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Awix (3310 KP) rated Stan & Ollie (2018) in Movies
Jan 21, 2019
Surely-long-overdue Laurel and Hardy bio-pic focuses on their tour of British and Irish music halls in the early 50s, presumably because this is a low-ish budget British film. A sixty-something Stan and Ollie have to try and persuade the world they haven't died or retired just yet while waiting for the finance on a new movie to come together and coping with some long-standing tensions in their relationship.
Movie does a pretty good job of balancing what you'd expect from a L&H movie (timeless slapstick, perfectly performed) with less obvious and more dramatic material (some of the boys' personal foibles, amongst other things). The thing it does better than any other movie I can think of is capture the feeling of what it's like to be in a successful double act, and all the positives and negatives that go with it. Very good performances from Reilly and Coogan, clearly made with affection and skill; well worth watching.
Movie does a pretty good job of balancing what you'd expect from a L&H movie (timeless slapstick, perfectly performed) with less obvious and more dramatic material (some of the boys' personal foibles, amongst other things). The thing it does better than any other movie I can think of is capture the feeling of what it's like to be in a successful double act, and all the positives and negatives that go with it. Very good performances from Reilly and Coogan, clearly made with affection and skill; well worth watching.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) in Movies
Jul 6, 2019 (Updated Jul 6, 2019)
Herzog's take on Dracula strikes some startlingly different notes while still being an authentic and memorable version of this much-told tale. The plot sounds very much like Stoker's: Jonathan Harker is packed off to Transylvania to close a real-estate deal with the reclusive Count Dracula and learns some uncomfortable truths about host, who then departs for Harker's home town having taken a fancy to his wife.
It's the tone of the thing which is striking: Klaus Kinski's Dracula is not a ferocious sexual predator but a pathetic, rat-like parasite, spreading plague both literally and metaphorically. He is cursed as much as a curse, trapped in a miserable state of immortality. Kinski's performance is genuinely eerie, and the atmosphere of the rest of the film matches it. It is a bit on the slow side, and the relentlessly morbid atmosphere will likewise not be for everyone, but this is one of the better big-screen adaptations of Dracula.
It's the tone of the thing which is striking: Klaus Kinski's Dracula is not a ferocious sexual predator but a pathetic, rat-like parasite, spreading plague both literally and metaphorically. He is cursed as much as a curse, trapped in a miserable state of immortality. Kinski's performance is genuinely eerie, and the atmosphere of the rest of the film matches it. It is a bit on the slow side, and the relentlessly morbid atmosphere will likewise not be for everyone, but this is one of the better big-screen adaptations of Dracula.
Kate (482 KP) rated A New Prospect in Books
Nov 4, 2019
I liked the story line but it didn't keep me hooked like most murder mystery's do. Maybe because the investigating wasn't normal detective investigating. I understand this was the story line though. I liked the first few chapters then it lost me a bit.
It went into politics and I didn't like that as I don't like political story lines and how political powers sway things in books.
The author brought the characters to life by writing the way they spoke - this really ruined the book for me as I found it very hard to read. For some readers this may really bring the book together.
I feel the intended audience for this book are male aged 45 - 60. I didn't feel like a book for females. I wasn't sure how about some of the comments the main character made about the women in the book...he certainly likes the ladies.
I feel I was more hooked by the blurb than the book.
It went into politics and I didn't like that as I don't like political story lines and how political powers sway things in books.
The author brought the characters to life by writing the way they spoke - this really ruined the book for me as I found it very hard to read. For some readers this may really bring the book together.
I feel the intended audience for this book are male aged 45 - 60. I didn't feel like a book for females. I wasn't sure how about some of the comments the main character made about the women in the book...he certainly likes the ladies.
I feel I was more hooked by the blurb than the book.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Fandom of the Operator in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I like Rankin's work a lot. Some of his works are just amazingly inventive, incredibly humorous and reliably off-the-wall.
Unfortunately this really isn't quite up to his normal standards, although the plot has all his usual hallmarks - essentially someone discovers it is possible to phone the dead, which ends up with potentially terrible consequences for the living.
This sounds like quite a slight premise to hang a whole book of of, and I think that is the heart of the problem here. Some of the writing and twists are amongst the very best. We follow the main character through his life and although we know he's pretty unpleasant, the shock when he is asked how many people he has murdered, and is response, is pure Rankin cleverness.
Unfortunately such moments are too few and the plot too slow moving for this to be counted as a good Rankin novel. One for the completists but certainly not one that demonstrates his true ability.
Unfortunately this really isn't quite up to his normal standards, although the plot has all his usual hallmarks - essentially someone discovers it is possible to phone the dead, which ends up with potentially terrible consequences for the living.
This sounds like quite a slight premise to hang a whole book of of, and I think that is the heart of the problem here. Some of the writing and twists are amongst the very best. We follow the main character through his life and although we know he's pretty unpleasant, the shock when he is asked how many people he has murdered, and is response, is pure Rankin cleverness.
Unfortunately such moments are too few and the plot too slow moving for this to be counted as a good Rankin novel. One for the completists but certainly not one that demonstrates his true ability.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Wonderland: Alice in Poetry in Books
Nov 27, 2019
Can anybody truly say,
Had you never come our way,
Alice, where we'd be today?
If you love Alice and Wonderland then this is the book for you. Some poems you will know, such as the iconic 'The Walrus and the Carpenter' but there are also some new pieces, inspired by the classic tale, waiting to be discovered.
This collections comprises of 53 poems which was much larger than I was expecting. Obviously, OBVIOUSLY a lot of these are penned by Lewis Carroll: it would be sacrilegious otherwise. However, I was impressed by the inclusion of modern poets in order to appeal to the younger reader: even Facebook gets a mention!
The illustrations by Sir John Tenniel are perfect and I loved the italic additions throughout the book which educate the reader as to the inspiration behind the verses.
An anthology of fantasy; this collection is perfect for our busy lives when we need a quick five minutes of escapism.
Had you never come our way,
Alice, where we'd be today?
If you love Alice and Wonderland then this is the book for you. Some poems you will know, such as the iconic 'The Walrus and the Carpenter' but there are also some new pieces, inspired by the classic tale, waiting to be discovered.
This collections comprises of 53 poems which was much larger than I was expecting. Obviously, OBVIOUSLY a lot of these are penned by Lewis Carroll: it would be sacrilegious otherwise. However, I was impressed by the inclusion of modern poets in order to appeal to the younger reader: even Facebook gets a mention!
The illustrations by Sir John Tenniel are perfect and I loved the italic additions throughout the book which educate the reader as to the inspiration behind the verses.
An anthology of fantasy; this collection is perfect for our busy lives when we need a quick five minutes of escapism.
Becs (244 KP) rated I May Not Be Like You, But We Could Be Friends in Books
Jan 2, 2020
I love the meaning behind this book and the only reason why I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars is because the art style is what got me. I love art in children's books and I saw so much that could have been improved.
The art style was good since it's a children's book, but at the same time it could have been improved a bit. Being a crafty and art fanatic myself, I noticed a lot of times where there were cartoony characters but then some of the characters seemed to be caring on some realistic characteristics. Mixing art styles is totally okay, but at the same time you have to be careful when mixing.
The story: I would have changed a few things myself. But for a child reading it, they would have understood everything just fine.
Would I read it again? No. But I also don't have children so that's a main factor in the rereading category.
The art style was good since it's a children's book, but at the same time it could have been improved a bit. Being a crafty and art fanatic myself, I noticed a lot of times where there were cartoony characters but then some of the characters seemed to be caring on some realistic characteristics. Mixing art styles is totally okay, but at the same time you have to be careful when mixing.
The story: I would have changed a few things myself. But for a child reading it, they would have understood everything just fine.
Would I read it again? No. But I also don't have children so that's a main factor in the rereading category.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Fracture (2007) in Movies
Apr 8, 2020
A decent thriller
I remember watching this many years ago but couldn't remember a thing about it, so decided to give it another go after spotting it on Amazon.
As legal/crime thrillers go this is fairly decent, although you do have to suspend your disbelief at times especially as Ryan Gosling really doesnt look the part as a DA. However the story itself is quite good, it's different as we know from the beginning who did it but its interesting to see how the characters figure out how to prove it. Anthony Hopkins may be a little OTT in his performance in this (he was that evil I couldn't stand him), and there was some weird things going on with his accent - it seemed to span the entire British isles at some point.
Still overall it was fairly enjoyable, the ending may not have been as exciting as promised but it was entertaining and no overly long.
As legal/crime thrillers go this is fairly decent, although you do have to suspend your disbelief at times especially as Ryan Gosling really doesnt look the part as a DA. However the story itself is quite good, it's different as we know from the beginning who did it but its interesting to see how the characters figure out how to prove it. Anthony Hopkins may be a little OTT in his performance in this (he was that evil I couldn't stand him), and there was some weird things going on with his accent - it seemed to span the entire British isles at some point.
Still overall it was fairly enjoyable, the ending may not have been as exciting as promised but it was entertaining and no overly long.
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Art of Star Wars Rebels in Books
Jun 21, 2020
By far, Rebels is the best thing to come out of the Disney takeover of Star Wars (sorry, not sorry Mandalorian). Dave Filoni knows what he's doing, since he obviously learned from the Master.
This art book is around 200 pages, and filled with beautiful art. I knew that some of the design choices were taken from Ralph McQuarrie's original artwork, i.e. Zeb being a form of Chewbacca and the thinner lightsaber design, and I was glad a lot of that was incorportated in.
Maybe I was expecting too much? I wanted more commentary and insight. There were some pretty big omissions, and it was a bummer. I really want to know more about Jacen, and there was no mention of him (boo). Hopefully that means he's going to appear in something else?
Overall, I'm glad I purchased it, and now I want all of the art books, including the prequel costuming one that costs almost $1k.
This art book is around 200 pages, and filled with beautiful art. I knew that some of the design choices were taken from Ralph McQuarrie's original artwork, i.e. Zeb being a form of Chewbacca and the thinner lightsaber design, and I was glad a lot of that was incorportated in.
Maybe I was expecting too much? I wanted more commentary and insight. There were some pretty big omissions, and it was a bummer. I really want to know more about Jacen, and there was no mention of him (boo). Hopefully that means he's going to appear in something else?
Overall, I'm glad I purchased it, and now I want all of the art books, including the prequel costuming one that costs almost $1k.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Yoga at the Zoo (Little Mouse Adventures #1) in Books
Jul 3, 2020
Are you looking for a good book for your children to learn to destress? Well, Yoga at the Zoo does this though a cute way. Two main animals go on adventures. It quite fun to see and how to learn to calm down using Yoga poses.
Little Mouse sees his human friend and watches her and her mother. You will find this adventure sweet and silly. But maybe some animals do use some Yoga poses. Little Mouse seems intrigued once he hears where his human friend is going with her class. Little Mouse's best friend comes along as well.
The author does quite well with the story. I think the pictures are well done. I love how they show the poses. You will want this book along with the second one for your child or children.
It a good way to teach children exercises. It also a good calming yourself as well.
Little Mouse sees his human friend and watches her and her mother. You will find this adventure sweet and silly. But maybe some animals do use some Yoga poses. Little Mouse seems intrigued once he hears where his human friend is going with her class. Little Mouse's best friend comes along as well.
The author does quite well with the story. I think the pictures are well done. I love how they show the poses. You will want this book along with the second one for your child or children.
It a good way to teach children exercises. It also a good calming yourself as well.
