Search
Search results
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Sparks Brothers (2021) in Movies
Jun 25, 2021
When I first saw the preview for The Sparks Brothers, I was instantly intrigued, and eagerly counted down until the release date, 18 June. Then, when I checked the showtimes, I realized it was not playing at the theaters that had advertised it, and I would have to drive 45 minutes to see it. As luck would have it, I got an email at 2PM on Thursday from Focus Features, inviting me to an online screening that started at 7PM that same day.
The band ‘Sparks’, sounded familiar, but I couldn’t exactly remember where I knew them from. I decided to go into the documentary film blind because I wanted to enjoy it. Many of the talking heads in this documentary were some of my favorite musicians, like Beck, Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, and Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
The Sparks Brothers are Ron and Russell Mael, who seem to be notoriously elusive. Honestly, the entire time, I didn’t know if these guys were being serious, or just messing with everyone. The documentary takes you through the brothers’ early life, then their massive, five-decade career. Apparently, all my favorite bands were inspired by the Mael bros, so that’s probably why their music sounded vaguely familiar in the movie trailer.
This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary, and I liked his approach. I watch a lot of documentary films, and sometimes they’re really hit or miss. Wright’s was a hit for me. It ebbed and flowed naturally and kept me engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The variety of talking heads was diverse, the brothers, musicians, actors, longtime fans, former producers and bandmates, as well as Wright himself, were all great contributors. I don’t think the Mael bros would have chosen to do a documentary with any other filmmaker, and that it was a true collaboration. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and I am so glad I got the invitation at the last minute.
The band ‘Sparks’, sounded familiar, but I couldn’t exactly remember where I knew them from. I decided to go into the documentary film blind because I wanted to enjoy it. Many of the talking heads in this documentary were some of my favorite musicians, like Beck, Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, and Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
The Sparks Brothers are Ron and Russell Mael, who seem to be notoriously elusive. Honestly, the entire time, I didn’t know if these guys were being serious, or just messing with everyone. The documentary takes you through the brothers’ early life, then their massive, five-decade career. Apparently, all my favorite bands were inspired by the Mael bros, so that’s probably why their music sounded vaguely familiar in the movie trailer.
This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary, and I liked his approach. I watch a lot of documentary films, and sometimes they’re really hit or miss. Wright’s was a hit for me. It ebbed and flowed naturally and kept me engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The variety of talking heads was diverse, the brothers, musicians, actors, longtime fans, former producers and bandmates, as well as Wright himself, were all great contributors. I don’t think the Mael bros would have chosen to do a documentary with any other filmmaker, and that it was a true collaboration. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and I am so glad I got the invitation at the last minute.
Natasha Khan recommended Words Of Wisdom And Hope by Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair in Music (curated)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2460 KP) rated The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking in Books
Sep 27, 2019
That Bone Isn’t Sid’s
When Dr. Georgia Thackery’s dog, Byron, gets out one afternoon, and when she and her daughter Madison find him again, he is clutching a bone. Naturally, the two assume it is part of Sid, and they race home to apologize to their friend. However, all of Sid’s bones are present and accounted for, so they get the police involved. It turns out that Byron has found part of a normal skeleton (you know, not walking and talking), and the police are able to determine that the skeleton was murdered. The police have no leads on who the skeleton might have been in life, but Georgia’s friend and fellow adjunct, Charles, approaches her. He thinks he might know the victim, but the only way to give the police that information might lead the police directly to Charles. And so Georgia jumps into action again, with Sid doing his best to research the case on the internet. Was the victim Charles’s friend? If so, who killed her?
If you are new to the series, you might be a bit lost. You see, Sid is a walking, talking skeleton and Georgia’s best friend. That’s the only paranormal element to the series, and it is done is a realistic manner, which makes it feel very natural. The characters, including Sid, are very strong, which certainly helps make it all seem real. The plot, while not a traditional cozy mystery plot, is very strong with plenty of twists and surprises along the way to the climax. In fact, I liked the fact that it was something different plot wise, and it certainly kept me engaged the entire time. I did think that Christmas aspect could have been stronger, but that’s my only complaint and a very small one at that. As a lover of puns, I absolutely loved the puns and other humor in the book. If you are just now meeting Sid, you are in for a treat. If you are already a fan, you’ll love this newest visit with him.
If you are new to the series, you might be a bit lost. You see, Sid is a walking, talking skeleton and Georgia’s best friend. That’s the only paranormal element to the series, and it is done is a realistic manner, which makes it feel very natural. The characters, including Sid, are very strong, which certainly helps make it all seem real. The plot, while not a traditional cozy mystery plot, is very strong with plenty of twists and surprises along the way to the climax. In fact, I liked the fact that it was something different plot wise, and it certainly kept me engaged the entire time. I did think that Christmas aspect could have been stronger, but that’s my only complaint and a very small one at that. As a lover of puns, I absolutely loved the puns and other humor in the book. If you are just now meeting Sid, you are in for a treat. If you are already a fan, you’ll love this newest visit with him.
Interesting premise (1 more)
Kids with powers and no adult supervision
I really like the premise of this book. While we've seen stories that include an area being blocked off from the rest of the world by a dome like barrier, there are other things going on that make this original and different from similar stories. The kids are acquiring powers that allow them to do all sorts of things from being able to move at the speed of light to being able to heal any injury which adds something else to this story. The animals have also mutated in the form of talking wolves, flying snakes, etc. The kids are having to learn how to form a functioning society and fend for themselves since anyone 15 and over has disappeared from town. While all of this is happening, the fight between Sam and Caine for power and leadership holds your interest and keeps you reading. I will definitely be reading book 2.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Innocent (Will Robie #1) in Books
May 10, 2018
First let me say what an awesome audio book this was. You could hear the gunshots and explosions as they went off. Another part of this book, that really got me interested, was that it was set in the Washington, D.C. area. It's interesting to read a book and recognize the places that they are talking about.
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
Wendy Jo (37 KP) rated Underground - Season 1 in TV
Mar 2, 2019
Blown away!!!! Save Underground from Cancellation!
Holy crap! There I was, innocently minding my own business on Hulu. Saw the actor from Leverage (older than series) pop up on the screen, have always loved him, figured hey let's give it a go. I had never even heard of this series. I can not believe more people aren't talking about this freaking series man!!! It's a portrayal from the eyes of the slaves during slavery. Very much like Roots, but in my opinion, just as life altering, without ever truly repeating the story. The actors and actresses are just breathtaking. The costumes and soundtrack are mesmerizing. The cast literally just gets better from one season to the next. So incredibly impressed with this show. We need this show, its a shame WGN cancelled it. I really hope Hulu picks it up.
Matthew Scott (7 KP) rated WTF with Marc Maron Podcast in Podcasts
Mar 25, 2019
He gently squeezes the stories out of celebrities that you won't hear anywhere else!
This is a can't miss podcast for anybody into the genre. His guests include top shelf celebrities from Hollywood and music, not to mention Barack Obama himself! He opens the podcast talking about what's going on in his personal life, including his awesome cats, and proceeds to give a very in depth interview to a notable guest. Even when you've heard this guest on other shows, Marc has a gentle way of coaxing the good stuff out of them. His openness about his substance abuse decades ago and the abuse he suffered as a child has a way of telling his guests that it's ok to come clean to me, I've been through it, too. A deeply personal experience and an absolute thrill to listen to.
Jean (18 KP) rated One More Light by Linkin Park in Music
Jan 21, 2018
The last from Linkin Park as we knew them
My other half got me this on CD for Christmas and I'm so glad he did.
For me, it was a very bittersweet listen. There were many times on that first listen that I had a lump in my throat, especially with track titles such as "Talking To Myself", "Invisible" and "Nobody Can Save Me" and it makes it a doubly difficult listen when we remember that the band won't be able to make any new music ever again with Chester (Bennington, frontman of Linkin Park who very sadly died, possibly by his own hand on July 20th 2017). As soon as I'd listened to One More Light Live I recommended it to a friend of mine that is also a Linkin Park fan.
If you're a fan of live recordings, or even just a fan of Linkin Park the band, I think you'll like this. I love it, personally.
For me, it was a very bittersweet listen. There were many times on that first listen that I had a lump in my throat, especially with track titles such as "Talking To Myself", "Invisible" and "Nobody Can Save Me" and it makes it a doubly difficult listen when we remember that the band won't be able to make any new music ever again with Chester (Bennington, frontman of Linkin Park who very sadly died, possibly by his own hand on July 20th 2017). As soon as I'd listened to One More Light Live I recommended it to a friend of mine that is also a Linkin Park fan.
If you're a fan of live recordings, or even just a fan of Linkin Park the band, I think you'll like this. I love it, personally.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2460 KP) rated Rest in Peach (Georgia Peach Mystery #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
While Nola Mae Harper is intent on finishing up the store front for her new peach business, the rest of Cays Mill is talking about the cotillion, the age old presentation of the young women in town into society. But when a fight over a dress leads to murder, Nola finds herself caught up in helping her friend Ginny prove she is innocent.
I had a lot of fun on this return visit to Cays Mill. Nola is a good main character, and I liked watching her grow here. The rest of the cast is fun as well. I did figure out the mystery early, but there were still a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, and I was having fun along the way, so I really didn’t mind.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-rest-in-peach-by-susan.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I had a lot of fun on this return visit to Cays Mill. Nola is a good main character, and I liked watching her grow here. The rest of the cast is fun as well. I did figure out the mystery early, but there were still a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, and I was having fun along the way, so I really didn’t mind.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-rest-in-peach-by-susan.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2460 KP) rated Assaulted Pretzel (An Amish Mystery, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Everyone, English and Amish alike, are talking about toy maker Rob Karble being in town to make a deal to distribute toys made by the local Amish. However, not too long after word leaks he intends to use his factory instead of the local Amish, he is found murdered. Once again, Claire Weatherly finds herself getting involved to clear her new Amish friends.
I still can’t get over how strong the characters in this series are. They pull you in and make you care about every page. The plot is good, and kept me guessing until the end. I did find the romantic triangle a bit too prominent, and yet with the way it ended, I can’t wait to find out what happens next there as well. The strong characters are to blame for that contradiction.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-assaulted-pretzel-by-laura.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I still can’t get over how strong the characters in this series are. They pull you in and make you care about every page. The plot is good, and kept me guessing until the end. I did find the romantic triangle a bit too prominent, and yet with the way it ended, I can’t wait to find out what happens next there as well. The strong characters are to blame for that contradiction.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-assaulted-pretzel-by-laura.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.