Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Midsommar (2019) in Movies
Jul 14, 2019
Jordantron
Music
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This is the first time Jordan Rudess, best known as the keyboardist for Dream Theater, has released...
How To Succeed in Witchcraft
Book
An overachieving teen witch vies for a prestigious scholarship at her elite high school in this...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Broken Heart Attack in Books
Oct 24, 2022
When you have a book with characters as dysfunctional as the Paddington family, it always makes me appreciate my own family. But it also makes for a great mystery plot, and that’s the case again here. There are plenty of twists along the way to catching the killer at the end. While some of the characters can be over the top, we care about enough of them, including Kellan, to keep us invested in the book. I did feel like the humor was hit and miss for me here. Sometimes, the character’s teasing worked, and other times it felt like they were picking on Kellan more than actually teasing him. Unfortunately, there were some timeline issues and a red herring that felt like it jumped quite a bit. Both could have been resolved with a good editor. There are several sub-plots involving Kellan and his family. While they veered a little more into soap opera territory than is typical for the books I read, they have me hooked and I can’t wait to make time for the next book to find out what happens.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated The Muppets (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The new films stars Jason Segel as Gary, a mild-mannered guy who has a swell life in his small community. He has been dating the lovely Mary (Amy Adams) for ten years and they are excited to plan their first visit to Los Angeles. Gary has a younger brother named Walter who is a huge fan of the Muppets, having grown up watching the beloved show with Gary. The fact that Walter actually is a Muppet might explain his utter devotion to the show and characters. So when Gary invites Walter to accompany Mary and him on their trip, Walter is ecstatic. At long last, he can visit The Muppet Studios.
Upon their arrival in L.A., Walter is shocked to find the studio in shambles and disrepair. Undaunted, Walter sneaks into Kermit’s old office and accidentally overhears a businessman named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plotting to steal the property from the Muppets. Determined to thwart Richman, Walter and Gary look up Kermit the Frog who, despite his reluctance, agrees to reunite the gang to put on a tele-thon to raise the needed money to save the theater.
Along the way there are some great and touching segments where we see what many of the characters have been up to in the recent years, and more than a few laughs and musical numbers also follow. In a race against time, and despite the lack of confidence the network has in their relevance, Kermit must whip the cast and theater into shape for an epic performance.
The movie was an absolute joy. It was so refreshing to see how Segel and director James Bobin have brought the Muppets to a new generation without losing the previous ones and staying very faithful to the characters and to Jim Henson’s vision. Segel, who came up with the story and co-wrote the script, seems to be having the time of his life as he sings and dances his way through several production numbers and gives a very funny, and in turns, tender performance.
Adams is a joy as the sweet, yet determined Mary, and the addition of the new Muppet Walter was a treat. Sure the plot may have been fairly formulaic but there were more than enough moments to keep the adults happy. At our screener, the adults were laughing even lauder than the kids in attendance, especially at the numerous pop culture reference, celebrity cameos, and nostalgic nods to the show.
I do not want to spoil the film but from Beaker doing his take on the Nirvana classic “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, to the Swedish Chef channeling Tony Montana from “Scarface” I was thoroughly entertained. I can honestly say this is not only one of the best of the Muppet movies but it is a perfect film to take the family. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying the magic as much, if not more, than the kids.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Murder at the Palace in Books
Jun 14, 2019
Since I rarely do paranormal cozies, I almost skipped this book, but I was so drawn to the classic movies theme that I had to give it a try. I’m very glad I did because it was fun. While we find the body early on, the set up, including introducing Trixie to the mix, does slow thing down at the beginning, but there is a strong mystery for Nora to solve. Nora, Trixie, and the rest of the cast are a hoot, and I can’t wait to hang out with all of them again. And there is plenty of talk about old movies. While I haven’t seen many of the movies mentioned yet, the discussion certainly made me want to fix that. I’m already buying my ticket for the next entry in this series.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Epic (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
To go along with an average plot, there was average, unemotional voice acting from a diverse cast of actors with no real standout performances other than the comedic voices of Aziz Ansari and Chris O’Dowd. The two play a slug and snail and deliver some much needed laughs after a long and dry first half hour.
However this movie makes up for limited laughs with action. For a children’s movie there is a lot of action as the forces nature versus decay battle against each other. Parents take note, the 4 year old child who watched the movie with me got a little scared at parts, but made it through to the end when held safe in the lap of his mother for the remainder of the film.
Visually, the film is pleasing and its 3D is solid, especially during any scene where the characters are flying on top of birds. In the end I left the theater without a second thought for the film. Enjoyable, but it does not have the charm as recent family films like The Croods. Kids may not mind the average story, but it is one that is easy to forget.
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