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Darren (1599 KP) rated A Star Is Born (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Star is Born starts when rock star Jackson (Cooper) looking for another drink stumbles into a drag bar, he sees working class woman Ally (Gaga) perform on stage, instantly he knows she has talent and learns more about her, bring her on stage for his latest show.
When Ally becomes an overnight success story the two-start performing together which only attractions more record labels who come calling to make Ally the next biggest star in the music world which soon sees her become more famous than Jack whose own problems could bring an end to his fame.
Thoughts on A Star is Born
Characters – Ally is a hotel worker that performers in a local drag bar after being rejected by record labels before. She meets rock star Jack who encourages to perform, first with him and soon the world wants to see her become the biggest star in the music industry. Ally must learn about the world around her, one she has never stepped foot in before or become consumed by it. Jack is the rock star who sees Ally believing she could become a star, he offers her a chance to perform which sets her on her way, Jack however has his own problems with drinks and drugs would could finish his own career just as Ally’s is about to take off. These two characters do take centre stage for the most part, we do see family that support as well as friends who see their friend get to levels of fame they never thought they could.
Performances – Bradley Cooper gives one of his best performances of his career here, not just on front of the camera, but behind it too. He manages to make us feel like his problems are real, which are problem many musicians could be facing. Lady Gaga was always going to be a wonderful choice for the singing side of the film, it was the acting side people wanted to see if she could handle, she does a good job through the film managing to show the bond the two have throughout the film. the supporting cast are good without needing to be challenged to reach the levels of the lead two actors.
Story – The story follows the rise of a musician after being discovered by an alcoholic rock star. We know this is a remake, so we know this had been modernised to tell an old story which deals with the modern problems of fame for musicians. We see how one side is taking every opportunity thrown her way and the other than has been watching his career fade away because of alcoholism and drug abuse. This is a great story of how important taking chances are and how success can ruin lives. The story does however become slightly slow paced because we just jump into a song to cover up anything that needs to be talked about more.
Music/Romance – The music in the film is good with songs that Gaga performs with ease. The romance between the two shows how they can support each other through the lives they didn’t know they would be going through.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show the journey that Ally takes from the small venue to awards ceremony showing here rise to fame.
Scene of the Movie – First song.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The rise feels too fast.
Final Thoughts – This is a great look at how the fame can affect lives in the music industry, we get strong performances from Cooper and Gaga who both shine through the film.
Overall: Great Music based movie.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/01/01/abc-film-challenge-best-of-2018-a-a-star-is-born-2018/
When Ally becomes an overnight success story the two-start performing together which only attractions more record labels who come calling to make Ally the next biggest star in the music world which soon sees her become more famous than Jack whose own problems could bring an end to his fame.
Thoughts on A Star is Born
Characters – Ally is a hotel worker that performers in a local drag bar after being rejected by record labels before. She meets rock star Jack who encourages to perform, first with him and soon the world wants to see her become the biggest star in the music industry. Ally must learn about the world around her, one she has never stepped foot in before or become consumed by it. Jack is the rock star who sees Ally believing she could become a star, he offers her a chance to perform which sets her on her way, Jack however has his own problems with drinks and drugs would could finish his own career just as Ally’s is about to take off. These two characters do take centre stage for the most part, we do see family that support as well as friends who see their friend get to levels of fame they never thought they could.
Performances – Bradley Cooper gives one of his best performances of his career here, not just on front of the camera, but behind it too. He manages to make us feel like his problems are real, which are problem many musicians could be facing. Lady Gaga was always going to be a wonderful choice for the singing side of the film, it was the acting side people wanted to see if she could handle, she does a good job through the film managing to show the bond the two have throughout the film. the supporting cast are good without needing to be challenged to reach the levels of the lead two actors.
Story – The story follows the rise of a musician after being discovered by an alcoholic rock star. We know this is a remake, so we know this had been modernised to tell an old story which deals with the modern problems of fame for musicians. We see how one side is taking every opportunity thrown her way and the other than has been watching his career fade away because of alcoholism and drug abuse. This is a great story of how important taking chances are and how success can ruin lives. The story does however become slightly slow paced because we just jump into a song to cover up anything that needs to be talked about more.
Music/Romance – The music in the film is good with songs that Gaga performs with ease. The romance between the two shows how they can support each other through the lives they didn’t know they would be going through.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show the journey that Ally takes from the small venue to awards ceremony showing here rise to fame.
Scene of the Movie – First song.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The rise feels too fast.
Final Thoughts – This is a great look at how the fame can affect lives in the music industry, we get strong performances from Cooper and Gaga who both shine through the film.
Overall: Great Music based movie.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/01/01/abc-film-challenge-best-of-2018-a-a-star-is-born-2018/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Cats (2019) in Movies
Dec 27, 2019
[Nostalgia enters the room looking cheery. A cat lurks in the background. Nostalgia starts tapdancing. Suddenly a red dot appears on Nostalgia's back and the cat savagely attacks it, leaving it bloody and beaten on the ground.]
As I've been saying to people... this film isn't good, but it's also not entirely bad, it has its moments.
Let's talk about the CGI first. You know what? It's not all that bad. Take out whatever you think about the concept of the human cats the fur in the second trailer looked much better than its first outing. During the film, Old Deuteronomy looked so fluffy I just wanted to pet her. The ear movements were pretty good, if a little consistent, it felt a little like they'd looked up cat actions in a book and taken the textbook description to animate rather than watching an actual cat. The cats as a whole could probably been a little larger compared to the "life-sized" staging around them because the ratio did feel a little off, but it wasn't really enough to make it off-putting.
Ever since I saw Cats at the cinema I've been singing the songs, but that's off the back of me listening to the stage recordings on Spotify and not the film versions. They don't quite have the same pep of the originals, watching them wasn't the wondrous experience I was hoping for. There are small exceptions. Taylor Swift was excellent and set a perfect tone for her number. Jason Derulo is a showman in this and after his Red Dwarf Cat-like clip in the trailer I was excited for his full numbers, they didn't disappoint.
Memory has to be my favourite song since seeing it on the stage and I was keen to see the talented Jennifer Hudson perform it. When it surfaced briefly I was worried, there was no impact, no heart... potential disaster. Finally the full number happened at the end and I was convinced. I listened to Hudson sing with such emotion that I cried, streams of tears and a quivering lip. It was beautiful.
The rest of the cast, while chockful of talent, didn't have quite the same buzz about it.
Francesca Hayward is a massively talented ballerina but the acting portion of the performance didn't quite hit the spot. This wasn't helped by the advert that has been running with her and Jennifer Hudson before the trailer was running before every film I watched for about two weeks.
I love Dame Judi and Sir Ian, and it was fun seeing them in this, but both had their issues. I wasn't a fan of Dench's moments of singing and the melancholy role of Gus for McKellen was a little unsettling. Who doesn't love seeing an Idris Elba film? He does the bad "guy" well but there was something wrong here too, I think that was partly to do with that fur torso.
It would be entirely possible to go on and on about this and all its ins and outs, but I don't think either of us have the time for that. I do feel that having the previous knowledge of Cats on the stage will help immensely when seeing this. That does also have some drawbacks though, when we saw it at the theatre it was a very interactive experience with the cats in the aisles with the audience and that's something the film can't compete with. I'm tempted to say that they should have forgone CGI aspects for the most part and had costumed cast. Making something more realistic when everything around it is unrealistic (in that it's not quite what we're used to as regular-sized humans) makes everything more confusing, perhaps the low tech angle would have made it a little less scary to some.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/cats-movie-review.html
As I've been saying to people... this film isn't good, but it's also not entirely bad, it has its moments.
Let's talk about the CGI first. You know what? It's not all that bad. Take out whatever you think about the concept of the human cats the fur in the second trailer looked much better than its first outing. During the film, Old Deuteronomy looked so fluffy I just wanted to pet her. The ear movements were pretty good, if a little consistent, it felt a little like they'd looked up cat actions in a book and taken the textbook description to animate rather than watching an actual cat. The cats as a whole could probably been a little larger compared to the "life-sized" staging around them because the ratio did feel a little off, but it wasn't really enough to make it off-putting.
Ever since I saw Cats at the cinema I've been singing the songs, but that's off the back of me listening to the stage recordings on Spotify and not the film versions. They don't quite have the same pep of the originals, watching them wasn't the wondrous experience I was hoping for. There are small exceptions. Taylor Swift was excellent and set a perfect tone for her number. Jason Derulo is a showman in this and after his Red Dwarf Cat-like clip in the trailer I was excited for his full numbers, they didn't disappoint.
Memory has to be my favourite song since seeing it on the stage and I was keen to see the talented Jennifer Hudson perform it. When it surfaced briefly I was worried, there was no impact, no heart... potential disaster. Finally the full number happened at the end and I was convinced. I listened to Hudson sing with such emotion that I cried, streams of tears and a quivering lip. It was beautiful.
The rest of the cast, while chockful of talent, didn't have quite the same buzz about it.
Francesca Hayward is a massively talented ballerina but the acting portion of the performance didn't quite hit the spot. This wasn't helped by the advert that has been running with her and Jennifer Hudson before the trailer was running before every film I watched for about two weeks.
I love Dame Judi and Sir Ian, and it was fun seeing them in this, but both had their issues. I wasn't a fan of Dench's moments of singing and the melancholy role of Gus for McKellen was a little unsettling. Who doesn't love seeing an Idris Elba film? He does the bad "guy" well but there was something wrong here too, I think that was partly to do with that fur torso.
It would be entirely possible to go on and on about this and all its ins and outs, but I don't think either of us have the time for that. I do feel that having the previous knowledge of Cats on the stage will help immensely when seeing this. That does also have some drawbacks though, when we saw it at the theatre it was a very interactive experience with the cats in the aisles with the audience and that's something the film can't compete with. I'm tempted to say that they should have forgone CGI aspects for the most part and had costumed cast. Making something more realistic when everything around it is unrealistic (in that it's not quite what we're used to as regular-sized humans) makes everything more confusing, perhaps the low tech angle would have made it a little less scary to some.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/cats-movie-review.html
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Cats (2019) in Movies
Jan 15, 2020
Stuff of nightmares
From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew I wasn't going to like this film. Having never seen the stage show, I went into this completely blind and to be honest, after 100 minutes of this nonsense I wish I was blind.
Usually I'll try to find something good to say about a film, but I'm really struggling with this. I feel like giving it a 2 is rather generous. Other than appreciating the amount of effort on the CGI and the song Memory, I really cannot identify any other good points whatsoever.
Now where do I start on the bad? The cats themselves are beyond disturbing. People dressed as cats in the stage show I can understand. Human features on cat bodies is just crazy and looks ridiculous. The fact that they alternate between 2 and 4 legged with human features, it beggars belief. I hoped I might get used to it, but i really didnt especially when they start hissing, preening and acting like real cats - it's terrifying and laughable all at once. The scaling of the cats against the scenery also looks a little misjudged, especially when they stand up.
The story and rest of the film doesn't fare much better. The songs (except for Memory) are surprisingly poor for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and no others are particularly memorable. The plot itself is also very thin and has barely any substance, the fact that they've managed to drag this out to 100 minutes is impressive. I also couldn't stand the words "Jellicle" and "Heaviside" - they sound like something from a kids cartoon and they began to grate on me very quickly. And the cast: James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Ray Winstone - just no. They are all so cringingly bad I could barely watch. And even acting royalty like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench don't survive this car crash intact. The final song and scenes with the direct address to camera is possibly the most embarrassingly cringeworthy thing I've seen in a long time.
It may only be January, but I doubt anything else I see in 2020 will be worse than this. I would have happily walked out of this 15 minutes in and never thought twice. The fact that I've sat through the entire thing made me want to claw my eyes out. I cannot unsee this.
If you want to watch a film musical about cats, watch The Aristocats. Do not waste your time on this!
Usually I'll try to find something good to say about a film, but I'm really struggling with this. I feel like giving it a 2 is rather generous. Other than appreciating the amount of effort on the CGI and the song Memory, I really cannot identify any other good points whatsoever.
Now where do I start on the bad? The cats themselves are beyond disturbing. People dressed as cats in the stage show I can understand. Human features on cat bodies is just crazy and looks ridiculous. The fact that they alternate between 2 and 4 legged with human features, it beggars belief. I hoped I might get used to it, but i really didnt especially when they start hissing, preening and acting like real cats - it's terrifying and laughable all at once. The scaling of the cats against the scenery also looks a little misjudged, especially when they stand up.
The story and rest of the film doesn't fare much better. The songs (except for Memory) are surprisingly poor for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and no others are particularly memorable. The plot itself is also very thin and has barely any substance, the fact that they've managed to drag this out to 100 minutes is impressive. I also couldn't stand the words "Jellicle" and "Heaviside" - they sound like something from a kids cartoon and they began to grate on me very quickly. And the cast: James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Ray Winstone - just no. They are all so cringingly bad I could barely watch. And even acting royalty like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench don't survive this car crash intact. The final song and scenes with the direct address to camera is possibly the most embarrassingly cringeworthy thing I've seen in a long time.
It may only be January, but I doubt anything else I see in 2020 will be worse than this. I would have happily walked out of this 15 minutes in and never thought twice. The fact that I've sat through the entire thing made me want to claw my eyes out. I cannot unsee this.
If you want to watch a film musical about cats, watch The Aristocats. Do not waste your time on this!
The Codes Guidebook for Interiors
Sharon Koomen Harmon and Katherine E. Kennon
Book
The Interactive Resource Center is an online learning environment where instructors and students can...
Weed Farmer
Games and Entertainment
App
Weed Farmer Homegrown The Top Virtual Growing Game Comes to IOS Have fun while learning to grow...
MEGA MAN 2 MOBILE
Games and Entertainment
App
The Second Chapter in the Mega Man saga, Dr. Wily returns! Mega Man's fight has only just begun... ...
Plwriter (2 KP) rated Meddling Kids: A Novel in Books
Oct 9, 2017
I fell in love with the cover of this book and immediately downloaded it. The amazon page showcases a review from the USA Today that says “…it scratches a nostalgic itch for those who grew up on Saturday morning Scooby-Doo cartoons and sugar-bombed breakfast cereal.” I started reading and then opened good reads and noticed that it suggested a bunch of Steven King books as similar reads.
I panicked. I don’t read horror. I was sure this book was going to leave me terrified. I wouldn’t let my husband leave while I was reading it.
I shouldn’t have worried.
This book was great. It was about as scary as a Scooby-Doo movie (think Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost). It was funny and fun with a great nostalgia factor.
I loved the representation in this book. It was nice to see minorities represented and normalized.
The way the book is written could turn people off. It’s either going to be something you love or something you hate. It’s prose mixed with stage directions and random author(?) interjections which makes it feel a little haphazard and messy.
Over all, I loved it and though it hearkens back to mythical horror themes it’s not too scary just like old time Scooby-Doo.
I panicked. I don’t read horror. I was sure this book was going to leave me terrified. I wouldn’t let my husband leave while I was reading it.
I shouldn’t have worried.
This book was great. It was about as scary as a Scooby-Doo movie (think Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost). It was funny and fun with a great nostalgia factor.
I loved the representation in this book. It was nice to see minorities represented and normalized.
The way the book is written could turn people off. It’s either going to be something you love or something you hate. It’s prose mixed with stage directions and random author(?) interjections which makes it feel a little haphazard and messy.
Over all, I loved it and though it hearkens back to mythical horror themes it’s not too scary just like old time Scooby-Doo.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Dracula in Books
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 11, 2017)
A true horror classic
Ever since its publication Bram Stoker's Dracula has always stayed in the public imagination. Dracula caused vampire scares throughout Europe into the early 20th Century. With it being filmed so many times, both for the cinema as well as the TV, and stage adaptations that are still being made this century, as well as a plethora of publishers having it in their catalogues this story is set to remain with us well into the foreseeable future, indeed until the end of time.
The beautiful Mina has been scarred by vampires and is at risk of being sucked into their Undead world. But she is a plucky gal. Although the whole story is very OTT, there are many vivid passages as the little troop pursue Dracula across Europe and finally kill him in the nick of time before sun sets over the Carpathian Mountains. Although mightily baroque, the tale is worth reading for these descriptions...howling wolves and all. Of course it has been deconstructed as an allegory of the Good overcoming the External Threat at a time when Europe was in turmoil. So, all in all, a heavy-duty read, but probably worthwhile if you're a true horror fan.
The beautiful Mina has been scarred by vampires and is at risk of being sucked into their Undead world. But she is a plucky gal. Although the whole story is very OTT, there are many vivid passages as the little troop pursue Dracula across Europe and finally kill him in the nick of time before sun sets over the Carpathian Mountains. Although mightily baroque, the tale is worth reading for these descriptions...howling wolves and all. Of course it has been deconstructed as an allegory of the Good overcoming the External Threat at a time when Europe was in turmoil. So, all in all, a heavy-duty read, but probably worthwhile if you're a true horror fan.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Empire in Black & Gold in Books
Sep 13, 2017
This 10 book series deals with a future state of the human race where humans have evolved into different types of insect, each race taking on the traits of those insects (eg Beetles are hard-working but slow, Spiders are cunning and conniving, Moths are dark and mysterious, Wasps are evil and annoying etc).
This, the first in the series sees Stenwold Maker start to rediscover old fears of the Wasp Empire attempting to invade the peaceful, lowland city states. With nobody in his home city believing him he gathers together a crew of his students and old friend to find out what is happening on the borders of the empire.
This is one of the best books of the series, and a lot of action to come is set up here. I don't know if Tchaikovsky has intended to make this a whopping 10 books at this stage but it certainly felt like the start of something.
The action and fight scenes are well described but not laboured, and enough background to the world is given to understand it, though not in detail (just accept it and move on).
A large number of characters are introduced throughout the series, so it is worth getting to know them from the off.
This, the first in the series sees Stenwold Maker start to rediscover old fears of the Wasp Empire attempting to invade the peaceful, lowland city states. With nobody in his home city believing him he gathers together a crew of his students and old friend to find out what is happening on the borders of the empire.
This is one of the best books of the series, and a lot of action to come is set up here. I don't know if Tchaikovsky has intended to make this a whopping 10 books at this stage but it certainly felt like the start of something.
The action and fight scenes are well described but not laboured, and enough background to the world is given to understand it, though not in detail (just accept it and move on).
A large number of characters are introduced throughout the series, so it is worth getting to know them from the off.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Poster Boy in Books
May 22, 2019
Broadcast live, Rosa Lincoln takes to the stage at her brothers memorial service with a bomb concealed beneath her clothes. Being in Jimmys shadow was never easy, even when he was alive, but in death he has become a national hero.
When she crosses paths with the enigmatic Teresa, she discovers that those she has been taught to view as enemies may not be the real villains after all.
The lies need to be stopped, and Rosa intends on doing just that.
Wow! This book started with a bang - well a potential bang - and didn't let up until the very end with all its twists and turns along the way.
Although this is fiction it very much reflects what is going on around the world right now, sadly. It has its basis in fact and recent happenings which makes it hard-hitting, emotive, topical and timely.
The main issues it explores are terrorism, extremism, propaganda, xenophobia, nationalism, racism, good vs evil and the current political climate; it does so with considerable tact while questioning each of them making this a thought-provoking read.
Very good work of dystopian fiction.
Recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When she crosses paths with the enigmatic Teresa, she discovers that those she has been taught to view as enemies may not be the real villains after all.
The lies need to be stopped, and Rosa intends on doing just that.
Wow! This book started with a bang - well a potential bang - and didn't let up until the very end with all its twists and turns along the way.
Although this is fiction it very much reflects what is going on around the world right now, sadly. It has its basis in fact and recent happenings which makes it hard-hitting, emotive, topical and timely.
The main issues it explores are terrorism, extremism, propaganda, xenophobia, nationalism, racism, good vs evil and the current political climate; it does so with considerable tact while questioning each of them making this a thought-provoking read.
Very good work of dystopian fiction.
Recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.