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The Chalk Man
The Chalk Man
C.J. Tudor | 2018 | Thriller
7
7.7 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unnerving thriller with lots of different threads
While elements of this psychological thriller seem far-fetched, there's something ghoulish and almost Stephen King-like in its approach.

Following the narrative of Ed, the teacher recounts his childhood with his friends and the time they found the dismembered body of a young woman. In the meantime, chalk drawings keep appearing, and take a life of their own.

While the ending is startling and worth listening to the finish, at times the back and forth narrative from past to future becomes convoluted and can be hard to keep track, let alone concentrate. A good thriller, but with a lot of loose ends.
  
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Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated Facebook in Apps

Jun 15, 2018  
Facebook
Facebook
Communication, Entertainment, Events, Social Networking
6
7.6 (436 Ratings)
App Rating
stay connected to fam and friends (0 more)
A % of time to an OK App
One of my biggest problems was the ability to make changes to an interact with Pages that I managed - they got that fixed. That was always my biggest problem with the Facebook app.

I really like my ability to stay connected with people in my life using Facebook. The unfortunate thing is that the algorithm that they use to drive what show on your feed not only gives you all the bad, it teaches us to promote the bad and the tragic that we see.

My rule for Facebook: Only the good.
  
Oliver! (1968)
Oliver! (1968)
1968 | Classics, Comedy, Drama
10
8.0 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
It shows you the humble of a noble heart. (0 more)
I hate movies where a kind souk has to suffer. (0 more)
A classic that you have to see at least once in your life
Good direction, you get to hate the antagonists and the main actor wins your heart. Oliver Twist is a book classic if you can read the book before the movie, read it. If not, then pictured the characters as in the movie sometimes help you more.

As I said, Oliver Twist is a classic both, movie and book. You have to watch it as a must, more so, in the holidays season.
  
In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)
In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)
Kage Baker | 2005
4
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I cry mercy. Love the concept, and the first third or thereabouts was good, but everything after: the barely there plot, the romance, manor life in the English country, pretty much everything, was all dull, dull, dull. I was disappointed in the lack of sci-fi and the history that was only spoken about and never lived through, so it didn't deliver on either account. Sure, the author can string a sentence together, there were a couple of amusing lines, and the Elizabethan English seemed well-done (although I couldn't be further from an expert), but I have a feeling the other books in the series are better. However, if the next one doesn't spark my interest, I'm done.
  
The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is a young Pakistani American trying to make it as a stand-up comic. He spends his free time making extra money as an Uber driver and getting set up with Pakistani women by his family, in an attempt to arrange a marriage for him. Then his life changes one night when he meets an American girl named Emily (Zoe Kazan). After hooking up the night they meet they start a whirlwind relationship. But Kumail is hiding this relationship from his family, because they would disown him if they found out, and still meeting with the young women who he could potentially marry. When Emily finds this out she confronts Kumail and they break up. Kumail is depressed but felt he had to choose his family and tradition over his feelings for Emily. Then a while later he gets a frantic call in the middle of the night from one of Emily’s friends asking him to go to the Emergency Room and wait with her. When he arrives doctors are wanting to put Emily into an induced coma. With no one else around Kumail stays with Emily. Emily’s parents (played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter) show up and know everything that happened between Kumail and Emily. It is uncomfortable but Kumail feel like he needs to stay. He is now struggling with is feelings for Emily and his culture.

The Big Sick is a film telling the real-life story of courtship of Kumail and his real life wife Emily V. Gordon, both of whom wrote screenplay. The Michael Showatler (Hello My Name is Doris) directed film is very funny and smartly paced. There is a good balance of comedy and the serious situations, including dealing with trauma and overcoming cultural differences. The cast is really good, from Hunter and Romano to comedians Aidy Bryant and Kurt Braunohler the supporting roles are really well cast and performed. Zoe Kazan was really good during her time on screen. There were times when I could tell that the dialogue was dubbed over and it was a little distracting, but only a handful of times. I also appreciated the side story of the life of a young comic. It was not a focal point of the movie but it definitely showed how Kumail struggled to become a comic and how life and his family culture sometimes got in the way of his ambition, in both good and bad ways.

Heartwarming and funny this film is original and fun to watch. It was definitely nice to be caught off guard by some really funny moments in the middle of serious situations. It has a run time of 2 hours and 4 minutes with is a little longer than average but really doesn’t feel that long.