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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Donnie Darko (2001) in Movies
Mar 27, 2018
Wasn't Feeling it
High school student Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is beset with visions of a six-foot bunny and premonitions of the world ending in less than a month.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Characters: 9
One of the things Donnie Darko excelled at for me. The film relies on its quirkiness which is best exhibited in its depth of characters. Darko is a troubled kid who is completely unpredictable and doesn't care much who he offends. I wasn't his biggest fan, but there were a number of moments where he caught me off guard in a good way. The Fear/Love classroom scene was one of my particular favorites.
His sister Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal) stands out as the character I liked the most. She thinks that Donnie is indeed strange fruit and is never afraid to call him on his crap. At the same time, she is also protective of him with a family-first mentality. You can tell she's got it all figured out and now she's trying to help the others around her do the same. It's interesting watching the two characters in contrast.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
Conflict: 0
Seriously, what was the conflict here? What was the, "Why should I care?" portion of the film? If I'm shooting holes in the movie, this is definitely bullet #1. I guess one could argue that Donnie's conflict is within himself and what ultimately is happening to him. I'm sorry, but unless Donnie is dealing with a vampire change or a zombie turn, I don't think internal conflict is enough. Sure weird things are happening throughout the film, but you get the feeling that it's all much ado about nothing.
Genre: 3
Memorability: 1
Pace: 6
There seems to be quite a few moving parts throughout the course of the film, most of which I didn't really care much to follow. There wasn't enough consistent intrigue to keep the mystery afloat. Very slow. I need a coffee just thinking about it. Or perhaps a nice tea...
Plot: 3
Original? Sure, I'll absolutely give it a handful of points for looking at cinema in a unique way. All in all, though, the film feels like I'm wading through a swamp to get to work. I know I'm going the right way or rather I know cutting through this swamp will get me to where I need to be...But why the hell am I in this swamp? What am I trying to prove? I guess I'm saying I just didn't quite get it. I'm also willing to admit that maybe it's just me.
Resolution: 0
Overall: 42
Critics loved it. So did audiences. I thought the characters were solid and the film succeeds with a number of memorable shots, but falls short with shoddy pacing that left me more confused than when I started. Just one man's opinion.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Characters: 9
One of the things Donnie Darko excelled at for me. The film relies on its quirkiness which is best exhibited in its depth of characters. Darko is a troubled kid who is completely unpredictable and doesn't care much who he offends. I wasn't his biggest fan, but there were a number of moments where he caught me off guard in a good way. The Fear/Love classroom scene was one of my particular favorites.
His sister Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal) stands out as the character I liked the most. She thinks that Donnie is indeed strange fruit and is never afraid to call him on his crap. At the same time, she is also protective of him with a family-first mentality. You can tell she's got it all figured out and now she's trying to help the others around her do the same. It's interesting watching the two characters in contrast.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
Conflict: 0
Seriously, what was the conflict here? What was the, "Why should I care?" portion of the film? If I'm shooting holes in the movie, this is definitely bullet #1. I guess one could argue that Donnie's conflict is within himself and what ultimately is happening to him. I'm sorry, but unless Donnie is dealing with a vampire change or a zombie turn, I don't think internal conflict is enough. Sure weird things are happening throughout the film, but you get the feeling that it's all much ado about nothing.
Genre: 3
Memorability: 1
Pace: 6
There seems to be quite a few moving parts throughout the course of the film, most of which I didn't really care much to follow. There wasn't enough consistent intrigue to keep the mystery afloat. Very slow. I need a coffee just thinking about it. Or perhaps a nice tea...
Plot: 3
Original? Sure, I'll absolutely give it a handful of points for looking at cinema in a unique way. All in all, though, the film feels like I'm wading through a swamp to get to work. I know I'm going the right way or rather I know cutting through this swamp will get me to where I need to be...But why the hell am I in this swamp? What am I trying to prove? I guess I'm saying I just didn't quite get it. I'm also willing to admit that maybe it's just me.
Resolution: 0
Overall: 42
Critics loved it. So did audiences. I thought the characters were solid and the film succeeds with a number of memorable shots, but falls short with shoddy pacing that left me more confused than when I started. Just one man's opinion.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated What If It's Us in Books
Dec 18, 2018
This was a super cute gay romance that I read for YA_Pride's Twitter Book Club. The authors have separately written some pretty popular YA books; Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Albertalli) and They Both Die at the End (Silvera), neither of which I have read yet, so I had no idea what to expect with this one!
The book alternates viewpoints between Arthur, a Georgia boy in New York for the summer who recently came out as gay but has not yet gone out on a date with anyone, and Ben, who recently broke up with the boy he lost his virginity with. The difference in experience between the two is a plot point, as is the temporary nature of Arthur's visit to New York.
There is SO MUCH in this book. These are complex characters, and the romance between the two is simply the frame that the rest of the book revolves around. Arthur is still coming to terms with what being out means for him; he thinks his friends are being weird about it, his parents are fighting all the time, he's never dated and doesn't really know how to go about doing so. Ben is recovering from heartbreak with his first boyfriend. He's Puerto Rican but can pass for white, so people forget and think he's white, and that upsets him. His break up, and his best friend's, has splintered up their friend group and he misses the group, and his best friend seems to have moved on and doesn't have time for him anymore. He's in summer school, with his ex, and is struggling to pass so he can continue to his senior year of high school, while Arthur is an amazing student who's probably getting into Yale. All of this is set against the glittering backdrop of New York, seen as wondrous and new through Arthur's eyes and boring and old through Ben's. There's just SO MUCH going on.
I did have to double-check a few times who was narrating the chapter I was reading, but Twitter said the audio book actually has separate narrators for Arthur and Ben. So if you like audiobooks, that might be the better way to go for this book.
I loved that this book didn't just explore the romance between the two boys, but the friendships they had with each other and the people around them. More than a romance, I think this is a book about building your own family. People who will be there for you whether you're dating them or not.
Twitter also mentioned that the book could be disappointing if you were reading it for either of the author's signature styles. No one dies, and it's not completely happy fluff. So definitely set aside any expectations based on their previous books. I hadn't read them, so I enjoyed it for itself.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The book alternates viewpoints between Arthur, a Georgia boy in New York for the summer who recently came out as gay but has not yet gone out on a date with anyone, and Ben, who recently broke up with the boy he lost his virginity with. The difference in experience between the two is a plot point, as is the temporary nature of Arthur's visit to New York.
There is SO MUCH in this book. These are complex characters, and the romance between the two is simply the frame that the rest of the book revolves around. Arthur is still coming to terms with what being out means for him; he thinks his friends are being weird about it, his parents are fighting all the time, he's never dated and doesn't really know how to go about doing so. Ben is recovering from heartbreak with his first boyfriend. He's Puerto Rican but can pass for white, so people forget and think he's white, and that upsets him. His break up, and his best friend's, has splintered up their friend group and he misses the group, and his best friend seems to have moved on and doesn't have time for him anymore. He's in summer school, with his ex, and is struggling to pass so he can continue to his senior year of high school, while Arthur is an amazing student who's probably getting into Yale. All of this is set against the glittering backdrop of New York, seen as wondrous and new through Arthur's eyes and boring and old through Ben's. There's just SO MUCH going on.
I did have to double-check a few times who was narrating the chapter I was reading, but Twitter said the audio book actually has separate narrators for Arthur and Ben. So if you like audiobooks, that might be the better way to go for this book.
I loved that this book didn't just explore the romance between the two boys, but the friendships they had with each other and the people around them. More than a romance, I think this is a book about building your own family. People who will be there for you whether you're dating them or not.
Twitter also mentioned that the book could be disappointing if you were reading it for either of the author's signature styles. No one dies, and it's not completely happy fluff. So definitely set aside any expectations based on their previous books. I hadn't read them, so I enjoyed it for itself.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Magic Mike (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Depending on what you are looking for and what your expectations are going into it, the movie Magic Mike will either satisfy you or dissapoint you entirely.
Bad news first: If you are looking for a great plot, great storyline and phenomenal acting you will undoubtedly leave the theater disappointed.
Good news: If you are looking for a movie full of ‘good views’, some decent laughs, and men with rock-hard bodies with ripped muscles, you’ll get what you were looking for.
The movie Magic Mike, produced by Channing Tatum is loosely based on Tatum’s own experience before his acting career took off, when he spent a period of time earning a living as a male stripper. While working a roofing construction job, Mike (Tatum) meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer) and despite his young age, Mike befriends him and takes him out partying and, unbeknownst to Adam, to the strip club where Mikr works as a stripper. Mike introduces Adam to Dallas (Mathew McConaughey), the owner of the strip club, as The Kid.
.
During one of the club’s shows, one of the other strippers, “Tarzan” (Kevin Nash) passed out, and Mike pushes The Kid out on stage. It’s an awkward, unpolished performance, as one would expect from someone brand new to that particular scene, but The Kid proves to be a hit. When Adam realizes the income potential and allure of life as a stripper, he expresses interest in joining Magic Mike’s crew, and Mike and Dallas take him under their wings and teach him everything he needs to know to be successful in the business. They share tips, tricks, and outfit him with appropriate costumes. He quickly learns the dance moves and the importance of perfect timing when it comes to the pelvic thrust.
While the ‘main’ story line unfolded pretty well and the dancing and on-stage portion of the male revue club scenes were rather riveting, the attempt at bringing a romance into the story – first between Mike and Joanna (a Sociology student played by Olivia Munn) then Adam’s sister Brooke (Cody Horn) fell flat. It seemed awkward and forced, and there was no chemistry whatsoever. With a cast of stars such as McConaughey and Channing, one would expect a higher level of performance, but apparently the writer was counting on the sex appeal and dance scenes to carry the film. Instead, the audience was left with a series of awkward silences and uncomfortable, choppy dialog. Magic Mike left those in the audience that were looking for more than a two-hour male revue sadly disappointed.
We agreed that if you go wanting to see a ‘real’ movie with a ‘real’ storyline, Magic Mike rates 2 out of 5.
If you go with the expectations of ‘sex on a screen’ we rate this 4 of 5. And only 4 of 5 because we both felt uncomfortable with the ‘crotch in the face scenes’. But if you’re into that kinda thing, then by all means, 5 of 5.
Bad news first: If you are looking for a great plot, great storyline and phenomenal acting you will undoubtedly leave the theater disappointed.
Good news: If you are looking for a movie full of ‘good views’, some decent laughs, and men with rock-hard bodies with ripped muscles, you’ll get what you were looking for.
The movie Magic Mike, produced by Channing Tatum is loosely based on Tatum’s own experience before his acting career took off, when he spent a period of time earning a living as a male stripper. While working a roofing construction job, Mike (Tatum) meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer) and despite his young age, Mike befriends him and takes him out partying and, unbeknownst to Adam, to the strip club where Mikr works as a stripper. Mike introduces Adam to Dallas (Mathew McConaughey), the owner of the strip club, as The Kid.
.
During one of the club’s shows, one of the other strippers, “Tarzan” (Kevin Nash) passed out, and Mike pushes The Kid out on stage. It’s an awkward, unpolished performance, as one would expect from someone brand new to that particular scene, but The Kid proves to be a hit. When Adam realizes the income potential and allure of life as a stripper, he expresses interest in joining Magic Mike’s crew, and Mike and Dallas take him under their wings and teach him everything he needs to know to be successful in the business. They share tips, tricks, and outfit him with appropriate costumes. He quickly learns the dance moves and the importance of perfect timing when it comes to the pelvic thrust.
While the ‘main’ story line unfolded pretty well and the dancing and on-stage portion of the male revue club scenes were rather riveting, the attempt at bringing a romance into the story – first between Mike and Joanna (a Sociology student played by Olivia Munn) then Adam’s sister Brooke (Cody Horn) fell flat. It seemed awkward and forced, and there was no chemistry whatsoever. With a cast of stars such as McConaughey and Channing, one would expect a higher level of performance, but apparently the writer was counting on the sex appeal and dance scenes to carry the film. Instead, the audience was left with a series of awkward silences and uncomfortable, choppy dialog. Magic Mike left those in the audience that were looking for more than a two-hour male revue sadly disappointed.
We agreed that if you go wanting to see a ‘real’ movie with a ‘real’ storyline, Magic Mike rates 2 out of 5.
If you go with the expectations of ‘sex on a screen’ we rate this 4 of 5. And only 4 of 5 because we both felt uncomfortable with the ‘crotch in the face scenes’. But if you’re into that kinda thing, then by all means, 5 of 5.
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Andy K (10823 KP) Mar 27, 2018