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Booksnthreads (19 KP) rated Americanah in Books
Jun 4, 2018
I think I’ve become too accustomed to reading plots designed for teenagers; I kept expecting this story to follow a traditional plot line, and while the evidence throughout was that Adichie was not following a typical narrative story line, I still found myself surprised at the end. I got to the end, and sort of thought, “Oh. That’s it?” Not in a negative way, like the author left me hanging (as many of these series writing author’s do, teasing me into reading the next book), but just in a sort of unexpected way.
I don’t know that I can even tell you my overall feeling about the book…it’s just too complex for that. I liked that the rhythm and pattern of the storytelling was like nothing I’ve read before. I like that it offered an unfamiliar (to me) perspective of race in America. I like that the book kind of was and was not all about race. (I know that last one is super confusing, but just read the book and then ask me what I mean if it’s still unclear.)
It’s a book that is just going to simmer a bit in my brain, and that is perhaps the very best sort of book.
I don’t know that I can even tell you my overall feeling about the book…it’s just too complex for that. I liked that the rhythm and pattern of the storytelling was like nothing I’ve read before. I like that it offered an unfamiliar (to me) perspective of race in America. I like that the book kind of was and was not all about race. (I know that last one is super confusing, but just read the book and then ask me what I mean if it’s still unclear.)
It’s a book that is just going to simmer a bit in my brain, and that is perhaps the very best sort of book.
Andy K (10826 KP) rated The Exorcist (1973) in Movies
Oct 14, 2018 (Updated Oct 15, 2018)
The best ever!
I remember when I was a kid sneaking into the living room and watching 10 minutes of The Exorcist from behind my mother's recliner when I was like 8. Even that 10 minutes messed me up for a long time as a kid. I would have dreams of my bed shaking and wake up sweaty and exhausted.
Not until I was an adult in my 30s did I truly appreciate the perfection masterpiece craft of the film.
Simple, slow burn storytelling. Not the scariest or goriest film ever made. More the idea of the film, how it transforms a young innocent girl into a satanic, cruel, vulgar monster which is the most visceral.
When it was released in 2000 with the "Version you've never seen" I happened to be working as a projectionist at the local theatre when I lived in Oregon. I always used to go into the theatre itself or turn the volume up while in the projector room so I could listen to it while I was doing other work.
It truly is one of my favorite films and is a tradition now I watch it every single October 31st.
Not until I was an adult in my 30s did I truly appreciate the perfection masterpiece craft of the film.
Simple, slow burn storytelling. Not the scariest or goriest film ever made. More the idea of the film, how it transforms a young innocent girl into a satanic, cruel, vulgar monster which is the most visceral.
When it was released in 2000 with the "Version you've never seen" I happened to be working as a projectionist at the local theatre when I lived in Oregon. I always used to go into the theatre itself or turn the volume up while in the projector room so I could listen to it while I was doing other work.
It truly is one of my favorite films and is a tradition now I watch it every single October 31st.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Panic Attack - Single by Harriet Manice in Music
Jun 18, 2019
Harriet Manice is a singer-songwriter and photographer based in New York City. Not too long ago, she released a charming pop tune, entitled, “Panic Attack”.
“‘Panic Attack’ is a blend of Nashville storytelling and popular music. With a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments. The song provides the feelings one can go through dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. While the song raises an emotional and intense topic, the music generally stays upbeat, to give the hope that everything will be ok in the end. Just keep breathing in and breathing out.” – Harriet Manice
‘Panic Attack’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with a commercial pop aroma.
“What is happening? I can barely breathe. Feel the room is spinning quicking ’round me. Is this just a dream. Am I still asleep? Tell me how to stop this insanity.” – lyrics
This past year, Harriet Manice had the opportunity to perform at venues such as The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, Sidewalk Cafe, Prohibition in New York City, and Jane Pickens Theatre and The Breakers in Newport, RI.
She grew up listening to James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim Croce, The Dixie Chicks, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/harriet-manice-panic-attack/
“‘Panic Attack’ is a blend of Nashville storytelling and popular music. With a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments. The song provides the feelings one can go through dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. While the song raises an emotional and intense topic, the music generally stays upbeat, to give the hope that everything will be ok in the end. Just keep breathing in and breathing out.” – Harriet Manice
‘Panic Attack’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with a commercial pop aroma.
“What is happening? I can barely breathe. Feel the room is spinning quicking ’round me. Is this just a dream. Am I still asleep? Tell me how to stop this insanity.” – lyrics
This past year, Harriet Manice had the opportunity to perform at venues such as The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, Sidewalk Cafe, Prohibition in New York City, and Jane Pickens Theatre and The Breakers in Newport, RI.
She grew up listening to James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim Croce, The Dixie Chicks, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/harriet-manice-panic-attack/
Awix (3310 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Jan 2, 2019
It seems only appropriate to close out the year which saw the passing of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko with a film celebrating their most successful creation; the result is a movie which appears to be under-performing at the box office simply because it's animated (a regrettable prejudice which I sometimes suffer from myself). On one level this is yet another Spider-Man origin story, the novelty value comes from the fact that the Spider-Man in question is the Ultimate version (Miles Morales) and the plot involves a hole being blown in the universe and numerous other Spider-People from parallel worlds being sucked through. Some of these are very weird.
Rock-solid storytelling, huge visual imagination and some very good jokes come together to make a film which works really well on virtually every level; there's perhaps not enough of the Nicolas Cage Spider-Man but you can't have everything. Not sure where they're going to go with the sequel (the novelty value of this film makes it a tough act to follow) but it does at least suggest possibilities for a meta-franchise based just on Spider-Man. A worthy and touching tribute to Stan and Steve.
Rock-solid storytelling, huge visual imagination and some very good jokes come together to make a film which works really well on virtually every level; there's perhaps not enough of the Nicolas Cage Spider-Man but you can't have everything. Not sure where they're going to go with the sequel (the novelty value of this film makes it a tough act to follow) but it does at least suggest possibilities for a meta-franchise based just on Spider-Man. A worthy and touching tribute to Stan and Steve.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Bridge Across the Ocean in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Susan Meissner has a beautiful style of storytelling. I simply adore her use of dual timelines. Her books are set in such unique settings that are gripping and engaging. However, this particular book wasn't for me. I will tell you upfront that I was unable to finish this book. I read far enough to know that I still think Susan is an incredible author, but there were aspects to this story that I just couldn't handle. Namely, there are ghosts. I do not consider this a spoiler, because you find out on the first page. However, it is not listed in the description very well. They talk about the ship being haunted, but not that the main character actually sees ghosts and talks with them. I tried picking it up a few times, but every time left me disappointed and quite frankly, creeped out. I don't do creepy. If you do enjoy stories with supernatural aspects like ghosts, I am sure you will enjoy this book immensely. I look forward to reading more books by Susan Meissner in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of A Bridge Across the Ocean from the publishers through NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a complimentary copy of A Bridge Across the Ocean from the publishers through NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 1, 2019
What-time-d'you-call-this-then Shining sequel/follow-up doesn't have the magisterial formal brilliance of Kubrick, but scores consistently for solid storytelling and simple entertainment value. Many years on from the nastiness in the snow, Dan Torrance has tried to put his special faculties to good use, working in a hospice. However, a gifted young girl he has befriended becomes the target of a pack of inhuman killers who feed on the souls of psychics, and he finds himself compelled to intervene. Faced with a terrifying enemy, he finds he may have to make a reservation at a certain hotel.
The prospect of a two-and-a-half-hour sequel to a Kubrick movie, made by someone I hadn't really heard of gave me pause, to be honest, but Doctor Sleep rapidly develops into an engrossing and satisfying dark fantasy, with mostly good performances and impressive set piece sequences. Most impressive is the way it works hard to stand on its own merits, saving all the crowd-pleasing Shining references until late on, by which time it feels like it's earned them - almost. It's still probably self-indulgently overlong, and the climax likewise feels a bit overcooked, but this is still a cut above the majority of Stephen King movies.
The prospect of a two-and-a-half-hour sequel to a Kubrick movie, made by someone I hadn't really heard of gave me pause, to be honest, but Doctor Sleep rapidly develops into an engrossing and satisfying dark fantasy, with mostly good performances and impressive set piece sequences. Most impressive is the way it works hard to stand on its own merits, saving all the crowd-pleasing Shining references until late on, by which time it feels like it's earned them - almost. It's still probably self-indulgently overlong, and the climax likewise feels a bit overcooked, but this is still a cut above the majority of Stephen King movies.
Kim Tierney (5309 KP) rated Cartier's Hope in Books
Jan 5, 2020
Cartier's Hope is set within the gilded age of New York City during the year that Mr. Cartier and his infamous diamond were making headlines all over the city. However, despite the name, the diamond is a background character to Vera Garland, her journalist alter ego Vee and all of the drama that surrounds Vera's life.
Vera is a society girl turned journalist in 1910, which means she has ruffled feathers amongst all of her peers and her family. While trying to prove her worth as a journalist to her mother and the men in her field, she stumbles over a chance to get her big break and perhaps finally have a mother who is proud of her. But this means using Mr. Cartier, without his knowledge, to get her scoop.
There is a lot of hype around this book. And I fell into it, but the book did not live up to it. Overall it is a decent story. But there is so much in the way of background storytelling that readers can easily get lost in the noise. And while the diamond was a key part of the last third of the book, I feel we were oversold on the idea of the book centering around the diamond.
Vera is a society girl turned journalist in 1910, which means she has ruffled feathers amongst all of her peers and her family. While trying to prove her worth as a journalist to her mother and the men in her field, she stumbles over a chance to get her big break and perhaps finally have a mother who is proud of her. But this means using Mr. Cartier, without his knowledge, to get her scoop.
There is a lot of hype around this book. And I fell into it, but the book did not live up to it. Overall it is a decent story. But there is so much in the way of background storytelling that readers can easily get lost in the noise. And while the diamond was a key part of the last third of the book, I feel we were oversold on the idea of the book centering around the diamond.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020
Solid (if slightly derivative) horror-SF movie with extra added treats for fans of classic weird fiction. Following a disaster at a deep-sea drilling site, the survivors must try to make their way to safety, contending with the collapsing installation and grotesque and hostile marine creatures. Who or what exactly have they woken up...? One of those movies where you can have fun spotting all the things it's ripping off (Alien, Gravity, The Abyss, numerous others) but none the worse for that: the movie plays with genre tropes intelligently even if some of the storytelling could have been tighter.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies
Book
'No life can really be all black, right? Even during the darkest times, what got me through that...
Seeing the Real You at Last: Life and Love on the Road with Bob Dylan
Book
'I've never seen a Bob Dylan smile, except in photos or on the stage. Not the real thing.' Britta...