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Fred (860 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Burning out my fuse up here alone.
The comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody are gonna happen. A bio-pic about a famous gay rock singer? Gotta happen. But these films are so different, there really is no comparison. Where B.R. tried to bring us a realistic (but filled with a lot of B.S.) film, Rocketman is more of a musical in every sense. Rami Malek lip-syncs the entire movie, where Taron Egerton actually sings everything. True, Egerton is nowhere near as good a singer as Elton John is (or myself for that matter.) but he does well enough.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated A Certain Threat (Merriman Chronicles #1) in Books
Nov 11, 2019
Set at the end of the 18th Century just before the Napoleonic Wars, this follows the exploits of Lietenant Merriman. Injured in a battle with Barbary pirates he is given leave and returns to his family's home near Chester. He learns of a gang of smuggers who have taken a Customs ship. Before long he is summoned back to London and given command of his own ship to investigate this theft and also rumours of Irish and French involvement.
What follows is a cracking story that combines Naval adventure in the age of sail with investigation into the mystery around the loss of the Custom ship. Merriman is a strong lead character, a capable officer who looks after his men as best he can at a time when the navy was hard and brutal work, with many seamen ending up dead or injured on even the most routine missions. He is also relentless and imaginative, using the information and resources at his disposal to maximum effect to uncover the true purpose of the smugglers.
Burnage shows tremendous ability in his writing. The tone and dialogue feel very authentic, the characters well drawn and memorable. Every scene drives the plot forward or builds Merriman's character and there is a real sense of momentum and drama in the story. The descriptions of the naval encounters are a real highlight, exciting but clearly showing the danger that existed at the time, as well as the skill required by every member of the crew to ensure victory in any engagement.
Overall this was a terrific book and I would recommend it to readers of any age as a thrilling story. An easy 5 stars and an introduction to what promises to be a thrilling series.
What follows is a cracking story that combines Naval adventure in the age of sail with investigation into the mystery around the loss of the Custom ship. Merriman is a strong lead character, a capable officer who looks after his men as best he can at a time when the navy was hard and brutal work, with many seamen ending up dead or injured on even the most routine missions. He is also relentless and imaginative, using the information and resources at his disposal to maximum effect to uncover the true purpose of the smugglers.
Burnage shows tremendous ability in his writing. The tone and dialogue feel very authentic, the characters well drawn and memorable. Every scene drives the plot forward or builds Merriman's character and there is a real sense of momentum and drama in the story. The descriptions of the naval encounters are a real highlight, exciting but clearly showing the danger that existed at the time, as well as the skill required by every member of the crew to ensure victory in any engagement.
Overall this was a terrific book and I would recommend it to readers of any age as a thrilling story. An easy 5 stars and an introduction to what promises to be a thrilling series.
Merissa (12914 KP) rated A Company of Monsters (The Sorcerers of Verdun #2) in Books
Jan 15, 2020
A Company of Monsters is the second book in The Sorcerers of Verdun series, and it takes you right back to Geist and WWI. I would definitely recommend reading these as a series as the story does follow on from book one.
In this book, however, Geist and her squadron are sent to Russia as Houses of Sorcerers are being obliterated. Not a simple task being as WWI is happening and Russia is also going through a turbulent time. Not only that, but Amalgam shows up, together with Geist's family and the Eyes of the Kaiser which adds a whole new level to the story.
Just as with book one, Ms. Stovall has done an exceptional job with this story. The events flow from one to the other, ringing true with every word. The only reason for not giving it 5-stars this time is because of Geist herself. She seemed more... fragmented... disjointed than in book one. Which may well be how it is supposed to be but I found it slightly distracting. The relationship between her and Vergess is also confusing as, on the one hand, they have special 'intimate' names for each other, and Vergess is definitely more intense, but then we are also told that they have no chemistry between them.
On the whole, I loved this book, just not quite as much as book one. That doesn't mean this book is no good, not by a long shot. I will be continuing this series and seeing where Geist and her crew go next, AND seeing how Amalgam fits in!
Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In this book, however, Geist and her squadron are sent to Russia as Houses of Sorcerers are being obliterated. Not a simple task being as WWI is happening and Russia is also going through a turbulent time. Not only that, but Amalgam shows up, together with Geist's family and the Eyes of the Kaiser which adds a whole new level to the story.
Just as with book one, Ms. Stovall has done an exceptional job with this story. The events flow from one to the other, ringing true with every word. The only reason for not giving it 5-stars this time is because of Geist herself. She seemed more... fragmented... disjointed than in book one. Which may well be how it is supposed to be but I found it slightly distracting. The relationship between her and Vergess is also confusing as, on the one hand, they have special 'intimate' names for each other, and Vergess is definitely more intense, but then we are also told that they have no chemistry between them.
On the whole, I loved this book, just not quite as much as book one. That doesn't mean this book is no good, not by a long shot. I will be continuing this series and seeing where Geist and her crew go next, AND seeing how Amalgam fits in!
Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Day of the Dead (1985) in Movies
Apr 1, 2020
Bub The Zombie (1 more)
Capt. Rhodes
Night, Dawn and Day: The Perfect Trilogy
Day of the Dead- is the final movie in George's trilogy. It started with Night, than Dawn and now Day. The perfect trilogy about surival, surviving, surival of the finest and the livng dead. With great charcters, excellent villians and of course the zombies. In this one you have, Bub the zombie and the evil Capt. Rhodies. So thats a plus.
The plot: Trapped in a missile silo, a small team of scientists, civilians and trigger-happy soldiers battle desperately to ensure the survival of the human race, but tension inside the base is reaching breaking-point, and the zombies are gathering outside.
Romero originally intended the film to be "the Gone with the Wind of zombie films. This forced Romero to scale back his story, rewriting the script and adjusting his original vision to fit the smaller budget.
A total of five scripts were written as Romero wrestled with the film's concepts and the budgetary constraints. The first draft was over 200 pages, which he later condensed to 122 pages. This is the true original script, and to date no copies of it have come to light. This version was likely rejected because UFDC felt it was too expensive for them to produce even with an R rating. Romero subsequently scaled down the scope of this script into a 165-page draft (often erroneously referred to as the original version), then condensed it again to a 104-page draft labeled the 'second version, second draft' in an unsuccessful final attempt to get the story within budget parameters. When this failed, he drastically altered the original story concept and ultimately produced a shooting draft that numbered only 88 pages.
Its a perfect ending for a excellent and phenomenal trilogy.
The plot: Trapped in a missile silo, a small team of scientists, civilians and trigger-happy soldiers battle desperately to ensure the survival of the human race, but tension inside the base is reaching breaking-point, and the zombies are gathering outside.
Romero originally intended the film to be "the Gone with the Wind of zombie films. This forced Romero to scale back his story, rewriting the script and adjusting his original vision to fit the smaller budget.
A total of five scripts were written as Romero wrestled with the film's concepts and the budgetary constraints. The first draft was over 200 pages, which he later condensed to 122 pages. This is the true original script, and to date no copies of it have come to light. This version was likely rejected because UFDC felt it was too expensive for them to produce even with an R rating. Romero subsequently scaled down the scope of this script into a 165-page draft (often erroneously referred to as the original version), then condensed it again to a 104-page draft labeled the 'second version, second draft' in an unsuccessful final attempt to get the story within budget parameters. When this failed, he drastically altered the original story concept and ultimately produced a shooting draft that numbered only 88 pages.
Its a perfect ending for a excellent and phenomenal trilogy.
Vladimir Jabotinsky's Story of My Life
Brian J. Horowitz and Leonid Katsis
Book
Vladimir Jabotinsky is well remembered as a militant leader and father of the right-wing Revisionist...
Stan The Man: The Life Story of Stan Wall, from Top Rugby League Referee to Super League's Most Famous Kitman
Book
This is the story of a life well lived and a true character of the game of rugby league. Stan Wall...
A Race Too Far
Book
The true story of the tragic round-the-world yacht race - now the subject of The Mercy, starring...
BT
Back to the Boy
Book
'The thought behind this book is not just me wanting to tell my story in the standard...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Secret Silver Songs in Books
Jun 28, 2020
Once again, the versatile Jordan Elizabeth returns to the fantasy/paranormal genre with a unique novel, Secret Silver Songs. With vampire-like men and demon-like creatures, the story takes the reader on a journey from an idyllic island to ruined cities, death and destruction.
Protagonist, Jemilla, is the daughter of the city's Singer - a man who can protect the city through the power of song. Life on the island is calm and peaceful; there is no crime, there is no danger, there is no fighting; so, no one was prepared for an invasion of blood-drinking Thistly. When her father is killed along with the majority of the population, there is no one left to save the island. Only men could become Singers, or so they claimed, but Jemilla is hiding a secret - she can Sing too.
At the beginning of the novel, Jemilla comes across as an anxious teenager, having been plagued by an overactive imagination for most of her life. Yet, as the story goes on, her frightening thoughts appear to be not as imaginary as she originally believed. A silver woman that no one but Jamilla can see taunts her daily and seems to want Jemilla to fail in her quest to save the island from the Thistly. Mid-story, however, alliances appear to change and Jemilla must figure out which team the silver woman is playing for and discover the truth about her home island.
From the very first chapter, Jordan Elizabeth captures the reader's attention with fast-paced action that never stills until the Epilogue. Taking aspects of history, such as rules for women written by men, the author subliminally advocates for women's rights. Secret Silver Songs demonstrates that enemies can be beaten but also that your true enemy may not be who you expect. Above all, never underestimate the power of song.
Protagonist, Jemilla, is the daughter of the city's Singer - a man who can protect the city through the power of song. Life on the island is calm and peaceful; there is no crime, there is no danger, there is no fighting; so, no one was prepared for an invasion of blood-drinking Thistly. When her father is killed along with the majority of the population, there is no one left to save the island. Only men could become Singers, or so they claimed, but Jemilla is hiding a secret - she can Sing too.
At the beginning of the novel, Jemilla comes across as an anxious teenager, having been plagued by an overactive imagination for most of her life. Yet, as the story goes on, her frightening thoughts appear to be not as imaginary as she originally believed. A silver woman that no one but Jamilla can see taunts her daily and seems to want Jemilla to fail in her quest to save the island from the Thistly. Mid-story, however, alliances appear to change and Jemilla must figure out which team the silver woman is playing for and discover the truth about her home island.
From the very first chapter, Jordan Elizabeth captures the reader's attention with fast-paced action that never stills until the Epilogue. Taking aspects of history, such as rules for women written by men, the author subliminally advocates for women's rights. Secret Silver Songs demonstrates that enemies can be beaten but also that your true enemy may not be who you expect. Above all, never underestimate the power of song.
