Search
Search results
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Feb 18, 2018 (Updated Feb 18, 2018)
British folk-horror film is part of the mini-boom in 'British civil servant travels by seaplane to sun-obsessed Christopher Lee's remote island in search of missing girl, discovers Britt Ekland waiting for him' movies that happened in 1973-4. Devout Christian copper (Woodward) visits Summerisle (off the Scottish coast) after receiving a tip-off about a vanishing schoolgirl, is appalled by what he sees as the immorality of the islanders. The lord of the place (Lee) assures him that there's nothing to be worried about, they just have different ethical standards (they're all Pagans), but Woodward is not convinced. Is something nasty lined up for May Day?
Books have been written about the tortuous distribution endured by The Wicker Man and its producers; rumours persist that the original much longer version is buried under a motorway somewhere in England. But all the available cuts are excellent, if not superb: the film is not particularly scary per se, more a queasy examination of how society, morality and religion intersect with one another; manages to make moral relativism seem more disturbing than devil-worship, somehow. Has one of the greatest non-endings in cinema history. Great performances, banging tunes, thoughtful and playful script; a film for all seasons, but goes especially well with a barbecue.
Books have been written about the tortuous distribution endured by The Wicker Man and its producers; rumours persist that the original much longer version is buried under a motorway somewhere in England. But all the available cuts are excellent, if not superb: the film is not particularly scary per se, more a queasy examination of how society, morality and religion intersect with one another; manages to make moral relativism seem more disturbing than devil-worship, somehow. Has one of the greatest non-endings in cinema history. Great performances, banging tunes, thoughtful and playful script; a film for all seasons, but goes especially well with a barbecue.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Luminous Republic in Books
Jan 21, 2024
15 of 220
Book
A Luminous Rebublic
By Andres Barba
⭐️⭐️⭐️
One day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Crist�bal. Aged between nine and thirteen, the children are covered in dirt and hungry. They beg food, commit small acts of vandalism, play games that don't seem to have any rules, and communicate with each other in a strange language. No one knows where they come from or where they disappear to each night. And then, they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. Thus begins a fearsome and thrilling modern morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civilised and the wild, and drags our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.
This is a strange little story of 32 children who mystery turn up in a subtropical town in called San Cristobel. These children have come from nowhere and they disappear just as quickly. These children cause mayhem round the town. Things take a turn when In a supermarket raid people end up dead and then the “normal” children start to disappear too. I’m not sure still how I actually feel after finishing it very odd.
Book
A Luminous Rebublic
By Andres Barba
⭐️⭐️⭐️
One day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Crist�bal. Aged between nine and thirteen, the children are covered in dirt and hungry. They beg food, commit small acts of vandalism, play games that don't seem to have any rules, and communicate with each other in a strange language. No one knows where they come from or where they disappear to each night. And then, they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. Thus begins a fearsome and thrilling modern morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civilised and the wild, and drags our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.
This is a strange little story of 32 children who mystery turn up in a subtropical town in called San Cristobel. These children have come from nowhere and they disappear just as quickly. These children cause mayhem round the town. Things take a turn when In a supermarket raid people end up dead and then the “normal” children start to disappear too. I’m not sure still how I actually feel after finishing it very odd.
Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated All That Remains in Books
Jun 30, 2017
A wonderful zombie thriller
All That Remains is a dystopian horror following Kyle, Tim and Sara 13 years after the apocalypse. After finding young girl Kaylee, they need to get to Oak Ridge to protect themselves and maybe save the world.
There's normal reanimated human zombies, but also other monster like creatures that roam the earth. All That Remains is able to describe the monsters, make them horrifying, yet not interrupt the plotline to do so. In previous books I've been pulled out of a tense moment because there's too much description, but Barrera is able to bypass that problem.
There's varying themes of hope and morality within the book. All four of our characters experience hope, and lose hope throughout the book. Whether it's hope to find more people, hope that cities are inhabitable or just hope for survival. Because of this focus, I felt attached to the characters. Even when they were being pessimistic, they still didn't give up.
Morality is a fine line in this new world. You must kill to survive at times, but is it the right thing to do? If you kill a bad person does it make you just as bad? One of the lines mentioned that right is nothing but a direction anymore which I think is relevant to the book as a whole.
As we get to see the point of views of both Sara and Kyle you do feel attached to them. The characters are extremely likable, even when they're not being the best they can be. They don't consciously make bad decisions which puts them in danger, which makes me route for them more. Although problems do arise due to accidents or it's out of their control.
Sara in particular is a great character. She shows both mental and physical strength by not only surviving 13 years but also with her mental fight with 'the walking cancer'. The walking cancer is a monster that no one has ever seen before. It's a new, worse monster in the world, and the main bulk of the book is spent running and hiding from it. Due to Sara being a scanner she can sense and also connect/talk with the monster.
The plague-like spread of zombies and natural disasters mirrors that Kyle is ill throughout the book. It's implied that it's a cancerous tumor, most likely in the brain due to headaches and blackouts. As the situation for the group gets worse, the illness gets worse. I think Barrera was definitely trying to show the similarities. There's also a underlying message of having hope throughout which I think is an important takeaway.
There's normal reanimated human zombies, but also other monster like creatures that roam the earth. All That Remains is able to describe the monsters, make them horrifying, yet not interrupt the plotline to do so. In previous books I've been pulled out of a tense moment because there's too much description, but Barrera is able to bypass that problem.
There's varying themes of hope and morality within the book. All four of our characters experience hope, and lose hope throughout the book. Whether it's hope to find more people, hope that cities are inhabitable or just hope for survival. Because of this focus, I felt attached to the characters. Even when they were being pessimistic, they still didn't give up.
Morality is a fine line in this new world. You must kill to survive at times, but is it the right thing to do? If you kill a bad person does it make you just as bad? One of the lines mentioned that right is nothing but a direction anymore which I think is relevant to the book as a whole.
As we get to see the point of views of both Sara and Kyle you do feel attached to them. The characters are extremely likable, even when they're not being the best they can be. They don't consciously make bad decisions which puts them in danger, which makes me route for them more. Although problems do arise due to accidents or it's out of their control.
Sara in particular is a great character. She shows both mental and physical strength by not only surviving 13 years but also with her mental fight with 'the walking cancer'. The walking cancer is a monster that no one has ever seen before. It's a new, worse monster in the world, and the main bulk of the book is spent running and hiding from it. Due to Sara being a scanner she can sense and also connect/talk with the monster.
The plague-like spread of zombies and natural disasters mirrors that Kyle is ill throughout the book. It's implied that it's a cancerous tumor, most likely in the brain due to headaches and blackouts. As the situation for the group gets worse, the illness gets worse. I think Barrera was definitely trying to show the similarities. There's also a underlying message of having hope throughout which I think is an important takeaway.
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 3, 2018
[a:Cinda Williams Chima|125308|Cinda Williams Chima|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291420167p2/125308.jpg] was my biggest takeaway from [b:The Way of the Wizard|8121665|The Way of the Wizard|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297656860s/8121665.jpg|12917149]. I absolutely adored the short story of how Linda and Hastings met, and knew that I had to read the actual series.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
Elvis Fox (24 KP) rated Young Adult (2011) in Movies
May 1, 2019
Charlize Theron (2 more)
Patton Oswalt
Elizabeth Reaser
Adulting Not Suited For Everyone
First off, in order to enjoy this deliciously vapid slice of life film I highly recommend suspending your moral compass to get a truly enjoyable viewing. Charlize Theron is absolutely PERFECT as ghost writer Mavis Gary, who for the most part, hasn't matured beyond her glory days as a popular high school cheerleader and displays questionable morality traits as the film progresses. She's tall, blonde, and beautiful and as such was destined to go on to do amazing things in life...until life got in the way. Enjoying moderate success as a ghost writer of a once popular young adult series, Mavis's only real source of income is dwindling, as the series is coming to an end as she struggles to write a satisfactory ending which mirrors what's happening in her own personal life. As luck would have it, an old high school flame of Mavis's sends her an e-vite to a celebration for the birth of his first child and the events that unfold is anything short of cringe worthy, rage, and ultimately dissapointment. I highly recommend this quant little film that I feel doesn't get nearly as much attention and praise as it deserves, it makes for one heck of a Friday night in!
Holly (1 KP) rated Pestilence in Books
Jul 17, 2018
Grey morality (2 more)
Narrative voice
Provoked tears
The cover makes it seem like a dime a dozen romance (1 more)
Never addressed possible Stockholm syndrome
Unexpected
I downloaded this book to my kindle thinking it would be a quick mindless read for my daily commute.
It was not.
This is as a book that moved me to tears on said bus, hoping no one would see me and think I was crazy.
The author has created a world in which you find yourself torn between hating and caring for a mass murderer. She uses the idea of the Four Horseman to highlight both the redeemable and the irredeemable facets of humanity. The writing was very enjoyable, and overall this was a great read possibly because I was expecting a trashy romance and instead got death and disease.
There is still romance in the plot, but I’m on the fence about how about it. If you have an issue with overly possessive men who have no boundaries or idea of how much the human body can take, then I wouldn’t recommend it. I also feel as thoug Stockholm night play a lot in the heroines eventual love of Pestilence m, but it was never addressed or even hinted at.
If your looking for a slow burn romance, without the fluff, full of angst and darkness this is definitely worth a go.
It was not.
This is as a book that moved me to tears on said bus, hoping no one would see me and think I was crazy.
The author has created a world in which you find yourself torn between hating and caring for a mass murderer. She uses the idea of the Four Horseman to highlight both the redeemable and the irredeemable facets of humanity. The writing was very enjoyable, and overall this was a great read possibly because I was expecting a trashy romance and instead got death and disease.
There is still romance in the plot, but I’m on the fence about how about it. If you have an issue with overly possessive men who have no boundaries or idea of how much the human body can take, then I wouldn’t recommend it. I also feel as thoug Stockholm night play a lot in the heroines eventual love of Pestilence m, but it was never addressed or even hinted at.
If your looking for a slow burn romance, without the fluff, full of angst and darkness this is definitely worth a go.
A morality tale with a glow in the dark, pink elephant....
An alcoholic, homeless man (Schoch), wakes up to see a small pink, glow in the dark elephant in his sleeping place. He puts it down to the drink, and goes back to sleep. The thing is, it's still there when he wakes up. Schoch later discovers that the small pink elephant has been genetically engineered solely to make money, and those who created it couldn't care less about it's welfare. These people want their elephant back and will do anything to get it.
This is a story about the ethical treatment of animals (and of the way that the homeless are treated and regarded), friendship, and what people will do to save the vulnerable.
I really liked all of the characters in this book: Schocha homeless man who takes on the responsibility of caring for the elephant; Kuang the elephant trainer and 'oozie' (I've never heard of this term before), the vet who gives up her house and job to care for the elephant, Roux the immoral geneticist (now he was a rather amusing character at times!).
I liked the style of this - I think that may be partly from the translation process (it was originally written in German). It was a fast, easy and very entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
This is a story about the ethical treatment of animals (and of the way that the homeless are treated and regarded), friendship, and what people will do to save the vulnerable.
I really liked all of the characters in this book: Schocha homeless man who takes on the responsibility of caring for the elephant; Kuang the elephant trainer and 'oozie' (I've never heard of this term before), the vet who gives up her house and job to care for the elephant, Roux the immoral geneticist (now he was a rather amusing character at times!).
I liked the style of this - I think that may be partly from the translation process (it was originally written in German). It was a fast, easy and very entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Otway93 (567 KP) rated Doctor Who in TV
Oct 28, 2019
Stories (3 more)
Educational
Casting
Imagination
Some Casting Choices (1 more)
Can rely too much on nostalgia
All round fun, from the newest to the oldest bubblewrap monsters!
Doctor Who will always be my favourite show of all time, but it has had its ups and downs, just like every show.
The original run of Doctor Who from 1963-1989 was 95% brilliant, an almost constant flow of imagination from some incredibly talents writers. From the more you educational episodes of the first two series to the somewhat difficult days of the late 80s, fun was always there, but at the same time teaching morality and kindness. The show also created some of the most notorious villains in science fiction history, with such enemies as the Daleks, the Cybermen and not forgetting one of the greatest nemesis of all time, The Master! The older stories, family fun for all!
Then in 2005 after a 16 year hiatus it returned to a new audience and its original audience. With shorter stories and fewer episodes, the show continues to attract fans worldwide and keep (most of) the original fans happy.
The only real downsides I can think of are some poor writing in Season 22 and 24 of the original run, and 8 and 11 of the new run, and a few poor casting choices, mainly being Bonnie Langford in the original run, and Tosin Cole in the most recent series, but plenty of other perfect casting choices to make up for it!
The original run of Doctor Who from 1963-1989 was 95% brilliant, an almost constant flow of imagination from some incredibly talents writers. From the more you educational episodes of the first two series to the somewhat difficult days of the late 80s, fun was always there, but at the same time teaching morality and kindness. The show also created some of the most notorious villains in science fiction history, with such enemies as the Daleks, the Cybermen and not forgetting one of the greatest nemesis of all time, The Master! The older stories, family fun for all!
Then in 2005 after a 16 year hiatus it returned to a new audience and its original audience. With shorter stories and fewer episodes, the show continues to attract fans worldwide and keep (most of) the original fans happy.
The only real downsides I can think of are some poor writing in Season 22 and 24 of the original run, and 8 and 11 of the new run, and a few poor casting choices, mainly being Bonnie Langford in the original run, and Tosin Cole in the most recent series, but plenty of other perfect casting choices to make up for it!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pinocchio (1940) in Movies
Dec 5, 2019
An Actor's Life For Me
Pinocchio- was the second animated feature film produced by Disney, made after the first animated success Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
The Plot- When the woodworker Geppetto (Christian Rub) sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), could become a real boy. In the night, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) grants Geppetto's wish and asks Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to serve as the wooden boy's conscience. But the naive and trusting Pinocchio falls into the clutches of the wicked Honest John (Walter Catlett), who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island.
Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and conventional values. Although it became the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award – winning two for Best Music, Original Score and for Best Music, Original Song for "When You Wish Upon a Star" – it was initially a box office disaster, due to World War II. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue, and is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, with a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
All the songs are great and fanstastic, classics and you remember till this day. When You Wish Upon a Star, Little Wooden Head, Give A Little Whistle, Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee and I've Got No Strings. All classics and all excellent.
A must watch film.
The Plot- When the woodworker Geppetto (Christian Rub) sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), could become a real boy. In the night, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) grants Geppetto's wish and asks Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to serve as the wooden boy's conscience. But the naive and trusting Pinocchio falls into the clutches of the wicked Honest John (Walter Catlett), who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island.
Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and conventional values. Although it became the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award – winning two for Best Music, Original Score and for Best Music, Original Song for "When You Wish Upon a Star" – it was initially a box office disaster, due to World War II. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue, and is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, with a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
All the songs are great and fanstastic, classics and you remember till this day. When You Wish Upon a Star, Little Wooden Head, Give A Little Whistle, Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee and I've Got No Strings. All classics and all excellent.
A must watch film.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated M (Movie) (1931) in Movies
Jan 28, 2021
The maestro of dark shadows, Fritz Lang already had 14 feature films under his belt by 1931, including the much loved and much borrowed from Metropolis in 1927. It is said that he was such a slave driver with cast and crew alike that he had very few friends and was detested as a man. His work spoke for itself, however, and was always miles ahead of anything happening at the same time in Hollywood. Take the dark, sinister and serious M as an example. It tackles the subject of child abduction and murder, homelessness, crime in general and the punishment of a mob – subjects American cinema would never have touched in 1931, let alone done with such an exquisite non- melodramatic feel.
Peter Lorre as the killer compelled by his own weakness and madness gives an unfeasably nuanced performance for the era also. He is mesmerically creepy and unforgettable. Images and motifs (such as the whistle that indicates the murderer is lurking) abound, creating a landscape of pure mood and disease. As a morality tale it touches on issues of vigilantism and true justice that still has some relevance today. It also works as an entertaining thriller, and there wasn’t a minute I felt bored or distracted. The only jarring element are the scenes where Lang cuts the sound entirely to create tension and focus – they feel like technical mistakes, not deliberate choices. Otherwise, I could not have been more impressed and pleasantly surprised by this Euro classic for all time. If I were making a list of the best films ever made that disregarded the limitations of the age, then M would definitely make the cut.
Peter Lorre as the killer compelled by his own weakness and madness gives an unfeasably nuanced performance for the era also. He is mesmerically creepy and unforgettable. Images and motifs (such as the whistle that indicates the murderer is lurking) abound, creating a landscape of pure mood and disease. As a morality tale it touches on issues of vigilantism and true justice that still has some relevance today. It also works as an entertaining thriller, and there wasn’t a minute I felt bored or distracted. The only jarring element are the scenes where Lang cuts the sound entirely to create tension and focus – they feel like technical mistakes, not deliberate choices. Otherwise, I could not have been more impressed and pleasantly surprised by this Euro classic for all time. If I were making a list of the best films ever made that disregarded the limitations of the age, then M would definitely make the cut.
Andy K (10821 KP) Feb 18, 2018