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Mark Halpern (153 KP) created a post

Dec 30, 2017  
So I just watched the movie All Eyez on Me. The life of Tupac Shakur. The acting was amazing and the story line was right on key. Considering all the press recently about the murders of Shakur and Biggie this was the best I have seen. I do wish they went a little more into the feuds between east coast and west coast rap sensations the profile of Shug Knight was awesome. It was better than the character of him used in Straight out of Compton. I also love that they go into his time with the Digital Underground which really was his rise to stardom. All and all this movie I say this is a must see for Shakur fans and raps fans alike.
     
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
2003 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
acting,story (0 more)
Why Rum Gone
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) plays our beloved pirate to love and hate in this adaption of a Disney ride. The movie from the word go is filled with action,comedy and suspense as we follow our captain take possession of a powerful boat with the help of Orlando bloom and try to rescue our damsel in distress Nightly and recover the last gold coin of a lost treasure to try and break and long time curse. This movie storyline took time and patience to make sure everything flowed right and it does. To me there is not a moment of down time and my favorite line when marooned on an island is "Why Rum Gone" Enjoy
  
Watchmen
Watchmen
Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore | 1986 | Comics & Graphic Novels
9
8.8 (23 Ratings)
Book Rating
The characters (4 more)
The ending
The art work
How dark and real the whole story feels
Characters that are so flawed they feel real.
Can freaking drag (1 more)
Way too much dialog at times.
You either love it or hate it but it does change how you see super heroes.
This is one comic book I honestly believe everyone should read but art the same time don't make it your first like I tried to do because HOLY hell does thing drag along at some points but at about half way it finally sinks its teeth in and does not let you go.

To date I think this has one of the best conclusions I've ever read. And you definitely find your looking at superheroes different after reading this.
  
Eruption (Supervolcano, #1)
Eruption (Supervolcano, #1)
Harry Turtledove | 2011 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I got really excited when I saw this book! I love reading about disasters and post apocalyptic and the concept of a super volcano under Yellowstone is something that fascinates me. [Supervolcano: Eruption] by [Harry Turtledove] lived up to all my expectations. The characters were well developed and very believable. The intertwining stories kept the plot moving.

Usually I have stayed away from [Harry Turtledove] since stuff with aliens is not my thing and that is what I thought about when I saw his books but in the first installment of [Supervolcano] I was happy to not see one alien! [Turtledove] does have a good story telling style and perhaps I may give some of his alternative history a shot.
  
Enders (Starters, #2)
Enders (Starters, #2)
Lissa Price | 2013 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
6.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have been waiting for [Enders] by [Lissa Price] since I read [Starters] as an ARC. I absolutely love the premise of these stories. I have recommended(and will continue) to recommend them to my students. In fact I have pretty much made [Starters] required reading for the kids in my Future Problem Solving group.

The characters are strong and I am always happy to see a female in a strong role which thankfully has been the trend in YA literature (with one blaring exception recently).

The story is fast paced, in fact I read the book in under 24 hours. [Enders] picked up right where [Starters] left off. I look forward to reading more books written by [Lissa Price].
  
King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
Paula Johanson | 2015 | Biography, Sport & Leisure
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was a really quick read. As a lifelong hockey fan I was fascinated by the story. As a New York Ranger's fan I was appalled I hadn't heard of this before.

[King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier] by [Paula Johanson] is a short well written account of the struggle to make it into the NHL if you weren't of European decent. Larry Kwong was a very skilled player but only got to play one shift in the NHL. This did not dampen his love for hockey as he traveled the world spreading this awesome sport wherever he went. I wish I had this in a paper copy so I could give it to my students to read.
  
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling | 1997 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.2 (174 Ratings)
Book Rating
I can't even remember how I got turned onto this story, I think it might have been my sister. She kept telling me how awesome it was, and I just had to see for myself. From the first moment, I was hooked. I got sucked into the wizarding world of Harry Potter so quick it was like a tornado hit. From the first page, I couldn't put it down, I had to know what happened. I think me I finished this one in two days, that's how hooked I was. As much as I've enjoyed Twilight and Catching Fire, neither of those series made me love to read as much as Harry Potter. Not to mention wishing I had magical powers.
  
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
2017 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Evolution of the Xenomorph (1 more)
More backstory
I hope there is another one
Contains spoilers, click to show
I see from most of the reviews that this film wasn't favoured but in my opinion I love back and origin stories. Alien to resurrection were how the Xenomorph species expanded and developed. This film and it's predecessor explore where the deadliest creature in the universe came from. I do hope there is another to link up with the 1979 Alien film.
I know with Alien franchise it's all about the horror and suspense but a story and plotline is important too. I am glad Ridley Scott did get the opportunity to fill in the gaps unanswered in the preceding films.
Bring on the next one, me want more!
  
Battle of the Sexes (2016)
Battle of the Sexes (2016)
2016 | Biography, Comedy, Sport
How far have we come?
While watching this film I kept thinking these events happened nearly fifty years ago and attitudes by powerful men toward women really haven't changed that much. The revelations in Hollywood recently were obviously long overdue and hopefully will start changing things for the better in the future.

The attention to detail in this film and acting were very believable and made you engage with the story immediately. Although the second act seemed to drag a bit, the developing relationships needed time to manifest to assist in the film's payoff.

I love a movie with a good soundtrack and this one didn't disappoint either as my toes were tappin' throughout.

Highly recommended.
  
Black Rabbit Hall
Black Rabbit Hall
Eve Chase | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I liked the book, but I didn't love it. Told in alternating voices and time-lines, first-person for Amber in the late 60's and third-person for Lorna circa 2000. Amber's voice definitely had the edge as Lorna's felt more distant, probably due to being in third-person, so her story didn't have much of a punch for me. Also, her connection to Black Rabbit Hall felt too pat, too obvious, and not surprising in the least. One thing, as silly as it might seem, that bothered me was the casual mention of texts and wi-fi. Easy to overlook in this day and age, but they just weren't common in the late nineties/early aughts. Otherwise, it was an easy, if predictable read.