down|27247275|Vader Down (Star Wars)|Jason Aaron|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462909901s/27247275.jpg|47296344]';) to make it stick in the mind.
In short: forgettable.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Panic in Needle Park (1971) in Movies
Dec 26, 2018
Compelling heroin drama
According to IMDb, Al Pacino's performance in this film (his first leading role) was what Coppola used to show Paramount executives that he portray Michael Corleone in The Godfather.
Pacino and Kitty Wynn (Sharon in The Exorcist) play a lovestruck couple who are not very good for each other. Their drug addictions and other bad habits play off each other and keep the couple on a downward spiral burrowing into the drudges of society.
The performances are what make the film worth watching. Certainly makes you not want to do drugs. Some of the sequences reminded me a lot of Requiem For a Dream (my fave film of all time).
Well worth a watch.
Pacino and Kitty Wynn (Sharon in The Exorcist) play a lovestruck couple who are not very good for each other. Their drug addictions and other bad habits play off each other and keep the couple on a downward spiral burrowing into the drudges of society.
The performances are what make the film worth watching. Certainly makes you not want to do drugs. Some of the sequences reminded me a lot of Requiem For a Dream (my fave film of all time).
Well worth a watch.
Danielle Chaplin (81 KP) rated The Shamer's Daughter (The Shamer Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Great start to a series
I got sent a reading copy of this book for an honest review and I am so glad I did. Even though it followed roughly the same lines as a lot of other books it had some nice twists to keep you on your toes, there wasn't any unnecessary description which made it fast paced (I read it in a couple of hours) and it was refreshing to see that there is a bit more realism in how a person is likely to react to a life threatening situation.
I think the story could have been longer but overall I thought it was very well executed and can't wait to read the rest in the series.
I think the story could have been longer but overall I thought it was very well executed and can't wait to read the rest in the series.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 1, 2019
I really wish that I had re-watched 'The Shining' before catching Doctor Sleep, as it's been far too long, and I kind of feel it would have helped my enjoyment of this movie a lot more. However, despite all of that, I thought that Doctor Sleep was an incredible movie.
Ewan McGregor gives a subdued, but brilliant performance as the troubled Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson is captivating as the psychic vampire Rose the Hat. Great score, amazing visuals, plenty of nods to The Shining, but still enough to stand out on its own. At 2h 31m, I never felt that the movie was dragging at any point either.
Full review to follow, but for now let's just say that I loved it!
Ewan McGregor gives a subdued, but brilliant performance as the troubled Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson is captivating as the psychic vampire Rose the Hat. Great score, amazing visuals, plenty of nods to The Shining, but still enough to stand out on its own. At 2h 31m, I never felt that the movie was dragging at any point either.
Full review to follow, but for now let's just say that I loved it!
Erika (17789 KP) rated Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) in Movies
Oct 23, 2019
I have mixed feelings at the unnecessary Zombieland sequel. I loved the original Zombieland. It was smart to take a lot from the original for this sequel, so, it was very much the same. I can't decide if that was a good or a bad thing.
Zoey Deutch's character was super annoying, and reminded me of all the basic b*s in 2009. I also found the doppleganger thing, and relentless repeating of the rules similarly annoying.
The zombie kills were cool, and I did like the way they were explaining the different sorts of zombies.
Overall, I liked it, but it was much of the same. I guess if it ain't* broke, don't fix it.
* I do not use ain't IRL, but it's the saying.
Zoey Deutch's character was super annoying, and reminded me of all the basic b*s in 2009. I also found the doppleganger thing, and relentless repeating of the rules similarly annoying.
The zombie kills were cool, and I did like the way they were explaining the different sorts of zombies.
Overall, I liked it, but it was much of the same. I guess if it ain't* broke, don't fix it.
* I do not use ain't IRL, but it's the saying.
Ducklady (1174 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 18, 2019 (Updated Oct 18, 2019)
Wished it was made for more mature audiences
I actually really loved this movie, but I'm glad i watched it before taking my kids to see it, way too much death for a PG.
I loved all the little creatures and the dark fae, so beautiful and well done.
Exciting watch so now want to rewatch the first :)
I think the film would have had a harder impact had it been made for 12/15 audiences. There was a lot of war and death and no blood, which seemed really off-putting and took away from the intensity. But saying that, the themes running through it were way too mature and scary for it to be a PG, didn't make a great deal of sense to me.
I loved all the little creatures and the dark fae, so beautiful and well done.
Exciting watch so now want to rewatch the first :)
I think the film would have had a harder impact had it been made for 12/15 audiences. There was a lot of war and death and no blood, which seemed really off-putting and took away from the intensity. But saying that, the themes running through it were way too mature and scary for it to be a PG, didn't make a great deal of sense to me.
Bubba Gee (147 KP) rated Unbroken (2014) in Movies
Jul 24, 2019
A look at the inhumanity of war
This is a harrowing tale based on the story of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini (excellently played by Jack O'Connel) and his time in a pow camp in Japan during World War 2.
This film has a lot of hard scenes of soldiers captive being abused and having no rights at all, the camp director Watanabe especially seems to have an issue with young Louis.
A powerful film of a man reaching the heights of human accomplishment and ultimately being pushed further down than most will ever know.
A true take on the power of the human spirit and proof that no matter how bad it gets there's always a way to redemption.
This film has a lot of hard scenes of soldiers captive being abused and having no rights at all, the camp director Watanabe especially seems to have an issue with young Louis.
A powerful film of a man reaching the heights of human accomplishment and ultimately being pushed further down than most will ever know.
A true take on the power of the human spirit and proof that no matter how bad it gets there's always a way to redemption.