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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Searching (2018) in Movies
Jun 2, 2019
Unexpectedly good
I've read a lot of very good reviews about this film, and I was glad that it has finally been released on Sky, especially as it turned out to be really rather good!
What I loved most about this film was the way in which it tells it's story. This isnt the first time a film has been told entirely through what you see on a computer screen, however this is definitely the first time it has ever been done to such a high standard. It's a brilliant way to tell a story and was a very good and subtle mechanism to get across certain plot points. It makes for such an engaging and intriguing film and really makes you wonder about social media and technology in general. John Cho has to hold this film virtually on his own for the most part, and he does a marvellous job. My only criticism is the ending as it was a bit predictable and felt a little disappointing after such a tense and exciting build up during the rest of the film. Such a shame too that this film has mostly gone under the radar when released originally, as it deserves a lot more attention!
What I loved most about this film was the way in which it tells it's story. This isnt the first time a film has been told entirely through what you see on a computer screen, however this is definitely the first time it has ever been done to such a high standard. It's a brilliant way to tell a story and was a very good and subtle mechanism to get across certain plot points. It makes for such an engaging and intriguing film and really makes you wonder about social media and technology in general. John Cho has to hold this film virtually on his own for the most part, and he does a marvellous job. My only criticism is the ending as it was a bit predictable and felt a little disappointing after such a tense and exciting build up during the rest of the film. Such a shame too that this film has mostly gone under the radar when released originally, as it deserves a lot more attention!
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019
Hilariously Self-Aware
Zombie-comedies are the only kind of zombie movies I enjoy, and this was no exception.
Bill Murray (who was previously in Zombieland), and Adam Driver are the main characters, as cops in a small town (maybe in NY?), and their chemistry is deadpan and hilarious. Driver mentions multiple times throughout the film that 'This is going to end badly', finally Murray's character asks him why he keeps saying that. Driver's character responds that he read the entire script. Murray proceeds to call Jim Jarmusch an a-hole, since he didn't get the whole script. I about died of laughter over that.
Tilda Swinton's character is completely whack-a-doo, and cuts off zombies' heads with ease with a samurai sword. Because, as everyone knows, kill the head.
The entire movie is absurdist, and the humor might not be for everyone. It's gotten really bad reviews from a lot of critics, so I may be in the minority. Chloë Sevigny's character was the only one that completely annoyed me.
It's ultimately an homage to zombie films and, of course, an allegory of modern times, with people being absorbed in their mobile phones, unaware of the real world around them.
Bill Murray (who was previously in Zombieland), and Adam Driver are the main characters, as cops in a small town (maybe in NY?), and their chemistry is deadpan and hilarious. Driver mentions multiple times throughout the film that 'This is going to end badly', finally Murray's character asks him why he keeps saying that. Driver's character responds that he read the entire script. Murray proceeds to call Jim Jarmusch an a-hole, since he didn't get the whole script. I about died of laughter over that.
Tilda Swinton's character is completely whack-a-doo, and cuts off zombies' heads with ease with a samurai sword. Because, as everyone knows, kill the head.
The entire movie is absurdist, and the humor might not be for everyone. It's gotten really bad reviews from a lot of critics, so I may be in the minority. Chloë Sevigny's character was the only one that completely annoyed me.
It's ultimately an homage to zombie films and, of course, an allegory of modern times, with people being absorbed in their mobile phones, unaware of the real world around them.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Red Sparrow (2018) in Movies
Mar 21, 2018
Quite a good adaptation
I've read a lot of negative reviews of this film, so i was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be quite good.
As an adaptation of the book, it sticks fairly faithfully to the original plot although choose to condense a few plot points to fit it into an already overly long running time. The ending for me was the biggest and best surprise, as it differs from the book and I thought actually made for a much better ending. They also managed to turn a very slow burning plot into something still very intriguing.
Jennifer Lawrence does okay, although her accent seems patchy at times and her fake hair is a little irritating. Joel Edgerton sadly isn't given much to go on as his character is very underdeveloped, however Jeremy Irons does well as per usual.
The main problem is that this is taken from a very detailed book which sadly can't be included completely in the film. This ended up with a few matters not being explained or elaborated on properly and it felt a like it was missing something. Not too bad for readers of the book like me, but my other half was left a tad confused!
As an adaptation of the book, it sticks fairly faithfully to the original plot although choose to condense a few plot points to fit it into an already overly long running time. The ending for me was the biggest and best surprise, as it differs from the book and I thought actually made for a much better ending. They also managed to turn a very slow burning plot into something still very intriguing.
Jennifer Lawrence does okay, although her accent seems patchy at times and her fake hair is a little irritating. Joel Edgerton sadly isn't given much to go on as his character is very underdeveloped, however Jeremy Irons does well as per usual.
The main problem is that this is taken from a very detailed book which sadly can't be included completely in the film. This ended up with a few matters not being explained or elaborated on properly and it felt a like it was missing something. Not too bad for readers of the book like me, but my other half was left a tad confused!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Sarah in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/sarah-by-jt-leroy
Wow I don't know what to say really.
I think that most people rating this book have judged it based on the author's hoax at claiming this was a true story but if you ignore all that mess, what you find here is a really weird, heart breaking and hilarious novel. I think people need to start looking at this as a stand-alone novel and push the whole scandal to the side to see how brilliant this book actually is.
I wasn't sure why I decided to request this from Netgalley because it's the sort of book I'd normally steer clear of, but I'm glad I left my comfort zone to read this, because it was worth it.
Sarah will take you through every single emotion you can possibly think of, from love to terror to hope and you'll find yourself a bit lost once it's all over. I have another JT LeRoy book to start next, I'm hoping I like it just as much as this.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Wow I don't know what to say really.
I think that most people rating this book have judged it based on the author's hoax at claiming this was a true story but if you ignore all that mess, what you find here is a really weird, heart breaking and hilarious novel. I think people need to start looking at this as a stand-alone novel and push the whole scandal to the side to see how brilliant this book actually is.
I wasn't sure why I decided to request this from Netgalley because it's the sort of book I'd normally steer clear of, but I'm glad I left my comfort zone to read this, because it was worth it.
Sarah will take you through every single emotion you can possibly think of, from love to terror to hope and you'll find yourself a bit lost once it's all over. I have another JT LeRoy book to start next, I'm hoping I like it just as much as this.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Astonishing Color of After in Books
Mar 29, 2018
Evocative descriptions (1 more)
Good characters
Just WOW. The Astonishing Color of After is about a teenage girl, an artist, dealing with her mother's depression and ensuing suicide. Part of what makes the book so fascinating is Leigh's constant description of colors. She uses color as shorthand for emotions - her grandmother might have a vermilion expression on her face, or she might be feeling very orange while staring at her mother's coffin at the funeral. Between colors-as-feelings and her insomnia-induced hallucinations (or magic - the book is deliberately, I think, noncommittal on whether some things only happen in her head or not) the entire book feels a little surrealistic. But grief and mourning DO feel surrealistic. The book is amazingly evocative and emotional and I absolutely adore it. This, along with City of Brass and Children of Blood and Bone, are definitely on my Best of 2018 list.
As an added bonus, the author is the American child of Taiwanese immigrants herself. So all the ghost traditions and folklore from Leigh's journey to Taiwan are from her ancestry as well.
This book was gorgeous. It may need a trigger warning for depression and suicide. If you can handle those themes, read it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
As an added bonus, the author is the American child of Taiwanese immigrants herself. So all the ghost traditions and folklore from Leigh's journey to Taiwan are from her ancestry as well.
This book was gorgeous. It may need a trigger warning for depression and suicide. If you can handle those themes, read it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Books
Jul 10, 2018
Okay, I didn't hate this book as much as I thought I would but that doesn't mean much. As anyone that follows my reviews will notice, I do not read mysteries. When I do read a mystery it is for book club and inevitably I find it dull. This book was no different. I would give this book a 2.5 star rating so I rounded up to 3.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency made me reminiscent of Agatha Christie & Mary Higgins Clark. So if you enjoy those authors, I'm sure that you would enjoy this author. There was mystery but no suspense so it seemed to drag on for me. I borrowed this book from the library but after reading 5 pages into the book, I had to switch to the audiobook so that I could force myself to read the rest of the book.
Not going to lie, this reminded me a lot of Winnie the Pooh. If you think about it, Winnie the Pooh was always looking to solve a mystery and each chapter or episode/15 minute segment was a new mystery. This is very similar to this book.
All in all, I will not continue on in this series.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency made me reminiscent of Agatha Christie & Mary Higgins Clark. So if you enjoy those authors, I'm sure that you would enjoy this author. There was mystery but no suspense so it seemed to drag on for me. I borrowed this book from the library but after reading 5 pages into the book, I had to switch to the audiobook so that I could force myself to read the rest of the book.
Not going to lie, this reminded me a lot of Winnie the Pooh. If you think about it, Winnie the Pooh was always looking to solve a mystery and each chapter or episode/15 minute segment was a new mystery. This is very similar to this book.
All in all, I will not continue on in this series.
Loz Hughes (80 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Jul 10, 2018
Loved it!
Initially went to see this just to see Hugh Jackman in a less serious role (my previous experiences were Australia and the Marvels), and was utterly blown away by his performance.
The opening song was great and gave me chills, the whole film is upbeat, classy, modern and catchy. I rarely enjoy musicals but straight after seeing this one I bought the soundtrack it was that good. Hugh Jackman was great as PT Barnum and you really get a sense of his struggle for recognition and success and his drive to prove his worth to the world.
I have read a few reviews that describe this as too modern, and whilst I see what people are saying, I believe this appeals to a whole, new younger generation that need to be brought on board before the conventional musicals die out. Yes it is modern, however not unbearably so and the songs charted for weeks afterwards so public opinion suggests they are popular and I dont believe they are too modern for the storyline. I thought it was directed and choreographed incredibly well and would happily watch it repeatedly.
I may be biased however as I love most film that show achievement of lifetime dreams.
The opening song was great and gave me chills, the whole film is upbeat, classy, modern and catchy. I rarely enjoy musicals but straight after seeing this one I bought the soundtrack it was that good. Hugh Jackman was great as PT Barnum and you really get a sense of his struggle for recognition and success and his drive to prove his worth to the world.
I have read a few reviews that describe this as too modern, and whilst I see what people are saying, I believe this appeals to a whole, new younger generation that need to be brought on board before the conventional musicals die out. Yes it is modern, however not unbearably so and the songs charted for weeks afterwards so public opinion suggests they are popular and I dont believe they are too modern for the storyline. I thought it was directed and choreographed incredibly well and would happily watch it repeatedly.
I may be biased however as I love most film that show achievement of lifetime dreams.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2018
Heavy sci-fi greatness!
Let me start by saying I love movies love 2001: A Space Odyssey, Memento, Under the Skin, even The Holy Mountain or The Fountain. In other words, movies that are nonlinear, vague, ambiguous or maybe lack a large amount of point.
That being said, based on reviews and some I had read I had kind of expected this to be a crossbreed of The Mist and Aliens and it was kind of that, but so much more.
I love "heavy" sci-fi like Solaris, 2001, Interstellar, movies that make you think and just aren't about explosions and CGI. This movie does have exceptional visuals and the music score is amazing, but the story and ideas here are very compelling and not something you see in most movies made nowadays.
I am not putting down those who disliked the film, I love a great movie debate and respect others' opinions. I just thought this movie is exceptionally unique and striking both visually and emotionally.
I was really invested in the story and couldn't wait to see how it turned out.
If you love movies that are out there, give this one a shot.
That being said, based on reviews and some I had read I had kind of expected this to be a crossbreed of The Mist and Aliens and it was kind of that, but so much more.
I love "heavy" sci-fi like Solaris, 2001, Interstellar, movies that make you think and just aren't about explosions and CGI. This movie does have exceptional visuals and the music score is amazing, but the story and ideas here are very compelling and not something you see in most movies made nowadays.
I am not putting down those who disliked the film, I love a great movie debate and respect others' opinions. I just thought this movie is exceptionally unique and striking both visually and emotionally.
I was really invested in the story and couldn't wait to see how it turned out.
If you love movies that are out there, give this one a shot.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Liar's Girl in Books
Aug 12, 2018
A slow burner
Not having read anything by this author before, I didn't know what to expect but the blurb intrigued me so I gave it a punt via Jellybooks and, to be honest, I'm glad I did as this is probably a book that would have passed me by.
I'm not going to go into the plot as this is covered in the blurb and, probably, other reviews but I will say that the story is a slow burner building in intensity as it moves on so that it becomes a pretty good thrilling read that kept me engaged until the end ... you just have to be prepared to invest a little time in the beginning to get there.
The characters are well developed and believable; the writing style I liked very much with the majority of the chapters being either from "Alison ... now" and "Alison ... then" with a few being from the killers perspective and it all comes together at the end in a nice little twist.
Overall, a pretty good read and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a book that doesn't smack you in the face straight away but gently pokes you in the same place every time ... it has the same effect but takes longer to get there.
I'm not going to go into the plot as this is covered in the blurb and, probably, other reviews but I will say that the story is a slow burner building in intensity as it moves on so that it becomes a pretty good thrilling read that kept me engaged until the end ... you just have to be prepared to invest a little time in the beginning to get there.
The characters are well developed and believable; the writing style I liked very much with the majority of the chapters being either from "Alison ... now" and "Alison ... then" with a few being from the killers perspective and it all comes together at the end in a nice little twist.
Overall, a pretty good read and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a book that doesn't smack you in the face straight away but gently pokes you in the same place every time ... it has the same effect but takes longer to get there.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Doorkeepers in Books
Oct 20, 2019
Sadly, didn't hold my interest
I am a fan of Mr Masterton's books and have been for many, many years and I have always found his books gripping but, alas, this book just didn't do it for me at all and I am quite upset about that!
The premise of the book is interesting and the action starts almost immediately and there are plenty of moments that make you hold your breath or make you feel squeamish but, for some reason, I quickly lost interest. This may have been because I found it hard to get attached to the characters and I wasn't really that bothered what happened to them or maybe it's because the mystery element of what was behind the door was revealed early on ... I don't know but it just didn't grab me like his other books have done and this makes me feel quite sad.
This book has however received a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews so my suggestion is you don't take my word for it and give it a go ... let's face it, if we all liked the same thing, the world would be a very boring place indeed.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The premise of the book is interesting and the action starts almost immediately and there are plenty of moments that make you hold your breath or make you feel squeamish but, for some reason, I quickly lost interest. This may have been because I found it hard to get attached to the characters and I wasn't really that bothered what happened to them or maybe it's because the mystery element of what was behind the door was revealed early on ... I don't know but it just didn't grab me like his other books have done and this makes me feel quite sad.
This book has however received a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews so my suggestion is you don't take my word for it and give it a go ... let's face it, if we all liked the same thing, the world would be a very boring place indeed.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.