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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated L.A. Confidential (1997) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
A masterpiece, if not THE masterpiece of modern cinema.
A film which understands exactly what it is, what it’s doing and what it’s about and plays out with pace to resolve what is certainly on of the most complex detective stories the multiplex’s have seen in a long while.
The story is built in solid layers, exposing its audience to every clue, with time to digest them, without falling back on the cack-handed cliché of holding back that vital clue to end in order to maintain its twist. This movie had taken its plot, cut it up the pieces and shuffled them about as to confuse the eye, but in the end, it’s all there for the taking. Well acted, directed and supported by a perfectly balanced score by the late Jerry Goldsmith, along with first-rate editing, sound design and cinematography, this is a pleasure to watch, every time.
This is a true classic, that is bathed in the noir which in it is set, pretending at nothing, feeling not like a period piece nor modern, this is timeless in recreation of the 1950′s. Even its gruesome elements don’t feel overplayed, and I’m still always surprised to this day when I think that it is an 18.
All in all, this is the benchmark of modern film making, ticking every box perfectly. A fantastic film, with a first-rate native to drive it. Every filmmaker should see this and learn…
The story is built in solid layers, exposing its audience to every clue, with time to digest them, without falling back on the cack-handed cliché of holding back that vital clue to end in order to maintain its twist. This movie had taken its plot, cut it up the pieces and shuffled them about as to confuse the eye, but in the end, it’s all there for the taking. Well acted, directed and supported by a perfectly balanced score by the late Jerry Goldsmith, along with first-rate editing, sound design and cinematography, this is a pleasure to watch, every time.
This is a true classic, that is bathed in the noir which in it is set, pretending at nothing, feeling not like a period piece nor modern, this is timeless in recreation of the 1950′s. Even its gruesome elements don’t feel overplayed, and I’m still always surprised to this day when I think that it is an 18.
All in all, this is the benchmark of modern film making, ticking every box perfectly. A fantastic film, with a first-rate native to drive it. Every filmmaker should see this and learn…
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Better Than I Know Myself in Books
Apr 3, 2019
Did you ever have a friend who was more like family? For Regina Foster, Jewel Prescott, and Carmen Webb this is exactly true. Better Than I Know Myself starts in the late 70's when the girls are seniors in high school and making the decision on where to go to college. Three different girls from three very different backgrounds. Jewel, a former child star. Regina, the daughter of two college educated parents and little sister to older brothers who had all attended and graduated from college. And Carmen whose parents had left her at a young age.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
I listened to this book through the iPod and Overdrive. The audio was read by Lisa Renee Pitts.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
I listened to this book through the iPod and Overdrive. The audio was read by Lisa Renee Pitts.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated But I Didn't Kill You!: Danny Played Football in Books
May 22, 2019
The events of a typical Autumn Friday night rock a typical small town American family to the core as tragedy strikes them from out of nowhere. Will their lives survive this ordeal as they change from a functional to dysfunctional family? This event has changed and altered their direction, but will this be permanent? The ways the family deals with the loss of a loved one can either make them stronger or crush them in their hope for their small town future. The bonds of love and friendship are stretched to see how far they can go. Will the development of the surviving sibling's progress with growth or be stifled as the family dynamic is pushed to the edge? One's concept of justice is put to the test and their faith in God may never be the same. Actions, reactions and their consequences are exposed for you to see but don't judge too harshly. You may agree or disagree with their actions but ask yourself, if you were in their situation, would you do the same?
This is a very sad story. Good but also difficult to read as it is true to life for some.
It is good for a YA to read as maybe it would get the message across to them of how precious and short life can be.
The writing is simple and direct, making for easy reading.
I read a PDF of tis book I received from the author.
This is a very sad story. Good but also difficult to read as it is true to life for some.
It is good for a YA to read as maybe it would get the message across to them of how precious and short life can be.
The writing is simple and direct, making for easy reading.
I read a PDF of tis book I received from the author.
Artemis is a story about a woman called Jazz Bashara. She's a porter who lives on the moon and smuggles contraband into the city before taking on a job that endangers not only her, but everyone in Artemis.
What did I think to it? It was okay. It was readable. It had a certain charm. Was it amazing? Unfortunately, for me, it fell a little flat and that's difficult for me to say as I love reading Andy's work.
I don't know whether it's because I'm a woman myself but it was quite clear that she'd been written by a man. There were certain elements about her which were reminiscent of Mark Watney and for me it didn't quite work.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but it was slow-paced and didn't really pick up until half way through. It's not likely to be one I'd read again. It had big shoes to fill after The Martian, which remains a steady favorite for me.
I hope Andy isn't too discouraged by my review. I did like reading Artemis, it just wasn't groundbreaking for me. Still, I remain a fan of his work and hope he continues to write more novels.
Update: I read somewhere that Andy said Jazz was more like himself and had more of his personality than Mark did. Andy, if this is true please promise me (if you do this) to stop saying things like "Let's bang." 😛
What did I think to it? It was okay. It was readable. It had a certain charm. Was it amazing? Unfortunately, for me, it fell a little flat and that's difficult for me to say as I love reading Andy's work.
I don't know whether it's because I'm a woman myself but it was quite clear that she'd been written by a man. There were certain elements about her which were reminiscent of Mark Watney and for me it didn't quite work.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but it was slow-paced and didn't really pick up until half way through. It's not likely to be one I'd read again. It had big shoes to fill after The Martian, which remains a steady favorite for me.
I hope Andy isn't too discouraged by my review. I did like reading Artemis, it just wasn't groundbreaking for me. Still, I remain a fan of his work and hope he continues to write more novels.
Update: I read somewhere that Andy said Jazz was more like himself and had more of his personality than Mark did. Andy, if this is true please promise me (if you do this) to stop saying things like "Let's bang." 😛
ClareR (5991 KP) rated Tipping The Velvet in Books
Jan 19, 2018 (Updated Jan 19, 2018)
Sexual awakening in Victorian England
It has taken me a long time to get round to reading this - 20 years in fact. This is the 20th Anniversary edition, and it's still as relevant now as it has always been (and will continue to be relevant, I should think!). This is the story of Nancy Astley and her rise to fame in the music halls in the late 1800's as Nan King, along with her partner on stage and secretly in life too. The novel follows her sexual awakening as a lesbian. Nancy wants to live her life true to herself but Kitty, her partner, does not. Kitty is ashamed and they end up parting under very upsetting circumstances. nan runs away from her stage life , and her life takes a very different turn. She goes through a few different stages in her life - all very remarkable (hey, this is fiction after all!), before she reaches her happy ending. She is uncompromising throughout.
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
Dana (24 KP) rated Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I think it was a great set up for what is to come in the rest of the series. Working with a world that is so complex, like this one, is very difficult and requires a lot of world building which I think this book did very well.
The pacing was slow at parts, but even in those moments, it was enjoyable.
The characters were all very interesting and well thought out. I hope that in the next books there is more building on the relationships of the characters and reactions to the consequences of what they had done. I want to learn more about their Peculiarities and how they work as well.
I wish we could get more background on how the mechanics of the Home works, but I think we may get that in the next books.
I loved the integration of the images in with the story. I think it worked very well in this book, something that does not always reign true with all books set up like this.
I was lucky enough to meet Ransom Riggs at Yallwest in 2015 and he is so nice! I am so glad I finally read the book after owning it for a few years!
I would love to pick up the next two books to continue the series! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the movie as well!
The pacing was slow at parts, but even in those moments, it was enjoyable.
The characters were all very interesting and well thought out. I hope that in the next books there is more building on the relationships of the characters and reactions to the consequences of what they had done. I want to learn more about their Peculiarities and how they work as well.
I wish we could get more background on how the mechanics of the Home works, but I think we may get that in the next books.
I loved the integration of the images in with the story. I think it worked very well in this book, something that does not always reign true with all books set up like this.
I was lucky enough to meet Ransom Riggs at Yallwest in 2015 and he is so nice! I am so glad I finally read the book after owning it for a few years!
I would love to pick up the next two books to continue the series! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the movie as well!
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Trust No One in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Jerry Grey is currently living in an elder care facility and suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, which would be bad enough except that he is convinced that he murdered a girl many years ago and is continually trying to confess to it. The problem with that though, is that he was a best-selling crime novelist and the murder to which he keeps confessing mirrors a plot point from one of his books, so no one believes him. Maybe they're right, and it's just the disease making him think that he did kill her, but evidence keeps appearing that makes him think that it's true, and that somehow he is continuing to commit murders. Or someone is trying to trick him into believing he is. Luckily, he had been keeping a journal of his life with Alzheimer's which should help to make sense of everything. Now if he could just remember where he put it. The first half of this book was perhaps a little light on suspense, and instead seemed to deal with the horror of Alzheimer's and dementia in and of themselves, which are quite frightening. Once the twists start coming however, things move at a breakneck pace, and there are plenty of surprising developments to be had. Aside from a few slightly weak moments, this is one hell of a story and a pretty great suspense yarn for the Halloween season.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Kid presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents by David Stabler is a book of just that American presidents when they were kids. The book is an excellent source of information about the childhood lives of many American presidents. The book is presents in a way that gets children today interested in history.
The information is presented in a humorous and engaging way. By presenting information this way children will realize that they do not have to be perfect or great at everything they do; they just need to have motivation, interest, and the will to succeed in order to be successful. By reading this book children will learn that they to can have a positive impact on the world they live in.
This story shows that the American Presidents were normal children. Some were outdoorsy. Some were bratty. Some were brainy. Some were a complete mix. I loved the illustrations of the presidents. The illustrations really enhanced the book. The childhood biographies and fun facts helped to make the book interesting for children and adults.
This book could easily be used by parents and teachers to help children become interested in history and to learn about the popular and not so popular American Presidents.
I highly recommend this book. I give this book a 5/5 stars.
I received this book from Quirk Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The information is presented in a humorous and engaging way. By presenting information this way children will realize that they do not have to be perfect or great at everything they do; they just need to have motivation, interest, and the will to succeed in order to be successful. By reading this book children will learn that they to can have a positive impact on the world they live in.
This story shows that the American Presidents were normal children. Some were outdoorsy. Some were bratty. Some were brainy. Some were a complete mix. I loved the illustrations of the presidents. The illustrations really enhanced the book. The childhood biographies and fun facts helped to make the book interesting for children and adults.
This book could easily be used by parents and teachers to help children become interested in history and to learn about the popular and not so popular American Presidents.
I highly recommend this book. I give this book a 5/5 stars.
I received this book from Quirk Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kristin (149 KP) rated The Experiment in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sci-fi novel with a very interesting premise: Most of the universe is made up of several large-scale experiments, trying to determine the theory of evolution as it applies to "preintelloids," as they are referred to. How fast does this happen? What is the process by which that last jump occurs to full-scale intelligence as they see it? And how can it be scientifically controlled in such a way so as not to interfere?
The book bounces back and forth between those controlling the experiment and those who are actually pieces of it, and it's a great way to see the differences between the two groups. The aliens are incredibly scientific in how they approach everything, and everyone else is just going about their business, considering they have no idea about the big picture involved. However, when things advance at a rate that was unexpected beforehand, those in charge have to figure out how to handle the situation and whether or not it's worth it to continue and see where the subjects go from there.
This story is very thought-provoking, and it really makes you ask: What if this is true? What if all we are is a giant petri dish for an alien race? And what happens if we're considered an unsuccessful experiment?
4 stars
This is a sci-fi novel with a very interesting premise: Most of the universe is made up of several large-scale experiments, trying to determine the theory of evolution as it applies to "preintelloids," as they are referred to. How fast does this happen? What is the process by which that last jump occurs to full-scale intelligence as they see it? And how can it be scientifically controlled in such a way so as not to interfere?
The book bounces back and forth between those controlling the experiment and those who are actually pieces of it, and it's a great way to see the differences between the two groups. The aliens are incredibly scientific in how they approach everything, and everyone else is just going about their business, considering they have no idea about the big picture involved. However, when things advance at a rate that was unexpected beforehand, those in charge have to figure out how to handle the situation and whether or not it's worth it to continue and see where the subjects go from there.
This story is very thought-provoking, and it really makes you ask: What if this is true? What if all we are is a giant petri dish for an alien race? And what happens if we're considered an unsuccessful experiment?
4 stars
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) in Movies
Oct 7, 2018
Another Coppola classic!
Coppola's take on the classic Dracula story is to use the book as the source! So many of the other adaptations, including the 1931 classic, changed or combined characters, rather than stay true to the source material.
So many of his decisions were great when making the film including firing his original visual effects team and hiring his son, Roman Coppola to take a more "traditional" route when setting up the film's look through "old school" techniques instead of the modern day approach the original team wanted. The result was very unique, almost "cheapish" looking, but the way the filmmaker wanted it to look.
There has been much written over the years about Keanu Reeves' role in the film and how he felt out of place with the rest of the remarkable cast. In retrospect, he may have been miscast, but I have grown to enjoy his performance over years. The performances of Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins (fresh off his cannibalistic Oscar win) certainly carry the film. Oldman almost makes the character of Dracula a sympathetic one. You almost want to root for him to be successful instead of damning him back to hell as the master vampire.
Overall, one of my top 3 vampire flicks of all time and a consistent rewatch. Just purchased on 4K which made the look and fell, colors and darkness of the film as fresh as ever. Highly recommended.
So many of his decisions were great when making the film including firing his original visual effects team and hiring his son, Roman Coppola to take a more "traditional" route when setting up the film's look through "old school" techniques instead of the modern day approach the original team wanted. The result was very unique, almost "cheapish" looking, but the way the filmmaker wanted it to look.
There has been much written over the years about Keanu Reeves' role in the film and how he felt out of place with the rest of the remarkable cast. In retrospect, he may have been miscast, but I have grown to enjoy his performance over years. The performances of Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins (fresh off his cannibalistic Oscar win) certainly carry the film. Oldman almost makes the character of Dracula a sympathetic one. You almost want to root for him to be successful instead of damning him back to hell as the master vampire.
Overall, one of my top 3 vampire flicks of all time and a consistent rewatch. Just purchased on 4K which made the look and fell, colors and darkness of the film as fresh as ever. Highly recommended.