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The Sky Is Pink (2019)
Movie
Twenty-five years in the relationship of a mother (Priyanka Chopra) and father (Farhan Akhtar) is...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Sep 2, 2021
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jaws (1975) in Movies
Apr 20, 2022
When you think of classic blockbusters, or classic horror, or classic creature features, Jaws is surely a title that will spring to mind. A true masterpiece of cinema that manages to fit and excel in all of the above categories.
Spielberg completely changed how films were planned and released with what is widely considered to be the first summer blockbuster, and all these years later, it's still an effective rollercoaster ride.
The opening scene is utterly harrowing without a drop of blood to be seen, and sets the tone in a dramatic and iconic manner. After some efficient character introductions, we're straight into one of the most anxiety inducing scenes in cinema history, as Chief Brody sits on a packed beach, scanning the shore for danger. The constant barrage of characters interrupting his line of view and talking at him, over him, over eachother, it's almost unbearable, and is paid off with a truly horrifying moment. It's one of many scenes in Jaws that flaunts some masterful editing.
The second half of the film is essentially the three leads - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss - all jostling to chew up the scenery. The chemistry between all of them is wonderful, from the thrilling chase of hunting the shark, to them kicking back, trading scar stories and singing shanties, to Quints incredible monologue, to the infamous Ahab-esque climax. It's a joy to watch unfold.
The shark itself has a tendency to look a little goofy by todays standards, but an incredible feat for the time.
Jaws is held in such high regard for a reason. It's a film that truly thrills, scares, and delights its audience in equal measure, and still stands tall almost 50 years later. One of the best of all time.
Spielberg completely changed how films were planned and released with what is widely considered to be the first summer blockbuster, and all these years later, it's still an effective rollercoaster ride.
The opening scene is utterly harrowing without a drop of blood to be seen, and sets the tone in a dramatic and iconic manner. After some efficient character introductions, we're straight into one of the most anxiety inducing scenes in cinema history, as Chief Brody sits on a packed beach, scanning the shore for danger. The constant barrage of characters interrupting his line of view and talking at him, over him, over eachother, it's almost unbearable, and is paid off with a truly horrifying moment. It's one of many scenes in Jaws that flaunts some masterful editing.
The second half of the film is essentially the three leads - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss - all jostling to chew up the scenery. The chemistry between all of them is wonderful, from the thrilling chase of hunting the shark, to them kicking back, trading scar stories and singing shanties, to Quints incredible monologue, to the infamous Ahab-esque climax. It's a joy to watch unfold.
The shark itself has a tendency to look a little goofy by todays standards, but an incredible feat for the time.
Jaws is held in such high regard for a reason. It's a film that truly thrills, scares, and delights its audience in equal measure, and still stands tall almost 50 years later. One of the best of all time.
Riving-Ton-Ton-Ton: The Letty Vargas Story
Book
Riving-Ton-Ton-Ton tells the story of Leticia “Letty” Cruz, a New Yorker who was born into a...
Biography
Town Bronze Box Set
8.0
Rate It
Book
All three novellas in Ellie Thomas’ Regency Town Bronze series are gathered together in this box...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated 12 Strong (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
In the direct aftermath of terrorist attacks of 09/11 the US military was tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan in taking back control from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The one of the first objectives was to help The Northern Alliance, a group of warlords who opposed the Taliban rule, take the strategically critical city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan. A team of twelve Green Berets, code name Task Force Dagger, led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) will have to help one of the warlords, General Dostum (Navid Negahban), overtake several Afghan villages before reaching Mazar-i-Sharif. Dostum leads about 200 soldiers and a varying number of militia. They have small arms are the only mode of transportation through the narrow mountain passes is by horse. The Taliban, led by Mullah Razzan (Numan Acar), have over 50,000 soldiers. They also have tanks, missiles, heavy machine guns and a supply line of more men and machinery coming in every day. Nelson and his team will have to go against these overwhelming odds in unknown terrain all on horseback. But these “Horse Soldiers” don’t hesitate and know that they have a job to and if they don’t terrorist will take control of the country and further terrorism will only escalate.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Spaces In Between in Books
Sep 24, 2020
let me begin by saying, that you have to take five seconds out of your day to enjoy this cover. Hats off from me to the artist who made it, and if I would’ve had a paperback of this book, I would not be able to resist the urge to colour it in 😀 It is just so cool 😀 Another thing which still has me debating with myself is was this book based on a true story? All this experience was real? I am just left confused, where the fiction ends and true facts begin…
The main star of this book is Nicholas for sure. It is his story which makes the jaw drop. Lack of money and job forces him to work in this creepy house as an English tutor, but this house has strange residents, who live like it is 1916ies Russia. I really liked the complexity of all the residents in that house, they all were very amusing and unique personalities. They all have a role to play, and it is hard to distinguish whether they want to help or to harm Nicholas. The main character brought out many different emotions in me, I felt pity for the events he had to suffer, I was happy when good things happened to him and I was angry when he took silly decisions.
The whole story was told from two different perspectives. We have the introduction and investigative part told by a psychologist Dr Marie – Claire Groller, and the main story written down by Nicholas. I found both of the stories absolutely fascinating. The events highlighted in the blurb, which Nicholas had to suffer, are absolutely unimaginable, and the whole story is very dark, atmospheric, twisted and unbelievable. There is so much detail and emotions in his story, it is just creepy. I really enjoyed the investigation done by Dr Marie Clare and her father. I really liked all the information which they were able to find out, but I do miss the proper conclusion to this story. I WANT JUSTICE! 😀
I really enjoyed the structure of this book, I think it gave this book a great element of surprise. This book was easy to read, except for the French parts. I know maybe three words in French, so all the sentences without a translation left me a little annoyed. I really liked the decent length of the chapters and I loved the mask picture on the pages throughout the book. It gave this good feeling, that I am reading something written in medieval times. 🙂 So, to conclude, I strongly recommend reading this book, filled with unusual, eccentric characters and very unique and sinister setting, where reality mixes with fiction and imagination. What is real and what is an illusion? That’s the question. Enjoy 😀
The main star of this book is Nicholas for sure. It is his story which makes the jaw drop. Lack of money and job forces him to work in this creepy house as an English tutor, but this house has strange residents, who live like it is 1916ies Russia. I really liked the complexity of all the residents in that house, they all were very amusing and unique personalities. They all have a role to play, and it is hard to distinguish whether they want to help or to harm Nicholas. The main character brought out many different emotions in me, I felt pity for the events he had to suffer, I was happy when good things happened to him and I was angry when he took silly decisions.
The whole story was told from two different perspectives. We have the introduction and investigative part told by a psychologist Dr Marie – Claire Groller, and the main story written down by Nicholas. I found both of the stories absolutely fascinating. The events highlighted in the blurb, which Nicholas had to suffer, are absolutely unimaginable, and the whole story is very dark, atmospheric, twisted and unbelievable. There is so much detail and emotions in his story, it is just creepy. I really enjoyed the investigation done by Dr Marie Clare and her father. I really liked all the information which they were able to find out, but I do miss the proper conclusion to this story. I WANT JUSTICE! 😀
I really enjoyed the structure of this book, I think it gave this book a great element of surprise. This book was easy to read, except for the French parts. I know maybe three words in French, so all the sentences without a translation left me a little annoyed. I really liked the decent length of the chapters and I loved the mask picture on the pages throughout the book. It gave this good feeling, that I am reading something written in medieval times. 🙂 So, to conclude, I strongly recommend reading this book, filled with unusual, eccentric characters and very unique and sinister setting, where reality mixes with fiction and imagination. What is real and what is an illusion? That’s the question. Enjoy 😀
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Military Wives (2020) in Movies
Feb 25, 2020
The story perfectly balances between melodrama and feel good comedy (1 more)
Kristin Scott-Thomas and Sharon Horgan work fabulously together
Bound to grab the grey pound and be a huge UK success
I must admit that I was a bit of a drag-along to this one. The trailer excited me not.... one.... bit. Sentimental film. Dull story. Wrong demographic. No, no, no. But... in this case I am very happy to be proved wrong, wrong, wrong.
True that I didn't sit in the ideal demographic for this movie. 90% of the audience at the UK premiere showing I attended last night were female and older that me. This is a movie to turn the blue-rinse crowd out in DROVES! Because the - inherently British - story is engaging and rewarding from start to finish.
Loosely based on the true story, it's 2010 and a regiment of husbands (and at least one wife.... nice to see an all female marriage featured) are dispatched from the fictional "Flitcroft Barracks" to Afghanistan on a tour of duty. Thereafter every ring at the door by a friend spells mild panic ; every thoughtless call from an accident-chaser induces hypertension.
Trying to take their minds off there loved ones, Colonel's wife Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) muscles in on the insipid entertainment plans of Lisa (Sharon Horgan) in organising a singing group. Lisa thinks "girls just wanna have fun"; Kate thinks they should be training as a proper choir. Sparks fly.
But against all the odds, the women progressively improve until they get the chance to present their talents to an unaware nation.
My wife summed up in one word why this movie is so good...... "balance". The movie covers topics of fear, grief, social conflict, family conflict and uplifting joy. One step off the tightrope could have spelled disaster. But director Peter Cattaneo, of "Full Monty" fame, through the expert script of Roseanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard, walks that line with perfect balance. It never feels overly melodramatic; never feels a light piece of superficial fluff either.
And when "the performance" happens, you will be hard pushed not to need a tissue or two..... I certainly succumbed to the emotion of the moment.
At the core of the story are the perfectly cast duo of Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan. With just a handful of introductory lines, you quickly get the measure of Kate's character, without ever knowing the story behind the icy and brittle facade. The conflict between her and the fun-loving egalitarian Lisa is writ large. What's nice here is that you are never totally sure who's side of the argument you are on. It is easy to side with Lisa at the start of the film, but as you learn more and particularly after a particularly careless act by Lisa towards the end of the film, your sympathies change.
The rest of the excellent ensemble cast also work naturally together, with Emma Lowndes as Annie and Amy James-Kelly as the newly married Sarah being particularly impressive.This feels like a group of actors who were brought together to film a story and bonded as friends in the process. You end up caring a great deal for what happens to them
Although the script is based on the true story of the military wives it diverges significantly from what actually happens in the interests of an engaging story. Choirmaster Gareth Malone was, of course, actively involved in the true story as a part of a TV programme, but none of that is referenced in the movie. But that doesn't remotely impinge on your enjoyment of the movie for one second.
In particular, a sub-story about the long-term effects of grief is particularly well handled, with 'Dave' turning from being a passive to an active participant in the story at a key moment.
It's that depressing time of the year when everyone is fed up of rain, wind and dripping noses. It's a time of year when you look for some uplifting entertainment.... people surely watch "Death in Paradise" for the sun rather than the stories? Ladies - and the odd gentleman - I give you "Military Wives". It's not bloody Shakespeare. But if this doesn't make you feel uplifted and better about the world, then I will dutifully kiss the regimental goat.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/02/25/one-manns-movies-film-review-military-wives-2020/. Thanks).
True that I didn't sit in the ideal demographic for this movie. 90% of the audience at the UK premiere showing I attended last night were female and older that me. This is a movie to turn the blue-rinse crowd out in DROVES! Because the - inherently British - story is engaging and rewarding from start to finish.
Loosely based on the true story, it's 2010 and a regiment of husbands (and at least one wife.... nice to see an all female marriage featured) are dispatched from the fictional "Flitcroft Barracks" to Afghanistan on a tour of duty. Thereafter every ring at the door by a friend spells mild panic ; every thoughtless call from an accident-chaser induces hypertension.
Trying to take their minds off there loved ones, Colonel's wife Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) muscles in on the insipid entertainment plans of Lisa (Sharon Horgan) in organising a singing group. Lisa thinks "girls just wanna have fun"; Kate thinks they should be training as a proper choir. Sparks fly.
But against all the odds, the women progressively improve until they get the chance to present their talents to an unaware nation.
My wife summed up in one word why this movie is so good...... "balance". The movie covers topics of fear, grief, social conflict, family conflict and uplifting joy. One step off the tightrope could have spelled disaster. But director Peter Cattaneo, of "Full Monty" fame, through the expert script of Roseanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard, walks that line with perfect balance. It never feels overly melodramatic; never feels a light piece of superficial fluff either.
And when "the performance" happens, you will be hard pushed not to need a tissue or two..... I certainly succumbed to the emotion of the moment.
At the core of the story are the perfectly cast duo of Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan. With just a handful of introductory lines, you quickly get the measure of Kate's character, without ever knowing the story behind the icy and brittle facade. The conflict between her and the fun-loving egalitarian Lisa is writ large. What's nice here is that you are never totally sure who's side of the argument you are on. It is easy to side with Lisa at the start of the film, but as you learn more and particularly after a particularly careless act by Lisa towards the end of the film, your sympathies change.
The rest of the excellent ensemble cast also work naturally together, with Emma Lowndes as Annie and Amy James-Kelly as the newly married Sarah being particularly impressive.This feels like a group of actors who were brought together to film a story and bonded as friends in the process. You end up caring a great deal for what happens to them
Although the script is based on the true story of the military wives it diverges significantly from what actually happens in the interests of an engaging story. Choirmaster Gareth Malone was, of course, actively involved in the true story as a part of a TV programme, but none of that is referenced in the movie. But that doesn't remotely impinge on your enjoyment of the movie for one second.
In particular, a sub-story about the long-term effects of grief is particularly well handled, with 'Dave' turning from being a passive to an active participant in the story at a key moment.
It's that depressing time of the year when everyone is fed up of rain, wind and dripping noses. It's a time of year when you look for some uplifting entertainment.... people surely watch "Death in Paradise" for the sun rather than the stories? Ladies - and the odd gentleman - I give you "Military Wives". It's not bloody Shakespeare. But if this doesn't make you feel uplifted and better about the world, then I will dutifully kiss the regimental goat.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/02/25/one-manns-movies-film-review-military-wives-2020/. Thanks).
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Secrets of the Forest in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Secrets of the Forest by Helena Brady is a creepy-pasta in a slightly longer book. It takes on elements of the 2016 movie “The Forest” and Slenderman who showed up sometime around 2009. It also talks of depression and suicide a lot, along with murder, death, and abuse. If these topics bother you please be advised.
Sarah-Rose has entered the hardest time of her life. Her father has recently died and her mother blames Sarah-Rose for his death. Not only is Sarah-Rose’s mother blaming her but she has turned to alcohol and beating her daughter as a way to cope. Understandably enough Sarah-Rose can not handle all this, even more so because it is her sixteenth birthday.
To escape all of this Sarah-Rose heads into The Forest that is on the edge of town, the one no one goes into for fear of death. She is hoping that the stories are true and like everyone else who has entered The Forest that she either won’t come out or will come out as a corpse floating in the river. What Sarah-Rose didn’t expect was that The Forest had its own plans for her. Upon entering The Forest, Sarah-Rose starts discovering secret after secret about her town’s past and herself. The only question that remains is if and when The Forest plans on claiming her as well.
It was well thought out as to what the requirements were for someone to become a spirit or not. The same goes for if said person’s spirit becomes bound to The Forest or if they can leave it of their own free will. I did not find this book to be very original at all. It seemed to be a combination of a few different popular stories of recent years. The name and cover even immediately made me think of other things.
This is a young adult book, but it is largely about depression and suicide. With these extremely tough subjects being at the front of the story I encourage anyone extremely sensitive about these topics to put the book down. All others, please enjoy it. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Overall the story was good. It was just too unoriginal for my taste. I do believe this book will be enjoyed by those who choose to read it. There are a few small surprises that the unsuspecting reader will find interesting.
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Sarah-Rose has entered the hardest time of her life. Her father has recently died and her mother blames Sarah-Rose for his death. Not only is Sarah-Rose’s mother blaming her but she has turned to alcohol and beating her daughter as a way to cope. Understandably enough Sarah-Rose can not handle all this, even more so because it is her sixteenth birthday.
To escape all of this Sarah-Rose heads into The Forest that is on the edge of town, the one no one goes into for fear of death. She is hoping that the stories are true and like everyone else who has entered The Forest that she either won’t come out or will come out as a corpse floating in the river. What Sarah-Rose didn’t expect was that The Forest had its own plans for her. Upon entering The Forest, Sarah-Rose starts discovering secret after secret about her town’s past and herself. The only question that remains is if and when The Forest plans on claiming her as well.
It was well thought out as to what the requirements were for someone to become a spirit or not. The same goes for if said person’s spirit becomes bound to The Forest or if they can leave it of their own free will. I did not find this book to be very original at all. It seemed to be a combination of a few different popular stories of recent years. The name and cover even immediately made me think of other things.
This is a young adult book, but it is largely about depression and suicide. With these extremely tough subjects being at the front of the story I encourage anyone extremely sensitive about these topics to put the book down. All others, please enjoy it. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Overall the story was good. It was just too unoriginal for my taste. I do believe this book will be enjoyed by those who choose to read it. There are a few small surprises that the unsuspecting reader will find interesting.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Imagistory: Schools Edition - A Storytelling App
Education and Book
App
"This app is an educators dream come true" - BestAppsforKids.com Review (4.9 Stars) * "This app is...