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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Notes on a Scandal (2006) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020 (Updated Nov 29, 2020)
Jesus - and I cannot stress this enough - CHRIST. 92 minutes of perfectly-paced, rhythmic showcases for some of the hardest-to-watch scenes in cinematic history which don't spill a single drop of blood. The last time I winced this violently at scenes that don't feature any gore was, fuck, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯? Just explosive, thought I was going to pass out or have a heart attack before this (classily) fucked-up and abusive portrait of the different forms emotional manipulation can take was over. Dench, Blanchett, Nighy, and Simpson are stellar and the paranoid cinematography is genius; people are always walking over and into the frame, choking each shot with paranoia - you're always trying to look past something or someone just to get a glimpse of this dark, remorseless world. I'll also cop to just loving character studies about psychopaths, let alone ones with such savage views on class and the lies people are willing to tell themselves so that they can keep their moral privilege - so they aren't like their own definitions of 'the filth', even if they're demonstrably worse. Effortlessly one of the elite stalker/obsession movies.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Faithless ( The Privileged of Pembroke High book 3) in Books
Oct 27, 2022
199 of 230
Kindle
Faithless ( The Privileged of Pembroke High book 3)
By Ivy Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
They’ve messed with the wrong girl.
I gave away my heart only to have it broken.
I relinquished my soul, and it was mercilessly ripped to shreds.
All that is left is my faith that somehow I’ll be able to make things right.
I’ll fight tooth and nail to restore our love and bring us back our freedom.
I’ll make sure every secret is revealed. Every hidden lie uncovered.
I won’t allow the tyranny and manipulation over our lives to continue.
The madness ends here.
I just pray it’s not too late to save us all.
Well that was fun. I found it so funny watching that woman Vivianne get what was coming to her it’s been a long time coming. Really enjoyed this book there were a few moments that got a bit repetitive but only a few little bits. It was full of Little twists too. I’m looking forward to reading Elles story now that we have finished Snows story.
Kindle
Faithless ( The Privileged of Pembroke High book 3)
By Ivy Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
They’ve messed with the wrong girl.
I gave away my heart only to have it broken.
I relinquished my soul, and it was mercilessly ripped to shreds.
All that is left is my faith that somehow I’ll be able to make things right.
I’ll fight tooth and nail to restore our love and bring us back our freedom.
I’ll make sure every secret is revealed. Every hidden lie uncovered.
I won’t allow the tyranny and manipulation over our lives to continue.
The madness ends here.
I just pray it’s not too late to save us all.
Well that was fun. I found it so funny watching that woman Vivianne get what was coming to her it’s been a long time coming. Really enjoyed this book there were a few moments that got a bit repetitive but only a few little bits. It was full of Little twists too. I’m looking forward to reading Elles story now that we have finished Snows story.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Mank (2020) in Movies
Dec 6, 2020
David Fincher has spent two decades working to adapt his father's screenplay about Herman Mankiewicz. He succeeded in a major triumph. Gary Oldman plays the alcoholic washed up screenwriter hired by New York wunderkind Orson Welles to write the first draft of the screenplay for his first film. The resulting film, Citizen Kane, would change moviemaking for generations even if the battle to get it made, released, and seen lasted two industry cycles.
Mank is a wonder to behold technically. The production design, editing, and cinematography takes you back to an earlier Hollywood era. Its use of flashback, mirroring Kane, fills in the blank as to how Mank was in this world and why he was willing to burn it. The movie even foreshadows events that would.shape the screenplay Mank is writing.
My greatest pleasure was how its relevance continues today, but without the explicit shoutouts or manipulation of events. Do you know the parable of the organ grinder's monkey? If you don't, Mank tells you, but never exposes the reason it resonates. Also, even if you have seen other works about WRH, you still learn more about him. Mank is great and will get many Oscar nominations. Amanda Seyfried gives Marion Davies the star turn she never had in life.
Mank is a wonder to behold technically. The production design, editing, and cinematography takes you back to an earlier Hollywood era. Its use of flashback, mirroring Kane, fills in the blank as to how Mank was in this world and why he was willing to burn it. The movie even foreshadows events that would.shape the screenplay Mank is writing.
My greatest pleasure was how its relevance continues today, but without the explicit shoutouts or manipulation of events. Do you know the parable of the organ grinder's monkey? If you don't, Mank tells you, but never exposes the reason it resonates. Also, even if you have seen other works about WRH, you still learn more about him. Mank is great and will get many Oscar nominations. Amanda Seyfried gives Marion Davies the star turn she never had in life.
ClareR (5572 KP) rated A Tidy Ending in Books
Oct 2, 2022
I loved A Tidy Ending! Joanna Cannon has created a really interesting character in Linda. On the surface, she’s a woman who hasn’t done much with her life - other than marry Terry and work in a charity shop. She begrudgingly visits her manipulative mother more often than she’d like to, and becomes obsessed with the woman who owned her house before she and Terry moved in.
When she tracks Rebecca (the ex-homeowner) down, Linda believes she’s found a new best friend. Rebecca wouldn’t agree with her. And so begins what looks like a story of manipulation and lies. But who is manipulating who? I mean, they’re ALL lying - that’s a given!
Linda is fascinating, her mum is unpleasant, and Terry comes across as underwhelmed by everything except his fishing. No wonder he annoys Linda so much!
There’s a mystery running alongside all of Linda’s relationships - women go missing, and Linda begins to think Terry might be involved.
That’s where I’ll leave the plot, because I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that I just loved the way that Joanna Cannon wrote about the characters in this: confidence tricksters, nosy neighbours, bossy mums, seemingly depressed husbands. A thoroughly good read!
When she tracks Rebecca (the ex-homeowner) down, Linda believes she’s found a new best friend. Rebecca wouldn’t agree with her. And so begins what looks like a story of manipulation and lies. But who is manipulating who? I mean, they’re ALL lying - that’s a given!
Linda is fascinating, her mum is unpleasant, and Terry comes across as underwhelmed by everything except his fishing. No wonder he annoys Linda so much!
There’s a mystery running alongside all of Linda’s relationships - women go missing, and Linda begins to think Terry might be involved.
That’s where I’ll leave the plot, because I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that I just loved the way that Joanna Cannon wrote about the characters in this: confidence tricksters, nosy neighbours, bossy mums, seemingly depressed husbands. A thoroughly good read!
Mini (45 KP) rated Jonathan (2018) in Movies
Jun 17, 2019 (Updated Jun 17, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Hey friends, this is a review of "Jonathan" also entitled "Duplicate" in other countries. It is a movie about D.I.D though it is referred to as 'multi-consciousness' in the movie. The movie is about the lives of two alters, Jonathan and John, brothers who share the same body. It follows their struggle to live the lives they want whilst sharing a body. As someone who has a friend with DID I thought I'd check out this film that I found on Netflix. While there are some very relatable moments in the film, it has a bittersweet ending that doesn't represent the reality of DID at all! For example, in the film, Jonathan discusses the 'removal'/death of alters. This can't happen with DID. Sure, alters can go 'dormant' which means they just don't front, but alters cannot 'die'.
For those with DID the triggers in this film are as follows: medical/hospital scenes, manipulation by a bad doctor/psychiatrist, brief mentions of sexual situations. There are also a few scenes involving self-harm, suicide attempts and urges, graphic self-removal of a brain implant/chip, gaps in memory, rapid switching, and the threat of suicide from an alter.
This film has a few good indications of DID but is sensationalised and gives the wrong impression. But hey, at least they aren't depicted as serial killers!!!
For those with DID the triggers in this film are as follows: medical/hospital scenes, manipulation by a bad doctor/psychiatrist, brief mentions of sexual situations. There are also a few scenes involving self-harm, suicide attempts and urges, graphic self-removal of a brain implant/chip, gaps in memory, rapid switching, and the threat of suicide from an alter.
This film has a few good indications of DID but is sensationalised and gives the wrong impression. But hey, at least they aren't depicted as serial killers!!!
ClareR (5572 KP) rated Making a Psychopath: My Journey into 7 Dangerous Minds in Books
Nov 8, 2020
This was such an interesting glimpse into the minds and motivations of psychopaths, and also made me realise that there is most certainly no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. I also learnt that we bandy this word ‘psychopath’ around and we don’t always use it correctly. Generally speaking, psychopaths are people who have no remorse or worries about using and abusing people. They have no feelings of guilt over their actions.
This was a fascinating look at seven very different people (six men and one woman), and looked at how they used different kinds of violence and manipulation to get what they wanted.
This also looks at rehabilitation and whether it’s actually possible - which surprised me. I had thought that there was no chance of that at all. I shouldn’t have judged though, because all people are different, and that applies to those diagnosed with psychopathy as well. Some will never be able to rehabilitate, but there are those who want to be able to live their lives out of an institution.
I’ve said this a lot, but this really WAS interesting, insightful and informative, and I very much enjoyed it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Mark Freestone, for reading along and adding clarifications to us readers, as well as answering our questions!
This was a fascinating look at seven very different people (six men and one woman), and looked at how they used different kinds of violence and manipulation to get what they wanted.
This also looks at rehabilitation and whether it’s actually possible - which surprised me. I had thought that there was no chance of that at all. I shouldn’t have judged though, because all people are different, and that applies to those diagnosed with psychopathy as well. Some will never be able to rehabilitate, but there are those who want to be able to live their lives out of an institution.
I’ve said this a lot, but this really WAS interesting, insightful and informative, and I very much enjoyed it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Mark Freestone, for reading along and adding clarifications to us readers, as well as answering our questions!
Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Monster Inside (Shadow Pact #1) by River Starr in Books
Apr 29, 2022
Aisling has been held captive for the past 10 years of her life by a vampire community she has been fed on as well as other unmentionable torment's. She manages to escape with the help from Mrak who is living inside her helping bring and end to the vampire trafficking.
This story has been well written. I did find myself getting frustrated with the secrets being kept by Mrak against Aisling she's help him as much as he's helped her, so why keep secrets!
The description of the battles are very colourful and very heated as are the intimate scenes. I found myself getting quite angry at Mrak in some points with the secrets that were being kept but after his explanations, I could understand it, Didn't like it but understood it. It almost seemed at times that it was an abusive relationship and that there were control issues and lots of manipulation and again found myself frustrated of Aisling being made to do things she had specifically asked not to be done.
I'm intrigued on what is going to happen next with the way the story fades out but cannot wait to find where the journey takes the couple. Its a series i will be following to the end.
A Fantastic read with lots of action
This story has been well written. I did find myself getting frustrated with the secrets being kept by Mrak against Aisling she's help him as much as he's helped her, so why keep secrets!
The description of the battles are very colourful and very heated as are the intimate scenes. I found myself getting quite angry at Mrak in some points with the secrets that were being kept but after his explanations, I could understand it, Didn't like it but understood it. It almost seemed at times that it was an abusive relationship and that there were control issues and lots of manipulation and again found myself frustrated of Aisling being made to do things she had specifically asked not to be done.
I'm intrigued on what is going to happen next with the way the story fades out but cannot wait to find where the journey takes the couple. Its a series i will be following to the end.
A Fantastic read with lots of action
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Final Girls in Books
May 16, 2018
Final Girls by Riley Sager is yet another title with far too much hype, much to my chagrin. I expect thrillers to have a bit more of an edge to them, but this book is more of a slow simmer. Much of the guessing is conveniently cut out by the blurb which I feel to be more of a spoiler than most reviews.
The story focuses on Quincy’s day to day life, then her struggles with Sam when she shows up to disrupt Quincy’s lifestyle in the wake of Lisa’s death. During this time period, flashbacks riddle Final Girls. This element is one I hoped to find exciting, but it only serves the purpose of helping the story drag dreadfully.
In some ways, I think Final Girls tries too hard to be something it isn’t. I’m aware many readers devoured this book and even my idol, Stephen King, sings its praises, but it simply doesn’t sate my own hunger. There’s too much left wanting and far too many things that seem to be more for the sake of convenience. I also felt there are loose ends that were never truly wrapped up – such as the manipulation of Quincy’s mind. I definitely would not categorize this as horror.
I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. My review is unbiased and written freely of my own will.
The story focuses on Quincy’s day to day life, then her struggles with Sam when she shows up to disrupt Quincy’s lifestyle in the wake of Lisa’s death. During this time period, flashbacks riddle Final Girls. This element is one I hoped to find exciting, but it only serves the purpose of helping the story drag dreadfully.
In some ways, I think Final Girls tries too hard to be something it isn’t. I’m aware many readers devoured this book and even my idol, Stephen King, sings its praises, but it simply doesn’t sate my own hunger. There’s too much left wanting and far too many things that seem to be more for the sake of convenience. I also felt there are loose ends that were never truly wrapped up – such as the manipulation of Quincy’s mind. I definitely would not categorize this as horror.
I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. My review is unbiased and written freely of my own will.
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Roll Player in Tabletop Games
Apr 16, 2018
Dice manipulation (4 more)
Many different end game bonuses
Cards change priorities
Colors of the dice matter
Variable player values
I adore this game, roll the dice then change them. Create a character.
So this game is really about efficiency. Take the rolls. Change them using your powers. Make your priorities and later maybe change them. I love the negative traights turned positive. Don’t need intelligence? Go after the foolish traight. Also are you a sociopath. Don’t be too good then. Or if you are a Hermit. Stay in the middle. I love this aspect as well. You make the dice fit your starting situation. Even your race; orc, dragon, human, elf makes a difference. So much to pay attention to. You’ll probably miss something and catch it halfway through. Laugh at yourself and figure it out. I love that it’s not over until the last die is placed. You can always tweak it. Plus. I’ve met the designer who is a nice guy. Which doesn’t surprise me. But does make me like it slightly more. I always want to celebrate great people in the world.
My last play: Dragonkin Sociopathic Ranger who is Dedicated, Devoted, Foolish, Honest, & Envious.
That even plays into some story telling aspects. Which a fun way to think about the game afterward. Tell a story about your charectures.
There’s an expansion for it. But I haven’t tried it yet.
My last play: Dragonkin Sociopathic Ranger who is Dedicated, Devoted, Foolish, Honest, & Envious.
That even plays into some story telling aspects. Which a fun way to think about the game afterward. Tell a story about your charectures.
There’s an expansion for it. But I haven’t tried it yet.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated An Anonymous Girl in Books
Dec 22, 2018
Takes 150 Pages to Get Going
Wasting a clever set-up that feels like a cross between David Fincher's The Game and “the wrong man” motif that filled Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, after strapped-for-cash twenty-something makeup artist Jessica Farris participates in a paid ethics study intended for someone else, An Anonymous Girl takes roughly 150 pages to get going.
Graduating from creepy to only mildly thrilling, predictably Jessica discovers that the study was the bait needed to lure her into a diabolical shrink’s carnival funhouse of lies and manipulation where very little is what it seems.
Needless to say, it's a disappointing return to the genre for Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen following their smash hit The Wife Between Us. And while An Anonymous Girl has the makings of a much greater psychological mystery, the authors don't invest nearly as much thought into the heroine as the book's villain, which means that the reader is usually three steps ahead of Jessica each time she gets a (fairly obvious) ticket to the clue bus.
Sticking it out due to mild curiosity as to how everything would turn out as well a desire to review An Anonymous Girl since St. Martin's Press, Bookish First, and NetGalley were kind enough to send me an arc, despite an intriguing idea, in the end, I think most readers will be tempted to put it down in favor of picking a different thriller up.
Graduating from creepy to only mildly thrilling, predictably Jessica discovers that the study was the bait needed to lure her into a diabolical shrink’s carnival funhouse of lies and manipulation where very little is what it seems.
Needless to say, it's a disappointing return to the genre for Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen following their smash hit The Wife Between Us. And while An Anonymous Girl has the makings of a much greater psychological mystery, the authors don't invest nearly as much thought into the heroine as the book's villain, which means that the reader is usually three steps ahead of Jessica each time she gets a (fairly obvious) ticket to the clue bus.
Sticking it out due to mild curiosity as to how everything would turn out as well a desire to review An Anonymous Girl since St. Martin's Press, Bookish First, and NetGalley were kind enough to send me an arc, despite an intriguing idea, in the end, I think most readers will be tempted to put it down in favor of picking a different thriller up.