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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 10, 2019)
More DC than Marvel
Bryan Singer’s return to the X-Men franchise comes at the perfect time both for the series and its director.
After last year’s poorly executed Jack the Giant Slayer, Singer needed to come back to home turf and after a string of irritating X-Men films, including the entertaining but soulless X-Men: The Last Stand and the downright offensive Wolverine origins story, it seems the superhero series needed to do the same.
But can a re-partnering 11 years after the brilliant X2 restore the magic of one of Marvel’s best comics?
Partially is the answer here. Singer restores the cinematic flair and sparkle of the series and brings back a lot of old faces but forgets a lot of the fun in the process.
x-men-days-of-future-past-character-poster-01.jpgDays of Future Past is set in a dystopian future as a war between mutants and humans continues to rage. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Storm (Halle Berry) and many other fan favourites return to the series after being absent for some time. We follow these characters as they try to escape the sentinels; an army of robots impressively rendered in CGI designed to kill any mutant on sight, friend or foe.
The only way to stop the war is to send a mutant back to 1973 when the sentinel program was put in motion. Unfortunately, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is the chosen one and remains the lead character throughout the film.
Back in 1973, the mutants from X-Men First Class are blissfully unaware of what lies in store for them, though they still have their own personal battles to deal with.
As the film progresses, it becomes painfully obvious that this is very much a “First Class” era film. James McAvoy’s impressive take on the young Charles Xavier returns, as does Michael Fassbender’s Magneto.
However, only Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique makes a lasting impact amongst the 1973 era mutants. You can see the pain and torment etched onto her face throughout theJennifer-Lawrence-mystique film and as in The Hunger Games she steals focus from everyone around her. Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage also joins the cast as the film’s primary antagonist Bolivar Trask and is a real joy to watch. His character is understated in every way, but he remains an iconic presence throughout.
However, as impressive as the set pieces and acting performances are, it is in the future where we wish to see more. The ‘classic’ characters are barely given any screen time which is a real shame and the real mutant cost of the war is glossed over entirely. The special effects are genuinely very good. Each of the action sequences is well choreographed and the CGI is great, especially the rendering on the future sentinels which can adapt to seek a mutant’s power – no matter what it is.
Unfortunately, the fun factor is completely lost as Singer ramps up the tension and the death toll. In fact, only one character provides the humour and that is Evan Peters’ portrayal of Quicksilver who is only on screen for 15 minutes.
Overall, X-Men: Days of Future Past is definitely the best film of the series and thankfully does away with the atrocities that have been committed previously in the franchise. However, it feels like Singer was trying so hard to repair his predecessor’s mistakes, he forgot some of the key elements of a Marvel superhero film in the process – this is more DC than Marvel.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/06/01/x-men-days-of-future-past-review/
After last year’s poorly executed Jack the Giant Slayer, Singer needed to come back to home turf and after a string of irritating X-Men films, including the entertaining but soulless X-Men: The Last Stand and the downright offensive Wolverine origins story, it seems the superhero series needed to do the same.
But can a re-partnering 11 years after the brilliant X2 restore the magic of one of Marvel’s best comics?
Partially is the answer here. Singer restores the cinematic flair and sparkle of the series and brings back a lot of old faces but forgets a lot of the fun in the process.
x-men-days-of-future-past-character-poster-01.jpgDays of Future Past is set in a dystopian future as a war between mutants and humans continues to rage. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Storm (Halle Berry) and many other fan favourites return to the series after being absent for some time. We follow these characters as they try to escape the sentinels; an army of robots impressively rendered in CGI designed to kill any mutant on sight, friend or foe.
The only way to stop the war is to send a mutant back to 1973 when the sentinel program was put in motion. Unfortunately, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is the chosen one and remains the lead character throughout the film.
Back in 1973, the mutants from X-Men First Class are blissfully unaware of what lies in store for them, though they still have their own personal battles to deal with.
As the film progresses, it becomes painfully obvious that this is very much a “First Class” era film. James McAvoy’s impressive take on the young Charles Xavier returns, as does Michael Fassbender’s Magneto.
However, only Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique makes a lasting impact amongst the 1973 era mutants. You can see the pain and torment etched onto her face throughout theJennifer-Lawrence-mystique film and as in The Hunger Games she steals focus from everyone around her. Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage also joins the cast as the film’s primary antagonist Bolivar Trask and is a real joy to watch. His character is understated in every way, but he remains an iconic presence throughout.
However, as impressive as the set pieces and acting performances are, it is in the future where we wish to see more. The ‘classic’ characters are barely given any screen time which is a real shame and the real mutant cost of the war is glossed over entirely. The special effects are genuinely very good. Each of the action sequences is well choreographed and the CGI is great, especially the rendering on the future sentinels which can adapt to seek a mutant’s power – no matter what it is.
Unfortunately, the fun factor is completely lost as Singer ramps up the tension and the death toll. In fact, only one character provides the humour and that is Evan Peters’ portrayal of Quicksilver who is only on screen for 15 minutes.
Overall, X-Men: Days of Future Past is definitely the best film of the series and thankfully does away with the atrocities that have been committed previously in the franchise. However, it feels like Singer was trying so hard to repair his predecessor’s mistakes, he forgot some of the key elements of a Marvel superhero film in the process – this is more DC than Marvel.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/06/01/x-men-days-of-future-past-review/
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Redemption in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I did not read the first book in the series, Protector, but that did not seem to matter all that much in reading this book. I caught up relatively easily to what the author felt I needed to know about Jane Perry's story so that I could dive into the action-packed, suspense-filled plot of this book.
One of the first things I noticed about the main character of Jane Perry is both her seemingly-abrasive personality, complete with a foul mouth, and her battle with alcoholism. Throughout the book, her strong personality is both her greatest strength and her biggest weakness. Her daily battle to remain sober - pushing six months - is also a prominent theme, complete with AA meetings, sobriety chips, and the 12-step program. I found these details interesting from the educational standpoint, since I have known a few alcoholics, both recovering and not, but nothing about the process of recovery from this horrible addiction.
The woman that hires Jane Perry, Katherine Clark (better known as Kit), is in many ways the very opposite of Jane. A woman in her 60's, she describes her personality as that of an "earth mother". Dealing with stage 4 cancer, she is a strict adherent of New Age philosophies and herbal medicine to treat both her cancer and her particular brand of spirituality. In addition, several of the plot's "bad guys" were followers of a particular sect of Fundamentalist Christianity that Kit spends an overt amount of time condemning, despite her many lectures of tolerance, love, and forgiveness. This in turn incites Jane to regularly mock Fundamentalist Christianity by proxy.
While I realize that radicals of any religion are easy fodder for mainstream literature, the personal beliefs of the author completely overpower the actual plot of the book. It is patently obvious that Dewey is a major supporter of all things New Age, with a penchant for Buddhism, and is completely against a literal translation of the Bible. As I have said in previous reviews, a good author is invisible to the reader, but in this book, the author often felt more present in the plot than the actual characters the book was intended to be about - some sort of amalgamation of Jane and Kit. Despite the good intentions that I am sure Dewey harbors in writing in this fashion, I became rather depressed by the end of the book by the over-saturation of Dewey's agenda of New Ageism versus Christianity, as the book became less and less about the heroics of Jane Perry and more about the beliefs of Laurel Dewey.
While I acknowledge that I do not agree with everything within the particular doctrines of the character of Dr. John Bartosh, I do consider myself a Fundamentalist Christian, a person who believes in both the literal and figurative translation of the Bible. For the author to expect me, the reader, to not even be slightly offended by the condemnation and open mockery of what I consider to be the foundation of my morality and how I live my life on a daily basis is both presumptuous and insensitive.
Despite this, the book was well-written from a literary approach, with unique characters, an unpredictable plot, and no loose ends.
One of the first things I noticed about the main character of Jane Perry is both her seemingly-abrasive personality, complete with a foul mouth, and her battle with alcoholism. Throughout the book, her strong personality is both her greatest strength and her biggest weakness. Her daily battle to remain sober - pushing six months - is also a prominent theme, complete with AA meetings, sobriety chips, and the 12-step program. I found these details interesting from the educational standpoint, since I have known a few alcoholics, both recovering and not, but nothing about the process of recovery from this horrible addiction.
The woman that hires Jane Perry, Katherine Clark (better known as Kit), is in many ways the very opposite of Jane. A woman in her 60's, she describes her personality as that of an "earth mother". Dealing with stage 4 cancer, she is a strict adherent of New Age philosophies and herbal medicine to treat both her cancer and her particular brand of spirituality. In addition, several of the plot's "bad guys" were followers of a particular sect of Fundamentalist Christianity that Kit spends an overt amount of time condemning, despite her many lectures of tolerance, love, and forgiveness. This in turn incites Jane to regularly mock Fundamentalist Christianity by proxy.
While I realize that radicals of any religion are easy fodder for mainstream literature, the personal beliefs of the author completely overpower the actual plot of the book. It is patently obvious that Dewey is a major supporter of all things New Age, with a penchant for Buddhism, and is completely against a literal translation of the Bible. As I have said in previous reviews, a good author is invisible to the reader, but in this book, the author often felt more present in the plot than the actual characters the book was intended to be about - some sort of amalgamation of Jane and Kit. Despite the good intentions that I am sure Dewey harbors in writing in this fashion, I became rather depressed by the end of the book by the over-saturation of Dewey's agenda of New Ageism versus Christianity, as the book became less and less about the heroics of Jane Perry and more about the beliefs of Laurel Dewey.
While I acknowledge that I do not agree with everything within the particular doctrines of the character of Dr. John Bartosh, I do consider myself a Fundamentalist Christian, a person who believes in both the literal and figurative translation of the Bible. For the author to expect me, the reader, to not even be slightly offended by the condemnation and open mockery of what I consider to be the foundation of my morality and how I live my life on a daily basis is both presumptuous and insensitive.
Despite this, the book was well-written from a literary approach, with unique characters, an unpredictable plot, and no loose ends.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Seasons of an Amish Garden in Books
Feb 27, 2019
If you’ve followed my blog for sometime now, you’ll know that one of my favorite genres, outside of thriller novels, is Amish fiction. And, in that Amish Fiction, I have 5 top favorite authors. One of those is, without a doubt, Amy Clipston. I fell in love with her writing style and books way back when I read a book she did that wasn’t Amish fiction. Every time I pick up a novel by her, she sweeps me off my feet and puts me in the heart of the book, as she did with this new one.
This is a collection of four novellas. These novellas feature the characters from her novella in An Amish Love collection. Each story here brings us a different season, in which the garden that is planted will grow. Each story, each season, brings something new to the book, taking the reader on a whirl wind ride of love, hope, fun, and memories.
The characters that Clipston brings us back to, all feel like coming home to family. They are chiseled perfectly, their emotions radiating right off the pages. My personal favorite from this collection is Home By Summer, which is following Clara Hertzler and Jerry Petersheim. I loved the message woven into this particular story. Understanding, hope, and most of all, renewed faith in the Lord above. I felt so refreshed after reading their story!
Anything less than 4 stars for this captivating read, would be injustice. The pages of this book will pull you in, have you up late into the night, making new friends, and enjoying time with old friends. If you are looking for a book that will refresh your mind, your soul, and take you through the seasons of life, then grab a copy now. You will not be sorry, and if you’re new to Amy Clipston’s work, you’ll be a new fan, instantly! Amy Clipston, hats off to you, once again, for another collection of heartwarming stories that I won’t soon forget!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booklook Blogger Program and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
This is a collection of four novellas. These novellas feature the characters from her novella in An Amish Love collection. Each story here brings us a different season, in which the garden that is planted will grow. Each story, each season, brings something new to the book, taking the reader on a whirl wind ride of love, hope, fun, and memories.
The characters that Clipston brings us back to, all feel like coming home to family. They are chiseled perfectly, their emotions radiating right off the pages. My personal favorite from this collection is Home By Summer, which is following Clara Hertzler and Jerry Petersheim. I loved the message woven into this particular story. Understanding, hope, and most of all, renewed faith in the Lord above. I felt so refreshed after reading their story!
Anything less than 4 stars for this captivating read, would be injustice. The pages of this book will pull you in, have you up late into the night, making new friends, and enjoying time with old friends. If you are looking for a book that will refresh your mind, your soul, and take you through the seasons of life, then grab a copy now. You will not be sorry, and if you’re new to Amy Clipston’s work, you’ll be a new fan, instantly! Amy Clipston, hats off to you, once again, for another collection of heartwarming stories that I won’t soon forget!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booklook Blogger Program and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Glory Road (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Sports films have long been a popular genre in Hollywood as classics such as Pride of the Yankees, The Natural, and Raging Bull are all examples of some of the finest examples of sports films which encapsulate the very essence of the sport they portray.
In the new film Glory Road Josh Lucas stars as Don Haskins, a girls Basketball coach who is given the chance to coach a Division 1 team at Texas Western in 1966.
The small school cannot offer the coach much in the way of amenities as Don and his family are required to live in the student’s dorm. Since his dreams of playing pro ball came to a halt after a knee injury, Haskins looks at his job as a chance for him to make a name for himself.
The task will be daunting as Texas Western is a very small school that puts the majority of its athletic budget into the football program leaving next to no money for the gym, new equipment, and recruiting of players.
After a frustrating attempt to recruit players at a local invitational, Haskins sets his sites on a young African American player who while big on attitude, is also big on potential.
With scholarships to offer, Haskins and his staff travel the nation and shock the conservative school by offering scholarships to 8 African American players. In a day and age when teams had at most 1-2 African American players; many of whom did not see much playing time; this is a risky move for the coach.
Undaunted, the coach begins the process of integrating his new players with his current players all of whom are Caucasian, which leads to some tension over starting rights, abilities, and styles.
Haskins is a no nonsense coach who is very strict in regards to grades, effort in practice, and above all avoiding late nights and carousing while the season is underway. Despite this, many players decide to test the will of the coach which raises issues of commitment to the team and discipline, all of which are standard staples of sports films.
When the season starts, a funny thing happens. Not only is the coach playing his African American players in a heavy rotation, but little Texas Western is winning their games and beating some of the more noted teams in the country in the process.
As their notoriety increases so does the amount of hostility directed towards the team from racially incensed fans who do not like the make up of the team and especially hate their success.
Despite this, the team finds itself in the National Championship game against powerful Kentucky coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight), where Haskins makes history by starting and playing only his African American players which is a first in NCAA finals history.
While the marketing and trailers for the film certainly do not hesitate from telling you most of the above and underscoring that the team ends up in the finals and that the film is based on a true story, it is not about the final results, it is about the journey the team took getting there.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is a master at knowing what the fans want and director James Gartner gives viewers a by the number film that delivers the goods. Yes, the film heavily uses all the sporting clichés from the ailing player, the us against the world mentality, the team of misfits, and so on all of which combines to offer little cinematic tension as it is very clear early on and from the ads where this film will end up.
Despite tipping their hand early and throughout, the filmmakers have decided not to rock the boat and have stuck with a tried and true formula that results with a winning albeit very predictable film.
Lucas does a solid job in the roll and makes the best of the material he has to work with. The game sequences are well managed and rousing which had members of my preview audience cheering.
While it offers little originality, Glory Road is a lot of fun, and despite mining every cliché in the book, is an entertaining time at the movies.
In the new film Glory Road Josh Lucas stars as Don Haskins, a girls Basketball coach who is given the chance to coach a Division 1 team at Texas Western in 1966.
The small school cannot offer the coach much in the way of amenities as Don and his family are required to live in the student’s dorm. Since his dreams of playing pro ball came to a halt after a knee injury, Haskins looks at his job as a chance for him to make a name for himself.
The task will be daunting as Texas Western is a very small school that puts the majority of its athletic budget into the football program leaving next to no money for the gym, new equipment, and recruiting of players.
After a frustrating attempt to recruit players at a local invitational, Haskins sets his sites on a young African American player who while big on attitude, is also big on potential.
With scholarships to offer, Haskins and his staff travel the nation and shock the conservative school by offering scholarships to 8 African American players. In a day and age when teams had at most 1-2 African American players; many of whom did not see much playing time; this is a risky move for the coach.
Undaunted, the coach begins the process of integrating his new players with his current players all of whom are Caucasian, which leads to some tension over starting rights, abilities, and styles.
Haskins is a no nonsense coach who is very strict in regards to grades, effort in practice, and above all avoiding late nights and carousing while the season is underway. Despite this, many players decide to test the will of the coach which raises issues of commitment to the team and discipline, all of which are standard staples of sports films.
When the season starts, a funny thing happens. Not only is the coach playing his African American players in a heavy rotation, but little Texas Western is winning their games and beating some of the more noted teams in the country in the process.
As their notoriety increases so does the amount of hostility directed towards the team from racially incensed fans who do not like the make up of the team and especially hate their success.
Despite this, the team finds itself in the National Championship game against powerful Kentucky coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight), where Haskins makes history by starting and playing only his African American players which is a first in NCAA finals history.
While the marketing and trailers for the film certainly do not hesitate from telling you most of the above and underscoring that the team ends up in the finals and that the film is based on a true story, it is not about the final results, it is about the journey the team took getting there.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is a master at knowing what the fans want and director James Gartner gives viewers a by the number film that delivers the goods. Yes, the film heavily uses all the sporting clichés from the ailing player, the us against the world mentality, the team of misfits, and so on all of which combines to offer little cinematic tension as it is very clear early on and from the ads where this film will end up.
Despite tipping their hand early and throughout, the filmmakers have decided not to rock the boat and have stuck with a tried and true formula that results with a winning albeit very predictable film.
Lucas does a solid job in the roll and makes the best of the material he has to work with. The game sequences are well managed and rousing which had members of my preview audience cheering.
While it offers little originality, Glory Road is a lot of fun, and despite mining every cliché in the book, is an entertaining time at the movies.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Love Unexpected (Beacons of Hope, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Lighthouses are a thing of beauty. Yet they are also to be feared and respected. The dangers of being a lightkeeper are known all too well to Patrick Garraty.
Emma Chambers has longed for nothing more than to settle down and have a home and a family. When her and her brother Ryan are stranded in Burnham's Landing, a little fishing village on Lake Huron, her dream becomes reality. Patrick Garraty, the head keeper at the Presque Isle Lighthouse, has recently lost his wife and is need of someone to help run the lighthouse as well as raise his son Josiah. Circumstances couldn't have worked out better, except when Patrick's past literally comes knocking at the door. Will his past crimes and sins destroy all that Emma has come to love? Will she be able to forgive him for his mistakes? Will they ever be able to cherish the unexpected love that has come into their lives?
Jody Hedlund has done it again! She sucked me into this story until all I could think about was what was going to happen next? I have to admit I was quite anxious the whole time I was reading Love Unexpected. Not only because I was constantly hoping that Emma and Patrick would be able to work things out, but because of the realness of the past coming back to haunt us. I believe that a lot of people have things in their past that they would prefer to be left forgotten. But as Jody touched on so accurately, when we ask the Lord's forgiveness he forgives, and forgets. Tossing our sins into the swirling waves of grace where they are dissolved and never brought back up. The only thing left for us to do is forgive ourselves and walk forward. Trusting in Him and letting Him lead our steps. Then, if our past does try to resurface, we can rest in God. Knowing that that is no longer who we are or what we do. We have been forgiven, cleansed and are His holy children. I look forward to the release of the second book in Beacons of Hope series Hearts Made Whole.
As part of their Blogger Review Program I received a free digital copy of Love Unexpected from Bethany House Publishers through Net Galley.
Check out the prequel to Love Unexpected for free! Out of the Storm
Emma Chambers has longed for nothing more than to settle down and have a home and a family. When her and her brother Ryan are stranded in Burnham's Landing, a little fishing village on Lake Huron, her dream becomes reality. Patrick Garraty, the head keeper at the Presque Isle Lighthouse, has recently lost his wife and is need of someone to help run the lighthouse as well as raise his son Josiah. Circumstances couldn't have worked out better, except when Patrick's past literally comes knocking at the door. Will his past crimes and sins destroy all that Emma has come to love? Will she be able to forgive him for his mistakes? Will they ever be able to cherish the unexpected love that has come into their lives?
Jody Hedlund has done it again! She sucked me into this story until all I could think about was what was going to happen next? I have to admit I was quite anxious the whole time I was reading Love Unexpected. Not only because I was constantly hoping that Emma and Patrick would be able to work things out, but because of the realness of the past coming back to haunt us. I believe that a lot of people have things in their past that they would prefer to be left forgotten. But as Jody touched on so accurately, when we ask the Lord's forgiveness he forgives, and forgets. Tossing our sins into the swirling waves of grace where they are dissolved and never brought back up. The only thing left for us to do is forgive ourselves and walk forward. Trusting in Him and letting Him lead our steps. Then, if our past does try to resurface, we can rest in God. Knowing that that is no longer who we are or what we do. We have been forgiven, cleansed and are His holy children. I look forward to the release of the second book in Beacons of Hope series Hearts Made Whole.
As part of their Blogger Review Program I received a free digital copy of Love Unexpected from Bethany House Publishers through Net Galley.
Check out the prequel to Love Unexpected for free! Out of the Storm
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal: A handy companion journal in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Mayo Clinic Diet (and journal)
by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic
Genre: Health, self-help
Rating: 5
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a great book that guides you through a healthy way to loose weight. They focus on changing your eating habits, eating the right amount of the right thing, self control, self motivation, and staying healthy.
The word “Diet” has a bad reputation. People hear it and shutter. I don’t think Diet was the right word to use in the title of this book, I think they could have used something like “Health guide” or “lifestyle” because it’s not really a diet. Sure there are guides on what to eat, but there aren’t any super strict guidelines saying “don’t eat this” or “you must eat this.” This book is all about loosing weight right, and doing it healthfully.
The Mayo Clinic Diet asks some basic questions that get the reader thinking, like “why do you want to loose weight,” “what are your goals” etc. and the reason behind them. You really get down in to why you are bothering to change your body. Sure it’s good for you. But there are other reasons why people want to shape up. The Mayo Clinic Diet asks the right questions and gets you thinking so you can find your reasons, so you can find your motivation.
The actual “diet” part of this book is great. It talks about which foods to eat, which things to eat more of, which to eat less of, how to pick the right meat/cheese/milk etc. (note, for the sake of sharing with you a quick opinion, that the only thing I don’t agree with in the book is their view on skim milk. They recommend it. I don’t. It has no nutritional value, and you need whole milk, or low-fat at the least.). It talks about portion control (the key of weight loss!) and offers visual cues for identifying the right serving size, like “hockey puck” and “tennis ball” and “deck of cards” serving size, explains how to eat healthfully (yes there is a special way to eat!), gives advice on what to eat for snacks, lists exercise tips for beginners (easy to follow, not complicated or requiring equipment), and even identifies obstacles you may come across (excuses, habits, depressed thoughts etc.) , and strategies to get through them.
The journal is not necessary for the diet, but is a helpful tool that will guide you through the program. It follows the timeline given in the book, includes space for meal plans, weekly weigh-in, a section for goals and notes for the day, places to record what you ate, and habit tracker, and even a daily food pyramid checklist. It could even be used independently of the diet book, but I recommend using both together because the book has a lot of helpful information, and the journal is a motivating way to put it into action.
Recommendation: Anyone who needs to loose weight but is afraid of “another diet.” This is not the same diet you’re used to. Again, I think “diet” is the wrong word. This is a new lifestyle.
by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic
Genre: Health, self-help
Rating: 5
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a great book that guides you through a healthy way to loose weight. They focus on changing your eating habits, eating the right amount of the right thing, self control, self motivation, and staying healthy.
The word “Diet” has a bad reputation. People hear it and shutter. I don’t think Diet was the right word to use in the title of this book, I think they could have used something like “Health guide” or “lifestyle” because it’s not really a diet. Sure there are guides on what to eat, but there aren’t any super strict guidelines saying “don’t eat this” or “you must eat this.” This book is all about loosing weight right, and doing it healthfully.
The Mayo Clinic Diet asks some basic questions that get the reader thinking, like “why do you want to loose weight,” “what are your goals” etc. and the reason behind them. You really get down in to why you are bothering to change your body. Sure it’s good for you. But there are other reasons why people want to shape up. The Mayo Clinic Diet asks the right questions and gets you thinking so you can find your reasons, so you can find your motivation.
The actual “diet” part of this book is great. It talks about which foods to eat, which things to eat more of, which to eat less of, how to pick the right meat/cheese/milk etc. (note, for the sake of sharing with you a quick opinion, that the only thing I don’t agree with in the book is their view on skim milk. They recommend it. I don’t. It has no nutritional value, and you need whole milk, or low-fat at the least.). It talks about portion control (the key of weight loss!) and offers visual cues for identifying the right serving size, like “hockey puck” and “tennis ball” and “deck of cards” serving size, explains how to eat healthfully (yes there is a special way to eat!), gives advice on what to eat for snacks, lists exercise tips for beginners (easy to follow, not complicated or requiring equipment), and even identifies obstacles you may come across (excuses, habits, depressed thoughts etc.) , and strategies to get through them.
The journal is not necessary for the diet, but is a helpful tool that will guide you through the program. It follows the timeline given in the book, includes space for meal plans, weekly weigh-in, a section for goals and notes for the day, places to record what you ate, and habit tracker, and even a daily food pyramid checklist. It could even be used independently of the diet book, but I recommend using both together because the book has a lot of helpful information, and the journal is a motivating way to put it into action.
Recommendation: Anyone who needs to loose weight but is afraid of “another diet.” This is not the same diet you’re used to. Again, I think “diet” is the wrong word. This is a new lifestyle.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight. in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Mayo Clinic Diet (and journal)
by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic
Genre: Health, self-help
Rating: 5
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a great book that guides you through a healthy way to loose weight. They focus on changing your eating habits, eating the right amount of the right thing, self control, self motivation, and staying healthy.
The word “Diet” has a bad reputation. People hear it and shutter. I don’t think Diet was the right word to use in the title of this book, I think they could have used something like “Health guide” or “lifestyle” because it’s not really a diet. Sure there are guides on what to eat, but there aren’t any super strict guidelines saying “don’t eat this” or “you must eat this.” This book is all about loosing weight right, and doing it healthfully.
The Mayo Clinic Diet asks some basic questions that get the reader thinking, like “why do you want to loose weight,” “what are your goals” etc. and the reason behind them. You really get down in to why you are bothering to change your body. Sure it’s good for you. But there are other reasons why people want to shape up. The Mayo Clinic Diet asks the right questions and gets you thinking so you can find your reasons, so you can find your motivation.
The actual “diet” part of this book is great. It talks about which foods to eat, which things to eat more of, which to eat less of, how to pick the right meat/cheese/milk etc. (note, for the sake of sharing with you a quick opinion, that the only thing I don’t agree with in the book is their view on skim milk. They recommend it. I don’t. It has no nutritional value, and you need whole milk, or low-fat at the least.). It talks about portion control (the key of weight loss!) and offers visual cues for identifying the right serving size, like “hockey puck” and “tennis ball” and “deck of cards” serving size, explains how to eat healthfully (yes there is a special way to eat!), gives advice on what to eat for snacks, lists exercise tips for beginners (easy to follow, not complicated or requiring equipment), and even identifies obstacles you may come across (excuses, habits, depressed thoughts etc.) , and strategies to get through them.
The journal is not necessary for the diet, but is a helpful tool that will guide you through the program. It follows the timeline given in the book, includes space for meal plans, weekly weigh-in, a section for goals and notes for the day, places to record what you ate, and habit tracker, and even a daily food pyramid checklist. It could even be used independently of the diet book, but I recommend using both together because the book has a lot of helpful information, and the journal is a motivating way to put it into action.
Recommendation: Anyone who needs to loose weight but is afraid of “another diet.” This is not the same diet you’re used to. Again, I think “diet” is the wrong word. This is a new lifestyle.
by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic
Genre: Health, self-help
Rating: 5
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a great book that guides you through a healthy way to loose weight. They focus on changing your eating habits, eating the right amount of the right thing, self control, self motivation, and staying healthy.
The word “Diet” has a bad reputation. People hear it and shutter. I don’t think Diet was the right word to use in the title of this book, I think they could have used something like “Health guide” or “lifestyle” because it’s not really a diet. Sure there are guides on what to eat, but there aren’t any super strict guidelines saying “don’t eat this” or “you must eat this.” This book is all about loosing weight right, and doing it healthfully.
The Mayo Clinic Diet asks some basic questions that get the reader thinking, like “why do you want to loose weight,” “what are your goals” etc. and the reason behind them. You really get down in to why you are bothering to change your body. Sure it’s good for you. But there are other reasons why people want to shape up. The Mayo Clinic Diet asks the right questions and gets you thinking so you can find your reasons, so you can find your motivation.
The actual “diet” part of this book is great. It talks about which foods to eat, which things to eat more of, which to eat less of, how to pick the right meat/cheese/milk etc. (note, for the sake of sharing with you a quick opinion, that the only thing I don’t agree with in the book is their view on skim milk. They recommend it. I don’t. It has no nutritional value, and you need whole milk, or low-fat at the least.). It talks about portion control (the key of weight loss!) and offers visual cues for identifying the right serving size, like “hockey puck” and “tennis ball” and “deck of cards” serving size, explains how to eat healthfully (yes there is a special way to eat!), gives advice on what to eat for snacks, lists exercise tips for beginners (easy to follow, not complicated or requiring equipment), and even identifies obstacles you may come across (excuses, habits, depressed thoughts etc.) , and strategies to get through them.
The journal is not necessary for the diet, but is a helpful tool that will guide you through the program. It follows the timeline given in the book, includes space for meal plans, weekly weigh-in, a section for goals and notes for the day, places to record what you ate, and habit tracker, and even a daily food pyramid checklist. It could even be used independently of the diet book, but I recommend using both together because the book has a lot of helpful information, and the journal is a motivating way to put it into action.
Recommendation: Anyone who needs to loose weight but is afraid of “another diet.” This is not the same diet you’re used to. Again, I think “diet” is the wrong word. This is a new lifestyle.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Hell or High Water (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
“Sometimes a blind pig finds a truffle”.
One of the joys (and stresses) of the run up to the Oscar weekend is to try to catch all the major award films before the big event. As I bitched about in my BAFTA write-up, UK release dates do NOT make this an easy task, with some films like Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle”, featuring Best Actress nominee Isabelle Huppert, not released until mid March.
This week I have had the chance to catch up on two of the films with award potential that I missed at the cinema, and this is the write up of the first of those: “Hell or High Water”, was first released in September 2016, and what an excellent film it is.
Bank robberies have been featured in many hundreds of films since the early days of cinema: The Great Train Robbery for example dates back to 1903! More recent heist classics such as “Oceans 11”, “Die Hard”, “Run Lola Run” and “The Dark Knight Rises” tend towards the stylised end of the act. Where this film delivers interest is in aligning the protagonists’ drivers with the banking and mortgage ‘crimes’ featured in last year’s “The Big Short”. Add in to the movie Nutribullet a soupçon of the West Texan setting from Arthur Penn’s 1967 “Bonnie and Clyde”, turn it on and you have “Hell or High Water”.
Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Ben Foster (“Inferno“, “The Program“) play brothers Toby and Tanner Howard trying to rescue their deceased mother’s ranch from being foreclosed on by Texas Midlands bank. Rather than taking one of the “get out of debt” offers advertised on billboards – cleverly and insistently introduced in long panning highway shots – the brothers have their own financial plan: a scheme that involves early morning raids of the cash drawers of small-town Texas Midlands branches. But the meticulous planning of Toby, as the calm and intelligent one, are constantly at risk of upset by the unpredictable and violent actions of the loose-cannon Tanner.
Since the amounts of cash stolen are in the thousands rather than the millions, the FBI aren’t interested and the case is handed instead by aged and grumpy Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The pair have a respectful relationship but one built around racial banter, with Hamilton constantly referring to Alberto’s Mexican/Comanche heritage. A cat and mouse game ensues with the lawmen staking out the most likely next hits. The sonorous cello strings of the soundtrack portend a dramatic finale, and we as viewers are not disappointed.
The performances of the main leads are all excellent, with Chris Pine given the chance to show more acting chops than he has had chance to with his previous Kirk/Jack Ryan characters. His chemistry with Ben Foster is just sublime. Similarly, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham make for a formidable double act. It is Jeff Bridges though who has the standout performance and one that is Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor. (In fact with Michael Shannon also getting nominated in the same category for “Nocturnal Animals”, we can add ‘West Texan lawman’ to ‘Holocaust movies’ (a Winslet “Extras” reference there!) as the prime bait for Oscar nomination glory!)
The real winner here though is the whip-smart screenplay by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario“) which sizzles with great lines: lines that make you grin inanely at the screen regularly through the running time.”In your last days in the nursing home, you’ll think of me and giggle” schmoozes Tanner to the pretty hotel check-in girl: a come-on clearly worth remembering as it delivers the goods, as it were.
The trick here is in building up a degree of empathy and sympathy for the characters on both sides. The ‘bad guys’ here are successfully portrayed as the banks. At the moment you can get 25/1 odds on this winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar – but I would personally rate it right up there with “Manchester by the Sea“.
Deftly directed by Scot David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”) this is a film (the first of two!) that might well have elbowed it’s way into my Top 10 of 2016 if I’d seen it during its cinema release. Well worth catching on the small screen.
This week I have had the chance to catch up on two of the films with award potential that I missed at the cinema, and this is the write up of the first of those: “Hell or High Water”, was first released in September 2016, and what an excellent film it is.
Bank robberies have been featured in many hundreds of films since the early days of cinema: The Great Train Robbery for example dates back to 1903! More recent heist classics such as “Oceans 11”, “Die Hard”, “Run Lola Run” and “The Dark Knight Rises” tend towards the stylised end of the act. Where this film delivers interest is in aligning the protagonists’ drivers with the banking and mortgage ‘crimes’ featured in last year’s “The Big Short”. Add in to the movie Nutribullet a soupçon of the West Texan setting from Arthur Penn’s 1967 “Bonnie and Clyde”, turn it on and you have “Hell or High Water”.
Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Ben Foster (“Inferno“, “The Program“) play brothers Toby and Tanner Howard trying to rescue their deceased mother’s ranch from being foreclosed on by Texas Midlands bank. Rather than taking one of the “get out of debt” offers advertised on billboards – cleverly and insistently introduced in long panning highway shots – the brothers have their own financial plan: a scheme that involves early morning raids of the cash drawers of small-town Texas Midlands branches. But the meticulous planning of Toby, as the calm and intelligent one, are constantly at risk of upset by the unpredictable and violent actions of the loose-cannon Tanner.
Since the amounts of cash stolen are in the thousands rather than the millions, the FBI aren’t interested and the case is handed instead by aged and grumpy Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The pair have a respectful relationship but one built around racial banter, with Hamilton constantly referring to Alberto’s Mexican/Comanche heritage. A cat and mouse game ensues with the lawmen staking out the most likely next hits. The sonorous cello strings of the soundtrack portend a dramatic finale, and we as viewers are not disappointed.
The performances of the main leads are all excellent, with Chris Pine given the chance to show more acting chops than he has had chance to with his previous Kirk/Jack Ryan characters. His chemistry with Ben Foster is just sublime. Similarly, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham make for a formidable double act. It is Jeff Bridges though who has the standout performance and one that is Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor. (In fact with Michael Shannon also getting nominated in the same category for “Nocturnal Animals”, we can add ‘West Texan lawman’ to ‘Holocaust movies’ (a Winslet “Extras” reference there!) as the prime bait for Oscar nomination glory!)
The real winner here though is the whip-smart screenplay by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario“) which sizzles with great lines: lines that make you grin inanely at the screen regularly through the running time.”In your last days in the nursing home, you’ll think of me and giggle” schmoozes Tanner to the pretty hotel check-in girl: a come-on clearly worth remembering as it delivers the goods, as it were.
The trick here is in building up a degree of empathy and sympathy for the characters on both sides. The ‘bad guys’ here are successfully portrayed as the banks. At the moment you can get 25/1 odds on this winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar – but I would personally rate it right up there with “Manchester by the Sea“.
Deftly directed by Scot David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”) this is a film (the first of two!) that might well have elbowed it’s way into my Top 10 of 2016 if I’d seen it during its cinema release. Well worth catching on the small screen.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Runner Runner (2013) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Many times as a reviewer I watch a film that has so many things going for it that there is every reason to expect that it will be a high-quality product. Sadly the sum of the parts do not always come together and I am left to ponder how such an accumulation of talent went so wrong especially when the concept was strong and intriguing.
Such was the case with the new film “Runner Runner” which stars Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, and Gemma Arterton and takes a look at the big money yet seedy and dangerous world of online gambling.
Timberlake stars as Richie Furst, a Princeton student who is seeking his Masters degree and earns his income by getting new clients to sign up for a gambling site. Richie is bitter as he was a player about to get the first of several big paydays on Wall Street who lost it all when the market and the economy turned.
Richie hopes that a Masters from Princeton will get him back on solid footing in Wall Street and dreams of getting back the money he believes was owed to him.
When Richie is told that he must give up his gambling income in order to remain at school after a fellow student complains about him, Richie decides to gamble his last $17K online in an effort to get the $60K he needs to pay for his education.
Richie does well early and despite pleas from his friends to take his $50K and call it good, he presses his luck and loses it all.
Richie then learns that he was cheated and sets out to travel to Costa Rica to meet with the mysterious owner of the site, Ivan Block, (Ben Affleck), and tell him about the cheat program that has been running on the popular site.
Richie is able to meet Block and he in time thanks Richie for being discreet and exposing a problem he did not know about. He offers to restore the money Richie lost and pay him a bonus and then offers him a lucrative job working for him.
Seduced by the lure of big money and the charismatic block, Richie soon moves up the ranks and sets his eyes on the comely associate of Block named Rebecca (Gemma Arterton).
The new found success of Richie soon draws the attention of the F.B.I. and an agent named Shavers (Anthony Mackie), who threatens Richie unless he works for him as an informant against Block.
Now this setup combined with the fact that Block starts to show his darker side as well as the seedy world of corruptions, payoffs, and violence would be an ideal formula for success.
Sadly the film plays out without much drama or tension and gives us very little on the background of the characters and why they do what they do beyond simple greed.
The film does not have any dramatic payoff and plods along in a very methodical way without any real twists or turns.
The finale is fairly underwhelming and is not what audiences deserved after investing their time in the film or the characters.
Timberlake does a good job as the ambitious Richie and Affleck is very good as the charismatic Block. Sadly they can only do so much with their thinly written characters and scenarios that we have seen many times before.
In the end “Runner Runner” is a great concept that is sadly left stalled at the starting line.
http://sknr.net/2013/10/04/runner-runner/
Such was the case with the new film “Runner Runner” which stars Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, and Gemma Arterton and takes a look at the big money yet seedy and dangerous world of online gambling.
Timberlake stars as Richie Furst, a Princeton student who is seeking his Masters degree and earns his income by getting new clients to sign up for a gambling site. Richie is bitter as he was a player about to get the first of several big paydays on Wall Street who lost it all when the market and the economy turned.
Richie hopes that a Masters from Princeton will get him back on solid footing in Wall Street and dreams of getting back the money he believes was owed to him.
When Richie is told that he must give up his gambling income in order to remain at school after a fellow student complains about him, Richie decides to gamble his last $17K online in an effort to get the $60K he needs to pay for his education.
Richie does well early and despite pleas from his friends to take his $50K and call it good, he presses his luck and loses it all.
Richie then learns that he was cheated and sets out to travel to Costa Rica to meet with the mysterious owner of the site, Ivan Block, (Ben Affleck), and tell him about the cheat program that has been running on the popular site.
Richie is able to meet Block and he in time thanks Richie for being discreet and exposing a problem he did not know about. He offers to restore the money Richie lost and pay him a bonus and then offers him a lucrative job working for him.
Seduced by the lure of big money and the charismatic block, Richie soon moves up the ranks and sets his eyes on the comely associate of Block named Rebecca (Gemma Arterton).
The new found success of Richie soon draws the attention of the F.B.I. and an agent named Shavers (Anthony Mackie), who threatens Richie unless he works for him as an informant against Block.
Now this setup combined with the fact that Block starts to show his darker side as well as the seedy world of corruptions, payoffs, and violence would be an ideal formula for success.
Sadly the film plays out without much drama or tension and gives us very little on the background of the characters and why they do what they do beyond simple greed.
The film does not have any dramatic payoff and plods along in a very methodical way without any real twists or turns.
The finale is fairly underwhelming and is not what audiences deserved after investing their time in the film or the characters.
Timberlake does a good job as the ambitious Richie and Affleck is very good as the charismatic Block. Sadly they can only do so much with their thinly written characters and scenarios that we have seen many times before.
In the end “Runner Runner” is a great concept that is sadly left stalled at the starting line.
http://sknr.net/2013/10/04/runner-runner/
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Source Code (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Following upon his breakout success with the film Moon director Duncan Jones has returned with Source Code and has proven that he is not a one-hit wonder but also a talent on the rise.
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens who, after waking up on a train, finds himself disoriented and unable to identify his travel companion, the attractive Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan), who sits across from him eagerly discussing things they appear to have spoken about previously.
Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, Colter finds out that he is on a train heading to Chicago and that he cannot explain how he ended up where he currently is. Colter is not given much time to ponder his situation as the train is suddenly rocked by a massive explosion and he finds himself engulfed in a wall of flame. Shortly thereafter Colter awakens and finds himself upside down and strapped into what appears to be a cockpit of some sort.
A voice soon fills the cockpit, followed by the face of the woman he can’t identify on a video monitor. Unable to ascertain what is going on, a frantic Colter only recalls that he was a helicopter pilot on mission in Afghanistan. The mystery woman (Vera Farmiga) tells him that he is now part of a top-secret project that is attempting to unravel the mystery behind the bombing of the train.
Before he can ask too many questions, Colter once again finds himself back on the train with Christina and the same sequence of events occur before the train is engulfed by devastating fireball. When he once again awakens in his cockpit, Colter learns that the project he’s involved with can send him back in time 8 minutes into the body of someone on the train. He will be sent back time and time again to relive those final 8 min. in an effort to determine who is responsible for the bombing.
Despite his protests, Colter relives the events each time looking for new clues and each time ending up engulfed in the fireball and awakening in his cockpit. Eventually after numerous trips to the past Colter becomes obsessed with not only getting to the bottom of the mystery but with saving Christina to whom he is becoming attached through their numerous 8 minute interactions. Colter is also desperate to determine his exact situation as he has no memory of how he ended up in the program and finds himself not only trying to solve the mystery of the bombing, save Christina, but also fill in the gaps in his memory.
What follows is a fast-paced, character-driven adventure film that relies on the interaction’s between the two leads rather than special effects to carry the film. Gyllenhaal and Monaghan have good chemistry with each other and the film has some nice twists and turns that will keep the audience engrossed even if the concepts of time travel and temporal mechanics escape them.
Jones keeps the film moving at a brisk pace and it does not drag or overstay its welcome. Like Moon, Jones has based the film around a leading man who is facing isolation and questioning his mental state. With what could’ve been a dumbed-down action film, Jones has exceeded expectations and produced a smart and innovative action thriller with a touch of science fiction and romance thrown in, a winning combination that makes for a very enjoyable film.
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens who, after waking up on a train, finds himself disoriented and unable to identify his travel companion, the attractive Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan), who sits across from him eagerly discussing things they appear to have spoken about previously.
Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, Colter finds out that he is on a train heading to Chicago and that he cannot explain how he ended up where he currently is. Colter is not given much time to ponder his situation as the train is suddenly rocked by a massive explosion and he finds himself engulfed in a wall of flame. Shortly thereafter Colter awakens and finds himself upside down and strapped into what appears to be a cockpit of some sort.
A voice soon fills the cockpit, followed by the face of the woman he can’t identify on a video monitor. Unable to ascertain what is going on, a frantic Colter only recalls that he was a helicopter pilot on mission in Afghanistan. The mystery woman (Vera Farmiga) tells him that he is now part of a top-secret project that is attempting to unravel the mystery behind the bombing of the train.
Before he can ask too many questions, Colter once again finds himself back on the train with Christina and the same sequence of events occur before the train is engulfed by devastating fireball. When he once again awakens in his cockpit, Colter learns that the project he’s involved with can send him back in time 8 minutes into the body of someone on the train. He will be sent back time and time again to relive those final 8 min. in an effort to determine who is responsible for the bombing.
Despite his protests, Colter relives the events each time looking for new clues and each time ending up engulfed in the fireball and awakening in his cockpit. Eventually after numerous trips to the past Colter becomes obsessed with not only getting to the bottom of the mystery but with saving Christina to whom he is becoming attached through their numerous 8 minute interactions. Colter is also desperate to determine his exact situation as he has no memory of how he ended up in the program and finds himself not only trying to solve the mystery of the bombing, save Christina, but also fill in the gaps in his memory.
What follows is a fast-paced, character-driven adventure film that relies on the interaction’s between the two leads rather than special effects to carry the film. Gyllenhaal and Monaghan have good chemistry with each other and the film has some nice twists and turns that will keep the audience engrossed even if the concepts of time travel and temporal mechanics escape them.
Jones keeps the film moving at a brisk pace and it does not drag or overstay its welcome. Like Moon, Jones has based the film around a leading man who is facing isolation and questioning his mental state. With what could’ve been a dumbed-down action film, Jones has exceeded expectations and produced a smart and innovative action thriller with a touch of science fiction and romance thrown in, a winning combination that makes for a very enjoyable film.