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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Latter Days (2004) in Movies
Jun 20, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
I saw this movie back when it was released fourteen years ago, when I was still young and had faith in things. I picked it up again to see if it held up, and you know? It's not bad. Usually romantic comedies don't do much for me, gay or straight, but I have a thing for Mormons--what can I say?
So Christian is a gay party boy livin' it up in LA, but ultimately lacking in purpose and drive. Aaron is a Mormon missionary from Iowa, who experiences culture shock and desire for the first time, because of course they become neighbors and hijinks ensue. Fun fact! This movie also stars Joseph Gorgon-Levitt as a total butt, which is quite a contrast to his role in Mysterious Skin, another gay-themed movie which came out in the same year.
The acting is actually not as horrible as you would think from the production value/budget, and the story is typical romantic comedy fare. Still, I think it would strike a chord with anyone who is queer and was brought up in a religious household. It doesn't shy away from how agonizing it can be to be betrayed by family, especially fourteen years ago. And you know, some of the dialogue is actually really poignant. If you can get over the vaguely "afterschool special" feeling of this movie, it's definitely worth a watch.
(It has a happy ending!)
So Christian is a gay party boy livin' it up in LA, but ultimately lacking in purpose and drive. Aaron is a Mormon missionary from Iowa, who experiences culture shock and desire for the first time, because of course they become neighbors and hijinks ensue. Fun fact! This movie also stars Joseph Gorgon-Levitt as a total butt, which is quite a contrast to his role in Mysterious Skin, another gay-themed movie which came out in the same year.
The acting is actually not as horrible as you would think from the production value/budget, and the story is typical romantic comedy fare. Still, I think it would strike a chord with anyone who is queer and was brought up in a religious household. It doesn't shy away from how agonizing it can be to be betrayed by family, especially fourteen years ago. And you know, some of the dialogue is actually really poignant. If you can get over the vaguely "afterschool special" feeling of this movie, it's definitely worth a watch.
(It has a happy ending!)
A huge disappointment
I've always really enjoyed Coelho's books, and I feel I come away having learnt something every time. Not so much this time. There are lessons to be learnt: don't judge a book by it's cover, always be open to new chances to learn, follow your heart and be true to yourself.
The delivery this time, to me, seemed rushed, not always well explained and just not very interesting. I feel bad saying this. I've read a lot of his other books, but I just didn't enjoy this one.
I liked the sentiment, just not the delivery. He glosses quickly over a run in/ torture session with the police, which has clearly left it's mark on him in a later episode. He's cured pretty quickly of this anxiety-type reaction though. He seems to have no purpose to what he's doing (which is fair enough, he's young, he's exploring, and that seems to be the whole idea behind the hippie movement) until he hits Turkey however, and then he quickly decides to stay - and then it's the end of the book. So, will there be a follow up? Is this one of those 'cliff hanger' type endings?
I wish I had enjoyed this more, but there are just some books that we can't enjoy I suppose. I just really don't like it when it happens with one of my 'go to' authors.
The delivery this time, to me, seemed rushed, not always well explained and just not very interesting. I feel bad saying this. I've read a lot of his other books, but I just didn't enjoy this one.
I liked the sentiment, just not the delivery. He glosses quickly over a run in/ torture session with the police, which has clearly left it's mark on him in a later episode. He's cured pretty quickly of this anxiety-type reaction though. He seems to have no purpose to what he's doing (which is fair enough, he's young, he's exploring, and that seems to be the whole idea behind the hippie movement) until he hits Turkey however, and then he quickly decides to stay - and then it's the end of the book. So, will there be a follow up? Is this one of those 'cliff hanger' type endings?
I wish I had enjoyed this more, but there are just some books that we can't enjoy I suppose. I just really don't like it when it happens with one of my 'go to' authors.
Jo (37 KP) rated Honestly Ben in Books
Oct 6, 2018
I really liked Ben in Openly Straight, but being inside his head, here, kinda ruined him for me. He was just all over the damn place - whiny and tightly wound and infuriatingly obsessed with what other people think of him - and, like, what the hell happened to the quietly confident guy that Rafe and I grew attached to the previous semester? The dude who had not one flying fuck to give about labels or peer opinion??? I couldn't align these two sides of him up at all.
Also, Rafe didn't get nearly enough page space, and because of that, my belief in their intense connection took something of a nosedive.
Way too much attention was given to Ben's dipshit teammates and to Hannah...
Now, I actually quite liked Hannah. But I did not like the fact her only purpose to the plot was as an obstacle between Ben and Rafe. She opened herself up to Ben, let him in at a particularly vulnerable and difficult point of her life, and the way he used and hurt her (however unintentionally it may have been) for the sake of sorting his own head out totally peed me off!
There's a lot of D-Rep here, which was great (although, I didn't feel like much of it was particularly well handled).
In all honesty, it was entirely Toby and Albie who saved this book for me. Love those oddballs!
Also, Rafe didn't get nearly enough page space, and because of that, my belief in their intense connection took something of a nosedive.
Way too much attention was given to Ben's dipshit teammates and to Hannah...
Now, I actually quite liked Hannah. But I did not like the fact her only purpose to the plot was as an obstacle between Ben and Rafe. She opened herself up to Ben, let him in at a particularly vulnerable and difficult point of her life, and the way he used and hurt her (however unintentionally it may have been) for the sake of sorting his own head out totally peed me off!
There's a lot of D-Rep here, which was great (although, I didn't feel like much of it was particularly well handled).
In all honesty, it was entirely Toby and Albie who saved this book for me. Love those oddballs!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Tower Of Dawn in Books
Dec 11, 2019
Everything
Contains spoilers, click to show
Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.
After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need—and will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries shadows from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realize they could engulf them both.
I have been following this series for almost 2 years now and I absolutely love it! Sarah J. Maas has created this amazing world with Amazing exciting characters who's lives are so entwined it makes for brilliant reading. Book 6 has us following Chaol and Nesryn on the journey to Antica to convince Khagan to join Aelin in the battle that's brewing, also to heal Chaol. They both find out a lot about themselves on this journey leading them away from each others arms to another. Sexual tension runs high in this book but as a YA it's so tastefully handled! I'm so looking forward to the whole gang reunion especially yrene finding the mystery woman is actually the new queen!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need—and will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries shadows from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realize they could engulf them both.
I have been following this series for almost 2 years now and I absolutely love it! Sarah J. Maas has created this amazing world with Amazing exciting characters who's lives are so entwined it makes for brilliant reading. Book 6 has us following Chaol and Nesryn on the journey to Antica to convince Khagan to join Aelin in the battle that's brewing, also to heal Chaol. They both find out a lot about themselves on this journey leading them away from each others arms to another. Sexual tension runs high in this book but as a YA it's so tastefully handled! I'm so looking forward to the whole gang reunion especially yrene finding the mystery woman is actually the new queen!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Strangers on a Train (1951) in Movies
Mar 30, 2020
i didn't think hitchcock could get weirder.
This movie left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt like I needed to take a shower to get a film off my skin - like the one you get when you've been outside for too long. It was just weird. And I really thought Hitchcock couldn't get any weirder. Bruno as a character reminded me of young Charly from "Shadow of a Doubt." Just how she had this weird infatuation for her uncle, I get that same feeling about Bruno. It's clear within the first 20 minutes of the film how it's going to play out, but the ending still somehow surprises you. I guess that's a good thing. Anyways, back to Bruno. He hooks onto Guy and really sinks his claws in. The way Bruno stalks him, calls him at various locations, "runs into him" when he's out with Anne or when he's with Anne's family during lunch (or wherever they were). He just gave me a creepy feeling. He's obviously delusional but I don't think Hitchcock played it off that well. I don't know if that was on purpose or not.
By now, I think most people know how Hitchcock makes me feel (the answer is not good, I don't like most of his work that I've seen thus far), and this film did not help his case. We still have a few to go so we'll see how those play out.
By now, I think most people know how Hitchcock makes me feel (the answer is not good, I don't like most of his work that I've seen thus far), and this film did not help his case. We still have a few to go so we'll see how those play out.
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