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ClareR (6054 KP) rated The Sleeper and the Spindle: Winner of the Cilip Kate Greenaway Medal 2016 in Books
Jul 8, 2020
I’ve been wanting to read this for quite some time, but for one reason or another, I haven’t. COVID-19 and lockdown gave me the ideal opportunity to borrow it from my library’s ebook selection. It’s a quick read for an adult and possibly some young people too, but it’s just the right length for the story.
I loved it - Sleeping Beauty with a twist. It definitely has the fairy story vibes, where the good people are good, and the bad are thoroughly bad. Some would say that’s a very one-dimensional way of looking at it, but isn’t that what fairy stories are all about? As for those who’s ah it’s too scary for young children, I would disagree. I would have loved this as a young child. Yes, it’s scary in places, but it’s a typical fairy story, in that good triumphs over evil. Actually, who am I kidding? I loved this as an adult!
And the art work is stunning. Chris Riddell’s drawings are always wonderful, and the drawings in this book are no exception. Beautiful drawings that complimented the story so well.
I loved it - Sleeping Beauty with a twist. It definitely has the fairy story vibes, where the good people are good, and the bad are thoroughly bad. Some would say that’s a very one-dimensional way of looking at it, but isn’t that what fairy stories are all about? As for those who’s ah it’s too scary for young children, I would disagree. I would have loved this as a young child. Yes, it’s scary in places, but it’s a typical fairy story, in that good triumphs over evil. Actually, who am I kidding? I loved this as an adult!
And the art work is stunning. Chris Riddell’s drawings are always wonderful, and the drawings in this book are no exception. Beautiful drawings that complimented the story so well.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Torture Garden (1967) in Movies
Jul 12, 2020
Yet another Amicus horror anthology in which a mysterious stranger tells a mixed bag of actors their fortunes, all of which turn out to be grim. Michael Bryant gets over-familiar with his dead uncle's cat, Beverley Adams learns the dark secret of the Hollywood A-list, Barbara Ewing falls for a man who loves his piano, and it's mutual, and Jack Palance discovers that Peter Cushing owns the ultimate Edgar Allen Poe collectible.
Written by Robert Bloch, which may explain why it's a bit less cartoony than some of these films, and the final twist is not actually the usual one. However, the decision to go with four stories rather than the five or so does slow the film down a bit and there's a bit of meandering about in some of them before we get to the punchline. In the end, there are some good bits: Burgess Meredith's performance is fun and the moment where one character is attacked by a musical instrument has a sort of kitsch grandeur to it. But other films in this series as livelier and more fun. (I should say: not much torture, even less gardening.)
Written by Robert Bloch, which may explain why it's a bit less cartoony than some of these films, and the final twist is not actually the usual one. However, the decision to go with four stories rather than the five or so does slow the film down a bit and there's a bit of meandering about in some of them before we get to the punchline. In the end, there are some good bits: Burgess Meredith's performance is fun and the moment where one character is attacked by a musical instrument has a sort of kitsch grandeur to it. But other films in this series as livelier and more fun. (I should say: not much torture, even less gardening.)
Biff Byford recommended Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin in Music (curated)
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Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (That Happens to be Vegan)
Book
Many people believe veganism is a trend, that all vegan food tastes the same, boring, bland way and,...
The Cookie Jar: Over 90 Scrumptious Recipes for Home-Baked Treats from Choc Chip Cookies and Snickerdoodles to Gingernuts and Shortbread
Book
Simple and easy to make, cookies are the ultimate comfort food and can be boxed and wrapped to give...
The Natural Food Kitchen: Delicious, Globally Inspired Recipes Using on the Best Natural and Seasonal Produce
Book
Showcasing fresh and wholefood ingredients, Jordan's recipes offer vibrant, seasonal dishes that are...
Dog Bingo
Book
This beautifully illustrated bingo game features 64 breeds of dog from around the world. Spot...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Antebellum (2020) in Movies
Mar 7, 2021
A Jordan Peele movie wouldn't have made the third act gore so tame, just sayin'. In fact there's a lot wrong with this movie, including but not limited to tacky dialogue and the fact that there's not really an actual plot that happens. But it's definitely weird, ambitious, attractive, and intriguing enough to suffice. Jack Huston and - in particular - Gabourey Sidibe are great in it too, and honestly listening to her talk about what the film represents and how much it means to her (https://youtu.be/qDDBc1eD0P8 [8:07]) was very powerful and sort of solidified my positive rating for it in the end. Because on the one hand I think what this movie tried to convey is both admirable and depressingly timely - just muddled a ton by its scattershot approach. Though on the other hand I kind of feel as though its bizarre narrative structure gives it some nuance that it otherwise would have missed out on in the age of slow-burn horror indie clones. It's impossible to talk about this comprehensively without blowing its twist - and it's a good one - but just know this is a vastly better Janelle Monáe slave movie than 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵.
Cee-Lo Green recommended Raw Power by The Stooges in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Housebound (2014) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
Neither funny nor scary enough to fully accomplish what it wants to, but it's *almost* wild enough to. Hurts to go hard on this one because many of its flaws come from simply how ambitious this is on such a small budget - so it's at least always admirable in spite of them; but I can't look past how rough those first 45 minutes are nor how it largely abandons the loads upon loads of potential this premise has in favor of its eventual rug-pull twist to sort of carry the movie from there (which it at least does pretty okay). Because of this we see supporting characters who crave to be more fleshed-out and intriguing plot elements you wish they ran with more instead of more borrowed platitudes. But as aforementioned, those last 50 or so minutes are a fucking RIOT (if still painfully underdeveloped, at least it's fun to watch - with some unexpectedly potent emotion [again, underwritten though]). Even when it falls flat on its face there's a charming earnestness here that can't be denied. It's decent but far from the revolutionary cinema everyone seems to think it is - though it could have been.






