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Richard Curtis recommended Knocked Up (2007) in Movies (curated)

 
Knocked Up (2007)
Knocked Up (2007)
2007 | Comedy, Romance
8.4 (7 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I don’t know why because I’m almost never in Los Angeles, but I went to the premiere of Knocked Up. Some cousin of Judd Apatow‘s was going to propose to his girlfriend, but was shy, so what Judd did was brought up the cousin and his girlfriend onto stage and Jack Black hid behind, knelt on the floor behind the cousin, and very noisily proposed to her. So the first time I saw the film I was in a very good mood having had such a brilliant start. But Knocked Up, like The Hangover which is also wonderful, is full of really really funny things; particularly the friends. When that group of friends is together, everyone has a sort of weird idiosyncratic joke which is perfectly expressed every time they appear, from the guy with the beard downwards. There are so many other funny things — when Kristen Wiig is rude to Katherine Heigl when she gets her job, and she’s going on about how lucky she is to get the job, it’s completely hilarious. Both Seth Rogen and Katherine are so charming and funny, and it’s so modern, on the edge and hard; a real romantic film. I think that if romantic comedies are meant to be romantic and funny, then that’s a perfect example. It’s very relaxed and at ease with itself, and doesn’t try too hard, or doesn’t seem to be trying very hard, and I think that’s very much to do with how Judd makes his movies. I’m sure he knows exactly what he wants, but it does have a slightly improvisational edge to it, because he does work with people that he knows very well, so there’s a naturalness to it, and I think it’s a great modern film. I haven’t seen Funny People yet, but I have very high hopes for it, I’m looking forward to it a great deal."

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Fatman (2020)
Fatman (2020)
2020 | Action, Comedy, Thriller
7
7.7 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield) is a very spoiled, entitled, and sadistic young boy. He has the advantages of privilege and lives with his wealthy Grandmother but is rude and condescending to the staff. Billy is also very arrogant and petty to the point that a Runner Up finish at his private school Science Fair after a string of wins motivates him to hire a Hitman (Walton Goggins) to intimidate the victor to falsely admit to cheating so he can claim victory.

This is not the first time Billy has hired the Hitman and when he gets a lump of coal for Christmas from Santa (Mel Gibson) he is enraged and hires the Hitman to take out Santa.

Santa has his own issues as a decline in revenue has forced him and his wife Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) to take on a project with the government to not only restore his fully stipend but to pay additional funds that will ensure financial stability.

The fact that the Hitman has his own reasons for having issues with Santa further motivates him to take the job and rushed north to face Santa on his own turf.

“Fatman” is a dark and entertaining new holiday entry that gives a contemporary take on Santa and his Elves as they must contend with the issues, politics, and changing world that face many companies.

The at times dark nature of the film is an interesting contrast to the usual overly sweet films that are commonplace this time of year and Gibson and Goggins backed by a strong supporting cast turn in memorable performances.

While not one for the kids; “Fatman” is a solid piece of entertainment and Eshom and Ian Nelms keep things moving at a steady pace and provide an interesting and contemporary look at Santa in the modern world and combine it with a story about finding a way through adversity.
  
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle
Neil Blackmore | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle rather intoxicated me, if I’m honest. It’s one of those witty yet heart-rending books that I didn’t want to stop listening to.
Ben Aldridge, the narrator, did his part so well. I believed that he was each of the separate characters - he made each of them sound so different, and he especially made Lavelle sound just how I would have imagined him to.
Two brothers, Benjamin and Edgar are on what is probably the most exciting and daunting trip of their young lives - a Grand Tour of Europe. It was what all the well-heeled young men and women would do at the time, in the hope that they’d make good business and, you never know, romantic connections. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the Bowen brothers are looked down on as being of the mercantile class. This horrified me as a modern day reader. Firstly, that two sheltered, innocent boys should be sent out to travel across Europe alone (must be the ‘Mother of Sons’ in me), secondly, that the upper classes were so bloody rude! They had the power to destroy someone with just a word. I could have scooped these boys up and taken them home, just to remove them from these horrendous people.
This is also the story of Benjamin’s self discovery. He meets and falls in love with Horace Lavelle at a time when men could be hanged as a ‘sodomite’. The author is upfront at the start that he had taken some liberties with this book. Homosexuality was illegal. No-one would take a chance of showing that they were gay. And there is that element of danger, of being found out, in this book despite those liberties.
But it’s such a lovely book - I wanted Benjamin to be happy, and I could see the potential for a train wreck ahead. And that’s all I’ll say! What I will say, is that this is a novel well worth your time!
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Boys in TV

Aug 18, 2019  
The Boys
The Boys
2019 | Action, Crime, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A refreshing take on superheroes
I’ve never read the comics, so took a punt on this as it’s been recommended by a few of my friends, and i absolutely loved it.

It’s the perfect antidote to the homely, suitable for kids superhero films like Marvel that bombard our screens every year. Instead The Boys is rude, crude, dark and downright hilarious at times. It’s full of blood and gore too that you’d never find anywhere near any Marvel films. There’s something beyond refreshing watching a show with superheroes behaving badly like villains, and the take on superheroes being owned and represented by a massive corporation is rather brilliant. You can almost imagine that this is how superheroes would turn out if they lived in today’s society.

This has a great cast too, and there are some wonderful performances in this. I adore Karl Urban and he’s good in this, although I feel like he’s let down a little by the fact that they’ve made him a cliched cockney. Antony Starr is seriously creepy and yet charming as Homelander, and he was great to watch. Although my favourite had to be Chace Crawford as The Deep. I feel like he was a little under-utilised in the main plot, but he provided some of the funniest scenes in the entire series and I really wanted to see more of him.

The ending was good and a nice reveal, although I wanted more and felt like it ended maybe a little too abruptly. Aside from Karl Urban’s English accent, the superhero names grate a little after a while because they are super cheesy and cringey (which I’m assuming they’re meant to be). And I felt like the character of Black Noir was a complete mystery and whilst this may be intentional, I do there has been a little bit more of him.

Aside from these little niggles though, this is a refreshingly entertaining series. So much so I’d love to watch a second series, like now.
  
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Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) Sep 30, 2019

Its a given that the hero's in this show are somewhat spoofs of Marvel/DC characters which I guess Black noir is a jab at Snake eyes from G.I. Joe (very similar) the cockney accent was probably easier to learn and probably sounds more gritty and formal to a U.S audience.

How to Save a Life
How to Save a Life
Liz Fenton | 2020 | Romance, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was an incredibly fast read that kept me hooked, that's for sure. The Groundhog Day aspect of this book was fascinating. It's also a bit strange and completely stressful. Knowing Mia is pretty much guaranteed to die over and over--in different ways--freaked me out. I'm not sure how Dom didn't totally lose it. (I'm going to say that he definitely lost it a little bit!)

The book is certainly repetitive in some ways. I think you can't totally avoid this when you're writing a "relive the same day over and over" story. What frustrated me was the constant emphasis put on Dom's obsession with Mia: his repeated telling that she was an impulsive and different sort of person and that's why he fell for her, but also why he was wary of marrying her in the beginning. This point was hammered home far too much for me. We get it.

While I actually really loved the plot of this book--it was something new and I needed that--I couldn't fully embrace it because I just didn't adore Dom and Mia as a couple. Dom was a doormat and a bit annoying. Take control of your life! Mia's impulsive, carpe diem came across more as rude and too much. Overall, they didn't seem to be a good match.

I enjoyed the fact that this book had one narrator: Dom, even if he drove me a little crazy sometimes. I honestly couldn't grasp his infatuation with Mia and wanted to shake him and tell him to move on. The book also threw in some weird tangent plot pieces that just didn't seem to need to be there. They wound up as distractions or loose ends.

Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. While I couldn't fully warm to Dom and Mia, this was a fast-paced read and something different. It had an interesting ending--nothing predictable here. 3.5 stars.
  
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Mothergamer (1546 KP) rated The Witcher in TV

Dec 22, 2021  
The Witcher
The Witcher
2019 | Action, Fantasy
Henry Cavill as Geralt (0 more)
Season 2 episode 2 (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I do really like the show. The fact that Henry Cavill is a big fan of the Witcher books and games shows. He really got Geralt's signature growl and mannerisms down perfectly. I can see how season 1 could be confusing for people with the timelines switching back and forth, but the storytelling is very well done. Season 2 is also good with one exception. I can not stand episode 2 in the season because it completely destroyed the character of Eskel. I didn't even recognize him when they introduced him until Geralt said his name. Eskel in the books and games is referred to as a gentle giant. His demeanor in many ways is like Geralt to the point that many people think they're brothers. Eskel also has his own child of surprise in the books and has a critical role in the books and games. Eskel in episode 2 is vastly different. They basically murdered this character. Eskel in episode 2 is a rude boor, arrogant, and sexist. Then they go completely against Witcher lore and have Eskel infected by a Leshe, something that is not possible for Witchers because of the mutagens in their bodies. Then they kill him. I was stunned and very disappointed because for the showrunners to claim that they want fans of the books and games to like the show, this said the exact opposite. I know Henry Cavill can only do so much, but this was a very poor choice that the writers made completely changing a well known and loved character so drastically and then killing him off. If you lift episode 2 out, season 2 is great. It's the only episode that really doesn't fit in with the others. I really hope season 3 does better with the lore and that the writers actually do the research and learn about the Witcher lore and world.
  
P(
Perfected (Perfected, #1)
5
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The story definitely had potential (0 more)
The execution and lack of character development (0 more)
Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch
This book has been sat on my bookshelf for as long as I can remember, which is why i finally decided to pick it up.

The book was originally published in 2014, around the height of YA Dystopian books. And if that doesn't tell you everything you need to know about this book allow me to continue.

After creating a new law which allows for the creation of human pets, congressman Kimball bought Ella. She is a pet designed and trained specifically for entertaining the Elite as the most prestigious family companion.

But for Ella, things aren't what they seem. Family secrets arise; she is kidnapped; and the dark world under her pampered life shows itself; and she cannot help but fall for the congressman's son, Penn. She is forced to question her existence. But if she chooses to act on these new revelations, she may face a fate worse than death.

Not to be rude, but this book is just like any other YA book written of its time. It draws a lot of similarities to Lauren DeStefano's Wither Trilogy. Its beautifully written, with lots of potential, but lacks execution. Ella is a very basic character for me. She is passive and her only motives for pushing herself derive from Penn, her love interest.

It seems the author tried to go for a hate to love relationship, but it fell flat with the instalovey trope. Even then, their love seemed more like lust to me. They didn't really build any foundations and connection. At least not enough to justify Ella's actions and motives.

Had I read this in my teens when the book came out, I would probably have loved it. But I'm older and nore cynical now.

I have already bought the second book on Audible and the book wasn't so terrible that I won't at least give it a try, but I'm apprehensive to say the least.